Suzanna So

Dr. Suzanna So is an Assistant Professor and Co-Coordinator for the Counseling Psychology program within the Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling Department.  Dr. So is a licensed psychologist in the state of California.  She has clinical experience in the assessment and treatment of school-aged children and families, with specialization in interdisciplinary community mental health.  Her previous research focused on understanding factors that lead to variability in community violence exposure and outcomes among African American youth. Dr. So utilized a strengths-perspective to explore reasons why some individuals appear to be more resilient/resistant than others, especially in the face of traumatic stress.  Recently, Dr. So has expanded her research to include other underrepresented and minoritized youth experiencing adversity or intergenerational traumas.

 

B.A. in Psychology with Honors, University of Chicago, 2012

M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 2016

Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Child/Family Subspecialty, Loyola University Chicago, 2019

Pre-Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology and Early Childhood, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Child Psychology, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Licensed Clinical Psychologist (State of California)

Managing and Adapting Practice: MAP Therapist

COUN 513: Introduction to Clinical Interviewing

COUN 522: Counseling Methods and Techniques

COUN 555: Cross-Cultural Counseling

COUN 556: Counseling Children and Adolescents

COUN 685: Community Mental Health Counseling

COUN 609: Counseling Psychology Practicum

COUN 643D: Counseling Fieldwork

COUN 644D: Advanced Counseling Fieldwork

Dr. So's research thus far has focused on community violence exposure and mental health outcomes among youth of color in divested, urban communities.  She is interested in continuing this line of work to understand culturally-specific resiliency factors that can be targeted in treatment for youth exposed to significant stress, adversity, and trauma.  Although many systemic factors negatively impact minoritized youth and families, Dr. So's research aims to inform efforts to build resilience and interrupt the cycle of risk in the lives of young people who are exposed to trauma-related stressors.

So, S., Coffey, D. M., & Javier, J. R. (2022). Parental enculturation and youth mental health functioning among Filipino American families. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000552

So, S., Gaylord-Harden, N.K., & Voisin, D.R. (2021). Examining the factor structure of the coping with community violence scale for urban youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36 (1-2), 1127-1154. DOI: 10.1177/0886260517739889

Phan, J., So, S., Thomas, A., & Gaylord-Harden, N. K. (2020). Hyperarousal and hypervigilance in African American male adolescents exposed to community violence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 70. DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101168

Kim, D. H., Bassett, S. M., So, S., & Voisin, D. R. (2019). Family stress and youth mental health problems: Self-efficacy and future orientation mediation. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 89(2), 125-133. DOI: 10.1037/ort0000371

Burnside, A., Gaylord-Harden, N.K., So, S., & Voisin, D.R. (2018). A latent class analysis of community violence exposure and peer delinquency in African American adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 91, 196-203. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.06.014

So, S., Gaylord-Harden, N.K., Voisin, D.R., & Scott, D. (2018). Future orientation as a protective factor for African American adolescents exposed to community violence. Youth & Society, 50(6), 734-757. DOI: 10.1177/0044118X15605108

Gaylord-Harden, N.K., Bai, G.J., So, S., & Tolan, P. H. (2018). Impact of maternal support and involvement on coping in adolescent males of color. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(10), 3262-3276. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-018-1166-5

Gaylord-Harden, N.K., So, S., Bai, G.J., Henry, D.B., & Tolan, P.H. (2017). Examining the pathologic adaptation model of community violence exposure in male adolescents of color. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 46(1), 125-135. DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2016.1204925

Gaylord-Harden, N. K., So, S., Bai, G. J. & Tolan, P. H. (2017). Examining the effects of emotional and cognitive desensitization to community violence exposure in male adolescents of color. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(4), 463-473. DOI: 10.1037/ort0000241

So, S., Voisin, D.R., Burnside, A., & Gaylord-Harden, N.K. (2016). Future orientation and health related factors among African American adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 15-21. DOI:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.11.026

Jason, L.A., So, S., Brown, A., Sunnquist, M., & Evans, M. (2015). Test-retest reliability of the DePaul symptom questionnaire. Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 3(1), 1-17. DOI:10.1080/21641846.2014.978110

Jason, L.A., So, S., Evans, M., Brown, A., Sunnquist, M., Im, Y., & Schafer, C. (2015). An overview of operationalizing criteria for ME, ME/CFS and CFS case definitions. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 43(1), 1-4, DOI:10.1080/10852352.2014.973237

Schafer, C., Evans, M., Jason, L.A., So, S., & Brown, A. (2015). Measuring substantial reductions in activity. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 43(1), 5-19, DOI: 10.1080/10852352.2014.973242

Jason, L.A., Evans, M., So, S., Scott, J., & Brown, A. (2015). Problems in defining post-exertional malaise. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 43(1), 20-31, DOI: 10.1080/10852352.2014.973239

So, S., Evans, M., Jason, L.A., & Brown, A. (2015). Are stamina and fatigue polar opposites? A case study. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 43(1), 32-41, DOI: 10.1080/10852352.2014.973235