Research & Initiatives

To date, the overarching theme of my research has been studying efficacious methods in treating co-occurring disorders (ex: anxiety and substance use disorders) and variables that may contribute to success in treatment. This current line of inquiry expands that research for an increased understanding of co-occurring diagnoses among individuals impacted by interpersonal violence (e.g., sexual trauma, domestic violence, and other problematic sexual behaviors) and addictive disorders. Additionally, I have been invested in incorporating multicultural awareness and competence into my research throughout my career. For example, my dissertation studied the impact of ethnic identity development and self-esteem on adolescent health-related decision- making (Frye, 2003). As a developing culturally competent professional, a great deal of effort has been immersed in various cultural endeavors. Immersion, self-reflection, and education assist in the goal of developing increased self-awareness, biases, and cultural competence and informs my research endeavors. A couple of examples of demonstrating this:

I am a Substance Abuse Foundation (SAF) consultant in Barbados, West Indies. I translated Western evidence-based methods using an indigenization framework with the counselors, directors, and board members involved in opening the women's unit.
I completed one of my master's theses in London, studying the perceptions and efficacy of adolescent programs in a collaborative effort with the University of Lancaster. My research bridges a long-term passionfor multicultural competence, translating evidence- based processes to culturally appropriate and effective methods for justice-involved clients.

My research focus is on increasing understanding of variables associated with interpersonal violence, anxiety, and addictive disorders, the ways they often co-occur, and the barriers to treatment success that often exists.

My program of research is premised on three overarching goals:

Increased understanding of symptom presentation of co-occurring problematic sexual behaviors and addiction, neurobiological indicators among underrepresented populations, and implications for treatment.

Multicultural competence in treatment methods and clinical processes working with justice-involved clients.

Improved methodologies for the development of psychology students and early career professionals in multicultural and social justice advocate competencies.