Casey Calhoun

About Casey Calhoun

I am a tenure-track Assistant Professor and Director of the Translational Adolescent Research (TAR) Lab in the School of Education at UNC Chapel Hill. I also serve as Owner and Licensed Psychologist at Calhoun Psychology PLLC, which received the 2025 Midtown Magazine Diamond Award for Best Mental Health Provider.As Assistant Professor, I serve as core faculty for the School Psychology PhD program in the UNC School of Education, where I teach foundational courses and lead an active research lab. My program of research largely centers on understanding psychological challenges throughout the transition from childhood to adolescence. In the TAR Lab, I use multimethod approaches — including EEG, genetics, hormonal/physiological measures, and self-report data — to identify cross-system mechanisms linking peer factors with the development of adolescent internalizing symptoms, including depression, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidality. My current work investigates the effects of social media on adolescent mental health using a novel experimental paradigm that permits examination of cross-system responses during digital social comparison, helping to further clarify who is most vulnerable to the self-evaluative processes inherent to social media use. Alongside this work, I am developing an engaging mobile app designed to disseminate evidence-based psychological knowledge to all teens — with a particular goal to reach youth in underserved areas and those who may not otherwise have easy access to mental health information and services.As Owner of Calhoun Psychology PLLC, I oversee clinic operations, community partnerships, and training activities for interns, externs, and postdoctoral fellows from local doctoral programs. Calhoun Psychology offers comprehensive psychological assessment, individual therapy, school-based services, and professional consultation — serving a wide range of clients across North Carolina. Our assessment clinic specializes in psychoeducational, psychological, and ADHD evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults, with a particular emphasis on differential diagnosis and understanding the \"why\" behind symptom presentations, ensuring diagnostic accuracy and tailored support recommendations for every client. Through contracted arrangements, our clinicians currently provide therapy in Person County Schools and psychoeducational evaluations at Durham Nativity School, bringing quality mental health services to underserved youth at no charge to families.Publications:

Experience

1. Assistant Professor

   Unc School Of Education

   Jul 2023 — Present · Chapel Hill, NC, US

   I serve as a tenure-track Assistant Professor and core faculty member in the School Psychology PhD program within the UNC School of Education. In this role I teach foundational graduate and undergraduate courses, mentor doctoral students, supervise graduate research assistants, and contribute to program, departmental, and university-wide service activities.My program of research largely centers on understanding how peer factors and stress vulnerability contribute to psychological challenges throughout the transition from childhood to adolescence. In the TAR Lab, I use multimethod approaches — including EEG, genetics, hormonal/physiological measures, and self-report data — to identify cross-system mechanisms linking varied aspects of peer relations with the development of adolescent internalizing symptoms, including depression, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidality. My current work investigates the effects of social media on adolescent mental health using a novel experimental paradigm that permits examination of cross-system responses during digital social comparison, helping to further clarify who is most vulnerable to the self-evaluative processes inherent to social media use. Alongside this work, I am developing an engaging mobile app designed to disseminate evidence-based psychological knowledge to all teens — with a particular goal to reach youth in underserved areas and those who may not otherwise have easy access to mental health information and services.Other projects in the TAR Lab include: a) evaluation of interactions within an online community (on X) for youth experiencing self-injurious behaviors and disordered eating, b) generating a revised Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) for North Carolina, and c) early testing of a theater arts based stress regulation intervention. ResearchGate profile (publications listing):

Education

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Clinical Psychology

  2011 — 2016

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Psychology

  2003 — 2005

• University of South Florida

  Master of Arts (M.A.), Clinical Psychology

  2009 — 2011

Skills

• Leadership
• Academic Writing
• Treatment
• Higher Education
• Scientific Writing
• Data Analysis
• Psychotherapy
• Behavioral Health
• Science
• Student Affairs
• Developmental Psychopathology
• Adolescents
• Mental Health
• Group Therapy
• Cbt
• Research Design
• Psychological Assessment
• Statistics
• Teaching
• University Teaching
• Spss
• Psychology
• Family Therapy
• Literature Reviews
• Child Development
• Research