Hannah Holmes

Dr. Hannah Holmes serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Psychology Clinic within the Department of Psychology at Appalachian State University's College of Arts and Sciences. Her dual role bridges clinical practice, research, and teaching in clinical psychology.

Her academic credentials include:

• Clinical Psychology Pre-Doctoral Internship (2018-2019) at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (2019) from Wayne State University
• M.A. in Clinical Psychology (2016) from Wayne State University
• B.A. in Psychology (2013) from Cedarville University

Dr. Holmes' research program centers on health psychology with specialized focus in women's health, human sexuality, and emotion-focused interventions for chronic pain. Her work uniquely examines Arab American women's psychological health through cultural and religious lenses, investigating how bicultural identity, social constraints, and disclosure impact health outcomes following sexual victimization. She develops and tests evidence-based interventions including emotional awareness training for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic urogenital pain, while also evaluating rape prevention programs like Rape Aggression Defense courses.

Analysis of her 2014-2023 publications reveals consistent methodological rigor through randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses across psychology, women's health, and pain management disciplines. Her work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between clinical psychology, cultural psychology, and psychosomatic medicine, with particular emphasis on minority health disparities and emotion regulation mechanisms in chronic conditions.

Dr. Holmes maintains active clinical supervision through her Psychology Clinic role while teaching advanced courses in personality assessment, health psychology, and human sexuality. Although not accepting doctoral students for Fall 2026, she mentors undergraduate researchers and teaches multiple sections annually. Her collaborative research network spans Wayne State University, The Ohio State University, and international institutions, with publications appearing in top-tier journals including Psychology of Violence and Archives of Sexual Behavior. Current research directions include expanding cultural adaptations of emotion-focused therapies and investigating long-term outcomes of sexual health interventions for minority women.