Dr. Christopher Rutt

Dr. Christopher Rutt

Director of Innovation & Program Development

Dr. Christopher Rutt is the Director of Innovation and Program Development at the Boston Child Study Center (BCSC). He specializes in providing evidence-based treatment, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and DBT PTSD, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He has expertise treating a range of behavioral and emotional disorders, including anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and Borderline Personality Disorder. At BCSC, Dr. Rutt works with individual clients, conducts family therapy, serves as a caregiver coach/liaison for parents and caregivers, and leads weekly group therapy for parents and caregivers. Dr. Rutt has over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in multiple settings including outpatient, residential, wilderness, and inpatient treatment centers.

As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Rutt completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame, holds master’s degrees in psychology from Harvard University and Boston University, and received his PhD in clinical psychology from Harvard University. He completed his predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology with Geisinger Health System in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.

Dr. Rutt has additional expertise in health and sleep related problems. As a postdoctoral fellow, he was a member of Geisinger’s Pediatric Multidisciplinary Sleep Clinic where he provided assessment and intervention for sleep problems in collaboration with pediatric pulmonology, neurology, and nutrition/weight-management. Dr. Rutt currently provides individualized assessment, consultation, and treatment for sleep-related problems at BCSC. Additionally, Dr. Rutt was part of the pediatric integrated behavioral health care team at Geisinger Health System. In this role, he was embedded in primary care physicians’ offices, and worked collaboratively with pediatricians, specialty medical providers, and nurses to address behavioral and mental health needs of children and families. During this time, he received comprehensive training with various pediatric problems including toilet training, selective eating, pain management, medication adherence, pill-swallowing, and sleep difficulties. Dr. Rutt was a guest on the James Beard Award-winning podcast, The Sporkful, for his insight and expertise into picky eating in children.

Dr. Rutt continually works towards expanding on his experience working with LGBTQ+ individuals. He has participated in multiple trainings following the curriculum of the Safe Zone Project and served as a train-the-trainer for Geisinger Health System’s department of Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Dr. Rutt co-facilitated multiple Safe Zone/LGBTQ+ trainings at community-based outpatient primary care clinics throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Dr. Rutt helped to develop and co-lead a monthly LGBTQ+ support group for adolescents and their caregivers during his time as a postdoctoral fellow. In addition, he has extensive experience providing outpatient psychotherapy to LGBTQ+ youths to assist with questions related to gender and sexuality as well as comorbid psychiatric difficulties.

In addition to clinical responsibilities, Dr. Rutt teaches at the Harvard University Extension School, and has previously held teaching positions at Harvard College where he received the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning Certificate of Distinction in Teaching award. Dr. Rutt has been a guest lecturer at multiple colleges and universities, and he has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on mental health and evidence-based psychotherapy.