Karina Heaton

Karina graduated in 2021 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in biology. Following graduation, she pursued a Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) at Rutgers University. This program had a focus on school psychology interventions, the clinical application of psychology for youth and adolescents, as well as systems based research in urban school communities. Specifically, Karina is now a certified school psychologist in New Jersey state, and has spent time in public schools working with special education and mental health teams. Additionally, she has been a part of externship experiences at clinics specializing in anxiety, depression, and trauma. Regarding research, Karina was involved in a research-practice partnership between New York University and New York Department of Education Public Schools to develop and implement a program for youth that embeds culturally-responsive, trauma-informed, and social emotional behavioral based interventions and practices. Also, she successfully defended her dissertation titled: Teachers’ attitudes towards trauma-informed care: A trauma-informed MTSS approach in a large, urban public school." After completing her doctoral level internship at a school based mental health clinic at a New Jersey public school and graduating with her Psy.D. in May 2025, Karina now works as a psychologist in a boarding school providing individual therapy and psychoeducational groups to students. Her goals include becoming a licensed psychologist, providing individual therapy to adolescents, and continuing her work supporting adolescents' mental health in school settings.