Jackson Smith

Graduate Student
headshot of Jackson Smith

B.A. Hons. (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2014)

M.A. (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2016)

M.A. (University of Waterloo, 2021)

Ph.D. (University of Waterloo, 2025 – Expected)

Email: jackson.smith@uwaterloo.ca

Jackson Smith is a PhD Candidate in Clinical Psychology and graduate student researcher in the FamilyPsycle® Lab at the University of Waterloo. Jackson holds Masters degrees in Clinical Psychology (University of Waterloo, 2021) and Community Psychology (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2016). Under the guidance of Dr. Dillon Browne (Canada Research Chair in Child and Family Clinical Psychology), Jackson is examining the psychological and relational consequences of (childhood) trauma and adversity, family processes in contexts of stress, and multisystemic resilience for his doctoral research. He is particularly interested in applying a complex systems framework to understand psychological and relational processes through advanced statistical modeling techniques, such as (dynamic) network analysis, multilevel modeling, and structural equation modeling. Jackson’s research also involves investigating the structure of psychopathology among children and adolescents who have experienced complex developmental trauma as well as evaluating caregiver-focused and whole family therapeutic interventions that promote healing and resilience in individuals and families in community and child welfare settings.

Jackson holds master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology (University of Waterloo, 2021) and Community Psychology (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2016). He is currently completing his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Waterloo under Dr. Browne’s supervision.

Since 2012, Jackson has worked to support health and mental health programs in various capacities, including designing and leading implementation and impact evaluations, community needs assessments, strategic planning and visioning workshops, and organizational- and system-level service mapping processes. Additionally, a substantial focus of Jackson’s academic and community-based research has been on intercultural collaboration and partnership building as well as human rights compliance assessments in North America and in Ghana. In this time, he has worked with diverse populations, including children and youth, young adults, adults, rural and urban Indigenous communities, people with lived experience of poverty and homelessness, and people with lived experience with severe mental illness and addiction. Jackson continues to work as an independent mental health and addiction research consultant for organizations across Canada.

Jackson aspires to use the Clinical Psychology training at the University of Waterloo and in the Whole Family Lab to pursue a joint career in academia and as a practicing clinical psychologist in both therapeutic and community consulting settings.

Selected Journal Articles

  • Wasif, F., Smith, J. A., Browne, D. T. (2025). Youth’s sense of belonging and associated risk and promotive factors: An ecological systems network analysis. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591045251380305

  • Smith, J. A., Dorfman, A., Wegenschimmel, N., & Grossmann, I. (2025). Wisdom reconsidered: A dynamic network account of metacognition and complex thought. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001821  

  • Grossmann, I., Smith, J. A., Wegenschimmel, N., Diep, P., & Dorfman, A. (2025). Wisdom in time: Reconciling static measurement with dynamic theories of intellectual humility, open-mindedness, and perspective-taking. European Review of Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2025.2500897  

  • Sloss, I., Smith, J. A., Colucci, L., Foroughe, M., & Browne, D. T. (2025). Trajectories of child & caregiver positive coping following a brief emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT) intervention. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.70029  

  • Smith, J. A., Zhang, J., Urusov, A., Colucci, L., Sloss, I., Eckert, L., Price-Cameron, M., & Browne, D. T. (2024). Exploring networks of complex developmental trauma symptomatology among children and adolescents involved in child welfare. JCPP Advances, 4(2), e12224. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12224  

  • Sloss, I. M., Smith, J., Sebben, S., Wade, M., Prime, H., & Browne, D. T. (2024). Family functioning in the context of current and historical stressors: Exploring the buffering role of social support. Child Abuse & Neglect, 106711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106711  

  • Smith, J. A., Bandealy, A., & Browne, D. T. (2023). A case study of virtually delivered emotion- focused family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12648  

  • Smith, J. A., Durham, D., Price-Cameron, M., Sloss, I., & Browne, D. T. (2023). The longitudinal interplay between insecure attachment behaviors and psychosocial strengths among children in child welfare services. Development and Psychopathology, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579422001419  

  • Zhang, J., Smith, J. A., & Browne, D. T. (2023). Children’s activities, parental concerns, and child care service utilization in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1047234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1047234  

  • Colucci, L., Smith, J. A., & Browne, D. T. (2023). Parenting and pandemic pressures: Examining nuances in parent, child, and family well-being concerns during COVID-19 in a Canadian sample. Frontiers in Epidemiology, 3, 1073811. https://doi.org/10.3389/fepid.2023.1073811  

  • Smith, J. A., Durham, D., Beatty, E., Price-Cameron, M., & Browne, D. T. (2022). Trajectories of psychosocial functioning and attachment behaviors among children adopted in the Ontario child welfare system. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 16(3), 321-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2021.1881690

Books and Book Chapters

  • Basabose, J. D., Smith, J. A., & Browne, D. T. (In press). Addressing ethical issues when working with refugees: Opportunities and challenges of a whole family approach. In M. Ali (Ed.), Ethical Issues in Research with Refugee Children and Youth. UBC Press.
  • Smith, J. A., Puckett, C., & Simon, W. (2016). Indigenous allyship: An overview. Waterloo and Brantford, ON: Office of Aboriginal Initiatives, Wilfrid Laurier University.

Theses

  • Smith, J. A. (2021).Measurement and Factor Structure of Developmental Trauma Disorder Symptomsin Children Involved in Child Welfare. Master’s Thesis. University of Waterloo. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/17191
  • Smith, J. A. (2016). Holding Canada Accountable: An Evaluation of Canada's Compliance to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Master’s Thesis. Wilfrid Laurier University.https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/1875/

Selected Op-Eds

  • Colucci, L., Smith, J. A., & Browne, D. T. (March 17, 2020). Prioritizing one another during COVID-19: Proactive Family Strategies for the COVID-19 Emergency. Psychology Today.
  • Smith, J. A., & Browne, D. T. (July 17, 2019). Is your child addicted to screens? Here’s what you can do about it. The Conversation (online). Vancouver Sun (Print).
  • Smith, J. A., & Browne, D. T. (April 11, 2019). Do You Need a Doctorate to Be a Clinical Psychologist? Psychology Today.