The THRIVE Lab is directed by Brianna Delker, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at Western Washington University. Lab members are undergrad and grad students at WWU, and affiliates of the Center for Cross-Cultural Research.

Our research group focuses on trauma and abuse perpetrated within close relationships. In recent work, we are studying the trauma stories told by survivors and perpetrators, and the different reactions that they get from audiences. With both research and theory-building, we address how and why it can be hard to “story” trauma in the midst of pervasive cultural stigma surrounding interpersonal violence (Delker, 2021).

Our research methods are collaborative, quantitative (online surveys, vignette-based experimental studies), qualitative (story completion methods), and transparent. We are deeply committed to trauma-informed and ethical practices. Grounded in a feminist epistemology, we aspire to center the voices and lived experiences of women and other minoritized people whose experiences have been under-recognized and understudied (Bennett, 2021).

Ultimately, we hope that THRIVE contributes to collective social efforts that affirm the dignity of survivors and support the pursuit of justice and healing.

Copyright © 2023 Brianna C. Delker.