Anisha L. Thomas, PhD

Biography

Anisha L. Thomas, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Louis A. Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a licensed psychologist at UTHealth Student Counseling Services. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Mississippi State University and completed advanced training at the Durham VA Medical Center. She has experience working with individuals across ages and settings including inpatient hospitals, crisis stabilization units, residential treatment facilities, and outpatient clinics. Her clinical interests include chronic and race-based stress, trauma, anxiety, emotion regulation difficulties, cross-cultural assessment, and suicide risk and prevention.

Dr. Thomas has been trained in several evidence-based psychotherapies including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, in addition to trauma-focused therapies Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. Her approach as a clinician is generally flexible, person-centered, and collaborative.

Additionally, Dr. Thomas studies correlates of suicide risk specifically among Black young adults and other individuals with minoritized identities. Her most recent work focused on examining methodological issues related to suicide risk assessment using higher-level statistical modeling. Her work and commitment to addressing the needs of underserved populations have earned her fellowships from the American Psychological Association (2019-2021) and Southern Regional Education Board (2018-2021).