Romantic relationship health plays a major role in our physical health and mental health.
When you consider that, it is concerning to think that marriages are more likely to end in separation in low-income neighborhoods than wealthy communities, that most research is conducted in white/middle-class homes, and we have only just recently begun developing frameworks to understand non-normative relationships structures (e.g., nonmanogamy; friends-with-benefits).
My work attempts to address these concerns by:
Want to know more?
When you consider that, it is concerning to think that marriages are more likely to end in separation in low-income neighborhoods than wealthy communities, that most research is conducted in white/middle-class homes, and we have only just recently begun developing frameworks to understand non-normative relationships structures (e.g., nonmanogamy; friends-with-benefits).
My work attempts to address these concerns by:
- Expanding models of relationships to include underrepresented groups (e.g., low-income families; Veteran couples)
- Studying accessible interventions in venues that can be reached by everyone (e.g., online; in VA primary care)
- Developing tools for researchers so we can all do a bit better
Want to know more?
- Read my Curriculum Vitae for a comprehensive overview of my career
- Go to the References to see the work that guides my thinking
My Three Main Areas of Research
Our field has labelled certain "risk factors," behaviors and characteristics that generally lead to bad outcomes. But this work carries the biases of the predominantly upper-middle class, heteronormative researchers studying samples that look like them.
My work asks: Can working with underrepresented groups help us re-examine our biases? Example Studies:
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Brief Interventions to Improve RelationshipsNo matter how well we understand relationships, we can only help the families we reach. Some families have a hard time accessing couple therapy due to practical barriers (e.g., child care, cost) or motivational barriers (e.g., stigma).
For this reason, my work focuses on accessible programs that can help reach couples where they are. Example Programs:
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Novel Methods of Assessing RelationshipsPsychology researchers are great at asking about behaviors: "How much do you yell at your partner?" "How many drinks do you have in a typical week?" But many times, our goal is to understand feelings and patterns behind those behaviors.
I develop tools that assess these deep experiences with the precision researchers need to gain new insights. Example Measures:
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