Texas Tech University

Brandy Piña-Watson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor; HDFS affiliate; Associate Director of Women’s & Gender Studies
Counseling

Email: brandy.pina.watson@ttu.edu

Phone: (806) 834-8430


Office:
2306, Lab: 307, 307A-D

Education:
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology
Texas A&M University (2014)

Research Website: pinawatsonlab.wordpress.com
Women's & Gender Studies Website:  www.depts.ttu.edu/wstudies/

Dr. Piña-Watson will be taking one student for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Piña-Watson, Brandy

Research Interests

Dr. Piña-Watson's research focuses on identifying individual, familial, cultural, and societal factors that promote resilience against the negative impact of stress on Latinx adolescent and emerging adult depression, suicidal ideation and behaviors, well-being, and academic outcomes. Her work primarily focuses on the Mexican descent population living within the United States. Dr. Piña-Watson's research agenda takes a holistic and resilience approach that acknowledges the complexity and intersection of various identities and contexts as they pertain to Latinx well-being and mental health disparities.

Selected Research

  • Piña-Watson, B., *Cruz, A., & *Neduvelil, A. (in press). Caregiver-child relationship quality as a gateway for suicide risk resilience: Don't discount the men in Mexican descent youths' lives. Archives of Suicide Research.
  • Piña-Watson, B., Romero, A. J., Navarro, R., Ojeda, L. (2019). Bicultural stress, coping, and psychological functioning among Mexican-descent and White college students. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75, 1249-1266.
  • Piña-Watson, B., Llamas, J., **Garcia, A., & *Cruz, A. (2019). A multidimensional developmental approach to understanding intragroup marginalization and mental health among adolescents and emerging adults of Mexican descent. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 41, 42-62.
  • Piña-Watson, B., *Martinez, A.J., **Cruz, L.N., Llamas, J.D., & López, B.G. (2018). Ethnic Identity Affirmation and Ambition for Academic Training among Mexican Descent Adolescents: Examining Depressive Symptoms, Life Satisfaction, and Academic Attitudes as Mediating Mechanisms. Psychology in the Schools, 55, 1155-170. doi:10.1002/pits.22188
  • Piña-Watson, B., Das, M., Molleda, L., & Camacho, C. (2017). Ethnic Identity, Life Satisfaction, and Depressive Symptoms of Mexican Descent Adolescents: Self-Esteem as a Mediating Mechanism. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences39, 283-296.
  • Piña-Watson, B., & Abraído-Lanza, A (2016). The intersection of fatalismo and pessimism on depressive symptoms and suicidality of Mexican American adolescents: An attribution perspective. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 23, 91-101.
  • Piña-Watson, B., Lorenzo-Blanco, E.I., *Dornhecker, M., *Martinez, A.J., & Nagoshi, J.L. (2016). Moving away from a cultural deficit to a holistic perspective: Traditional gender role values, academic attitudes, and educational goals for Mexican descent adolescents. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63, 307-318.
  • Piña-Watson, B., Llamas, J., & *Stevens, A. K. (2015). Attempting to successfully straddle the cultural divide: Hopelessness model of bicultural stress, mental health, and caregiver connection for Mexican descent adolescents. Journal of Counseling Psychology62, 670.
  • Piña-Watson, B., *Dornhecker, M., & *Salinas, S. R. (2015). The impact of bicultural stress on Mexican American adolescents' depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation: Gender matters. Hispanic Journal of Behavior Sciences, 37, 342-364. 
  • Piña-Watson, B., Castillo, L.G., Jung, E., & Ojeda, L., Castillo-Reyes, R. (2014). The Marianismo Beliefs Scale: Validation with Mexican American adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Latina/o Psychology, 2, 113-130. 
  • Piña-Watson, B., Castillo, L. G., Rodriguez, K. M., & Ray, S. (2014). Brief report: Familial factors related to suicidal ideation Latina adolescents in the United States. Archives of Suicide Research18, 213-220. 
  • Piña-Watson, B., Ojeda, L., Castellon, N., & Dornhecker, M. (2013). Familismo, ethnic identity, and bicultural stress as predictors of Mexican American adolescents' positive psychological functioning. Journal of Latina/o Psychology1, 204-217.

* graduate student co-author; ** undergraduate student co-author

Clinical Interests

Dr. Piña-Watson takes and integrative approach to therapy that draws heavily from interpersonal, humanistic-existential, and multicultural perspectives. Her primary clinical interests include crisis intervention, and treatment of adolescent and adult populations with concerns such as depression, suicidal ideation and behaviors, anxiety, trauma, gender and sexuality issues, identity development, as well as familial and relational difficulties.

Teaching

Graduate Level:

PSY 5002 – Counseling Practicum
PSY 5316 – Introduction to Counseling Psychology
PSY 5396 – Multicultural Counseling
PSY 5105 – Supervision and Consultation
PSY 5205 – Supervision Practicum

Undergraduate Level:

PSY 1300 – General Psychology
PSY 4301 – Developmental Psychology
IS 1100 – Raider Ready

Graduate Students

Current:                                

Ashley Martinez
Abigail Cruz
Parker Donner
Daisy Aceves
Illiana Gonzalez
Gabriela Manzo
Maria Sanchez
Aundrea Garcia
Gisel Suarez Bonilla
Elizabeth Ortiz-Gonzalez (Clinical)

Alumni:

Alexis Arevalo (2019)