Dr. Kristel Thomassin

Biography

Kristel Thomassin is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, specifically in the Department of Psychology. Her research primarily focuses on Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, particularly in understanding the parent-child relationship and emotional development. She has a keen interest in exploring how family systems contribute to children’s development of both adaptive and maladaptive emotional skills and how these skills relate to child psychopathology. Her clinical supervision of graduate students is rooted in evidence-based and competency-oriented models. Kristel adopts a client-centered and family systems approach to clinical work, utilizing cognitive behavioral therapies, including third-wave interventions such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, contributing to the fields of emotional socialization, and the effective treatment of anxiety and trauma in children. Thomassin's work often bridges research with practical applications to enhance therapeutic outcomes for youth. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Harvard University. Her dedication to fostering informed therapeutic practices underlines her commitment to improving mental health outcomes for children and adolescents.

Research Interests