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Tamara J. Somers

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences
Box 102506, Durham, NC 27710
2400 Pratt Street, North Pavil, 7 Floor, Room 7046, Durham, NC 27705

Overview


Tamara J. Somers, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist and Faculty Member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Somers conducts research developing, testing, and implementing behavioral interventions for pain and other symptoms in patients with chronic disease (e.g., cancer, arthritis). She is particularly interested in developing behavioral interventions that are personalized to the needs of individual patients and using innovative delivery methods to deliver the interventions. Grant awards from the NIH, American Cancer Society, and other funding agencies support her research. Dr. Somers also co-directs a clinical psychology training program at the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) that trains graduate students, clinical psychology interns, and post-doctoral fellows in psychosocial and behavioral symptom management interventions. 

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2024 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2013 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

Recent News Items


Published February 12, 2021
This Nurse Treated Cancer Patients for Years. Then Her Husband Became One.

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Recent Scholarly Works


Hybrid-delivered cognitive behavioral symptom management and activity coaching intervention for patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

Journal article Contemp Clin Trials · July 2026 BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy experience significant disability exacerbated by persistent fatigue, pain, and psychological distress. These symptoms limit physic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perceived Feasibility of Nurse-Led Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Cancer Pain.

Journal article Pain Manag Nurs · June 2026 PURPOSE: Experts have called for systematic implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based interventions for cancer pain; however, implementation of CBT for cancer pain has been extremely limited. DESIGN: We explored nurses' perceptions of impl ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characterizing Alcohol Use and Expectancies for Alcohol Analgesia Among Breast Cancer Survivors With Arthralgia.

Journal article Psychooncology · June 2026 BACKGROUND: Expectancies for alcohol analgesia (EAA; beliefs that alcohol use can reduce pain) are linked to heavier drinking in chronic non-cancer pain; however, no studies have examined EAA in those with cancer-related pain. AIMS: These secondary analyse ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Education


University of Pittsburgh · 2007 Ph.D.