Bio
Andrea (Gaynor) Bonior is a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her B.A. with distinction in psychology from Yale University, with an additional major in American Studies. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology at American University with post-doctoral work at George Washington University, focusing on individual and group psychotherapy for young adults and specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders and depression. She has served on the staff of four university counseling centers as well as various mental health agencies; additional clinical and research interests include eating disorders, women’s issues, alcohol abuse, relationship issues, athletic performance anxiety, life transitions, and grief and loss.
Dr. Bonior also has extensive psychoeducational outreach experience in suicide prevention and has been a frequent speaker on mental health issues to campus groups. She has been interviewed for many media outlets and publications, including CNN.com, The Miami Herald, Voice of America, and the recently published “The Quarterlifer’s Companion” (McGraw-Hill), and has been featured on several university radio and television stations. he is currently working on her first book, "To Friend or Not to Friend: Changing Your Life One Relationship at a Time" for Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's Press. A musician, she holds a special interest in the performing arts and has served as a psychological consultant to university musical theater departments and even an off-Broadway show.
Dr. Bonior is best known for “Baggage Check,” her twice-weekly mental health column in the Washington Post Express, unique among advice columns for its plentiful wit and frequent pop culture references. She has been a featured guest in several Washington Post online chats and has served on the faculty of George Washington University, and currently teaches at Georgetown University. Dr. Bonior resides outside of Washington, DC, with her husband and two children.