Trauma Studies

This course is an introduction to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It will cover critical thinking and the scientific method, biopsychology, sensation and perception, consciousness and thinking, lifespan development, learning and memory, emotion and stress, psychological disorders and therapy, personality, and social psychology.

This course is an introduction to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It will cover critical thinking and the scientific method, biopsychology, sensation and perception, consciousness and thinking, lifespan development, learning and memory, emotion and stress, psychological disorders and therapy, personality, and social psychology.

Orientation for Trauma Studies is required for all students enrolled in Introduction to Trauma Studies. This course orients and prepares students to study psychological trauma. Students will learn the definition of trauma, the different types of trauma, and the impact trauma has on individuals, families, and communities. The course will introduce the role of narratives and storytelling in healing trauma. The course will also expose students to methods to mitigate and regulate emotional activation when triggered by trauma, including breath work, meditation, and grounding techniques. Students examine the topics of resilience, posttraumatic growth, and posttraumatic wisdom.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to trauma studies, emphasizing different types and categories of trauma, prevailing theoretical perspectives, and the cause, treatment, and prevention of trauma and stressor-related disorders. Students will examine the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on psychological disorders, including PTSD, addiction, depression, and anxiety, and learn about the biological consequences of traumatic and stressful experiences on the brain, nervous system, and physical body. The course will examine the role of culture and how stress and trauma affect disproportionally impacted groups. It will explore practical ways to respond to trauma and the protective factors that promote resilience, post-traumatic growth, and wisdom.

This course introduces students to a comprehensive understanding of trauma and the fundamental principles of the trauma-informed approach. Students examine how trauma-informed strategies address the needs of individuals with trauma histories within organizational settings. The course assesses ways frontline workers can mitigate re-traumatization risks for clients within organizational contexts. Students will examine the strategies that help reduce burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma among workers. Students will develop trauma-informed approaches customized for specific cultural backgrounds, promoting inclusivity and accessibility. They will construct strategies that address the intersectionality of a person's identity in the context of trauma-informed care.

This class surveys abnormal behaviors, including anxiety disorders, trauma and stressor related disorders, depressive and bipolar related disorders, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders, gender dysphoria and sexual dysfunctions, feeding and eating disorders, sleep disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders and disorders that begin in childhood, neurocognitive disorders and disorders related to aging, personality disorders, ways of determining abnormality, causes and treatment of disorders.

This course is designed to explore how an individual's behavior, thoughts and feelings are influenced by the presence, characteristics and actions of others. A variety of topics will be addressed, including attitudes, persuasion, stereotypes, group processes, conformity and interpersonal attraction.

This course is designed to explore how an individual's behavior, thoughts and feelings are influenced by the presence, characteristics and actions of others. A variety of topics will be addressed, including attitudes, persuasion, stereotypes, group processes, conformity and interpersonal attraction.

This course will focus on the application of psychological principles to everyday life, emphasizing how to cope with life's challenges and demands. It will take a broad approach to understanding how clinicians, scientists, and practitioners study and apply psychology. We will consider many different topics including stress, work, family, friends, the self, disorders, and therapy.