Bio

Dr. Stephanie Clarke is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Clarke is an expert in the treatment of suicidal and self-harming behavior in adolescents, with additional expertise in evidence-based treatment of trauma and restrictive eating disorders in adolescents. She is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), currently the only well-established treatment for self-harming adolescents at high risk for suicide. Dr. Clarke is an Attending Psychologist and supervisor in Stanford’s Adolescent DBT Program, Eating Disorders Clinic, and Comprehensive Care Program (CCP, inpatient unit for medical issues related to disordered eating), where she specialized in seeing complex cases with multiple diagnoses (e.g., comorbid Anorexia Nervosa and suicidality/self-harm). She was the Stanford Psychologist in the DBT Intensive Outpatient Program, RISE, a collaboration between Stanford and Children’s Health Council, where she was in charge of training and supervision of psychology trainees. Dr. Clarke also provides education and training to psychology and psychiatry trainees in DBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), suicidality, self-harm, mood disorders, eating disorders, and trauma. Dr. Clarke has given numerous talks, trainings, and lectures and has co-authored several publications on the topics of adolescent suicide, self-harming behavior, and DBT.

In 2020, Dr. Clarke was the recipient of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science's Clinical Innovation and Service Award. Dr. Clarke was also awarded funding from the Professional Leadership Development Awards Program for the 20-21 academic year, which supports the career development of department faculty who exhibit particular promise in advancing into leadership roles in academic medicine. Dr. Clarke has been funded by a grant from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Maternal and Child Health Research Institute to study the safety and feasibility of providing exposure-based trauma treatment to suicidal teens in stage I DBT.

Dr. Clarke also maintains a small private practice, where she provides consultation, parent coaching, and individual therapy for adolescents and adults using DBT, FBT, exposure and response prevention, ACT, compassion-focused, and other CBT and evidence-based approaches.

Clinical Focus

  • Psychology

Academic Appointments

Honors & Awards

  • Clinical Innovation and Service, Stanford University School of Medicine (2020)

Professional Education

  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Stanford University, General Child/Mood Disorders (year 1) Dialectical Behavior Therapy/Eating Disorders (year 2) (2017)
  • Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Science (2015)
  • Internship, Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, MA (2015)
  • Fellowship: Stanford University Child Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016) CA
  • PhD Training: University of Minnesota Medical School Twin Cities (2015) MN
  • B.A., Smith College, Psychology, Classics
  • Fellowship: Stanford University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship (2018) CA

Contact

  • Academic
    clarkest@stanford.edu
    University - Academic staff Department: Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development Position: Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Clinical (Primary)  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic 401 Quarry Rd MC 5719 Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 724-7289 (fax)

Additional Clinical Info

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5717

All Publications

  • Pilot Test of a DBT-Based Parenting Intervention for Parents of Youth With Recent Self-Harm COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL PRACTICE Berk, M. S., Rathus, J., Kessler, M., Clarke, S., Chick, C., Shen, H., Llewellyn, T. 2022; 29 (2): 348-366

    View details for Web of Science ID 000793409000005

  • Self-Injurious Behavior Textbook of Suicide Risk Assessment and Management Berk, M., Avina, C., Clarke, S. edited by Gold, L. H., Frierson, R. L. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 2020; 3rd: 305–317
  • Delivering an Adolescent Comprehensive DBT Intensive Outpatient Program During the Covid-19 Pandemic DBT Bulletin Clarke, S., Atasuntseva, A., Berk, M. 2020
  • Pilot test of a DBT-based parenting intervention for parents of youth with recent self-harm Cognitive and Behavioral Practice Berk, M., Rathus, J., Kessler, M., Clarke, S., Chick, C., Shen, H., Llewellyn, T. 2020; (in press)

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cbpra.2020.10.001

  • Management of Suicidal Youth Clinical Handbook for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Mood Disorders Clarke, S., Ragan, E., Berk, M. edited by Singh, M. American Psychiatric Publishing. 2019; 1: 391–422
  • Safety Planning and Risk Management Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches for Suicidal Adolescents Berk, M., Clarke, S. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 2019: 63–84
  • Recent advances in understanding and managing self-harm in adolescents. F1000Research Clarke, S., Allerhand, L. A., Berk, M. S. 2019; 8

