Dr. Carolyn Snell's primary specialty relates to Medical Coping Health Psychology.

Her interest in child and adolescent mental health began in college, when for her honors thesis in Human Biology she worked on a project screening for anxiety and depressive disorders in a diverse primary care population. Following this, she worked on several projects within child psychiatry in which she compiled patients' and parents' stories about their experiences in medical settings into resources that could benefit other families in similar circumstances. It was this work that solidified my interest in becoming a pediatric psychologist, as I heard about the unique needs and challenges of children with medical illnesses and their families.

In graduate school she gained exposure to a number of specific pediatric populations and became interested both in helping youth through medical experiences and in promoting longer-term coping and adaptation to chronic illness. She was able to continue in this area of specialization through hospital-based work during her internship year, and further during her fellowship at Boston Children's. After working in a community practice where she treated children and adolescents with a wide variety of presenting problems, she returned to Boston Children's to work in the Medical Coping Clinic. Here, she is able to continue doing clinical work within pediatric psychology, as well as participate in teaching, training, and research projects in this area.