I’m Emily Feldman, a PhD candidate specializing in pediatric sleep equity and prodromal psychosis.

Researcher

I am a third-year PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology, working under the mentorship of Dr. Danica Slavish. I specialize in pediatric sleep health and environmental risk factors. My research leverages public health datasets to explore how systems (e.g., medical, environmental, and societal) contribute to disparities in child sleep and prodromal psychosis. I am particularly interested in multidimensional models of sleep health, mechanisms of risk, and applications of advanced statistical methods.

CV

Clinician

I approach clinical work through a behavioral, developmentally grounded lens, drawing primarily from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework. I strive to center flexibility, compassion, and values-driven care in all of my clinical interactions. I have trained in pediatric psychology within a large children’s hospital, working with children and adolescents navigating sickle cell disease, epilepsy (including post-surgical cases), autism, cardiac conditions, and sleep disorders. My work is strengths-based and culturally responsive, collaboratively developing plans that are not only evidence-based, but also accessible, meaningful, and sustainable.

Mentor

Reflecting on my own journey, I did not know what being a psychologist was or how to navigate the path to graduate school. I am deeply committed to being the mentor I wish I had early on. I want to help students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, understand the process of becoming a psychologist, apply to graduate programs, and develop professionally. I believe in creating a supportive and transparent environment where students feel empowered to explore their career paths and develop their unique strengths.

My Academic Path

I entered college with plans to become a therapist, eager to provide evidence-based therapy for children. However, during my undergraduate years, I became involved in research, working on projects focused on trauma and resilience in marginalized youth. This sparked a deep interest in understanding the risk and protective factors that impact youth, particularly how structural factors (e.g., systemic oppression, racism, and socioeconomic disparities) shape health outcomes. Over time, I became particularly interested in the role of sleep as both a protective and risk factor in health. It was not until I began clinical work that I realized how deeply fulfilling it could be to work directly with patients. I soon saw the powerful connection between research and clinical work, where each could inform and enhance the other.

In graduate school, my friend Jacob Kranendonk, M.S., introduced me to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I immediately resonated with ACT’s emphasis on psychological flexibility, values-based action, and acceptance, which had helped me navigate a challenging period in my own life. When asked to identify a therapeutic modality I connected with during a psychotherapy course, I spoke about how ACT aligned with my personal experiences. Since then, ACT has become my primary therapeutic orientation, and I find it deeply meaningful to offer this framework to my patients.

My clinical approach is shaped by an understanding of structural inequities and social determinants of health. Early in graduate school, I took a course on cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). While this is a widely used and evidence-based treatment, I was struck by how inaccessible some of its components might be for patients dealing with housing instability, caregiving demands, or irregular work schedules. This realization led me to critically examine the assumptions underlying many standardized interventions and explore alternative frameworks for addressing sleep health. This experience deepened my commitment to examining sleep health through a social-ecological lens and the principles of liberation psychology.

In my free time, you will find me going on walks or with my head in a book. For a list of books I recommend, click here.

For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.

Audre lorde