BART D. BRIGIDI, PhD is a neuroscientist and practicing clinical neuropsychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist. Dr. Brigidi directs NCNbA through a small, part-time private practice in assessment, therapy, coaching, and consultation at NCNbA.
Dr. Brigidi also works closely with the Director of the Mindfulness Program, Hyun Ok Min, and the mindfulness training team at NCNbA. He is the founding director of NCNbA and has advanced training in neurocognitive evaluation and rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and consultation for children, adolescents, and adults. He holds a Master’s degree in Experimental Health Psychology from St. Joseph’s University and a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont. Dr. Brigidi completed his early training with Dr. Edna Foa to better understand emotional disorders in children and adults, specifically anxiety of a posttraumatic or obsessive nature. He completed his doctoral studies under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Achenbach, who himself had trained with Jean Piaget, which provided the empirical foundation for Dr. Brigidi’s expertise across the lifespan starting in early childhood. Dr. Brigidi also completed an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Duke University Medical Center.
Dr. Brigidi has received funding from NIH and private foundation grants during his tenure on the faculty at Duke University Medical Center in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Surgery. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Brigidi served for about 15 years as the Associate Director of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at Duke University. His research has focused on characterizing the neurobiology of working memory, emotion regulation (e.g., mindfulness), decision-‐making, attention, memory, and impulsivity across the lifespan in the context of childhood adversity. His clinical work has also focused on attention and learning disorders, and providing learning consultations, academic remediation for learning disorders, and educational consulting for school selection and placement.
Dr. Brigidi and his colleagues have studied neural, behavioral, psychological and genetic correlates of executive functioning, specifically working memory. This work led to the development of novel methods to improve executive functioning in the clinic using mindfulness techniques. This collaborative work has been pointed towards perhaps the most critical aspect of therapy and coaching which is the generalization of gains made in the clinic to everyday functioning in relationships, and at home, work and school, and most recently in the area of leadership.
Dr. Brigidi’s outreach work is dedicated to destigmatizing mental health, increasing awareness, and providing direct support to trauma survivors. In this work, he has provided services and support to individuals and families within the LGBTQ community, as well as to necessity nonprofit leaders who dedicate their life’s work to improving access to basic human needs, equity, and social justice.
Outside of his work in private practice and at Duke, Dr. Brigidi enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors on a hiking trail or in a kayak, and as a dedicated student of various forms of yoga. He also maintains an active teaching schedule in courses in human cognition at local universities, and regularly teaches meditation in schools.
You can email Dr. Brigidi at bbrigidi@ncnba.com .