Hi, I’m Dr. Kynetta McFarlane.
I was born and raised in Washington, DC—the daughter of two Bisons, half-African American and Guyanese, and half first-generation American. This helped me appreciate the beauty of being Black and Proud and being a nerd. As a nerd, I love learning about the connection between mental and physical health.
I was a trauma kid, and my strong advocacy for my patients is because I could have easily been any of my clients. I experienced trauma early on and saw how it affected my self-perception. As the oldest of my siblings, I was also able to see how the stress of trauma affected my family, particularly my mother. I try to use this knowledge of how stress and lack of understanding of self can lead to mental health problems when advocating and working with my clients.
I'm the daughter of a Girl Scout Leader and a former Leader myself. As an "Always Girl Scout" I aim to leave every situation better than I found it and bring that same perspective to treatment, where I aim to make positive change.
I'm a single parent. I began working on my advanced degrees with a 2-year-old in tow. During my parenting journey, my daughter was diagnosed with ADHD. Like many women, I was diagnosed with ADHD after my daughter was diagnosed. I think that experience reminds me that people often have unseen struggles, which affect their behaviors. Like many parents, I felt bad when I was unable to help my daughter; when she struggled, I struggled. I use this to remember how if one member of a family is off balance, it affects everyone.
I’m a “stealth queer”, cis-gender woman. As someone who is usually in heterosexual relationships and whose gender identity and sex assigned at birth align, I have privileges that many of my clients do not have. With this, I remember how lack of privilege can affect mental health in seen and unseen ways.
Clinical Background
Dr. Kynetta McFarlane (she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical psychologist (#7354) with 20 years of experience working in psychology. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Africana Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master’s of Arts, and a Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Clinical Psychology, Washington, DC at Argosy University.
Dr. McFarlane has been identified as an expert in trauma in federal court. She completed a predoctoral internship in clinical psychology with a focus on trauma and adventure group therapy at Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health in Canton, OH and a postdoctoral fellowship in complex trauma at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) in Columbus, OH. While at NCH, Dr. McFarlane was responsible for conducting trauma-focused assessment for the NCH hospital system. She specializes in trauma-focused psychological assessment and assessment of pediatric bipolar disorder, autism, personality disorders, and psychosis.
Dr. McFarlane is also an expert in the assessment and treatment of gender diversity in children, adolescents, and young adults and worked in NCH’s THRIVE clinic. She was a member of the learning community for Implementing Trauma‐Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for LGBTQ Youth and their Caregivers.
Dr. McFarlane is the System of Care, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator for The Center for Innovative Practices (CIP) with the Begun Center for Violence Prevention at Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. She is an expert on the Project ECHO Team for multisystem youth at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr. McFarlane is also the former Treasurer and a Board Member of The Ohio Children’s Trust Fund. Dr. McFarlane has spoken throughout Ohio and to national and international audiences on issues related to trauma, culture, and gender diversity.