Dhara Meghani

Dr. Meghani has been a core faculty member in the School of Nursing and Health Professions Clinical Psychology PsyD program since 2014. She served as the PsyD Program Director from 2021 - 2024 and is the current Co-Director of Clinical Training: Practicum Coordinator.

Dr. Meghani is also a licensed psychologist in California. She is the founder of Parentline, a free telehealth service that provides mental health counseling to parents of children from birth to five years of age, which began at USF and has expanded to Colorado and Illinois. Her research examines the impact of flexible, culturally responsive, and evidence-based interventions focused on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in the transition to parenthood. Parentline partners with community agencies, non-profit organizations, and employers to provide consultation, training, parent support groups, and psychoeducational workshops.

• Child, adolescent, and family psychology
• Psychodynamic, brief/strategic, and solutions-focused therapy
• South Asian diaspora acculturation and mental health
• Program development and community partnerships

• Perinatal, infant, and early childhood mental health
• Telehealth interventions, access, and equity
• Graduate student education and professional development

• Co-Director of Clinical Training: Practicum Coordinator (2025 - Present)
• Program Director, Clinical Psychology PsyD Program (2021-2024)
• Co-Chair, University Academic Integrity Committee (2019 - 2021) 
• Member, School of Nursing and Health Professions Peer Review Committee
• Faculty Advisor, Clinical Psychology PsyD Program Peer Mentoring Program 
• Co-Chair, Clinical Psychology PsyD Program Comprehensive Exams Committee (2016 - 2024)

• UCSF/ZSFG Clinical Psychology Training Program, Clinical Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2009-2011
• University of Massachusetts Amherst, PhD in Clinical Psychology, 2010
• University of Massachusetts Amherst, MS in Clinical Psychology, 2007
• UC Berkeley, BA in Psychology (Anthropology minor), 2003

• Board Member, Natural Resources All Families Foundation
• Assistant Professor in Applied Human Development, Erikson Institute
• Staff Clinician, Center for Children and Families, Erikson Institute
• Project Director, Fussy Baby Network MIECHV Training Grant, Erikson Institute

• University of San Francisco Office of the Provost Community-Engaged Learning Award, 2020

• University of San Francisco Office of the Provost Educational Effectiveness Award, 2019

• Constellation Philanthropy Training Grant, Co-PI, 2019

• American Psychological Association Division 37 Early Career Research Grant, 2018

• University of San Francisco Office of the Provost Mentor of the Year, 2018

• Asian American Journal of Psychology Feature Article (First Author), March 2016

• Herman, R. J., Meghani, D. T., Craft, A. L., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (2025). Processes Connecting Work Conditions to New Mothers’ Sensitive Parenting: The Mediating Role of Perceptions of Control. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1–13.
• Meghani, D.T., Vozar, T. Maki, K.*, Clarke, U., & Bartolini, E. (2024). Psychological aspects of perinatal mental health. In A. Wenzel (Ed.), The Routledge International Handbook of Perinatal Mental Health Disorders.
• Marsden, N.A.* & Meghani, D.T. (2023). Self-efficacy in the transition to parenthood: A closer look at general self-efficacy. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 10(4), 8-12. 
• Meghani, D.T. & Ferm, B. R. (2021). Development of a Standardized Patient Evaluation Exam: An Innovative Model for Health Service Psychology Programs. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 15(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000291
• Meghani, D. T., & Harvey, E. A. (2016). Asian Indian international students’ trajectories of Depression, Acculturation, and Enculturation. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 7(1), 1–14.