People
Faculty Lead:
Ellen Flannery-Schroeder, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Flannery-Schroeder is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the nature of anxiety disorders in children, efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment and prevention programs for children at risk for anxiety, parent training, and the role of family factors in the onset, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety disorders. Dr. Flannery-Schroeder earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Temple University in 1997 and currently works as Professor of Psychology and Director of the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Rhode Island. She has been involved in the prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders for more than 30 years and has written numerous articles and book chapters on the topic. Dr. Flannery-Schroeder directs the Child Anxiety Program in the Psychological Consultation Center at the University of Rhode Island, co-directs the New England Center for Anxiety, an outpatient treatment center, and co-directs High Performance Parenting, a parenting consultation firm. She conducts behavior change programming for former NFL players and is frequently invited to give talks and seminars. Dr. Flannery-Schroeder has made numerous media appearances including television, radio, and podcast.
Graduate Students:
Hayley Pomerantz, M.S.
Hayley is a 6th year doctoral candidate at the University of Rhode Island. Hayley specializes in conducting evidence-based treatments for children and families with a wide variety of mental health disorders. Her research focuses on the risk and protective factors of childhood anxiety disorders, help seeking for child anxiety and depression, and parenting practices. Hayley’s career goals include providing evidence-based treatments to children and their families in an outpatient setting.
Thesis: Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Anxiety: The Effect of Engaging in a Healthy Lifestyle
Dissertation: Parenting Style and Help-Seeking for Child Anxiety and Depression: A Vignette Study
Elaine Ruiz, M.A.
Elaine is a 5th year doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island and the current lab manager for PAALs. She specializes in conducting evidence-based treatments for adolescents and young adults with primary anxiety, mood, and trauma-related disorders. Her research focuses on the risk and protective factors of anxiety and depression across the lifespan, particularly in disadvantaged and underrepresented populations such as first generation Latinx immigrants. Elaine is interested in the development and implementation of culturally sensitive prevention and intervention programs for anxiety and depression in Latinx young adults and families. Elaine’s career goals include providing culturally sensitive evidence-based interventions for adolescents and young adults with primarily anxiety and depression disorders in the partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient level.
Thesis: The Role of Self-efficacy in the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Anxiety
Katie Musella, M.A.
Katie is a 4th year doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island. She currently specializes in conducting evidence-based treatments for youth and families with primary anxiety, depression and autism spectrum disorder. Katie’s research focuses on investigating the factors associated with the development and maintenance of anxiety; developing and tailoring interventions for child and adolescent anxiety and autism spectrum disorder in emerging adults. Katie’s career goals include providing evidence-based treatments to children, adolescents and their families in an outpatient setting along with developing and disseminating interventions to the wider community.
Thesis: The Role of Perceived Social Support as a mediator in the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Social Anxiety
Rebecca Michel, B.S.
Rebecca is a 4th year doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island. Rebecca specializes in conducting evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. Her research interests focus on the developing and refining interventions to reduce anxiety. Rebecca’s career goals include providing evidence-based treatments to children adolescents and their families in an outpatient setting.
Thesis: The Role of Self-efficacy in the Relationship Between Experiential Avoidance and Anxiety
Haley Park, M.A.
Haley is a 1st year doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island. She specializes in conducting evidence-based interventions for youth and families with anxiety and mood disorders. Haley’s research focuses on 1) understanding the development and maintenance of childhood anxiety, 2) exploring how the reciprocity in family relationships affect youth, and 3) utilizing validated measures to develop tailored and effective interventions. She is interested in investigating how parental behaviors and attitudes are linked to later child outcomes for anxiety disorders and vice versa. Additionally, she wants to investigate how and what cultural factors (e.g., ethnic-, socio-, stigma-related) influence mental health disparities and treatment (e.g., access, barriers, perspectives of seeking treatment). Haley’s career goals include advancing research on underrepresented and minority children and families and providing culturally responsive evidence-based interventions at an academic medical center.
Mikayla Ver Pault, B.S.
Mikayla is a 1st year doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island. Her clinical interests are providing evidence-based interventions for children and families with anxiety and anxiety-related disorders. Mikayla’s research interests focus on the early identification of children with and at-risk for anxiety disorders, risk and maintenance factors of anxiety in children, and the development and implementation of prevention and intervention programs for anxiety in youth. Mikayla’s career goals include providing evidence-based treatments for children, adolescents, and their families while continuing research all in an academic medical center.
Undergraduate Research Assistants:
- Grace Karkowsky
- Molly Sabia