Rachel Hughes, PhD, LMFT CMHS is a child and family therapist and an AAMFT-approved supervisor who has worked with individuals, families, and couples in inpatient, outpatient, private practice, and community-based settings. She specializes in medical family therapy and working with kids and teens dealing with transitions and historical traumas. Her research interests center around these specialties and especially social determinants of health and how space interacts with health and mental health. As a supervisor, Rachel loves helping therapists develop a strong theory of change based on their own ideas and beliefs about the world.
Dr. Rachel Hughes earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with graduate certificates in Addiction Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy from Appalachian State University. Pursuing a greater knowledge in the internal systems and societal systems that impact clients, Rachel pursued her PhD in Medical Family Therapy from Saint Louis University. Rachel has a passion for supervising developing clinicians with a systemic lens and is a Washington Approved State Supervisor, as well as an American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Approved Supervisor.
Director of Clinical Training
Couple & Family Therapy
Core Faculty
Couple and Family Therapy
- Advanced Specialization in Medical Family Therapy, University of Colorado – School of Medicine
- PhD in Medical Family Therapy, Saint Louis University
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, Appalachian State University
- BS in Zoology, North Carolina State University
Sampson, J.M., Hughes, R.L., Wallace, L.B. and Finley, M.A. (2021), Integration of teaming therapy and mixed‐reality simulation as remote learning modality for couple and family therapy graduate training programs. J Marital Fam Ther. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12494
Hughes, R., Damin, C., & Heiden-Rootes, K. (2017). Where’s the LGBT in Integrated Care Research? A systematic Review. Families, Systems, and Health.
Van den Berk Clark, C., Doucette, E., Rottnek, F., Aragon, M., Hughes, R., Manard, W., Lawrence, T. & Schneider, D. (2017). Do patient-centered medical homes improve health behaviors, outcomes, and experiences of low income patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Services Research
Meyer, D., Cohn, A., Robinson, B., Muse, F., & Hughes, R. (2017). Persistent Complications of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Sexually Compulsive Behaviors, Attachment, and Emotions. Child Sexual Abuse.
Hughes, R., van den Berk-Clark, C., Haywood, S., Andrews, S., Ranade, A., & Gordon, P. (2017, May). The Use of Mobile Technologies to Reduce Psychiatric Patient Wait Times in the Emergency Room. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Conference. San Diego, CA.
Hughes, R., van den Berk, C., Haywood, S., Andrews, B., Ranade, A., & Gordin, P. (2016, November). An Implementation Study of a Mobile Texting Application for Improving Coordination of Care Between Emergency Health Care and Inpatient Mental Health Care Providers Working with Children. North American Primary Care Research Group National Conference. Colorado Springs, CO.
Hughes, R. & Heiden-Rootes, K. (2016, September). The Neurological Underpinnings of Foster Child Misbehaviors: An Attachment Perspective. Association for Training on Trauma and Attachment in Children Annual Conference. Saint Louis, MO.
Monson, S., Baird, M., Jacobs, B., Reitz, R., & Hughes, R. (2016, October). The Wounded Healer: Sharing Illness Narratives to Improve Collaborative Care. Collaborative Family Healthcare Association National Conference. Charlotte, NC.
Hughes, R. & Aragon, M. (2016, March). The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Integrating Behavioral Health into a Community Clinic. Integrated Healthcare Conference. Chandler, AZ.
2017 Raphael Becvar Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student, May 2017
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy Outstanding Reviewer, August 2016
- Clinical Fellow – American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
- Conference Committee Member – Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist – Washington State
- Child Mental Health Specialist – Washington State
- AAMFT Approved Supervisor