Rachel Herbst, PhD
- Pediatric Psychologist, Clinical, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
- Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
About
Biography
As a behavior and development specialist, I provide prevention and intervention services to families in primary care. I love partnering with families to help support their parenting goals, as well as working with children who need developmental, behavioral or medical support.
I was inspired to become a psychologist after I volunteered at a hospital in Prague for a study-abroad experience. I had originally planned to become a pediatrician, but my time in Prague changed my mind. I learned that I love community outreach and connecting with patients to support their journey to become healthier and enhance their well-being.
In my practice, I value family-centered, culturally informed care. This allows me to create partnerships with families to collaboratively identify their strengths, their challenges and their goals. Our vision is to make Cincinnati’s children the healthiest in the nation. To get there, we have a variety of resources to support families beyond standard medical care. We offer support for normal parenting challenges and caregiver well-being and short-term therapy for emerging concerns.
I’m proud to work with the national organizations Zero to Three and HealthySteps. I advise them on how to develop training and resources to support development and health for kids across the country.
In addition to helping patients, I also conduct research. My colleagues and I are trying to learn how best to promote health and prevent negative health and developmental outcomes.
In my free time, I love to garden, hike and practice yoga and karate, in which I have a black belt. I also enjoy participating in cultural activities in my community.
PhD: University of Miami, Miami, FL, 2013.
Internship: Child Clinical Psychology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 2012-2013.
Fellowship: Pediatric Primary Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver, CO, 2013-2014.
Interests
Prevention; early intervention; health promotion; integrated pediatric primary care; coping with medical illness; undocumented immigrants
Interests
Underserved population; integrated behavioral healthcare; pediatric primary care; prevention; health promotion; community-based participatory research; families with limited English proficiency (LEP); health disparities
Insurance Information
Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.
Publications
THRIVE 2.0: A randomized-controlled trial of an obesity prevention intervention designed for infants in pediatric primary care. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 2025; 45:101488.
Illustrating the Application of Brief Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention Visits. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. 2025; 13:49-54.
Motivational Interviewing in Pediatric Mental Health. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2024; 71:1047-1058.
Partnering With Pastoral Care to Address Secondary Trauma via a Bereavement Ritual. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. 2024; 12:417-429.
The Transformation of an Existing Integrated Behavioral Health Primary Care Program for Adolescents and Young Adults. 2024; 5:609-633.
Increasing Follow-up for Adolescents With Depressive Symptoms. Pediatrics. 2024; 154:e2024066495.
Expanding Access to Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment: An Expert-Driven Training Model. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 2024; 9:300-317.
Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention for Infants in Pediatric Primary Care: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2024; 49:298-308.
Behavior Problems in Low-Income Young Children Screened in Pediatric Primary Care. JAMA pediatrics. 2023; 177:1306-1313.
Provider Perspectives on an Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention Approach in Pediatric Primary Care. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 2023; 30:741-752.
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