Research

The research behind the work.

Alongside my clinical training, I've been involved in research. What I've studied — how the therapeutic relationship heals, and how people cultivate well-being — shapes how I practice.

Research interests

Two threads that run through my work.

The therapeutic alliance

How the relationship between therapist and client forms, frays, and is repaired — and why it's so central to change. My work with the Brief Psychotherapy Research Program at Mount Sinai focused on alliance-focused training. I continue to co-lead alliance-focused training groups.

Positive affect & happiness

How people cultivate positive emotion and orientations toward happiness. My doctoral research examined ways of inducing positive affect and orientations to happiness.

Publications & presentations

Published and presented work.

Publication Inducing positive affect and orientations to happiness: Is matching better? Mageras, K., McGinn, L., & Quigley, L. (2026). Journal of Happiness and Health, 6, 74–83. https://doi.org/10.47602/johah.v6i2.145
Conference Presentation A mixed methods analysis of critical supervision sessions in alliance-focused training (AFT) Mageras, K., Urmanche, A., Yim, B., Eubanks, C. F., & Muran, J. C. (2024). Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) Annual Meeting, Ottawa, Canada.
Research experience

Where the work happened.

Program Coordinator

2023–2024
Brief Psychotherapy Research Program · Mount Sinai Behavioral Health Center

Advanced alliance-focused research initiatives, recruited and screened participants, managed IRB review, and co-supervised alliance-focused training group supervision. Supervisors: Catherine Eubanks, Ph.D. & J. Christopher Muran, Ph.D.

Research Assistant

2018-2023
ADAPT Lab · Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology

Studied depression and anxiety vulnerability, prevention, and treatment. Defended a dissertation on the efficacy of a novel personalized film mood-induction procedure to induce happiness, and contributed to an adolescent adaptation of a CBT depression-prevention manual. Supervisor: Lata McGinn, Ph.D.

Curious how this shapes the therapy?

My research and my clinical work inform each other in every session. If you'd like to work together, I'd be glad to hear from you.

Get in touch