PsyD Student
Azusa Pacific University
Katherine Smith, MA, is currently a fourth year PsyD student at Azusa Pacific University (APU), a psychology intern at Fuller Psychological and Family Services, and a neuropsychological assessment intern at Olive View UCLA Medical Center. She also works as both a Teacher's Assistant and Research Assistant under Theresa Tisdale, PhD, PsyD at APU. Katherine will begin her internship at Riverview Psychiatric Center, in Augusta, Maine this June 2023 and plans to graduate with her PsyD the summer of 2024.
As a therapy intern, Katherine has found it particularly meaningful working with adults who have experienced complex trauma. She tends to work from an integrative psychodynamic and humanistic theoretical orientation but also finds models like Schwartz's "Internal Family Systems" (IFS) extremely powerful when working with trauma and dissociation. Katherine's teacher's assistant work includes support for the students in Dr. Tisdale's year-long Psychodynamic Therapy elective track (which Katherine previously completed), hosting monthly small-group discussions about their learning, and occassionally proctering classes when needed. As a research assistant, Katherine supports Dr. Tisdale's ongoing research project related to social justice within the psychoanalytic field of psychology.
Katherine's main research interests include trauma and dissociation, as well as the intersections of neurobiology and psychology. She is also interested in cultural and disability diversity representation within neuropsychological assessment. Her poster presentation at ISSTD 2023 represents a summary of the history portion of her dissertation--an integrative literature review on dissociative disorders and trauma, chaired by Sam Girguis, PsyD. Theresa Tisdale, PhD, PsyD has also served as a dissertation consultant and committee member. Katherine hopes to pursue research that is focused on clinical needs and applications once graduated.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Saturday, April 15, 2023
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM US Eastern Time