Rachel Kramer, PhD
- Pediatric Psychologist, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
- Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
About
Biography
As a pediatric psychologist, I specialize in providing evidence-based treatment to teens and young adults diagnosed with eating disorders including anorexia nervosa and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). I provide family-based therapy (FBT) and have completed training with the developers of FBT through Train2Treat. I also have extensive experience providing therapy to youth with anxiety disorders and employ cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) depending on their presenting concerns.
Having also trained in motivational interviewing, I enjoy collaborating with families and working to enhance the many strengths they possess to support their child or sibling in recovering from their eating disorder.
My research focuses on understanding the impact of eating disorders on parents, siblings and other caregivers. I'm also examining how awareness of body cues (interoceptive awareness) is impacted as a result of anorexia nervosa, and I hope to evaluate what interventions may eventually improve body awareness and reduce anxiety related to body cues.
I like to spend my free time traveling, doing yoga and spending time with my cat.
PhD: Clinical Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 2018.
Internship: University of Denver, Graduate School for Professional Psychology (GSPP), Kaiser Permanente, Eating Disorders Track, Denver, CO, 2018.
MA: American University, Washington, DC, 2014.
BA: Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 2011.
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Eating Disorders Track, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
Interests
Anorexia Nervosa; Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID); Family Based Therapy (FBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Services and Specialties
Interests
Effectiveness of eating disorder treatment (FBT); yoga and various protective factors against eating disorder pathology; impact of eating disorders on caregivers and siblings; eating disorders and interoceptive awareness
Research Areas
Publications
Intermittent fasting implementation and association with eating disorder symptomatology. Eating Disorders. 2022; 30:471-491.
Eating disorder severity and psychological morbidity in adolescents with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity. Eating and Weight Disorders: studies on anorexia, bulimia and obesity. 2022; 27:233-242.
Higher admission and rapid readmission rates among medically hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa/atypical anorexia nervosa during COVID-19. Eating Behaviors. 2021; 43:101573.
Modifiable factors associated with mental health symptoms in siblings of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Eating and Weight Disorders: studies on anorexia, bulimia and obesity. 2021; 26:1757-1765.
The medial prefrontal cortex: a potential link between self-deception and affect. International Journal of Neuroscience. 2021; 131:701-707.
The Special Brain: Subclinical Grandiose Narcissism and Self-Face Recognition in the Right Prefrontal Cortex. The American journal of psychology. 2020; 133:487-500.
Social Networks, Depression, and Stress. Handbook of Research Methods in Health Psychology. New York: Taylor & Francis; 2020.
Yoga Practice in a College Sample: Associated Changes in Eating Disorder, Body Image, and Related Factors Over Time. Eating Disorders. 2020; 28:494-512.
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