Probing Society's Role in Trauma Recovery

Internationally recognized speaker Thema Bryant-Davis will explore the many influences affecting recovery from traumatic experiences in “The Cultural Context of Trauma Recovery” Friday, April 13, at 3:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Hieronymus Lounge. Refreshments will be served prior to the free lecture.The talk will examine traumatic experiences including child abuse, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, medical trauma, war, community violence, and school traumas. Dr. Bryant-Davis will discuss the influence of multiple identities on the trauma recovery process, including race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, and disability.

Dr. Bryant-Davis, assistant professor of educational psychology, administration, and counseling at California State University, Long Beach, is the author of “Thriving in the Wake of Trauma: A Multicultural Guide” which has been called “the single most powerful book on trauma in recent history.”

She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Duke University and completed her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center. She served for three years as an American Psychological Association representative to the United Nations and is the former senior staff psychologist and coordinator of Princeton University’s sexual violence intervention/prevention program.

“I heard Dr. Bryant-Davis speak at a conference and was so impressed by her unique presentation style of prose and song and the academic vigor of her lecture that I knew I wanted to have her speak at Westmont,” says Elena Yee, director of intercultural programs.

Westmont’s psychology department and office of intercultural programs are cosponsoring the lecture.