Behavioral health is essential to overall health and wellbeing. I meet children, teens and families where they are, with the goal of empowering them to achieve their goals.
About Meghan J. Kanya, PhD
Meghan J. Kanya, PhD, is a psychologist at Phoenix Children's who offers expert, compassionate care for children and teens experiencing a wide range of mental and behavioral health challenges. She specializes in treating anxiety, depression and trauma-related disorders and works with patients to address parent-child relationship concerns.
Dr. Kanya earned her doctoral and master's degrees in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. She did a pediatric psychology post-doctoral fellowship at Children's Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri. There, she helped establish a short-term multidisciplinary clinic for youth with mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Dr. Kanya is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Arizona Psychological Association and the Society for Pediatric Psychology.
Dr. Kanya is passionate about sharing her expertise with others. She has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and poster presentations on youth mental health, parent-child dynamics and trauma. She engages in both professional talks and community presentations where she shares tools for parents whose pre-teens and teens deal with anxiety and depression.
Outside of work, Dr. Kanya enjoys spending time outdoors and exploring creative arts. She loves getting to know her new Phoenix community with her partner and pets.
Medical School / Education
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Internship
Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS
Fellowship
(Pediatric Psychology) Children's Mercy, Kansas City, MO
Psychology, Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners
Professional Affiliations
Member, American Psychological Association
Member, Arizona Psychological Association
Member, Society for Pediatric Psychology
Kanya MJ, Davis P, Robertson G. "Constantly Connected: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know About Vicarious Trauma in an Evolving Digitally Connected Global Community" Mo Med. 2025 Jul-Aug;122(4):304-309. PMID: 40787018
Scafe M, Kanya MJ, Chettiar R. "Anxiety and Depression in Today's Youth: A Current Look into Assessment and Treatment" Mo Med. 2025 Jul-Aug;122(4):283-290. PMID: 40787016
Petrenko A, Kanya MJ, Rosinski L, McKay E, Bridgett DJ. "Effects of Infant Negative Affect and Contextual Factors on Infant Regulatory Capacity" Inf Child Dev. 2019;28;e2157. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2157
Lelakowska G, Kanya MJ, et al. "Toddlers' Impulsivity, Inhibitory Control, and Maternal Eating-related Supervision in Relation to Toddler Body Mass Index: Direct and Interactive Effects" Appetite. 2019 Nov 1:142:104343. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104343. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PMID: 31276711
Bridgett DJ, Kanya MJ, et al. "Maternal Executive Functioning as a Mechanism in the Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting: Preliminary Evidence" J Fam Psychol. 2017 Feb;31(1):19-29. doi: 10.1037/fam0000264. Epub 2016 Dec 8. PMID: 27929313
