Lauren S. Hensley Doctoral Student, School Psychology Tulane University Education Tulane University August 2004 – present M.S., Psychology December 2006 Thesis: Pediatric Somatization and Anxiety Sensitivity Following Hurricane Katrina Graduate Advisor: R. Enrique Varela Thesis Committee: R. Enrique Varela, chair; Stacy Overstreet; Carl Weems Samford University B.A, magna cum laude, Psychology with English minor Publications Varela, R.E., Weems, C.F., Berman, S.L., Hensley, L., & Rodriguez de Bernal, M.C. (2007). Internalizing symptoms in Latinos: The role of anxiety sensitivity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, 429-440. Hensley, L. & Varela, R.E. (in press). PTSD and Somatic Symptoms following Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Varela, R.E., Hensley, L., & Vernberg, E. (in press). Social and community responses, assessing relationships among environmental supports in child and caregiver adjustment post-hurricane. In R.P. Kilmer, V. Gil-Rivas, R.G. Tedeschi, & L.G. Calhoun, (Eds.), Meeting the needs of children, families, and communities post-disaster: Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Presentations Hensley, L., & Varela R.E. (2008, March). A Prospective Investigation of Cognitive Risk Factors for Panic Symptoms. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Savannah, GA. Hensley, L. & Varela, R.E. (2008, February). Outcomes of Hurricane Katrina: PTSD and Somatic Symptoms. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists, New Orleans, LA. Hensley, L. & Varela, R.E. (2007, April). Trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and PTSD symptoms following Hurricane Katrina. Paper presented at the conference entitled Disaster and Migration: Hurricane Katrina’s effects on New Orleans’ Population, New Orleans, LA. Hensley, L., Varela, R.E., & Schwartz, S. (2007, March). Trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and PTSD symptoms following Hurricane Katrina. In M.S. Sprung (Chair), Dysfunctional thoughts and feelings following Hurricane Katrina. Symposium conducted at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Boston, MA.
August 1999-May 2003
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Hensley, L. & Varela, R.E. (2006, October). Pediatric somatization and anxiety sensitivity following Hurricane Katrina. Poster session presented at the Kansas Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Lawrence, KS. Research Support Hensley, L. Robert E. Floweree Summer Research Fellowship. Tulane University, Summer 2008. Hensley, L. Louisiana Board of Regents Incentives Grant. Spring 2007. Hensley, L. William P. Dunlap Memorial Summer Research Fellowship. Tulane University, Summer 2006. Varela, R.E. & Hensley, L. Tulane University, Newcomb Foundation Grant, Spring 2006. Hensley, L. Robert E. Floweree Summer Research Fellowship. Tulane University, Summer 2005. Research Experience Pediatric PTSD Project, Projected timeline 2008-2010 Principle Investigator. The proposed project will further explore the utility of a model explaining the relationships between trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and PTSD symptoms that was supported in the PI’s Master’s Thesis by testing this model within a sample of children clinically diagnosed with PTSD. Support from a National Institutes of Health, National Research Service Award grant is currently being sought to support this proposed project. Youth Health Project, Tulane University, 2006-2007 Principal Investigator. Designed and conducted a 2-year longitudinal project along with Dr. R. Enrique Varela to examine the relationships among exposure to Hurricane Katrina, trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, somatic symptom reporting, and posttraumatic stress symtpoms in New Orelans area middle school students. Results from the first wave indicated that post-traumatic stress and somatic symptoms were predicted by a hypothesized model in which anxiety sensitivity moderates the influence of trait anxiety on outcome variables. Data from the second wave indicated that trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity at 17-19 months post-hurricane predicted both PTSD and somatic symptoms above and beyond the influence of exposure to the hurricane (reported during the first wave) and ongoing life disruption caused by the hurricane (disruption at 17-19 months). Internalizing Symptoms in Latinos, 2006-2007 Co-investigator. Examined relationships between ethnicity, gender, anxiety senstivity, and internalizing symptoms among Latin American, Caucasian American, and Columbian youth. Findings indicated that anxiety sensitivity and gender moderated the relationship between ethnicity and somatic symptoms. Latin American ethnicity, high anxiety sensitivity, and female gender were associated with the most somatic symptoms. The results of this study were published by Varela, Weems, Berman, Hensley, & Rodriguez de Bernal, 2007. Fears Project, University of Alabama, 2003-2004 Graduate Research Assistant. Worked with Dr. Joy Burnham to collect and analyze data examining
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relationships between characteristics of children's fears and demographic variables, such as age and gender. Audiotape Project, University of Alabama, 2002-2003 Undergraduate Research Assistant. Worked with Dr. Rebecca Allen to collect and code data investigating the use of soothing music to reduce distress among elderly nursing home residents with dementia. Leadership Positions National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Student Leader, Tulane University, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. Serve as liaison between NASP and the school psychology program at Tulane. Student Co-chair, NASP 2008 convention planning committee. Member of 5-person local convention planning committee that worked to plan NASP convention in New Orleans, LA. School Psychology Student Representative, Tulane University, 2007-2008. Serve as liaison between school psychology graduate students and school psychology faculty at Tulane. Supervisor of undergraduate research assistants, Spring 2006 – Fall 2007. Held weekly meetings with undergraduate research assistants to organize their involvement with the Youth Health Project and educate them about the research process. Teaching Experience Loyola University, New Orleans, LA: Adjunct Professor: Introduction to Research (undergraduate course) Fall 2007 Taught class of 25 undergraduates about Psychology research methods and ethics, supervised group research projects and research papers. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA: Teaching Assistantships: Psychological Assessment II (Personality and Diagnostic) Lab Fall 2006 and Fall 2007 Instruct first-year school psychology students on the administration, scoring, and interpretation of cognitive assessments including the WISC, WAIS, and Stanford-Binet. Also provide instruction regarding clinical interviewing and psychological report writing. Psychological Assessment I (Cognitive and Academic) Lab Spring 2007 and Spring 2008 Instructed first-year school psychology students on the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the MMPI and MMPI-A. Also provide continuing instruction with clinical interviewing and psychological report writing. Introduction to Psychology Fall 2004 Biological Psychology Spring 2005 Introduction to Psychology Spring 2006 Clinical Experience Lusher Charter School Fall 2007 – Spring 2008 Provide individual therapy, group therapy, whole-class interventions, and psychological assessments to students in grades K – 5. Provided consultation to teachers and parents of students.
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Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority, Infant Team Fall 2006 – Summer 2007 Provided psychological assessments and intervention services to foster children ages 0-5. Conducted structured interviews with foster and birth parents and provided consultation to foster parents. Conducted weekly play therapy sessions with young child in foster care. Academy of the Sacred Heart Spring 2006 Provided group and individual psychotherapy to female adolescents in 9th-12th grades. Good Shepherd School Provided assessment and therapy service. Spring 2006
Saint Peter Claver School Spring 2006 Conducted large group mental health curriculum developed for children living in a post-Hurricane Katrina environment with grades K-4. City Board of Education – Tuscaloosa, AL October - December 2005 Provided cognitive and achievement assessments for special education eligibility to children in grades K12. Tulane University Educational Resources Center Provided psychological assessment and therapy service. Saint Peter Claver School Provided assessment service. New Orleans Charter Middle School Provided assessment service. University of Alabama Psychology Clinic Provided assessment services. Spring 2005
Spring 2005
Fall 2004 Fall 2003 – Spring 2004
University of Alabama Family and Community Violence Prevention (FCVP) Program Administered emotional and achievement assessments as part of data collection. Fall 2003