Faculty Research Interests

Although my research interests are broad, most of my research investigates the relationships between psychological factors and adjustment to chronic physical health conditions. These studies have explored relationships among variables such as family functioning, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and adjustment, self-management, rehabilitation, and medical outcomes for individuals experiencing diabetes, cancer, spinal cord injury, and cardiac conditions. I am also interested in the development and application of therapies to help individuals, couples, and families who face chronic health conditions, and in the integration of therapeutic methods toward optimal effectiveness for these problems. I have piloted many interventions utilizing imagery as a medium for exploration and intervention. I have also worked in primary care medical settings, specialty care medical settings, and physical medicine & rehabilitation settings over the years, integrating psychological services into the integrated interdisciplinary medical care.

My clinical and research interests include minority identity development, microaggressions, intersectionality, grief, trauma, couples therapy, human sexuality, community psychology, and more recently, the impact that social media has on both self-image/worth/esteem and the development and maintenance of intra- and interpersonal relationships. I look forward to partnering with students and faculty across disciplines around research that speaks to the lived experiences of Black people within those interest areas.

My research agenda has three major prongs:

1. Best Practices in the Training of Sexologists—This research seeks to identify and investigate evidence-based practice in the training of sexologists and the ways that practice is applied in the field.
2. Intercultural Issues in Sexuality Education & Training—A subset of the above, this research explores how complex understandings of culture inform the delivery of sexuality education across a wide spectrum of audiences, situations, and content.
3.  Identity Intersections in Sexology—This research thread explores the ways in which individual identity markers affect the delivery of sexuality education and sex therapy for both the educator/therapist and the recipient of those services.

• Neurocognitive function in substance use disorders
• Healthcare service utilization in this population

My research centers on psychology and the law. In particular, I am interested in jury decision-making, forensic assessments, and experiences of correctional personnel (primarily mental health professionals). I currently have many ongoing research projects in various stages of development. 

I envision communication as a central process in our relational lives, not just a variable. I use a variety of methods to study communication in personal relationships. The majority of my research has focused on LGBTQ+ relational communication, especially the way that socio-cultural factors and shifts, such as marriage equality, affect these relationships. I am also especially interested in studying family communication, especially for marginalized families.

In my research, I explore the rich, diverse tapestry of human sexuality, recognizing the importance of acknowledging and respecting this diversity. Whether it’s addressing the challenges faced by sexuality professionals, or examining the complex issues surrounding sex, work, and ethics, my research pursuits aim to explore critical aspects of human sexuality in our ever-evolving world.

My main research interests include sexual ethics and diversity, cross-cultural sexuality, and Catholic sexual theology.  I often research justice issues in the field of sexuality, examining issues of consent, sexual behaviors, sexual fantasy, trauma, and sexuality education

My scholarship has been concentrated in the areas of pediatric and school psychology, with a focus on the clinical applications of research and the formulation of practice guidelines for health care and school professionals. Student dissertations under my mentorship have explored child and family adjustment to cancer and other major pediatric medical issues.

Recent publications have included chapters providing guidelines to medical care providers on meeting the psychological needs of children and families with severe illness, guidelines to school teams on meeting the needs of traumatized or maltreated students, and a formulation of the role of gender in cognitive assessment.

I currently have three primary areas of ongoing research for publication and scholarship. These include: (1) sexual minority professional identity and development; (2) social work and human sexuality pedagogies; and (3) social work and human sexuality textbook efficacy.   

As an offshoot from my dissertation, the professional development of sexual minorities in the field of social work continues to interest me greatly. My dissertation raised numerous questions about the role of oppression, social identity, and organizational culture as well as how these factors, among others, influence sexual minorities pursuing graduate level education and beyond. As a result, I continue to explore identity management within the context of applications to therapists and educators.   

In light of my approach to pedagogy as an experiential educator, my respective fields of social work and human sexuality, and the institutional support of experiential learning in Widener University’s Strategic Plan. I am also passionate about studying the art and science of teaching.   
Finally, I have recently co-authored a textbook book on sexuality and social work to be employed within the context of both social work and human sexuality classrooms. Analyzing the efficacy of the text will be a focus for some years ahead.

I identify as an educator, a sexologist, and an interculturalist. As such, my research agenda is focused on combining these professional identities. As an educator, my interest lies in the development of curricula, interventions, and in the evaluation of sexuality education in communities, schools, and professional settings. 

As a sexologist, I am incredibly interested in the implications of sexual diversity on professionals' practice, whether they are working as educators, counselors/therapists, or researchers. As an interculturalist, I am interested in exploring the role that intersecting cultures play in the provision of service to individuals and groups that are culturally different from that of the provider. Each of these interests combines with the others throughout my research agenda. The focus of my scholarship is the measurement of the guided development of dispositions and skills in sexologists that reflect culturally sensitive practice that is responsive to sexological diversity. Sexological diversity is a term that references all aspects of human sexuality and their many iterations and facets, the variety of sexual expression, identities, and the many ways they manifest in individuals, societies, and cultures or subcultures. Historically, scholars have struggled to measure professional training designed to develop sensitivity to this diversity. I am working to define, develop, and understand sexological worldview, a construct that explains people's varied perspectives on human sexuality that is informed by their life experience, socialization, and cultural background. 

In addition, I am moving toward publishing and presenting further on the construct's use in approaches to education and training. Until now, the Intercultural Development Continuum (Hammer et al., 2003) and the related Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) have been used to inform and evaluate training that is done with human service professionals to develop intercultural skills and dispositions. I have developed several learning activities, assignments, and other ways to engage students in the development of a sexological worldview that is interculturally sensitive.

Broadly speaking, I am interested in researching the topics of psychodynamic psychotherapy, culture, and relationships. For the last few years my work has focused primarily on the study of an applied psychology of religion and spirituality. I am interested in the integration of religion and spirituality into psychoanalytic theory, psychotherapy, and professional training. I also enjoy partnering with students to better understand the psychological experiences of marginalized groups, such as gay black men, individuals diagnosed with stigmatizing mental illness, and transgender clients seeking gender confirmation surgery.

My research focuses on sexual health behavior and the social, developmental, contextual, and psychological factors that influence sexual decision-making, particularly in substance-involved contexts. My overarching professional goals are to produce theoretically grounded research that informs understandings of sexual health behavior, thus providing specific targets on which to intervene to improve sexual health outcomes.

To address these research aims, I conduct research wherein I employ a variety of methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs. In the pursuit of these goals, I apply social psychological perspectives to investigate two overarching questions that guide my research agenda: (1) What are the social influences on sexual health behaviors and for whom and how are those factors influential? and (2) What are the psychosocial factors involved in sexual decisions and relationships and what are the mechanisms of action and interaction among these factors?.