About Me

Growing up in that environment taught me early on that identity is layered and personal. My name, Fenan (ፍናን), translates to "morale" or "pride," a meaning that reflects the values I try to carry with me in both my life and my work.

Clinical Work

In my clinical practice, I see culture as central to care. A person's background influences how they experience illness, healing, and the healthcare system itself. I aim to approach each patient with curiosity, respect, and cultural humility. By listening carefully to their experiences and priorities, I work to provide care that is thoughtful, evidence-based, and responsive to who they are.

My clinical focus is providing evidence-based psychological treatments for patients experiencing chronic pain, adjustment to illness or disability, and co-occurring mental health symptomology in the outpatient interdisciplinary rehabilitation settings.

Research

My research grew out of a simple question: why do some people get good pain care and others don't?

At Johns Hopkins, I lead studies that look at how the systems around patients — referral pathways, treatment delivery, telehealth, measurement tools — shape who gets help and how well it works. I'm working to build pain care that's not just effective, but equitable and reachable for the people who need it most.

My research broadly examines biopsychosocial factors linked to pain, disability, and mental health, with an emphasis on improving access to and use of evidence-based care to improve outcomes among individuals living with pain. My specific expertise is in the role of social and system level factors contributing to chronic pain disparities.

Education & Training

• BS, Psychology — Texas A&M University (2011)
• MS, Clinical Psychology — Texas A&M University (2016)
• PhD, Clinical Psychology — Texas A&M University (2020)
• Predoctoral Internship — Baylor College of Medicine (2020)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship — Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2022)
• Licensed Clinical Psychologist — State of Maryland (#06832)