Helping couples resolve relationship distress and build a strong bond is the focus of the 2026 Stephen A. Lisman Lecture in Clinical Psychology at Binghamton University. The lecture will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18 in the President's Reception Room at the Anderson Center on campus. The session is free and open to the public.

The lecture will be given by Douglas K. Snyder, PhD, and is titled "Treating Couple Distress: Progress and Prospects". Dr. Snyder is Professor Emeritus of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University and served there as the Director of Clinical Training for two decades. 

Couple relationship distress is quite common -- and there is a strong link between this distress and emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems in adults and their children. This session will describe specific methods of treating relationship distress, their effectiveness, and how they can be applied to complex scenarios, such as infidelity.

Dr. Snyder has co-authored more than 150 academic publications exploring couple assessment and intervention, and will bring his decades of expertise to this session, presenting the strengths and weaknesses of various couples-based treatment approaches.

Now in its 11th year, the Stephen A. Lisman Annual Lecture in Clinical Psychology, established in 2015, brings a leading clinical psychologist to campus each year to share their expertise. The series honors Distinguished Teaching Professor Stephen A. Lisman for his 43 years of service and lasting impact on Binghamton University and the field of clinical psychology.

The lecture series is designed to improve training and education through introducing students, faculty, and the community to key issues. Topics in previous years covered a wide range of areas within clinical psychology, which have broad applications to our everyday lives – including Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, alcohol/drug treatment, and Bipolar Spectrum Disorders.

For more information, contact Stephen A. Lisman at slisman@binghamton.edu.