Skip to main content
    Kent State University logo
    • Apply
    • Visit
    • Give Now
    • FlashLine Login
    • Calendars
    • Phone Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Search
    Department of Psychological Sciences
    Menu Search
    • Faculty & Staff Directory
      Close
      • Faculty & Staff Directory Overview
      • Full-Time Faculty
      • Faculty Research Areas
      • Emeriti
      • Adjuncts
      • Postdocs
      • Staff
    • Undergraduate Programs
      Close
      • Undergraduate Programs Overview
      • Advising
      • Degrees, Concentrations, and Minors
      • Internships and Volunteer Opportunities
      • Research Experience
      • Alumni Outcomes
      • Prepare for the Future
      • Student Organizations
      • FAQ
      • Study Abroad in Florence
      • Mental Health Resources
    • Graduate Programs
      Close
      • Graduate Programs Overview
      • Training Areas
      • Program Application Process
      • FAQ for Prospective Students
      • FAQ for Current Students
      • Multicultural and Diversity Committee
      • Mental Health Resources
    • Resources
      Close
      • Resources Overview
      • Applied Psychology Center
      • Department Resources
      • Research
      • SOLE Center
    • Psychological Clinic
      Close
      • Psychological Clinic Overview
      • Accessing Services
      • Privacy Information
    • FlashLine Login
    • Calendars
    • Phone Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Search
    • Apply
    • Visit
    • Give Now
    Live Chat
    Christopher Flessner

    Christopher Flessner

    Department of Psychological Sciences
    Professor & Director of Clinical Training
    Campus:
    Kent
    Office Location:
    Kent Hall
    Contact Information
    Email:
    cflessne@kent.edu
    Fax:
    330-672-3786

    Biography

    Graduate Areas: 
    • Clinical - Child Clinical

    Does Dr. Flessner plan to recruit a doctoral student for the next incoming class?

    Specialty:

    Child and Adolescent

    Research Interests:

    My lab, the Pediatric Anxiety Research Clinic (PARC), focuses on three primary areas of study. First, we are interested in developing a better understanding of the risk factors (i.e., familial, neurocognitive, etc.) linked to the development and maintenance of anxiety and related problems in kids. We are particularly interested in the development and course of obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCBs; i.e., obsessions, compulsions, worries, repetitive/ritualistic behaviors, etc.) associated with several psychiatric disorders, particularly OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, grooming conditions (i.e., hair pulling, skin picking), and tic disorders. Second, we are interested in using these data to inform the development of better interventions for these children and their families. Finally, my lab has recently expanded its focus to include examining the relationship between pediatric anxiety symptoms and food allergies as well as ways in which behavioral interventions can be used to reduce risk for the occurrence of allergic reactions and increase the quality of life for youths afflicted with food allergies.

    Lab Site: 

    Pediatric Anxiety Research Clinic (PARC)

    Courses Frequently Taught:
    • Quantitative Statistical Analysis I (graduate)
    • Child Psychotherapy
    • Practicum in Diagnostic Interviewing
    • Clinical Practicum Supervision
    Publications:
    • Brennan, E., Luke, A., Murphy, Y.E., Francazio, S., & Flessner, C.A. (in press). Examining the relationship between anxiogenic parenting practices and cognitive flexibility in youth. Behavior Modification: Special Issue on Cognitive and Behavioral Flexibility in Fear and Anxiety Disorders.
    • Murphy, Y.E., Luke, A., Brennan, E., Francazio, S. & Flessner, C.A.(in press). An investigation of executive functioning in pediatric anxiety. Behavior Modification: Special Issue on Cognitive and Behavioral Flexibility in Fear and Anxiety Disorders.
    • Flessner, C.A., Murphy, Y.E., Brennan, E., & D’Auria, A. (2017). The parenting anxious kids rating scale-parent report (PAKRS-PR): Initial scale development and psychometric properties. Submitted to Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 48(4), 651-667.
    • Francazio, S., Flessner, C., Boisseau, T., Sibrava, N., Mancebo, M., Eisen, J., Rasmussen, S. (2016). Parental accommodation predicts symptom severity at long-term follow-up in children with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(8), 2562-2570.
    • Brennan, E. Francazio, S., Gunstad, J., & Flessner, C.A. (2016). Inhibitory control in pediatric trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder): The importance of controlling for age and symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 47(2), 173-182.
    • Flessner, C.A., Brennan, E., Murphy, Y.E., & Francazio, S. (2016). Impaired executive functioning in pediatric trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder). Depression and Anxiety, 33(3), 219-228.
    • Murphy, Y.E. & Flessner, C.A. (2015) Family functioning in pediatric obsessive compulsive and related disorders. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(4), 414-434.
    • Freeman, J., Sapyta, J., Garcia, A., Compton, S., Khanna, M., Flessner, C., Fitzgerald, D., Maurio, C., Dingfelder, R., Benito, K., Curry, J., Foa, E., March, J., Moore, P., & Franklin, M. (2014). Family-based treatment of early childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder: The pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment study for young children (POTS Jr) – A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association: Psychiatry, 71(6), 689-698.
    • Flessner, C. A., Freeman, J. B., Sapyta, J., Garcia, A., Franklin, M. E., March, J., & Foa, E. (2011). Predictors of Accommodation in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 50(7), 716-725.
    • Flessner, C. A., Allgair, A., Garcia, A., Sapyta, J., Freeman, J., Franklin, M. E., Foa, E., & March, J. (2010). The Impact of Neuropsychological Functioning on Treatment Outcome in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 365-371

     

    Education

    Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2008)

    Expertise

    Child
    Etiology
    Anxiety
    OCD
    Hair pulling
    Treatment
    Department of Psychological Sciences

    Street Address

    600 Hilltop Drive Kent, OH 44242


    Mailing Address

    800 E. Summit St.
    Kent, OH 44242

    Contact Us

    Phone: 330-672-2166 | Fax: 330-672-3786 psych@kent.edu
    Contact Us
    • 330-672-3000
    • info@kent.edu

    Facebook
    Twitter
    Instagram
    • facebook
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • linkedin
    • TikTok
    • X
    • snapchat
    • ...
    Information
    • Accessibility
    • Annual Security Reports
    • For Our Alumni
    • For the Media
    • Health Services
    • Jobs & Employment
    • Privacy Statement
    • HEERF CARES/CRRSAA/ARP Act Reporting and Disclosure
    • Website Feedback
    Kent State University logo
    © 2025 Kent State University All rights reserved.