Laurel Watson (She/Her)

Biography

How I Help Students

 In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Watson is the practicum and internship coordinator for the Department of Psychology and Counseling.   Dr. Watson serves on several editorial boards, is a consulting editor for the Journal of Counseling Psychology and for Sex Roles, and is the Editor of Psychology of Women Quarterly.

Biography

Laurel B. Watson earned her M.S. in Professional Counseling at Georgia State University. Realizing that she had a passion for research and teaching, she sought to continue her education by enrolling in a Ph.D. program. Dr. Watson earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University in 2012. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Oregon’s Counseling & Testing Center. Upon completion of her degree, she accepted an Assistant Professor position with UMKC’s Counseling & Educational Psychology division. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 with tenure. She was then promoted to the rank of Professor in the Department of Psychology and Counseling in 2024.

Research Areas

 Dr. Watson’s research interests include topics related to gender, race, sexuality, and intersections therein. Broadly, she is interested in experiences of discrimination, and how these experiences affect mental health and well-being among individuals with marginalized identities. In addition, she is interested in factors that may protect against adverse outcomes in the face of adversity, such as collective action, identity salience, and resilience. Her research projects often integrate minority stress, intersectionality, and objectification theories in order to investigate these aforementioned experiences. Her current work is largely focused on issues related to abortion access, stigma, and reproductive justice.

Degrees

Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, Specialization in Traumatology, Georgia State University

Advising Interests

Dr. Watson adopts a collaborative and developmental approach to her advising relationships. She enjoys getting to know her advisees in terms of their personal and professional interests, and believes that forming a warm and supportive relationship is vital to this process. Dr. Watson also greatly values mentorship and is committed to assisting advisees in their career development while enrolled in UMKC and beyond. She approaches each advising relationship from a developmental perspective; that is, she meets advisees “where they are” in terms of their current knowledge and experience, in order to provide an experience that will adequately prepare them for their future both in the program and beyond.

Publications

Recent & Representative Publications
*Represents student authors

O’Shea, K., & Watson, L. B. (accepted). Navigating abortion stigma: Abortion identity centrality, stigma management strategies, and psychological outcomes. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research.

Watson, L. B., **Michl, T., **Rowland, A., *Flores, M. J., & *Germain, J. (2024). Embodying loving kindness: Examining self-compassionate writing tasks and body satisfaction among transgender and non-binary people. Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 49.Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101713.

*Craney, R. S., & Watson, L. B. (2024). Pride and prejudice: The relations among multiracial microaggressions, resilience, and psychological distress for Latine/White multiethnic individuals. Journal of Latinx Psychology. Advance online publication. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/lat0000262.

*Graf, T. R., & Watson, L. B. (2024). Who gets canceled for sexual assault?: The roles of likeability and tactic on perceived perpetrator accountability. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 90(9), 1244 – 1261, https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s11199-024-01465-2.

Landor, A. M., Ramseyer Winter, V. L., Thurston, I. B., Chan, J., Craddock, N., Ladd, B.,Tylka, T. L., Swami, V., Watson, L. B., Choukas-Bradley, S. (2024, online first). The sociostructural -intersectionality body image (SIBI) framework: Understanding the impact of White supremacy in body image research and practice. Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101674.

42. Watson, L. B., & *Germain, J. (2024). Reproductive justice in the post-Roe v. Wade era: Reactions to Dobbs v. Jackson and psychological distress among cisgender women and people assigned female at birth. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 48(2), 163 – 179. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231210219. Citations: 6

Watson, L. B., Hargons, C. N., Mollen, D. (2023). Rising up, pushing forward: Standing our ground in the face of injustice. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 47(4), 439 - 442.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0361684323119767

*Flores Randelman, M. J., & Watson, L. B. (2023). The relations among microaggressions, collective action, and psychological outcomes among sexual minority Latinx people. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 11(3), 240-257. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/lat0000225.

Watson, L. B., & *Henderson, J. (2023). The relation between gendered racial microaggressions and traumatic stress among highly educated Black women. The Counseling Psychologist, 51(2), 210 – 241. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000221133104.