Kathleen Smith is a doctoral fellow in the 2024-2025 class of the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) with the Foundation for the Advancement of Human Systems (FAHS). Kathleen received a B.S. in human development from Virginia Tech in 2016 and an M.A. in marriage and family therapy from Appalachian State University in 2019. Currently, Kathleen is a doctoral student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Virginia Tech University. A licensed clinical marriage and family therapist in Maryland, Kathleen’s clinical and research interests center on adapting relational interventions for couples, attachment science, therapeutic support for clinicians, and the discourse surrounding substance use disorders. Her work seeks to enhance therapeutic frameworks and improve clinical outcomes.
Kathleen was initially drawn to the MFP because its mission to support underserved communities aligned with her professional interests. She shared, “The MFP provides an opportunity to develop my skills as a researcher who highly values the inclusion of under-resourced populations.”
Reflecting on how the MFP has enriched her academic and professional career, Kathleen shared that her experience as a fellow has provided opportunities for tailored educational development. She stated, “I've learned valuable information about best practices for attuning to the unique needs of all those served within the scope of the MFP and my community.”
Participating in the MFP allows Kathleen opportunities to build and nurture her professional network. She said, “Through participation in webinars and the systemic family therapy conference, I've networked with others who are like-minded and have shared conceptualization about what our communities need and how we can best serve them in clinical work, scholarship, and leadership.”
Kathleen is currently working on a project that focuses on integrating behavioral health screening to support mental health, well-being, and suicide prevention efforts for youth with support from their families. She explained, “Currently, I am working with Dr. Jody Russon on the Behavioral Health-Works Project, conducting community-engaged, translational research.”
Kathleen plans to apply the knowledge and skills acquired through the MFP to her current and future professional work. She shared, “I plan to use the knowledge to advance my current work with Dr. Russon and to theoretically inform all future efforts in research.”
After completing her Ph.D., Kathleen’s career goals include continuing her research and working with clients, piloting new programming in the community, contributing to scholarly work, and engaging in research. She stated, “In the future, I hope to conduct translational research through creation, modification, and implementation of existing evidence-supported treatments.”
When asked if she had advice for anyone considering applying to the MFP, Kathleen replied, “Do it! It's been a wonderful opportunity to feel seen, welcomed, and be challenged in your knowledge of best practices in your
research, teaching, and clinical work.”
She shared these words about her experience in the program, "The MFP is a career-changing opportunity through the informative webinars and professional opportunities!” She went on to share these thoughts about FAHS, “Thank you to FAHS for supporting and caring about your fellows with open arms and discerning words.”