Sebastian Perumbilly
Assistant Professor
Office: Davis Hall-020B
Phone: (203) 392-6410
Dr. Perumbilly's research focuses on transferability of marriage, couple and family therapy (MCFT) models to international and multicultural educational and treatment settings; collaborating with international educators and treatment professionals in developing culturally sensitive models of MCFT training and treatment programs; assessing and treating substance abuse and addiction in relational contexts of couples and families; developing substance addiction treatment programs in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams of treatment professionals; exploring the voices of indigenous mental health professionals working in the field of addiction treatment in postcolonial settings; searching for the links between spirituality and psychotherapy; assessing, conceptualizing and designing systemically-focused clinical treatment and prevention programs. During the years 2010-2011, he completed the first national research study in India focusing on addiction treatment programs affiliated with the regional resource training centers (RRTCs) of the National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) in postcolonial India. His current research projects focus on indigenous methods of addiction treatment in international settings; and the role of families in addiction treatment in global settings.
Dr. Perumbilly has taught previously at several national and international settings including the University of Connecticut, Storrs campus, CT; Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA; Graduate School of Education & Counseling at Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR; and Christ University, Bangalore, India. In COAMFTE accredited graduate training programs, he has taught core courses in MCFT including Theories and Practices in MCFT; Ethical and Legal Issues in MCFT; Advanced Family Therapy; Couples Therapy; Family Development; Assessment and Prevention in MCFT & Counseling; Substance Addiction Treatment in MCFT; MCFT Practicum Supervision; MCFT Internship Supervision; and Treatment Issues in MCFT & Spirituality. As a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy at Southern Connecticut State University, Dr. Perumbilly teaches several core courses in MCFT.
Dr. Perumbilly is a Clinical Fellow and an Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). As a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), he holds clinical licenses in the states of Connecticut (#1532) and Washington (#LF60102597). He has received specialized training to work with a wide range of clinical population, especially high conflict couples, symptomatic adolescents, and individuals and families struggling with substance abuse and addiction. As a clinician, he has worked both in intensive outpatient clinics and in inpatient psychiatric hospital settings along with multidisciplinary teams of treatment professionals. He has also worked in the area of prevention programs. Between the years of 2005 and 2008, as a representative of the Department of Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Connecticut, he conducted many couple- and family-focused psychoeducational and prevention programs intended to help divorcing parents with minor children. During those court-mandated psychoeducational and prevention programs held in several towns in the state of Connecticut, he trained parents to reorganize and restructure their post-divorced family-systems in child-focused ways, and to work collaboratively as post-divorced co-parents for the well-being of their children.
Along with his graduate teaching and research, Dr. Perumbilly maintains a small private clinical practice, and works with individuals, groups, couples and families.
Dr. Perumbilly received a master's degree in Bioethics from the Holy Apostles College and Seminary. His second master's degree and Ph.D. are in the field of Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) with a focus on marriage and family therapy from the University of Connecticut.
Publications & Research Presentations (National & International)
Perumbilly, S. & McDowell. T. (2012). Treating addiction in couple relationships. A research-focused workshop presentation for the mental health professionals at the National conference of Indian Association of Family Therapy (IAFT), January 6, 2012, Delhi, India.
Perumbilly, S., McDowell, T. & Brown, A.L. (2011). Integrating couple and family therapy in the treatment of substance abuse and addiction. A one-day theoretical and clinical workshop for India's addiction treatment professionals associated with Regional Resource Training Center, TTK Hospital, Chennai, India.
Perumbilly, S. & Anderson, S.(2011). Role of family in substance addiction treatment: Indian perspectives. National conference of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Dallas, TX.
Perumbilly, S. & Anderson, S. (2011). Substance Addiction treatment in India: innovative perspectives. National conference of American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Dallas, TX.
Perumbilly, S. (2011). Substance abuse and addiction treatment programs in India: exploring the voices of Indian treatment and research professionals (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. Available from WorldCat Libraries (OCLC No. 759398205)
Sanderson, J., Kosutic, I., Garcia, M., Melendez, T., Donoghue, J., Perumbilly, S., Franzen, C., Anderson, S. (2009). The measurement of outcome variables in couple and family therapy research. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 37 (3), 239-257.
Khanna, A., McDowell, T., Perumbilly, S. & Titus, G. (2009). Working with Asian Indian American families: a delphi study. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 28 (1), 52-71.
Fang, S., McDowell, T., Goldfarb, T., MacDonald, A., Perumbilly, S., Gonzales-Kruger, G., (2008). Viewing the Asian American experience through a culturally centered research lens: do scholarship in family science and related disciplines fall short? Marriage & Family Review, 44(1), 33-51.
McDowell, T., Fang, S., Griggs, J., Speirs, K., Perumbilly, S. & Kublay, A., (2006). International dialogue: Our experiences in a family therapy program. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 25 (1),1-15.
Perumbilly, S., Titus, G., Khanna, A.& McDowell, T. (2006). Family therapy from an Asian Indian perspective. Presented at the Annual AAMFT Conference, Houston, TX.
McDowell, T., Fang, S., Griggs, J., Kublay, A. & Perumbilly, S. (2005). Crossing borders: The transferability of culturally bound family therapy knowledge. International Family Therapy Association-American Family Therapy Academy 2005 Conference, Washington, D.C.
Perumbilly, S. (2000). Gift of life (Master's Thesis), Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, CT. Available from WorldCat Libraries (OCLC No. 54940631)
Academic Credentials
Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, 2011
M.A. in Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, 2005
M.A. in Bioethics, Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, Connecticut, 2001
