LEAF Lab in Action

Congratulations to Meghan Goyer for a successful defense of her dissertation – June 2023!

Followed by a LEAF Lab celebration…

European Congress on Positive Psychology – July 2022

Reykjavik, Iceland

Check out Meghan Goyer’s thesis work, now published in Mindfulness! Congratulations, Meghan!

Congratulations to Meghan Goyer and Sarah Moran for serving as panelists at ABCT in November, 2021

Student activism is almost as old as the university, itself, and has changed the course of social, political, environmental, educational, and economic history. Despite APA’s unfortunate history of prioritizing neutrality over social justice (Payton, 1984), student trainees in psychology have worked in and outside the institution via identity-based activism, advocating for decolonized classrooms and against racial injustice. Likewise, student members of ABCT in training programs across the country have been harnessing evidence-based training in research and practice to partner with communities for social change.

This panel highlights the work of 6 trainee psychologist-activists, the partnerships they have brokered and the initiatives led across contexts. Panelists will: 1) discuss principles of community psychology woven into clinical training that forge partnerships, 2) provide evidence-based strategies for engaging in social justice work, 3) share successes and challenges of leading initiatives with community partners, 4) consider the overlap of personal, political and psychological landscapes, and 4) discuss next steps in trainee activism. Nada Goodrum describes partnering with a church community to provide psychoeducation, connect church members with evidence-based mental health services, and provide assistance for counseling-related expenses. Meghan Goyer discusses partnering with urban neighborhood units to reduce stigma around mental health in African American communities. April Highlander shares her work collaborating with faculty and administration to diversify psychology and increase representation. Sarah Moran reviews her approach to assessing school-based social/emotional outcomes for children experiencing homelessness via comprehensive research review, stakeholder interviews, and logic models. Jacqueline Moses describes her work supporting youth workforce to infuse mental health tools into everyday routines in juvenile detention facilities and afterschool programs. Ifrah Sheikh discusses her research efforts and involvement with the Muslim Mental Health Initiative of Atlanta, a community organization that uses dialogue, education, research, and training to increase access to mental health care.

New Orleans, SPSP Conference, March 2020

Fall Welcome Dinner 2019

Celebrating a New Member of the Lab (June 2018)

Congratulations, Dr. Alyssa Faro (May 2017)

Character Lab Research Convening 2017