Blake Sperry Bowden, (1967- ) is an American psychologist, playwright, and actor.

Born Oct 27, 1967 in Columbus, Ohio, raised in Wooster, Ohio. Attended Northwestern University (B.A., 1990, in Psychology and Linguistics); DePaul University (M.A., 1993; Ph.D., 1995, both in Clinical Psychology); University of Dayton (Ed.S., 2005, School Psychology). Currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Bowden received national attention for his study of over 1,200 American adolescents - demonstrating that adult social support, especially support provided by parents, is effective in ameliorating stress only if there is goodness-of-fit between the teen's need and the provision of that support. Findings suggested that too much or too little adult social support can exacerbate stress reactions among teenagers. This research received a Dissertation Research Award from the American Psychological Association in 1995. A segment thereof, demonstrated that the number of meals a teen eats with an adult member of the family per week is more predictive of (a) positive peers; (b) strong academic performance; (c) lack of substance abuse; and (c) lack of depression than any other social variable measured (including family structure, age, gender, or race). Results of this study were quoted on CNN, USA Today, the Associated Press, the United Press International, and regional/national newspapers across the country - and named among the top 10 Psychology "stories" to emerge from 1997 APA National Convention in Los Angeles. Since then, Dr. Bowden's work has been published/presented in a number of referee jourals and national/international conventions (some of which is listed below). Following a Fellowship in Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Bowden has served as a Clinical Psychologist with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and regularly taught at colleges and universities in Ohio. Dr. Bowden is one of a handful of Psychologists with dual licensure as both a Pediatric Clinical Psychologist and School Psychologist. A scientist-practitioner, he is currently working with students and teachers directly in local public schools as a Pediatric Clinical-School Psychologist.

During his residency in Boston, Bowden learned of the power of myth and story-telling to heal from a teenage patient of his who was dying of Spinal muscular atrophy [1791]. Bowden was the first to read J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit to the teen - and learned how the story of a hero's journey readied the boy for his impending death. Five years later, Bowden adapted The Lord of the Rings to the stage for audiences in Ohio, parts of which were featured in an hour-long French documentary by La Jolla Productions, "Le Seigneur des Anneaux: DeL'Ecrit a L'Ecran." He currently co-administers a theatre program for inner-city Head Start students in Cincinnati that has proven to enhance preliteracy skills and pro-social behavior among urban preschoolers. Bowden was acknowledged as a member of Cincinnati's Creative Class [1792] in 2003 [1793].

Bowden's varied career is an example of a late 20th/early 21st century American trend toward concurrent dual- or Multiple Careers.

Selected bibliography

What’s in a Name: When is a “Psychologist” a Psychologist? Paper presented at the 37th Annual National Convention of the National Association of School Psychologists, Atlanta, GA., (2005, April).

Bring Literature to Life: Empower Passion in Preschools. Paper presented at 30th Annual Convention of the National Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Orlando, FL., (2005, April).

Gilgamesh and Enkidu. In process.

Gender-related processes and drug use: self-expression with parents, peer group selection and achievement motivation. Adolescence, 39 (153), 167-178, (2003).

The Return of the King: The End of a Journey. Produced at the Aronoff Center of the Arts, Cincinnati, OH., (2003).

Integrating computers into speech and language intervention: Transitioning from tradition to technology. Hearsay, Journal of the Ohio Speech and Hearing Association, 13(2). (2003).

The Two Towers: The Journey Continues. Produced at the Aronoff Center of the Arts, Cincinnati, OH., (2002).

The Fellowship of the Ring: The Journey Begins. Produced at the Aronoff Center of the Arts, Cincinnati, OH., (2001).

Parent ratings (CBCL) of youngsters with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS): Comparison with parents of youngsters with Down syndrome (DS) and Autism/PDD. Paper presented at the 123rd Annual National Convention of the American Association on Mental Retardation, New Orleans, LO., (May, 1999).

Cognitive and behavioral profiles of youngsters with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS): Internalization related to cognitive functioning. Poster presented at the Biennial National Convention of the Society for Research on Child Development, Albuquerque, NM., (1999, April).

Psychosocial correlates of juvenile male sexual aggression in a chronic delinquent sample. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 24(1), 71-95, (1997).

Exposure to serious family violence among incarcerated boys: Its association with violent offending and potential mediatng variables. Violence & Victims, 10(3), 163-182, (1997).

“Supper’s on!” Adolescent adjustment and frequency of meals with important adults. Poster Presented at the 105th Annual National Convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL., (1997, Aug.)

Avoidant learning in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and concomitant dissociation. Poster presented at the 30th Annual National Convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New York, NY., (1996, November).

Project ACRE: Developmental “goodness-of-fit” in provision of adult social support to rural adolescents. Poster presented at the Biennial National Convention of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Boston, MA., (1996, March).