Clinical

Ph.D  University of Virginia, 1999;

My expertise lies in family processes and mental health in ethnic minority families, racial identity.  My current research focuses on general and cultural aspects of parenting in African American families and how they predict mental health outcomes and sexual behavior in African American adolescents.

 At present, I am investigating how African American parents communicate with their adolescent children about racial discrimination and how these efforts affect mental health outcomes in African American adolescents.  I am also studying the longitudinal effects of racism exposure on the psychological functioning of African American adolescents.