Travis Research Institute
The Headington Research Lab
The Headington Research Lab
Office
Psychology Building 273
Fuller Theological Seminary
180 N. Oakland Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Mission
The Headington Program was established by the Headington family of Dallas, Texas. Their generous endowment supports research and consultation directed to the needs of cross-cultural ministry and humanitarian aid workers. Particularly central to the mission of the Headington Program are the topics of traumatic and chronic stress occurring in cross-cultural ministry settings, as well as the resulting challenges to caregiver adjustment.
PROJECT
Inclusion and Diversity in Member Care
Much of the research on missionary care and “Member Care” has focused on the experience of North American or European missionaries moving to settings in the Global East and South. This perspective may limit the resources needed to understand the nuanced experience of mission workers from varying cultural locations. Our next projects will consider diverse voices to explore the impact of cultural identity, humility, historical trauma, justice, and racial trauma on the experiences of secondary trauma and ministry worker well-being. Projects include:
- Literature review on adjustment of those working in activism. How does justice-related work affect activists of different backgrounds? (Jamie Camphouse)
- Staff of an international faith-based ministry organization were assessed for emotional adjustment during COVID-19. Protective factors such as social support and cultural humility will be explored. (Bethany Ferguson)
- Partnering with an immigration advocacy organization to conduct a needs assessment regarding mental health needs and resiliency factors for Latinx Millennials. The project will collaborate with Latinx activists to explore peer support models to encourage resilience and well-being. (Anna Noll and Gianna Kozel)
PROJECT
Trauma Informed Ministry
SAMSHA (2014) introduced the construct of “Trauma-Informed Care” as a way to influence service provision across sectors. Ministry leaders can create trauma-informed ministry by understanding the common reactions to trauma, the need for survivor empowerment, the impact of historical and cultural factors, and the primary need for safety. The lab has worked on projects related to this in a number of areas:
- Literature review of trauma-informed care and qualitative analysis of ministry workers’ report of support of survivors in their ministry settings. (Kacey Krotz)
- Investigations into formations of people’s theodicies. Childhood maltreatment as well as denominational beliefs have a specific impact on how people interpret and understand the role of suffering in the world. (Julie Rommen and Robert Craig)
- Trauma informed ministry in context. Looking at what the literature says about how the Black Church can respond to community violence. (Sarah Hill)
- A resource adaptation for a Los Angeles-based organization that aims to increase peer support and resilience in ministry volunteers exposed to community violence and vicarious trauma. (Hannah Lankheet)
PROJECT
Risk and Resiliency in Ministry Workers
Aid workers, mission workers, and urban ministry workers have chosen to work in environments that include both chronic and potentially traumatic stressors. By the very nature of the work, they are confronted with suffering, but they work to improve the lives of others. These research projects seek to identify the ways that certain personal, organizational, and contextual factors may contribute to better or poorer outcomes. Projects include:
- Longitudinal study examining various factors of organizational stress and resilience across an aid worker’s time of deployment (Melissa Beth Huston).
- Investigation into urban ministry workers’ attitudes and psychological adjustments (Robert Craig).
- An outcome evaluation of a resilience retreat in Spain for missionaries working in various contexts for their own self-care and development. (Morgan Sorenson)
PROJECT
International Trauma
Trauma may be a common experience, but each cultural context has its own unique resources and risks for survivors. Research projects can inform local efforts for resilience and recovery through partnerships with local agencies to provide nuanced understanding of the specific experiences of survivors in the area. Projects include:
- Looking at the specific impact of terrorism on internationally displaced persons as well as the unique expression of cultural trauma and grief in Jos, Nigeria. (Patience Ahmed and Drea Canales)
- Asking the question of “what does wellbeing look like?” within the unique context of working with former child soldiers and ministry leaders in Northern Uganda (Quincee Gideon and Nikki Frederick)
People
Faculty
Cynthia Eriksson
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYD PROGRAM CHAIR
BA, WHEATON COLLEGE
MA, PHD, FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Students
Hannah Lankheet
Hannah is a student in the PsyD program at Fuller. Hannah’s current research interests are related to the traumatic experiences of human trafficking survivors and the spiritual factors that may contribute to resiliency.
Jamie Camphouse
Jamie is in the PsyD program at Fuller. Her current research focuses on the way in which chronic suffering and injustice affect those within the role of activist. Jamie is also interested in research that seeks to continue understanding childhood adverse experiences and how they intersect with faith and resiliency.
Gianna Kozel
Gianna is pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology. She's interested in researching the impact of trauma in various settings and populations. Gianna is particularly attentive to the concepts of vicarious trauma, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress.
Anna Noll
Anna is in the PsyD program at Fuller. She is interested in the effects of vicarious trauma on international aid workers and first responders. Her research interests also involve psychological trauma and adjustment in refugees and at-risk youth.
Robert Craig
Robert is pursuing his PhD in clinical psychology. His research/clinical interests involve trauma, forensics, and social justice issues, specifically related to creating psychologically informed policy decisions.
Bethany Ferguson
Bethany Ferguson is pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology. She is interested in researching trauma, resilience, and mental health stigma within East African settings.
