Katherine Lingras, PhD, LP

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 Deputy Vice Chair for the Impact & Wellbeing Sector, 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.

• Institute of Child Development
• Society for Research in Child Development 
• American Psychology Association (Div. 53)
• New York Zero to Three - Board of Directors

• Spanish

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. 

Journal Articles:

1. Journal article guidelines for supporting social-emotional development during the pandemic
2. Journal article guidelines for talking with children about race and racism.
3. Article on Adverse Childhood Experiences: https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/208311
4. Choose 1 or 2 of (4-6):
5. Integrating early childhood screening into pediatrics: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-55264-012
6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-019-0613-3
7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11414-019-09683-3