Kalina Brabeck

Kalina Brabeck is a Professor at the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, and School Psychology at Rhode Island College. Her research focuses on the intersections of socio-structural challenges (e.g., poverty, unauthorized immigration status), family dynamics, and individual mental health, particularly among Latinx immigrant communities. Funded by the Foundation for Child Development and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, her work examines immigration policy impacts on families and has been cited in Supreme Court cases.

• Rhode Island College (2008–present)

Brabeck's clinical expertise includes trauma-informed care, working with immigrants/refugees, and evidence-based interventions like DBT, ACT, and EMDR. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, using mixed-methods and participatory action research. Her recent work explores expanded adverse childhood experience (ACEs) frameworks to include immigration-related trauma.

Key publication trends include immigration enforcement effects on youth, family dynamics under legal stress, trauma-informed mental health interventions, and policy advocacy. She trains mental health professionals and legal practitioners on trauma-informed approaches for immigrant populations.

Brabeck teaches foundational courses in counseling, including practicum and internship programs, alongside specialized electives on trauma and evidence-based methods. Her interdisciplinary collaborations bridge psychology, education, and public policy to support immigrant communities.