Cara Solness, PhD
Cara Solness, PhD is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute and a licensed psychologist in MMI's Department of Psychology. Solness completed their PhD in counseling psychology at the University of Iowa, internship at the University of Iowa’s University Counseling Center and postdoctoral training at University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical School Department of Psychiatry with a specialization in neonatal mental health, NICU psychology and perinatal mental health. Solness is a member of the National Network of NICU Psychologists and co-chairs the organization's DEAJ Committee.
Solness has been responsible for initiating and developing NICU/neonatal psychology at MMI as the first NICU psychologist in Nebraska. Solness provides clinical services in the NICUs at Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Nebraska to strengthen families and mitigate the risks associated with a NICU admission and preterm birth. Solness also provides outpatient therapy for individuals, couples, and families with NICU experiences or medical complexity during the first year postpartum to address bonding/attachment, parent and family functioning after a traumatic experience, postpartum depression, anxiety, and trauma that is impacting the parent-child relationship or the parent-parent dyad to help improve long-term outcomes for children.
- Postdoctoral Training: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 2023.
- Internship: University of Iowa Counseling Center, Iowa City, IA, 2022.
- PhD: Counseling psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2022.
Solness provides patient care services at UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute Department of Psychology.
Clinic Locations
Recent Publications
- Relationship Factors in Internet-Delivered Psychological Interventions for Veterans Experiencing Postpartum Depression: Qualitative Analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37581917/
- Treating postpartum depression in rural veterans using internet delivered CBT: program evaluation of MomMoodBooster - PubMed (nih.gov) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33052526/
- Solness, C. L., Wang, K., Mitchell, A. Kivlighan, D. M. (2024). Queering Group Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study of the Effectiveness of Group Therapy for Transgender and Non-Binary Persons. [Manuscript submitted to Journal of Counseling Psychology]
- Solness, C. L., & Kivlighan, D. M. (2022). Queering group therapy: A phenomenological participatory design with transgender individuals. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 53(3), 215-224. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000459
- University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, Group Therapy.
- University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, Introduction to Counseling Psychology.
- University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Abnormal Psychology.
- University of Iowa, SafeZone facilitator.
- Interventions for non-birthing partners in the NICU.
- Group Therapy.
- LGBTQ+ parents with NICU experiences.
- Therapeutic alliance.
- Technology-delivered interventions.
- American Psychological Association.
- Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology.
- Division 44 Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.
- Division 54 Society of Pediatric Psychology.
- National Network of NICU Psychologists.
- Co-chair of Diversity, Equity and Justice Committee.
- American Psychological Association Div 49 Diversity and Social Justice Poster Award, 2023.
- University of Iowa College of Education Research Grant, 2020.
- University of Iowa Graduate and Professional Student Grant, 2020.
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Munroe-Meyer Institute
985450 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5450
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