Dr. Litchfield earned his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Portland in 1972, his M.A. degree in psychology from San Diego State University in 1970, and his B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1964. He completed a one-year sabbatical leave from California Polytechnic State University in behavioral medicine with Theodore. X. Barber at Medfield Hospital, in Massachusetts 1975-1976.
His areas of expertise include: behavioral medicine, behavioral physiology, applied psychophysiology, research design, behavioral pharmacology, placebo effects, biological learning and motivation, and physiological monitoring technology. Respiratory psychophysiology has been his exclusive focus since 2000.
He currently serves as President of the Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences which provides professional diploma and certificate programs that integrate physiological and behavioral sciences for new and innovative applications in healthcare, human service, and performance enhancement. He serves as CEO for Better Physiology, Ltd., the manufacturer of CapnoTrainer instrumentation used for identifying dysfunctional breathing habits and assisting people in disengaging and replacing them with new functional ones. And, he also serves as an editor for Breathing Science, a digital peer-reviewed journal.
Dr. Litchfield served as Assistant Professor of Psychology 1970-1974, was tenured in 1974, and served as Associate Professor of Psychology 1974-1981 at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. He founded (or cofounded) and served as President: Proseminar Institute in San Francisco, 1976-1981; the Applied Psychophysiology Institute in San Francisco CA and Bainbridge Island WA, 1981-1997; Behavioral Physiology Institutes (Ph.D. program is behavioral medicine) in Bainbridge Island WA, 1997-1999; Better Physiology, Ltd. (manufacturer of CapnoTrainer instrumentation), 2000-present; the Graduate School of Behavioral Health Sciences (2012 – 2020); and the Professional School of Behavioral Health Sciences (2020 -present).
He has lectured for more than 40 years in person and by webinar on behavioral physiology, respiratory psychophysiology, and self-regulation science throughout North America and in Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America to diverse audiences, ranging from medical schools to corporate groups.