Dr. Karen M. O'Brien
I am a counseling psychologist who strives to make a difference through my work as a scholar, professor, and therapist.
Currently, my research focuses on education regarding communication about death, dying and grieving. With my students, we are studying how to educate future health care providers (e.g., therapists, physicians and nurses) regarding communication about end-of-life issues. In addition to conducting a meta-analysis to identify best practices in education about end-of-life communication, I created and taught a summer course for undergraduates titled, Death, Dying and Grieving: What Future Health Care Professionals Need to Know. My team also is engaged in developing online interventions to educate therapists about grief and grief counseling, and to teach college students about how to respond to grieving peers.
An additional area of research interest is the career/vocational development of women. I study factors associated with successful management of work and family in the United States and internationally. Recently, I completed a study that created a measure of expectations for “good” mothering with colleagues in Korea. We are interested in how societal expectations and internalized gender roles play a role in the choices that women make with regard to family and career.
Finally, I study and teach courses related to intimate partner violence. My research related to this topic focuses on developing interventions to reduce dating violence on college campuses. As a professor, I truly value the University-Community partnership that I created where students go into the community and work with children who experienced domestic violence. Specifically, I teach a two semester course sequence where undergraduates learn, in the first semester, about research and theory related to domestic violence. In the second semester, students run groups for children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence. The students' struggles and greatest learning tend to be related to race, privilege and seeing life’s inequities. This year, we are partnering with the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project; my students are providing play for children living in overflow shelters for families who are homeless, many of whom have experienced domestic violence.
Interestingly, I now believe that of all my contributions to our field, the one that will be most lasting is that of teaching and mentoring doctoral and undergraduate students. My students have gone on to do important work in academia, counseling centers, private practice, and community organizations.
As a therapist, I have been humbled by walking with clients as they struggle to make changes despite profound obstacles. For me, belief in the efficacy of therapy occurs in relationships with clients who develop the strength to improve their lives.
I feel very fortunate to have found work that is meaningful, interesting and hopefully makes a difference in the lives of others.
Currently, my research focuses on education regarding communication about death, dying and grieving. With my students, we are studying how to educate future health care providers (e.g., therapists, physicians and nurses) regarding communication about end-of-life issues. In addition to conducting a meta-analysis to identify best practices in education about end-of-life communication, I created and taught a summer course for undergraduates titled, Death, Dying and Grieving: What Future Health Care Professionals Need to Know. My team also is engaged in developing online interventions to educate therapists about grief and grief counseling, and to teach college students about how to respond to grieving peers.
An additional area of research interest is the career/vocational development of women. I study factors associated with successful management of work and family in the United States and internationally. Recently, I completed a study that created a measure of expectations for “good” mothering with colleagues in Korea. We are interested in how societal expectations and internalized gender roles play a role in the choices that women make with regard to family and career.
Finally, I study and teach courses related to intimate partner violence. My research related to this topic focuses on developing interventions to reduce dating violence on college campuses. As a professor, I truly value the University-Community partnership that I created where students go into the community and work with children who experienced domestic violence. Specifically, I teach a two semester course sequence where undergraduates learn, in the first semester, about research and theory related to domestic violence. In the second semester, students run groups for children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence. The students' struggles and greatest learning tend to be related to race, privilege and seeing life’s inequities. This year, we are partnering with the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project; my students are providing play for children living in overflow shelters for families who are homeless, many of whom have experienced domestic violence.
Interestingly, I now believe that of all my contributions to our field, the one that will be most lasting is that of teaching and mentoring doctoral and undergraduate students. My students have gone on to do important work in academia, counseling centers, private practice, and community organizations.
As a therapist, I have been humbled by walking with clients as they struggle to make changes despite profound obstacles. For me, belief in the efficacy of therapy occurs in relationships with clients who develop the strength to improve their lives.
I feel very fortunate to have found work that is meaningful, interesting and hopefully makes a difference in the lives of others.
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