Board of Advisors Spotlight: Dr. Pegi Touff

Dr. Pegi Touff’s career is defined by curiosity, compassion, and a lifelong commitment to public service. A retired clinical psychologist and longtime mental health advocate, she brings both professional expertise and philanthropic support to the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP)—including a recent gift to the Sturm Center, where her passion for serving Veterans and their families has found new resonance.

Her journey into psychology began unexpectedly. While earning a master’s in English and teaching freshman composition, she found herself captivated by the emerging personal growth movement of the 1970s. “My husband had joined what we called ‘T-groups’—[essentially] early therapy groups—and I was fascinated by the conversations,” she recalled. That fascination sparked a pivot from literature to counseling psychology and, ultimately, a doctorate and private practice focused on eating disorders, a field that was virtually unexplored at the time.

While working at a women’s therapy clinic in the early 1970s, Dr. Touff began hearing clients describe eating disorders—at a time when the condition was still largely unknown. “I had never read or knew anything about eating disorders…so I decided to make that my thesis—body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa,” she said. “It was easy in those days to do a review of the literature because there was so little written.”

Dr. Touff also spent meaningful time at GSPP as an adjunct professor, supervising doctoral students and helping shape the next generation of clinicians. “It was very dynamic,” she shared. “To work with students willing to take risks and reveal their vulnerabilities—it was just a really nice part of my career.”

Dr. Touff’s recent support of the Sturm Center, GSPP’s hub for military psychology training and services, is rooted in decades of concern for Veterans’ mental health. “I just have a soft spot in my heart for returning Veterans,” she said, recalling the mistreatment of Vietnam Veterans upon their return home. “They had a terrible double post-traumatic stress situation…being shunned and misunderstood was more damaging in some ways.” 

After visiting the Sturm Center and speaking with clinicians, she was moved by its mission and felt compelled to contribute. “I was very inspired by the outreach and the breadth of services…available both to returning service members, military, and their families,” she said. “It is so necessary when people come back from active duty to have the family involved…The fact that the center addresses the different aspects of military psychology was very impressive to me.”

Her commitment to advocacy extends far beyond clinical work. Dr. Touff has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Mental Health Colorado—where she received the President’s Award—and remains actively involved in causes related to education, women’s health, and reproductive justice. “It’s part of my value system to be involved.”

She continues to be energized by that work. “I am able to have some input, I am privileged to find out what’s happening, what’s being done, what we could do better…That process is very meaningful and also very enjoyable.”

We’re deeply grateful for Dr. Touff’s enduring contributions—to the field, to the GSPP community, and to the lives impacted by her care, mentorship, and advocacy.

Learn more about how The Sturm Center supports Veterans, Service Members, and their families.