    Abstract

    Adolescent suicide is a serious public health problem, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is both highly comorbid with suicidality among adolescents and a significant predictor of suicide attempts (SAs) in adolescents. We will clarify extant definitions related to suicidality and NSSI and the important similarities and differences between these constructs. We will also review several significant risk factors for suicidality, evidence-based and evidence-informed safety management strategies, and evidence-based treatment for adolescent self-harming behaviors. Currently, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for adolescents is the first and only treatment meeting the threshold of a well-established treatment for self-harming adolescents at high risk for suicide. Areas in need of future study include processes underlying the association between NSSI and SAs, clarification of warning signs and risk factors that are both sensitive and specific enough to accurately predict who is at imminent risk for suicide, and further efforts to sustain the effects of DBT post-treatment. DBT is a time- and labor-intensive treatment that requires extensive training for therapists and a significant time commitment for families (generally 6 months). It will therefore be helpful to assess whether other less-intensive treatment options can be established as evidence-based treatment for suicidal adolescents.

    View details for DOI 10.12688/f1000research.19868.1

    View details for PubMedID 31681470

  • Other Treatments: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress Clarke, S., Zack, S. American Psychiatric Publishing. 2019
  • Borderline personality characteristics and treatment outcome in cognitive-behavioral treatments for PTSD in female rape victims BEHAVIOR THERAPY Clarke, S. B., Rizvi, S. L., Resick, P. A. 2008; 39 (1): 72–78

    Abstract

    Many studies report that comorbid borderline personality pathology is associated with poorer outcomes in the treatment of Axis I disorders. Given the high rates of comorbidity between borderline personality pathology and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is essential to determine whether borderline symptomatology affects PTSD treatment outcome. This study examined the effects of borderline personality characteristics (BPC) on 131 female rape victims receiving cognitive-behavioral treatment for PTSD. Higher BPC scores were associated with greater pretreatment PTSD severity; however, individuals with higher levels of BPC were just as likely to complete treatment and also as likely to show significant treatment response on several outcome measures. There were no significant interactions between type of treatment and BPC on the outcome variables. Findings suggest that women with borderline pathology may be able to benefit significantly from cognitive-behavioral treatment for PTSD.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.beth.2007.05.002

    View details for Web of Science ID 000257419000008

    View details for PubMedID 18328872

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC2970917

  • The Impact of Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse: The Role of Gender, Development, and Posttraumatic Stress JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE Fogler, J. M., Shipherd, J. C., Clarke, S., Jensen, J., Rowe, E. 2008; 17 (3-4): 329–58

    Abstract

    The literature on clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse suggests that there are two modal populations of survivors: boys and adult women. We review what is known about trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder following sexual abuse and explore the different treatment needs for these two survivor groups. For children, clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse can catastrophically alter the trajectory of psychosocial, sexual, and spiritual development. Depending on the age at which abuse occurred, adult clients may present with clinical issues that are more appropriate for a younger developmental stage. Additionally, the symptoms of traumatic stress may be misunderstood when clients conceptualize their abuse as an "affair" or "consensual" relationship. We discuss empirically supported treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and potential adaptations for the needs of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse survivors.

    View details for DOI 10.1080/10538710802329940

    View details for Web of Science ID 000207708700009

    View details for PubMedID 19042605

  • A Theoretical Foundation for Understanding Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse JOURNAL OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE Fogler, J. M., Shipherd, J. C., Rowe, E., Jensen, J., Clarke, S. 2008; 17 (3-4): 301–28

    Abstract

    Incorporating elements from broadband theories of psychological adaptation to extreme adversity, including Summit's (1983) Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome, Finkelhor and Browne's (1986) Traumagenic Dynamics Model of sexual abuse, and Pyszczynski and colleagues' (1997) Terror Management Theory, this paper proposes a unified theoretical model of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse for future research. The model conceptualizes clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse as the convergence of interactive processes between the clergy-perpetrator, the parishioner-survivor, and the religious community.

    View details for DOI 10.1080/10538710802329874

    View details for Web of Science ID 000207708700008

    View details for PubMedID 19042604

  • Intimate partner psychological aggression and child behavior problems JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS Clarke, S. B., Koenen, K. C., Taft, C. T., Street, A. E., King, L. A., King, D. W. 2007; 20 (1): 97–101

    Abstract

    The present study examined the relationship between intimate partner psychological aggression and children's behavior problems in a community sample of families (N = 470 children). The results showed that psychological aggression experienced by the mother has adverse effects on children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems over and above the effects of physical aggression. The association between psychological aggression and child behavior problems was partially mediated by maternal distress. Exposure to psychological aggression appears to have unique direct and indirect adverse effects on children.

    View details for DOI 10.1002/jts.20193

    View details for Web of Science ID 000244981300010

    View details for PubMedID 17345649