Katherine Lingras, PhD, LP
Director for Inclusive Excellence and Well-Being, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Contact Info
Director for Inclusive Excellence and Well-Being, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Fellowship, Post-Doctoral, Brown University/Alpert Medical School Clinical Psychology Training Consortium; Bradley Early Childhood Research Center
PhD, Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Science, University of Minnesota
MA, Child Psychology, University of Minnesota
MA, Psychology, Stanford University
BA, Psychology, Stanford University
Certificate, Early Childhood Public Policy, University of Minnesota
Internship, Early Childhood Track, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Summary
My experience and expertise sits at the intersection of early childhood psychology research, practical applications, and policy implications. I specialize in social-emotional development in early and middle childhood, with particular emphasis on children experiencing behavioral concerns or who have experienced traumatic events. In the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, I co-direct the Early Childhood Mental Health Program. In addition to outpatient treatment and assessment, my body of work is centered on community-based collaboration with pediatric primary care clinics and early childcare programs. I am also passionate about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I regularly conduct trainings that link together DEI and children’s mental health (e.g. talking with children about race and racism). Within the department, I am Director for Inclusive Excellence and Well-Being, and a co-chair (along with Dr. Danielle Vrieze!) for the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, of which I was a founding member. Prior to joining the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences faculty, I worked as a Psychologist at a community-based non-profit agency in New York City, the New York Center for Child Development, where I provided mental health treatment and consultation, as well as training for providers located in Pediatric Primary Care Clinics, Early Childhood Education (ECE) Centers, Home-based Daycare programs, and mental health clinics. I served as the team lead for a group of mental health professionals who provided professional development training and consultation in ECE centers. During my time in New York, I held academic appointments at Columbia University Medical College, Weill Cornell Medical College, and hospital appointments with the Family Health Center of Harlem and New York Presbyterian Hospital. I completed my undergraduate and Masters degrees in Psychology at Stanford University and my doctoral work at the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Child Development, where I collaborated and published with internationally recognized experts on aggressive behavior, social competence, risk, and resilience in children and families. I completed my clinical psychology internship with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and my post-doctoral training with Brown University’s Alpert Medical School and Bradley Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
Expertise
- Infant/early childhood mental health
- Child development/developmental psychopathology
- Community-based relationships and projects
Professional Associations
Languages
Research
Research Summary/Interests
Dr. Lingras is focused on bridging gaps between academic research and practice by providers who work directly with children. As such, her research is focused on social-emotional development and early childhood mental health, broadly, with specific attention to program evaluation and issues of implementation and sustainability.
Publications
Journal Articles:
- Journal article guidelines for supporting social-emotional development during the pandemic
- Journal article guidelines for talking with children about race and racism.
- Article on Adverse Childhood Experiences: https://
conservancy.umn.edu/handle/ 11299/208311 - Choose 1 or 2 of (4-6):
- Integrating early childhood screening into pediatrics: https://psycnet.
apa.org/record/2017-55264-012 - https://www.nature.com/
articles/s41390-019-0613-3 - https://link.springer.com/
article/10.1007/s11414-019- 09683-3
Teaching
Academic Interests and Focus
Teaching Areas
Early childhood development, cognitive and social developmental, cultural perspectives in child psychology
Clinical
Board Certifications
- Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Certified Group Leader
- Incredible Years Peer Coach (in process)
- Child-Parent Psychotherapy
Clinical Interests
Dr. Lingras is a Licensed Psychologist in Minnesota and provides individual psychotherapy and psychological assessments in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic. She provides clinical services to children and their parents, and specializes in young children under 8. She also provides training and mental health consultation to providers in community-based organizations such as pediatric clinics and early education programs.
Clinical Experience Statement
Media
Video
Webinar on supporting children's resilience during the pandemic
In The News
Other Video Links:
- Understanding and responding to challenging behaviors in young children: https://mediaspace.umn.edu/media/t/1_ma758op0
Blogs and Media Presence:
- Blog parenting during a pandemic: https://extension.
umn.edu/news/parenting-during- covid-19 - Blog on Responding to Separations of Families at the Border: https://
militaryfamilieslearningnetwor k.org/2018/09/06/responding- to-separations-at-the-border- what-is-our-role/ - Blog on myths about talking to kids about racism: https://extension.umn.
edu/family-news/talking- children-about-racism