Research to improve relationships & mental health

My research focuses on enhancing relational well-being and expanding access to mental health care for youth. I conduct both basic and applied research.

1) Basic Science

Adverse social experiences can lead us to develop maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and mental health problems, making it difficult to navigate our lives with a sense of trust and security. Through basic research studies, I pinpoint the transdiagnostic relational predictors of psychological distress, such as negative core beliefs, attachment insecurity, emotion dysregulation, and loneliness.

2) Intervention Research

I design scalable interventions to promote healthy relationships and enhance psychological well-being. I develop digital and in-person single-session interventions. I am create and test longer term interventions. For example, I aim to formalize a training protocol for bachelor’s level therapists, creating a new workforce to expand access to mental health support for all.