Birth Trauma

“Birth Trauma” is an interdisciplinary umbrella term used to describe birthing experiences that leave the birth person, their partner, the infant, and/or a service provider with lasting, complex, negative psychological outcomes. The traumatic birth experience may present as a complicated medical emergency, as extreme dismissal and invalidation, and/or as any incompassionate experience along the spectrum. Our work in this space is designed to educate providers and policymakers in an effort to move the industry toward humanistic protocols that take a decolonized approach to patient care.

 

Sexual Trauma

“Sexual Trauma” is a broad term often used to describe sexual violations of all types that may occur to minors (childhood sexual trauma) and adults (adult sexual trauma). Sexual trauma survivors often carry a great deal of shame and/or guilt related to these unfortunate experiences; and said shame/guilt can frequently serve as barriers to disclosure, preventing survivors from seeking help. Our lab is focused on the lived experiences of male survivors, as they tend to be overlooked by many researchers. Additionally, our work gives particular attention to the impact on African American and Latinx survivors as well as barriers to disclosure within both communities.  

 

Nutrition & Mental Health

There is a vast body of literature that identifies the connection between nutrition and mental health. There are foods that have been shown to improve brain and cognitive functioning, foods that decrease depressive symptoms, as well as foods that decrease anxious symptoms. The work that our lab is doing in this area is meant to support current research as well as provide education and tangible tools for disparate service providers. This includes mental health clinicians, teachers, social workers, and medical practitioners. It is near impossible to facilitate comprehensive and meaningful dialogues around mental health without acknowledging the impact of nutrition.