Rachel Kentor, PhD
- Pediatric Psychology
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology
Baylor College of Medicine
Phone:
832-822-3700
Languages: English
Office locations:
Texas Medical Center
6701 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77030
Get to know Rachel Kentor, PhD
Dr. Kentor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. As a pediatric psychologist, she is dedicated to providing evidence-based care to children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic medical conditions. Her areas of specialty include oncology, bone marrow transplant, palliative care, and grief and bereavement.
Clinical Interests
Dr. Kentor conducts evaluation and treatment of youth across inpatient and outpatient settings. She engages patients, families, and medical providers together as collaborators in care to provide comprehensive services tailored to each patient. Common treatment targets Dr. Kentor may address include: adjustment to diagnosis, anxiety, depression, non-adherence to medical regimen, pain management, disruptive behaviors, sleep disturbances, medical traumatic stress, and support in complex medical decision making and end-of-life care. Dr. Kentor is committed to delivering evidence-based interventions, primarily cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and parent management training (PMT).
Education
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Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care | Executive Steering Committee, Pediatric Division |
| Society of Pediatric Psychology, Palliative Care and End-of-Life SIG | Co-Founder |
| Society of Pediatric Psychology (APA Division 54) | Member |
| American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine | Member |
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.
Research
Research interests
Dr. Kentor is dedicated to conducting research that directly informs clinical practice within the areas of pediatric oncology, palliative care, and grief and bereavement. Her ongoing research projects explore illness-related communication with pediatric patients, impact of family functioning on child adjustment to disease, and anticipatory grief among dying children and their families.
Publications
Thompson, A.L., Kentor, R.A., Schaefer, M.R., & McCarthy, S.R. (2024). Psychologists as Pivotal Members of the Pediatric Palliative Care Team. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Thompson, A.L., Schaefer, M.R., McCarthy, S.R., Hildenbrand, A.K., Cousino, M.K., Marsac, M.L., ... & Kentor, R.A. (2023). Competencies for psychology practice in pediatric palliative care. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 48(7), 614-622.
Kentor, R.A., & Thompson, A.L. (2021). Answering the call to support youth orphaned by COVID-19. The Lancet, 398(10298), 366-367.
Schuelke, T., Crawford, C., Kentor, R., Eppelheimer, H., Chipriano, C., Springmeyer, K., ... & Hill, M. (2021). Current grief support in pediatric palliative care. Children, 8(4), 278.
Kentor, R.A., Krinock, P., Placencia, J., Cousins, D., & Hellsten, M. (2021). Interdisciplinary symptom management in pediatric palliative care: A case report. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 9(3), 242.
Kentor, R.A., & Kaplow, J.B. (2020). Supporting children and adolescents following parental bereavement: guidance for health-care professionals. Lancet Child Adolescent Health, 4(12), 889�898. https://doi. org/10.1016/S2352-4642 (20) 30184-X PMID: 33217358.
