Cara L. Smith

Cara L. Smith serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Family Development at Missouri State University, Springfield campus. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Child Life program including Death, Separation, and Loss; Childhood Illnesses, Injuries, Diseases and Disorders; Working with the Hospitalized Child; and Child Life Theory and Practice, while directing the South Africa Child Life Practicum Study Away program.

Educational background:

• Master of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies (2005), University of Missouri-Columbia
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2003), Graceland University

Her research program centers on integrating mindfulness and self-regulation techniques into clinical child life practice through interpersonal neurobiology frameworks. She pioneers trauma-informed care models utilizing Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and develops ethical protocols for international child life programming. Her scholarship emphasizes play therapy applications and systemic approaches to child abuse prevention within pediatric healthcare settings.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Award for Excellence in Study Away Programming: Cultural Competence (2016)

Dr. Smith mentors students through professional internships and study abroad practicums, with particular focus on cultural competence development in international child life contexts. She has established structured pathways for clinical experience in hospital settings and oversees the South Africa Child Life Practicum that combines academic coursework with hands-on fieldwork.