Professor, Director of Clinical Training, Clinical Program Dr. Lavner will not be reviewing applications for a new graduate student for Fall 2027 admission. I am a clinical psychologist whose research aims to understand and improve family health and well-being, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. My work examines (1) how and why relationships change; (2) the effects of minority and contextual stressors such as racial discrimination, financial strain, and sexual stigma on individual and family functioning and the protective factors that buffer these effects; and (3) preventive interventions to strengthen relational, physical, and mental health among individuals, couples, and families. My new book, the Research Handbook on Couple and Family Relationships, co-edited with Nickola Overall and Jeffry Simpson, is now available here. Education Education: Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles B.A., Williams College Research Research Interests: Couple and family relationships, prevention/intervention, health inequities, minority and contextual stress, LGBTQ issues Selected Publications Selected Publications: Lavner, J. A., Chen, P.-H., & Williamson, H. C. (2026). Strengthening couple functioning to enhance child outcomes in low-income families: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 94, 39–48. Weber, D. M., Beach, S. R. H., & Lavner, J. A. (2026). Mediators of the bidirectional association between depression and relationship satisfaction among older adults. Journal of Family Psychology, 40, 568–579. Cutri, J. N., Lavner, J. A., Mereish, E. H., & Watson, R. J. (2025). Patterns and correlates of dating and intimate relationship involvement among sexual minority adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 35, e70069. Lavner, J. A. (2025). Social context and couple relationships: Considering macro-level influences on couples. In N. C. Overall, J. A. Simpson, & J. A. Lavner (Eds.), Research handbook on couple and family relationships (pp. 359–373). Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Overall, N. C., Simpson, J. A., & Lavner, J. A. (Eds.). (2025). Research handbook on couple and family relationships. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Adesogan, O., Beach, S. R. H., Carter, S. E., Metzger, I. W., & Lavner, J. A. (2024). Effects of a responsive parenting intervention on Black mothers’ depressive symptoms postpartum: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 92, 828–835. Adesogan, O., Lavner, J. A., Carter, S. E., & Beach, S. R. H. (2024). Stress accumulation, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems among Black Americans in the rural South. Clinical Psychological Science, 12, 421–434. Hart, A. R., Beach, S. R. H., Hart, C. N., Smith, J. J., Stansfield, B. K., & Lavner, J. A. (2024). Responsive parenting and Black mothers’ postpartum sleep: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Health Psychology, 43, 438–447. Weber, D. M., Lavner, J. A., & Beach, S. R. H. (2024). Different trajectories of relationship satisfaction among rural Black couples following preventive relationship intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 92, 356–366. Weber, D. M., Williamson, H. C., Bryant, C. M., Mussa, K., & Lavner, J. A. (2024). Patterns and predictors of change in relationship status among Black mothers over 16 weeks postpartum. Journal of Family Psychology, 38, 751–762.
