Stephanie Emhoff, PhD

Assistant Professor
Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Program Director, Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychology Services
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

Email: [email protected]
Phone:  713-741-5011

Educational Philosophy

My prior teaching experiences have taught me firsthand how many students thrive when learning is interactive, supportive, and tailored to their needs. I aim to be an innovative, creative educator who blends evidence-based practices with an understanding of diverse learning styles, integrating traditional instruction with approaches such as discussion, student-led activities, multimedia tools, and role-plays. Guided by the belief that effective teaching must evolve with our growing knowledge of how students learn, I prioritize ongoing professional development and strive to understand each student’s goals, challenges, and strengths. Ultimately, my philosophy centers on fostering an inclusive, engaging learning environment that empowers all students to succeed.

Area of Expertise

Stephanie Emhoff, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is a licensed psychologist with a primary clinical interest in enhancing trauma-informed care and increasing access to evidence-based treatments for trauma-related symptoms in underserved populations. Her research interests are in examining moderators of mental health outcomes following trauma exposure. She is currently the director of child and adolescent inpatient psychology programming at the Dunn Behavioral Sciences Campus. She provides clinical supervision and training to pre-doctoral psychology interns, psychiatry fellows, and practicum students. She is also active in the training of psychiatry residents.

Dr. Emhoff received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Albany-SUNY. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at UTHealth in the clinical psychology internship program. She also completed her post-doctoral fellowship at UTHealth in the Trauma and Resilience Center.

Current Educational Activities

  • 2021 – Present: Lecturer, 4th year McGovern Medical Student Psychology Didactic Series
  • 2020 – Present: Lecturer, UTHealth Psychology Predoctoral Internship Didactic Lectures
  • 2021 – Present: Lecturer, Psychiatry Residents and Child Psychiatry Fellows
  • 2020 – Present: Clinical Supervisor, Psychology Practicum Students, Predoctoral Interns and PGY-2 Resident – DCB Psychology Services Rotation

Honors and Awards

2020, Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award, University at Albany-SUNY
2021: Faculty Excellence in Supervision Award, UTHealth Doctoral Psychology Internship
2021, 2022, 2023: Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award
2022: Outstanding Faculty Award in Education, UTHealth Doctoral Psychology Internship
2024: Excellence in Culturally Responsive Clinical Supervision Award, UTHealth Doctoral
Psychology Internship
2025: Academy of Master Educators, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston

Publications

Emhoff, S.M. & McCaffrey, R.M.: The Impact of Psychological Factors in Concussion Assessment and Management. ImPACT Research Report, 4: 1-3, 2016.

Barry, S.A., Emhoff, S.M., Rabkin, A.N., Olezeski, C.L., Lehrbach, M., Szczypinski, B.J., & Gordis, E.B.: Relation between Aggression Exposure during Youth and Later Resting Skin Conductance Levels. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma. 26(4): 354-371, 2016.

Reilly, E.E., Gordis, E.B., Boswell, J.F., Donahue, J., Emhoff, S.M., & Anderson, D.A.:  Evaluating the Role of Repetitive Negative Thinking in the Maintenance of Social Appearance Anxiety: An Experimental Manipulation. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 102: 36-41, 2018.

 Emhoff, S.M., Lynch, J.K., & McCaffrey, R.J.: Performance and Symptom Validity Testing in Pediatric Assessment. Developmental Neuropsychology. 43(8): 671-707, 2018.

Chong L.S., Rabkin A.N., Emhoff S.M., Barry-Menkhaus S., Rivers A.J., Lehrbach M., Gordis E.B.: Childhood Harsh Parenting and Later Aggression: Non-violent Discipline and Resting Skin Conductance as Moderators. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. 13: 1-8, 2022.

Kearney, K., Ashtari, E., Emhoff, S., Fielden, C., Hernandez, S., & Ruiz, A. Training Nurses in Trauma-Informed Care to Address Workplace Violence in Inpatient Settings. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 55(10), 472-478, 2024.