Areas of Expertise
- Applied behavior analysis, professional ethics, clinical supervision and mentorship, leadership and professional development, performance management, staff training and coaching, organizational systems, evidence-based practice, assessment and treatment of challenging behavior
Education
- B.A. in philosophy, San Francisco State University
- J.D., University of San Francisco
- M.A. in special education, vocational education, San Francisco State University
- Ph.D. in disability disciplines, applied behavior analysis, Utah State University
What's My Why?
I have spent much of my career thinking about what helps behavior analysts become not just technically competent practitioners, but thoughtful, ethical professionals who can support and develop others. I teach because I believe good supervision and leadership can be learned and continually improved through reflection and deliberate practice. My goal is for students to leave with practical skills they can use immediately, along with a healthy appetite for continued curiosity and professional growth. I want them to be comfortable with the reality that good professional practice does not always come with a single obvious answer – and to have the skills to thoughtfully and ethically figure out what to do next.
Professional Experience
In addition to my role at Salve, I am scholar-in-residence at Pass the Big ABA Exam and owner of TP Sellers, LLC. My career has included clinical practice, higher education, professional regulation, association leadership and organizational consultation. I previously served as CEO of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts and director of ethics at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Earlier, I was an assistant professor at Utah State University, where I also directed the Utah Behavior Support Clinic and the university’s BCBA/master’s sequence. I have worked across schools, clinics, residential and community-based services, and organizational settings, with particular emphasis on supervision, mentorship, ethics, staff performance and professional development. I have had the privilege to work across the United States and in several other countries. I have also authored and co-authored books and peer-reviewed publications focused on supervision, ethics and behavior-analytic practice.
Selected Publications
Sellers, T. P., Patrizi, E., & Lichtenberger, S. (2024). Daily ethics: Creating intentional practice for behavior analysts. Key Press.
LeBlanc, L. A., Sellers, T. P., & Ala’i, S. (2020). Building and sustaining meaningful and effective relationships as a supervisor and mentor. Sloan Publishing.
Sellers, T. P., Valentino, A. L., & LLeBlanc, L. A. (2016). Recommended practices for individual supervision of aspiring behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 274–286.
Sellers, T. P., LeBlanc, L. A., & Valentino, A. L. (2016). Recommendations for detecting and addressing barriers to successful supervision. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 309–319.
Jimenez, S., Wilder, D., Brand, D., Carr, J. E., Sellers, T. P., & Mason, M. (2023). The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (1.1): An initial assessment of validity and reliability. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 56, 884–897.