Dr. Erin Merchant

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Biography

Dr. Erin K. Merchant completed her doctorate in Counselor Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Merchant’s primary research interests are attachment and emotion regulation in adoptive families. Prior to her time at UNCG, Dr. Merchant attended the University of Central Florida where she completed her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a certificate in Play Therapy and a certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Merchant has worked a counselor and play therapist in a variety of settings including in-patient residential, private practice, elementary, middle, and high school as well as community-based clinics. She enjoys working with families, adult individuals, teens, and children.  

Publications

  • Merchant, E. K., Borders, L. D., Henson, R. A. (2019). Attachment, Parental Meta-Emotion,and Emotion Regulation in Adoptive Mother–Child Dyads. The Family Journal, 27(4).
  • Trepal, H. C., Wester, K. L., Merchant, E. K. (2015). A cross-sectional matched sample study of non-suicidal self-injury among young adults: Support for interpersonal and intrapersonal factors, with implications for coping strategies. Child and Adolesc

What do you love about working at Columbia College?

I love sharing my passion for psychology and counseling with students! Working with students, getting to know them, partnering with them as they explore where they fit in the world of psychology and/or counseling - these are the parts of my job that I enjoy the most.