Nicholas Westers, Psy.D.
Associate Professor

Clinical Psychologist, Children's Health

Associate Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Board Certified in Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology (ABPP)

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast host & producer: https://the-psychology-of-self-injury.simplecast.com 

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Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship

     Baylor College of Medicine / Texas Children's Hospital (2010-2012)

Predoctoral Psychology Internship

     University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Medical Center (2009-2010)

Undergraduate

Oral Roberts University (2005), Psychology

Graduate School

Regent University (2008), Clinical Psychology

Graduate School

Regent University (2010), Clinical Psychology

• Adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)
• Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS)

Featured Publications

Media guidelines for the responsible reporting and depicting of non-suicidal self-injury

Westers NJ, Lewis SP, Whitlock J, Schatten HT, Ammerman B, Andover MS, Lloyd-Richardson EE Br J Psychiatry 2021 219 2 415-418

Managing risk and self-harm: Keeping young people safe

Westers NJ, Plener PL Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2020 25 3 610-624

SOARS model: Risk assessment of nonsuicidal self-injury

Westers NJ, Muehlenkamp JJ, Lau M Contemp Pediatr 2016 33 7 25-31

Effectiveness of a curriculum for pediatric residents to address adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury

Westers NJ, Needham HE, Walsh JB Acad Psychiatry 2022

Freedom to play, learn, live, and thrive: A youth-serving professional call to action to address firearm violence (in press)

Culyba AJ, Sigel E, Westers NJ, Barondeau J, Trent M, Coyne-Beasley T. J Adolesc Health 2022

Associations between connections to parents and friends and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: The mediating role of developmental assets

Taliaferro LA, Jang ST, Westers NJ, Muehlenkamp JJ, Whitlock JL, McMorris BJ Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2020 25 2 359-371

Position statement of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine: Preventing firearm violence in youth through evidence-informed strategies

Sigel EJ, Culyba A, Westers NJ, Stoddard S, Elliott AS, Brittner M, Efevbera Y, Austin K, Miller E, Coyne-Beasley T J Adolesc Health 2020 66 2 260-264

25 years of suicide research and prevention: How much has changed?

Westers NJ Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2020 25 4 729-733

Not a fad: Nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide attempts

Westers NJ Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2019 24 4 653-657

Double trouble: Nonsuicidal self-injury and its relationship to suicidal ideation and number of past suicide attempts in clinical adolescents.

Mbroh H, Zullo L, Westers NJ, Stone L, King J, Kennard B, Emslie G, Stewart SM J Affect Disord 2018 238 579-585

 Featured Books

1. Media representations of nonsuicidal self-injury. In The handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury

Westers NJ (in press). Oxford University Press

2. Nonsuicidal self-injury risk assessment, intervention, and guidance for first responders and medical settings. In The handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury

Westers NJ, Tinsley B (in press). Oxford University Press

3. Nonsuicidal self-injury in children and adolescents. In Handbook of clinical child psychology: Theory to practice

Westers NJ (in press). Springer Nature

• American Board of Professional Psychology - ABPP (2019)
• International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (2012)
• Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (2011)
• Texas Psychological Association (2011)
• American Psychological Association (2007)