Stephen Taylor - PSC Director; Adult Therapy

Stephen Taylor is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Taylor received his doctorate in Clinical-Community Psychology from UofSC and completed his clinical internship at the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. He has clinical expertise in third-wave cognitive behavioral interventions and strengths-based approaches that utilize a functional-contextual framework. His research has complemented these clinical approaches by focusing on investigating the intersection of physical and mental health and the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce stress and burnout. 

Kimberly Hills - PSC Associate Director; Child & Adolescent Assessment; Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy 

Kimberly Hills received her doctorate from the University of South Carolina and worked in public schools in the Columbia area until joining the UofSC faculty in 2008. As a clinical assistant professor, her work focuses on providing intensive, practice-oriented instruction and clinical supervision to graduate students in the Psychology Department and teaching undergraduate courses in the areas of exceptional children, prevention/intervention for at-risk students, and developmental psychology. Her primary supervision responsibilities include field-based school psychology practicum and the child, adolescent and college student evaluation clinic at the Psychological Services Center. Her current research interests focus on prevention and intervention for at-risk youth, middle to high school transition, positive psychology and teacher wellness. She currently serves on the board of state and community organizations. 

Kimberly Becker - Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy

Kimberly Becker's work focused on extending the reach of effective psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents. She has received funding from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and currently is funding by the William T. Grant Foundation. Her work involves testing new ways to organize existing research knowledge into practical resources that will be useful to mental health supervisors and providers who are working with youth and families who demonstration risk for low treatment engagement. She partners with community stakeholders to collaboratively explore ways to enhance children's mental health services.

Her research to date reflects four interrelated pursuits:

1. Enhancing provider training, using strategies such as coaching and tailored training opportunities
2. Expanding the mental health workforce to include care extenders (e.g., teachers, school nurses, paraprofessionals) to meet the growing demand for effective interventions
3. Exploring the unique considerations as psychosocial interventions move into new contexts such as primary care, child welfare, and education settings
4. Improving treatment engagement to help youth and families connect with and stay in treatment

Jessica Bradshaw - Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy

Jessica Bradshaw is an assistant professor in the Psychology Department. She received her doctorate in clinical counseling and school psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, after which time she completed her postdoctoral work at the Marcus Autism Center, Emory University School of Medicine. She has been involved in autism research since her undergraduate work in cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, and her post-baccalaureate work at the Yale Child Study Center. 

Her research focuses on early identification and intervention of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the first years of life. Specifically, she is interested in:

1. Quantifying the emeergence of, and interrelation between, social behavior, visual attention and motor skills in neonates, infants and toddlers
2. Identifying aberrant neurodevelopmental pathways that lead to the emergence of ASD
3. Translating these basic findings to early detection and intervention strategies for ASD

Kate Flory - Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy

Kate Flory received her B.A. in psychology from Duke University and her M.A. and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Kentucky. She completed a clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Institute for Educational Sciences (IES).  

Her primary research focuses on understanding:  

1. The mechanisms that may explain why children with ADHD are at greater risk than peers for cigarette smoking and use/abuse of other substances 
2. Social and academic impairment of children with ADHD 
3. Other negative health outcomes associated with ADHD, including risky sexual behavior and unintentional injuries 
4. The epidemiology of child and adolescent emotional and behavioral health concerns.  

 

Emily Neger - Child & Family Therapy

Emily Neger earned her undergraduate degree in Child Development from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and her Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children in Richmond, Va., working with children and adolescents in inpatient services and at an outpatient clinic. In addition to supervising students at the Psychology Services Center, she teaches undergraduate courses and has a private practice where she sees children and young adults, ages 4 to 30 years. She has specific interests in parent management training and treating anxiety and depression through an evidence-based, eclectic approach.

Jeffrey Schatz - Adult Assessment

Jeffrey Schatz earned his B.S. at the University of Iowa and his doctorate from the Clinical Psychology Training Program at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and was a postdoctoral fellow in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of California, San Francisco. His major area of work is in understanding how chronic pediatric health conditions affect cognitive abilities, school adjustment, and quality of life. 

Guillermo Wippold - Adult Therapy

Guillermo Wippold is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. He received his doctorate from the University of Florida and completed his predoctoral internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is passionate about working with underserved populations. His research interests include community-based participatory research, cultural sensitivity and cultural competence, mental and physical health promotion among underserved populations, culturally tailored health promotion interventions, health-related quality of life and stress resilience. He has worked closely with YMCAs, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and various medical clinics. He has provided mental health services in outpatient and inpatient settings and is particularly proud of his work providing mental health services to individuals seeking care at underserved clinics in Gainesville, Florida and Kansas City, Kansas. In his clinical work, he draws heavily on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.