How I work: I am a licensed clinical health psychologist in the DMV. I specialize in working with adults experiencing chronic and acute illness. I’ve worked in various medical settings, including primary care, solid organ transplant, bone marrow transplant, pain, oncology, and bariatric surgery clinics. I have specialized experience working with cancer patients and their family members (or caregivers) across the cancer care continuum (e.g., diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life). My approach focuses on connecting with my clients by understanding the different lived experiences that may arise from managing an illness/medical condition. I take a collaborative approach by working with my clients to find ways to thrive/ find meaning in life while acknowledging the challenges of living with a medical condition. I can be reached directly at alaina@nchpsych.com.

About Me: I have an appointment as a Research Instructor at Georgetown University in the Department of Oncology. As research staff at Georgetown University, my research team and I received federal funding to develop various web-based interventions to 1) help patients with thyroid cancer make an informed decision about whether to undergo radioactive iodine treatment and 2) provide informational support to manage symptoms from radioactive iodine treatment. I currently serve as a member of the Society for Health Psychology’s Early Career Professionals Council and as a member of the Society for Behavioral Medicine’s Cancer Special Interest Group.

Education & Training

Post-Doctoral Fellowships: Georgetown University, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology & North Star Psychological Services

Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Health Psychology) : University of Colorado, Denver

Master of Arts (Clinical Health Psychology): University of Colorado, Denver

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology): University of Colorado, Boulder

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

Carr, A. L., Vinod, N., Farha, P., Lu, T., Farha, M. J., & Graves, K. D. (2023). An exploration of facilitators and barriers to patient navigator core functions with breast cancer patients: Implications for the development of a human-centered mHealth app. PEC innovation, 3, 100226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2023.100226

Carr, A. L., Bilenduke, E., Adolf, E., Kessler, E. R., Arch, J. J., Ranby, K. W., & Kilbourn, K. (2023). A pilot randomized study of a telephone-based cognitive-behavioral stress-management intervention to reduce distress in phase 1 oncology trial caregivers. Palliative & Supportive Care, 1–9. http://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951523000196

Carr, A. L., Roberts, S., Bonnell, L. N., & Kolva, E. (2022). Existential distress and meaning making among female breast cancer patients with cancer-related fertility concerns. Palliative & supportive care, 1–9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951522001675

Bilenduke, E., Sterrett, J. D., Ranby, K. W., Borges, V. F., Grigsby, J., Carr, A. L., Kilbourn, K., & Lowry, C. A. (2022). Impacts of breast cancer and chemotherapy on gut microbiome, cognitive functioning, and mood relative to healthy controls. Scientific reports, 12(1), 19547. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23793-7

Cervantes, L., Rizzolo, K., Carr, A.L., Steiner, J.F., Chonchol, M., Powe, N., Cukor, D., & Hasnain-Wynia, R. (2021). Social and Cultural Challenges in Caring for Inner-City Latinx Individuals: Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Hemodialysis Center Clinicians. JAMA Network Open. 2021;4(9):e2125838.

Arch, J. J., Vanderkruik, R., Kirk, A., & Carr, A. L. (2018). A closer lens: Cancer survivors’ supportive intervention preferences and interventions received. Psycho-oncology, 27(5), 1434–1441. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4526