Tess Thomas, PhD

Dr. Tess Smith-Thomas is an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Dr. Smith-Thomas received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Kentucky in 2021. She also completed her internship in health psychology and her postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at the University of Kentucky. Currently, she provides clinical care to children and families experiencing difficulty adjusting to an injury or illness. Dr. Smith-Thomas also collaborates with the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress to implement trauma-informed care throughout the medical setting.

Dr. Smith-Thomas is also committed to conducting applied, clinically relevant research alongside and related to her clinical work with the overall goal of improving medical care for children. More specifically, Dr. Smith-Thomas’ research focuses on 1) examining the utility of temperament in screening for mental health risk and to inform tailored intervention targets, 2) examining structural vulnerabilities that contribute to mental health risk and inequities to accessing mental health treatments, and 3) developing and testing preventative programs that target structural vulnerabilities to shift the pathway and prevent the development of mental health symptoms and improve mental health equity.