While evidence-based practice might not drive most, but for Kaitlin Gallo, Massachusetts native, Harvard graduate and current Boston University student who is pursuing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology, it’s why she’s running on TEAM ICL during her first marathon.

“Throughout my training, I've held various research and clinical roles, mostly working on figuring out the best ways to help kids and adults who have various mental illnesses through the research and implementation of empirically supported treatments,” says Kaitlin.

She confides, “I know a lot of people need help, but don’t get it. And those who do may not actually receive the right sort of help. ICL’s mission is important to me; it’s exciting to see how it supports people who have serious mental illness and the priority it places on evidence-based treatment.”

A mental health advocate, Kaitlin wants people to reevaluate what they think of and know about serious mental illness (SMI). “Psychiatric disorders are a huge struggle for people. Due to the stigma attached, often times people are not aware of how others are suffering and how common SMI really is.”

She envisions, “a time when SMI is researched and treated the way in which other illnesses, like multiple sclerosis, heart disease and high cholesterol, are. After seeing relatives and friends struggle with and lose their lives to mental illness, this mission has taken on even greater importance to me."

Kaitlin’s husband of two years, Chris Cagliuso, an assistant portfolio manager in a financial firm in Boston, will be joining her in the marathon, and they’re training together. He won his entrance in the ING NYC Marathon lottery and is raising money for a research nonprofit. Kaitlin admits that their biggest barrier to running, “is getting out of bed, but we have a pact that when one of us doesn’t want to get up, the other one is encouraging.”

Her husband is also big motivator for her, “It’s nice to have the emotional support of having someone else there cheering you on. We’re both busy and this gives us a time, with no distractions, to really be with each other.”

Help Kaitlin reach her fundraising goal for TEAM ICL!