My mother loved stories – long or short, hers or yours, finished or half-baked. For as long as I can recall, her stories were an adventure of sorts. You never quite knew where they were going to slide off some unseen edge. She might arrive mid-story and forget the end, something about the middle, orContinue reading “Imperfect Stories, Right on Time”
Author Archives: Anne P. DePrince, PhD
On the Shortest Day of the Year
The shortest day of the year brings a mix of reflection and anticipation, including on our research team. With gratitude to our partners and collaborators, we look forward to a new year, energized by working together to build a better world — one without intimate violence. #every90seconds *** For more on working together to endContinue reading “On the Shortest Day of the Year”
The Gift of Time
As the daylight continues to wane and the final month of the calendar year comes into view, I’m feeling grateful for the gift of time and connection. Today’s gift came in the form of a chilly morning walk with a few TSS Group members at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Wishing you the gift of timeContinue reading “The Gift of Time”
Welcoming New TSS Group Members
This fall, the TSS Group continues our tradition of welcoming new graduate student team members! We invite you to get to know Amber Fredrick and Leah Waltrip through the following brief Q&A. Q: Welcome to the TSS Group, Amber! Tell us about yourself, please! Hi all, I’m Amber Fredrick, and I use she/her pronouns. I’mContinue reading “Welcoming New TSS Group Members”
Why Acceptance is Necessary for Change
Practice radical acceptance. This advice shows up in memes, self-help columns, and the pages of books on mindfulness. It’s good advice, in line with an ever-growing literature that documents the benefits of mindfulness– and acceptance-based therapies. At first pass, though, calls to acceptance can be misunderstood. I’ve found, for example, that the advice can sometimes be heard as asking people to resignContinue reading “Why Acceptance is Necessary for Change”
Trauma, Violence, and Reproductive Rights: A Special Issue
In June 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade. As a trauma researcher who studies intimate abuse, the implications echoed loudly. I recall thinking (and blogging about for Psychology Today) at the time that researchers have a term for forcing people to stay pregnant: reproductive coercion. In recent years, research on reproductiveContinue reading “Trauma, Violence, and Reproductive Rights: A Special Issue”
PTSD Awareness
June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day. In a world where traumas are all too common — from natural disasters to combat and mass shootings as well as sexual assault and intimate partner violence — here are a few things to know about PTSD. What Is PTSD? PTSD is short for posttraumatic stress disorder, a diagnosis that appears in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical ManualContinue reading “PTSD Awareness”
Is There an Antidote to Alienation after Trauma?
A sexual assault survivor mentions feeling disconnected from people with whom she once felt close. Another explains that he feels like a stranger to himself. In interview after interview with my research team, survivors of interpersonal trauma have shared descriptions such as these. Some survived child abuse or adolescent dating violence; others, intimate partner abuse or sexual assault. Regardless of the type ofContinue reading “Is There an Antidote to Alienation after Trauma?”
Postcards from the Road with Every 90 Seconds
The TSA Agent grabbed my carry-on off of the conveyor belt. “We have to search your bag. You have a library of books in there,” he explained over the din of the security checkpoint. Is there some sort of book limit, I absently wondered to myself? The agent, unpacking my bag, proceeded to pull outContinue reading “Postcards from the Road with Every 90 Seconds”
Countering Myths about Sexual Assault
Myths about sexual assault remain common, including in courtrooms. This was certainly true during the recent civil trial in the case filed by E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump. To counter those myths, I took to the pages of The Conversation in a piece published this past month. In case you missed it (ICYMI), checkContinue reading “Countering Myths about Sexual Assault”
Trauma Research Notes 