Ashley MacPherson, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Ashley MacPherson is an assistant professor in Health Service Psychology and Clinical Psychology. She earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her doctoral internship at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Expertise

Dr. MacPherson’s program of research focuses on women’s mental and physical health, particularly during times of developmental transition such as pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Her research emphasizes 1) identifying both challenges and strengths, 2) informing intervention and prevention, and 3) better understanding how intersectional identities influence lived experiences. 

In her clinical work, Dr. MacPherson has experience with evidence-based interventions including CBT, ACT, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), motivational interviewing, and experience with diagnostic and neuropsychological assessment. Her clinical specialty areas include trauma, health psychology, and working with special populations such as women, veterans, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Dr. MacPherson is committed to mentoring students in the Clinical Psychology master’s and Health Service Psychology doctoral programs. She approaches mentoring from a developmental model whereby training is tailored to each individual’s needs and strengths. As a new faculty member, she is building an active research lab and will be accepting doctoral students for the 2024-2025 academic year.