Sarah McCarthy, PhD, MPH, ABPP
Attending Psychologist, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Image
NPI
1669718243
Locations
Sarah McCarthy, PhD, MPH, ABPP
Attending Psychologist, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Medical Services
Languages
English
Education
Undergraduate School
Connecticut College
2004
New London
CT
Internship
Child and Adolescent Psychology
Rush University
2010
Chicago
IL
Graduate School
Emory Universtiy
2011
Atlanta
GA
Fellowship
Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
2012
Boston
MA
Certifications
American Board of Professional Psychology (Clinical Psychology)
Professional History
Dr. Sarah McCarthy is a pediatric psychologist whose career focuses on caring for families navigating serious illness and the sudden, unexpected death of a child. She has extensive experience in pediatric palliative care, bereavement support, and family-centered clinical research. Dr. McCarthy’s work bridges clinical care, program development, and scholarship, with particular attention to the unique challenges parents and siblings face after loss.
She brings both her professional expertise and lived experience as a bereaved parent to her work, shaping grief-informed approaches that strengthen support systems for families. Within her role at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, she contributes to the growth of evidence-based psychosocial care and leads collaborative efforts to improve bereavement support across medical, community, and policy settings.
Publications
Achieving RoutIne Screening for Emotional health (ARISE) in pediatric subspecialty clinics. View Abstract
Partnering With Parents to Dismantle "Good-Death" Narratives. View Abstract
Family characteristics and childcare patterns associated with early social functioning in cancer-bereaved parents. View Abstract
One-year Results of Minimally Invasive Sutured Fixation of the Slipped Ribs in the Pediatric Population. View Abstract
Psychologists as Pivotal Members of the Pediatric Palliative Care Team. View Abstract
How caring for my child with cancer changed my approach to clinical care and research. View Abstract
Love in the PICU: The Hidden Language of Nurses. View Abstract
Consultation patterns before and after embedding pediatric palliative care into a pediatric hematology/oncology clinic. View Abstract
Competencies for Psychology Practice in Pediatric Palliative Care. View Abstract
Documentation of Psychosocial Distress and Its Antecedents in Children with Rare or Life-Limiting Chronic Conditions. View Abstract
Shared Decision Making in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures and Arrhythmia Management. View Abstract
Shared decision making process measures and patient problems. View Abstract
Masks, Empathy, and a Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis During COVID-19. View Abstract
Patients' Perspective About the Cost of Diabetes Management: An Analysis of Online Health Communities. View Abstract
Feasibility and acceptability of the "Day 100 Talk": An interdisciplinary communication intervention during the first six months of childhood cancer treatment. View Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus peptides derived from latent cycle proteins alter NKG2A?+?NK cell effector function. View Abstract
Pediatric Palliative Care in Oncology. View Abstract
Development of the "Day 100 Talk": Addressing existing communication gaps during the early cancer treatment period in childhood cancer. View Abstract
How a Child With Cancer Moved From Vulnerability to Resilience. View Abstract
The Impact of Cancer and its Treatment on the Growth and Development of the Pediatric Patient. View Abstract
Communication preferences of pediatric cancer patients: talking about prognosis and their future life. View Abstract
A social program for adolescent and young adult survivors of pediatric brain tumors: The power of a shared medical experience. View Abstract
What Adult Cancer Care Can Learn From Pediatrics. View Abstract
Screening for fatigue in adolescent and young adult pediatric brain tumor survivors: accuracy of a single-item screening measure. View Abstract
Communication Skills Training in Pediatric Oncology: Moving Beyond Role Modeling. View Abstract
Health and well-being in adolescent survivors of early childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. View Abstract
Assessment of family psychosocial functioning in survivors of pediatric cancer using the PAT2.0. View Abstract
Do adolescent offspring of women with PTSD experience higher levels of chronic and episodic stress? View Abstract
Sleep in children with cancer: case review of 70 children evaluated in a comprehensive pediatric sleep center. View Abstract
The impact of maternal childhood abuse on maternal and infant HPA axis function in the postpartum period. View Abstract
Impact of antenatal and postpartum maternal mental illness: how are the children? View Abstract
Longitudinal assessment of cognitive performance in Holocaust survivors with and without PTSD. View Abstract
Clinical correlates of DHEA associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. View Abstract
The relationship between hippocampal volume and declarative memory in a population of combat veterans with and without PTSD. View Abstract
The effect of maternal PTSD following in utero trauma exposure on behavior and temperament in the 9-month-old infant. View Abstract
Are adult offspring reliable informants about parental PTSD? A validation study. View Abstract
Plasma neuropeptide Y concentrations in combat exposed veterans: relationship to trauma exposure, recovery from PTSD, and coping. View Abstract
Transgenerational effects of posttraumatic stress disorder in babies of mothers exposed to the World Trade Center attacks during pregnancy. View Abstract
Locations