Robyn Mehlenbeck

Professor

adolescent, medical, eating, diabetes

Dr. Robyn Mehlenbeck is a Board-Certified Child and Adolescent clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American Psychological Association, who specializes in working with children with medical conditions, utilizing a family systems approach. Currently, she is a Professor of Psychology at George Mason University and the Director of Mason’s Center for Community Mental Health, a clinic committed to training graduate students and providing affordable, accessible mental health services for the community. Mehlenbeck also consults at Inova Children’s Hospital in the pediatric endocrine clinic. She stays involved in research at the CCMH and through the Center for Evidence Based Interventions. She is active in international organizations, including serving on the Executive Committee of the Association for Psychology Training Clinic Directors, and is also the past president for the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Prior to coming to Mason, she was a Clinical Associate Professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and worked at the Hasbro Children’s Partial Hospital Program, where she served as the Director of Training. Committed to the Clinical Science Model, Mehlenbeck engages in clinical work, teaching and research, with a multidisciplinary focus. She has trained medical students, psychology undergraduate and graduate students, psychology interns and fellows, pediatrics and psychiatry residents and fellows and developmental behavioral pediatricians.

Dr. Mehlenbeck has numerous publications and has presented nationally and internationally in the areas of working with children and adolescents with medical issues, pediatric obesity, interdisciplinary training, and resilience. She has engaged in interdisciplinary training and work across her career, and truly enjoys training the next generation of behavioral health providers.

Current Research

Consult with our clinical faculty on several projects and participate as a faculty member of the Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health. Currently we are working on looking at the clinical data from the Center for Community Mental Health.

Selected Publications

Weitzman, C., Augustyn, M., Froehlich, T., Mehlenbeck, R., Mendelsohn, A. L., Nielsen, B. A., Soares, N., Voigt, R.G., Walton, J., Zlomke, K., Fogler, J.,; Keder, R. D., Ratliff-Schaub, K., Wallis, K. E., (2021). Recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration. A Statement of Priorities from the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.

Merrigan, JJ, Volgenau, KM, McKay, A., Gallo, S., Mehlenbeck, R.S. & Jones, M. (2021). Bi-directional associations among physical activity and sleep in overweight/obese elementary age Latino children. Sports (v9, issue 2).

Trojanowski, PJ, Niehaus, C., Mehlenbeck, R., & Fischer, S. (2021). Parenting and psychological health in youth with Type 1 diabetes: systematic review. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. Doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsab064

Trojanowski, PJ, Mehlenbeck, R., & Fischer, S. (2022). Adapting a cognitive dissonance-based eating disorders prevention program for adolescent girls with Type 1 diabetes. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2022.2042876.

Trojanowski, PJ, Frietchen, RE, Harvie, B, Mehlenbeck, R. & Fischer, S (2022). Internet-delivered eating disorders prevention program for adolescent girls with Type 1 diabetes: Acceptable and feasible. Pediatric Diabetes, https://doi.org/10.1111/pedi.13395.

Mehlenbeck, R.S. & Trojanowski, P.J. (2022). Chapter 97: Family Therapy. In H.M. Feldman, N. Blum, E.R. Elias, M.E. Jimenez, L. von Kampen, & T. Stancin (Eds.), Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (5th ed).

Courses Taught

Seminars presented as part of graduate student training at the GMU Center for Community Mental Health

Psy 881 Advanced Practicum - Third Year Clinical Practicum

Psy 430 - Undergraduate Practicum in Psychology at the GMU CCMH

Recent Presentations

“All-Staff Training: Recognizing Signs of Suicidal Ideation for Veterans and in General.” Invited presentation for Legal Services of Northern Virginia, January 2021

“Working with Medical Interpreters: What every professional needs to know.” Invited presentation for Counselors for Social Justice @ Mason, March 2022.

“Resilience in the Workplace.” Invited workshop for Dev Technology, February 2023.

“Information Panel for New Psychology Training Clinic Directors.” Invited panel presentation at the Association for Psychology Training Clinic Directors, Albuquerque, March 2023.

MATCH – ADTC, Modular Approach to Treatment for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and Conduct Issues. Co-Led 3 Day Training provided to 40 clinicians in Fairfax County as part of the Fairfax County Training Consortium. March 2023.

“Coaches are key: Helping your athletes to be the best they can be.“ Invited presentation regarding mental health risk factors for McLean Soccer Club Elite Youth Soccer Coaches. April 2023.

In the Media

Moderating Kids' Time Online Now That Screens Are Here to Stay: How to help your child be a responsible digital consumer. Psychology Today (6-2021). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/supporting-healthy-families/202106/moderating-kids-time-online-now-screens-are-here-stay

How Covid 19 Pandemic Forced Kids to spend more time behind screens. WHIO News, Dayton, Ohio (6-2021). https://www.whio.com/news/how-covid-19-pandemic-forced-kids-spend-more-time-behind-screen/545R4XCN55AYXI3D4QKPJ5CQIY/

COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis is the Second Pandemic. Access to Excellence Podcast with Dr. Gregory Washington, President, George Mason University, (6- 2021). https://www2.gmu.edu/news/2021-06/podcast-ep26-covid-19-mental-health-crisis-second-pandemic

Helping Children Cope with Tragedies: Local Therapists Offer Advice Around Recent School Shootings (6-2022). Alexandria Gazette, Alexandria, VA. http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2022/060122/Alexandria.pdf

Dissertations Supervised

James D. Doorley, The Effects of Coping, Savoring, and Self-compassion on Daily Psychological Resilience among College Athletes (2020)