Judith McCue Wheat, Psy.D.

About

Undergraduate: University of Alabama
Postgraduate: Bowie State University, James Madison University
Internship: James Madison University Human Development Center /Shenandoah Valley Child Development Clinic
Fellowship: Duke University Faculty Development
Certification: Clinical Psychologist/Professional Counselor
Professional Interests: Health Psychology, Early Onset Bipolar Disorder, Developmental Disorders, Adult A-DHD, Psychological Assessment

Dr. Wheat is a Clinical Professor and the Director of Behavioral Health for the Residency program. One of the original faculty Dr. Wheat has been with the Residency since its beginnings in 1998. Born in Atlanta, and raised a Southern Belle, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa...ROLL TIDE!! Always the adventuresome traveler and explorer of exotic places, after college Dr. Wheat signed on for two years with the Department of Defense and shipped off to Subic Bay Naval Base, Philippines. Hair-raising adventures teaching first graders, and travel throughout Asia and the Western Pacific, made for some tales she is still fond to tell. Back stateside, she completed her Master’s degree and worked as a school psychologist and clinical counselor until earning her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2000 from James Madison University. Always a believer in the biopsychosocial approach to patient care, she developed a keen interest in psychopharmacology and health psychology and has worked with Dr. Jennifer Barron to co-create and implement the Mind-Body Medicine curriculum for the Residency. Dr Wheat regularly presents at national conferences on mental health in Family Medicine and on our curriculum. She is married to Bill, the “other Dr. Wheat” who spent his career wearing Navy wings of gold and hovering in a helicopter in West Pac. With the children grown and an empty nest, they moved to “the Valley”, and soon their home was full of feline rescues. Recently, they adopted Boo, a Ragdoll, who is a most fascinating breed of cat. Dr. Wheat’s friends tell her that if she acquires one more cat, she will go from cat owner to “cat lady”. When not coaching resident physicians in the nuances of interviewing, diagnosing, and treating patients with mental health complaints, Dr. Wheat’s leisure time is spent pursuing her love of wine, gourmet cooking, ballroom dancing, and hanging out with friends. She and her husband travel as much as possible and otherwise can be found either on a golf course, at wine tastings, or dancing an Argentine tango. The only time she is not moving at breakneck speed through life is when she settles in to read a good book.