Dr. Hankinson is a licensed psychologist with extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and their families to treat anxiety, mood, coping and adjustment, and behavioral concerns.  She takes a skills-based approach to help individuals and families learn strategies to cope with emotional distress, improve daily functioning, and overcome obstacles to their general well-being.  Dr. Hankinson also specializes in working with individuals and families to promote adjustment to chronic and acute medical conditions such as chronic pain, elimination disorders/toileting problems, gastrointestinal and urological problems, sleep problems, headaches, and various neurodevelopmental disorders.  Her treatment approach addresses the interplay between physical and psychological health. She utilizes behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and motivational strategies to increase behavioral compliance, improve coping and adjustment, decrease anxiety and avoidance, and improve overall emotional and behavioral functioning.  

 

Dr. Hankinson has worked in a variety of mental health and medical settings, including private practice, a university based community mental health clinic, children's hospitals, and pediatric medical specialty clinics. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia and her Master's and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of South Florida.  She completed a clinical internship and two year post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  She was on faculty as an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry where she held clinical, research, supervisory, and teaching roles. Dr. Hankinson has been involved in grant funded research projects, presented at numerous national and international conferences, and has co-authored several peer reviewed psychology journal articles and chapter books.