Todd Smitherman

Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training

• Faculty
• Instructor

• Email:

  tasmithe@olemiss.edu

• Office Location:

  310 D Peabody Hall

• Phone:

  662-915-1825

• Website:

  Google Scholar

Dr. Smitherman is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in psychological factors in chronic medical conditions and physical health, particularly Migraine and Psychiatric Comorbidities.

Research Interests

Examines migraine and other headache disorders relationship to psychiatric comorbidities (anxiety, depression, insomnia). Examines avoidance behaviors, behavioral triggers of headache attacks (eg, poor sleep, missed meals, stress), and other psychological constructs (eg, fear of pain, anxiety sensitivity). Recent work explored the efficacy of behavioral insomnia treatment for reducing chronic migraine, differences in physical activity between individuals with and without migraine, and the role of pain acceptance and psychological flexibility in functional impairment.

Biography

Dr. Smitherman is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of Clinical Training for the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Smitherman received his BA from Samford University in 2000, and his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University on 2006. His work focuses on psychological factors in physical health and chronic medical conditions. His area of expertise is in migraine and other headache disorders, investigating 1) psychiatric comorbidities (anxiety, depression, insomnia), 2) behavioral interventions for reducing pain and disability, 3) avoidance behaviors, 4) behavioral triggers of headache attacks (eg, poor sleep, missed meals, stress), and 5) other psychological constructs (eg, fear of pain, acceptance, psychological flexibility, anxiety sensitivity). He also has interests in insomnia, obesity, and physical activity.

Publications

Denney, D. E., Lee, A. A., Landy, S. H., & Smitherman, T. A. (2024). Headache-related disability as a function of migraine aura: A daily diary study. Headache, 64, 931-938.

https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/head.14411

Pizer, J. H., Hernandez, K. A., Aita, S. L., Ikonomou, V. C., Myers, M. A., Hawley, N. A., Brasil, K. M., Campbell, I. A., Pettway, E. C., Owen, T., Borgogna, N. C., Spiegel, J., Smitherman, T. A., & Hill, B. D. (2025). Neuropsychological functioning in pediatric primary headache disorders: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 155:e2024067838. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-067838

  

Best, R. D., Ozmeral, A., Grinberg, A. S., Smitherman, T. A., & Seng, E. K. (2024). The role of pain acceptance in an RCT of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for migraine. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 47, 471-482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-024-00475-5

 

Pizer, J. H., Aita, S. L., Hawley, N. A., Myers, M. A., Ikonomou, V. C., Brasil, K. M., Hernandez, K. A., Pettway, E. C., Owen, T., Borgogna, N. C., Smitherman, T. A., & Hill, B. D. (2024). Neuropsychological function in migraine headaches: An expanded comprehensive multi-domain meta-analysis. Neurology, 102:e208109. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000208109

 

McCracken, H. T., Lee, A. A, & Smitherman, T. A. (2023). Headache and psychological variables as predictors of disability in individuals with primary headache disorder. Headache, 63, 1259-1270. doi:10.1111/head.14633

 

Polk, A. N., & Smitherman, T. A. (2023). A meta-analytic review of acceptance-based interventions for migraine. Headache, 63, 1271-1284. doi:10.1111/head.14614

 

Ong, J. C., Dawson, S. C., Taylor, H. L., Park, M., Burgess, H. J., Crawford, M. R., Rains, J. C., Smitherman, T. A., et al. (2023). A micro-longitudinal study of naps, sleep disturbance, and headache severity in chronic migraine. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 21, 117-128. 

 

Thaxter, L. Y., & Smitherman, T. A. (2022). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on headache-related disability among young adults with migraine. Headache, 62, 1293-1301. doi: 10.1111/head.14411

 

Polk, A. N., Protti, T. A., & Smitherman, T. A. (2020). Allodynia and disability in migraine: The mediating role of stress. Headache, 60, 2281-2290. doi: 10.1111/head.14012

Courses Taught

• PSY 201 Introduction to Psychology
• PSY 309 Learning
• PSY 410 Health Psychology
• PSY 701 Seminar: Assessment and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
• PSY 721 Graduate Seminar in Psychology
• PSY 725 Clinical Practicum
• PSY 741 Ethics and Professional Standards in Clinical Psychology
• PSY 748 Research Design

• Office, Department or Center

  Department of Psychology

• School

  College of Liberal Arts

• Associated Program/s

  Psychology, B.A.

• Campuses

  Oxford