I oversee the clinical training of advanced clinical psychology graduate students. I am particularly interested in clinical training focused on evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children and families. I also teach a graduate course in Child Therapies.

My research focuses on two primary areas: the risk factors for and consequences of child maltreatment; and the dissemination and implementation of EBTs for families at risk for maltreatment. My overarching interest lies in research that informs our understanding of community-based behavioral health systems, in order to refine and enhance services available for high-risk families. My clinical interests include disruptive behavior disorders, childhood trauma, behavioral parent training, and mindfulness-based interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Selected Publications

Thompson, S. M., Keenan-Miller, D., Dunn, D., Hersh, J., Saules, K. K., Graham, S. R., Bell, D.J., Hames, J. L., Wray, A., Hiraoka, R., Heller, M., Taber-Thomas, S. M., Taylor, M. J., Hawkins, R. C., Schacht, R. L., Liu, N. H., Schwartz, J. L., & Akey, E. (2023). Preferences for and acceptability of telesupervision among health service psychology trainees. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 17(3), 221-230. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000415
Herschell, A., Kolko, D., Scudder, A. T., Taber-Thomas, S. M., Schaffner, K., Hart, J., et al. (2023). A statewide randomized controlled trial to compare three training models for implementing Parent Child Interaction Therapy. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 52(6), 780-796. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2021.2001745
McWilliams, S. & Taber-Thomas, S. M. (Spring/Summer, 2023). Training clinic survival in an age of limited resources: Lessons learned from fellow APTC colleagues. APTC Bulletin: Psychology Education and Training, pp. 9-12.
Snider, M. D., Herschell, A. D., Jackson, C. B., Funderburk, B. W., Schaffner, K. F., Taber-Thomas, S. M., & Kolko, D. J. (2021). Examining the impact of treatment fidelity on client outcomes in a statewide implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 43(3), 181-202.
Taber-Thomas, S. M., & Knutson, J. F. (2021). Association between mothers’ alcohol use histories and deficient parenting in an economically disadvantaged sample. Child Maltreatment, 26(1), 40-49.
Herschell, A. D., Taber-Thomas, S. M., Kolko, D., & McLeod, B. (2020). ‘Treatment as usual’ for child physical abuse in community mental health centers: Therapist characteristics, client profiles and therapy processes. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 28(4), 223-234.
Herschell, A. D., Schaffner, K. F., Taber-Thomas, S. M. & Scudder, A. T. (2018). Getting Parent-Child Interaction Therapy to scale. In L. N. Niec (Eds.). Handbook of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Innovations and applications for research and practice (pp. 391-405). New York: Springer, Cham.
Scudder, A. T., Taber-Thomas, S. M., Schaffner, K., Pemberton, J. R., Hunter, L., & Herschell, A. D. (2017). A mixed-methods study of system-level sustainability of an evidence-based practice in 12 large-scale implementation initiatives. Health Research Policy and Systems, 15(102).
Herschell, A.D., Kolko, D.J., Scudder, A. T., Taber-Thomas, S. M., Schaffner, K. F., Hiegel, S.A., Iyengar, S., Chaffin, M., & Mrozowski, S. (2015). Protocol for a statewide randomized controlled trial to compare three training models for implementing an evidence-based treatment. Implementation Science, 10(1):133.
Langer, A., Taber-Thomas, S. M., Murray, A., Knutson, J. F., Lawrence, E., Valles, N., & Bank, L. (2013). Internalizing and externalizing symptoms in young children exposed to intimate partner violence: Identifying intervening processes. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(6), 945 – 955.
Taber, S. M. (2010). The veridicality of children’s reports of parenting: A review of factors contributing to parent-child discrepancies. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 999-1010.
Knutson, J. F., Taber, S. M., Murray, A. J., Valles, N., & Koeppl, G. (2010). The role of care neglect and supervisory neglect in childhood obesity in a disadvantaged sample. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35, 523–532.
Knutson, J. F., Lawrence, E., Taber, S. M., Bank, L., & DeGarmo, D. S. (2009). Assessing children’s exposure to intimate partner violence. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12, 157–173.