Lauren Van Vranken
Lauren is in the PsyD program at Fuller. Her current research interests involve compassion fatigue, resilience, restorative justice practices, and forgiveness in the aftermath of community trauma and moral injury. Lauren is specifically interested in research/clinical work with incarcerated populations and BIPOC.
Gabby Gwatney
Gabby is a PsyD student at Fuller. Her interests involve working with youth and families that have experienced different forms of trauma whether personally or on systemic scales. She also has an interest in anti-human trafficking work. Her hope is to engage faith-based organizations and churches in how to be trauma-informed on a local and global scale in ministry.
Anne Wangugi
Anne Wangugi is a PhD Clinical Psychology student. She is interested in researching Trauma and the effects of stigma related to Mental Health within an African context and the role of Spirituality.
Samantha Jones
Samantha is in the PsyD program at Fuller. She is interested in researching trauma, resilience and mental health stigma within the military settings.
Kendra Schmidt
Kendra is pursuing her PsyD in clinical psychology. She is still exploring research interests but is currently interested in the effects of trauma on existential issues in older adulthood, particularly the impact on those that are dealing with death or those that are dying themselves. These aspects include vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, responses to grief, and the weight of chronic suffering.
Melissa Beth Huston
CONFERENCE PHOTOS
PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS
RECENT POSTER PRESENTATIONS:
Canales, A. K., Ahmed, P. A., Camphouse, J. M., Noll, A. L., Kozel, G. E., and Eriksson, C. B. (2019, November). Understanding Complicated Grief in the Face of Traumatic Losses Due to Terrorism: A Mixed-Methods Study in an Internally Displaced People’s Camp in Nigeria. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Boston, MA.
Kozel, G. E., Noll, A. L., Enriquez, M. E., and Nolty, A. T. (2019, November). Burnout and Hope Among Mental Health Workers at the National Mental Health Hospital of Guatemala. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Boston, MA.
Krotz, K., Rommen, J.E., Craig, R.A., Lankheet, H.S., & Eriksson, C.B. (2019, November). Trauma-informed ministry: A framework and recommendations. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Boston, MA.
Ahmed, P. M., Canales, A. K., Rommen, J. E., Kozell, G. E., Craig, R. A., & Eriksson, C. (2018, November). Impact of terror on internally displaced persons in Nigeria. Poster presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chicago, IL.
Robb Kondrath, S., Craig, R. A., Rommen, J., Krotz, K., & Eriksson, C. (2018, August). Trauma-informed ministry: Professional quality of life among clergy and VHA chaplains. Poster presented at the 126th Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Craig, R. A., Rommen, J., Krotz, K., Robb Kondrath, S., & Eriksson, C. (2017, November). The impact of childhood trauma and adversity on views of suffering. Poster presented at the 33rd annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chicago, IL.
Eriksson, C. B., Krotz, K. C., Robb Kondrath, S., Rommen, J., & Craig, R. A. (2017, November). Partnerships for care: Creating trauma-informed clergy. Poster presented at the 33rd annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Chicago, IL.
Gideon, Q., Eriksson, C. B., Canales, A., Sorenson, M., Rommen, J. & Krotz, K. (March 2016). Well-being depicted through photos taken by a vulnerable population in contemporary Northern Uganda. Poster presented at the 60th annual meeting of the Christian Association for Psychological Science (CAPS), Pasadena, CA.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Coppinger Pickett, C., Barrett, J. L., Eriksson, C. B., & Kabiri, C. (2017). Social networks among ministry relationships: Relational capacity, burnout, & ministry effectiveness. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45(2), 92-105.
Currier, J. M. & Eriksson, C. B. (2017). Trauma and spirituality: Empirical advances in an under-studied area of community experience. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 4. 231-237.
Eriksson, C. B., Wilkins, A., & Frederick, N. (2017). Trauma, faith, and care for the counselor. In H. D. Gingrich & F. Gingrich (Eds.), Treating Trauma in Christian Counseling. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.
Fort, C., Eriksson, C. B., Wilkins, A., & Gottuso, D. A. (2017). Posture in relation to God and ethnic background: A qualitative analysis of urban youth ministry workers’ responses to crisis. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45(2), 119-132.
Shin, H. J., Mwiti, G., Tomosada, M., & Eriksson, C. B. (2017). Associations between trauma exposure, religious coping, and psychiatric distress in a community sample in Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 4, 250-260.
Wilkins, A., Eriksson, C. B., Gottuso, A., & Fort, C. (2017). Urban ministry workers’ positive experiences of interpersonal and religious support during crisis. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 4, 274-285.
Wilkins, A., Eriksson, C. B., Barrett, J. L., Coppinger Pickett, C. (2017). Early trauma as a predictor of burnout and social network structure in mission workers. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45 (2), 106-118.
Contact Us
t. 626.584.5544
email: tri@fuller.edu
Staff
Jim Cummings, MDiv, MA
Research Administrator
jamescummings2@fuller.edu
Office Hours
Monday–Friday
8 am–5 pm
Address
Room 326
180 N. Oakland Ave
Pasadena, CA 91182