Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Lab

Alexandra "Allie" Gibson, M.A.  

 Allie earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in French from West Virginia University. Allie's clinical interests include providing evidence-based assessment and treatment services for children and adolescents (e.g., Parent Child Interaction Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) with a variety of presenting problems, and clinical behavior analysis. Her research interests are focused on applications of behavior analytic techniques (e.g., Functional Behavior Assessment) in order to improve treatment outcomes for children with behavioral problems, and educating people regarding behavioral principles. Allie's master's thesis, entitled Increasing Knowledge of Behavioral Principles Using a Brief Online Training Program, examined the impact of a brief online training on undergraduate knowledge and skills related to behavioral principles. Her dissertation will explore the differential impact of function of child problem behavior on preschoolers' response to the Good Behavior Game in a Head Start setting.

 

Elizabeth Ortiz-González, M.A.

 Originally from Cuba, Elizabeth earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the Central University of Venezuela in Venezuela. Elizabeth's clinical interests include working with children with externalizing behavior problems, and her research interests include child externalizing behavior problems and issues regarding health disparities in ethnic minority families. She is also interested in adapting and implementing evidence-based treatments with ethnic minority children. Her master's thesis entitled Externalizing Behavior Problems in Young Latino Children: Examining the Relationship between Maternal Acculturative Stress, Perceived Parenting Self-Efficacy and Traditional Cultural Values, examined the relationship between parental acculturative stress and parenting self-efficacy in Mexican-origin mothers, as well as the relationship between traditional Latino cultural values (i.e., respect and familism) and behavioral problems in young Latino children. Her dissertation will focus on developing and implementing a culturally responsive corporal punishment prevention program for ethnic minority parents.

Tabitha Fleming, M.A.

Tabitha earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from Oklahoma State University. Prior to graduate studies, she worked at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Tabitha's clinical interests include empirically supported behavioral treatments for children and families, particularly parent management training programs. Her research interests include factors influencing parental discipline behaviors and the prevention of child maltreatment. Her master's thesis, entitled The Planned Parental Discipline Strategies of College Students: The Role of Behavioral Principles Knowledge, explored whether participating in a behavioral principles education module increased acceptability of positive discipline strategies and the intentions of pre-parents to utilize positive discipline strategies in the future. For her dissertation, she plans to explore prevention of physical abuse.

Amber (Morrow) Benet, B.A.

Amber earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in General Business from the University of Oklahoma. She worked at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center before coming to Texas Tech. Amber's research interests include parent discipline behaviors (i.e., spanking), adverse childhood events, and externalizing behavior problems in children. Her clinical interests include implementing evidence-based treatments with a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach (e.g., PCIT, Trauma-Focused CBT). She is a second year in the lab and is currently working on her Master's thesis which focuses on factors influencing parental acceptability of spanking. 

Tre Gissandaner, B.A.

 

Tre earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma. Before coming to Texas Tech, he worked at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Tre's clinical interests include evidence-based treatments for preventing child maltreatment. His research interests include adapting and evaluating evidence-based treatments such as PCIT in community settings with underserved populations. He is a first year in the lab and has begun work on his Master's thesis examining the relationship between a parent's adverse childhood experiences and their child(ren)'s externalizing behavior problems and internalizing symptoms.