This is not a typical research lab. I was not trained in a typical lab.
A Little Bit of Background
When I began my doctoral training at the University of Mississippi in 2006, I wanted to be a clinician and make a difference. I did not even consider career options that involved conducting research and/or public speaking because I was afraid of and made assumptions about both. I made assumptions about what I was capable and not capable of and what I would and would not like to do. I let my assumptions drive my actions rather than allowing myself to be shaped by experience.
Because I wasn’t pursuing a research career, I didn’t really care what I researched. I started off in a tobacco cessation lab and wasn’t particularly passionate about it. I just wanted to check off my thesis box and then move on and check off my dissertation box. To me, graduate school involved successfully completing a list of requirements so I could graduate and start a career. I was very close to completing graduate school without knowing how incredibly meaningful the experience could be or that I was capable of far more than I thought.
A couple weeks before starting my third year of graduate school, I went to an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop in Memphis led by Dr. Kelly Wilson (one of ACT’s co-developers). I had no exposure to ACT before then. I couldn’t have imagined what followed in my wildest dreams. Attending the workshop started a set of experiences that altered my way of living, which changed my life in the most incredible ways, both professionally and personally.
What happened at this workshop? I got exposed to a world of psychology that I did not know existed and a different perspective on human functioning and “abnormal” psychology. It was a psychology that focused on living well each day, despite unwanted thoughts and feelings, as a path to liberation. I wanted to get involved in THAT! Not only did I want to learn more about the theory and practice of ACT, I wanted to be involved in this “science of human liberation”, as Kelly would say. I changed advisors and became Kelly’s student within a couple of weeks following the workshop.
And then came another surprise. It wasn’t just the science that mattered in this lab; it was the community and how they did science. This research community was unlike any I had never seen before. The members of this lab, graduate and undergraduate, actively supported each other. This lab produced science AND fostered the growth of its members intentionally. I will forever be grateful for Kelly and the members of this lab for helping me grow as a person, scientist, and teacher. Being a part of this lab has been one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had.
I use Kelly’s research community as a model for ones I build here at MSU Denver. As with all communities, we teach and learn from each other. We all bring something to the table. This community is a work in progress. Together, we are building something special, a place where whole persons are nurtured and meaningful work is done. I look forward to witnessing our MSU Denver lab community’s evolution and growth.
What We Research
This lab researches topics and processes that seem related to living a rich and meaningful life. In particular, we investigate aspects of the ACT model, such as acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based living. ACT is a unified model, meaning, it applies with precision, scope, and depth to a wide range of psychological difficulties as well as issues related to human functioning and adaptability. ACT has been researched in a variety of clinical (e.g., depression, psychosis, anxiety, and substance abuse) and nonclinical populations (e.g., burnout, chronic pain, tinnitus, epilepsy, and parents of children with autism).
The model is an approach designed to increase psychological flexibility – a way of living characterized by openness, awareness, and engagement (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2011). Psychological flexibility involves a willingness to have all aspects of one’s experience, including unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, in the service of engaging in one’s values.
ACT is grounded in behavior analysis and Relational Frame Theory (contemporary behavioral model of language and cognition). The model encourages the cultivation of 6 core processes to promote psychological flexibility: acceptance, defusion, present-moment awareness, self-processes, values-based living, and committed action (see contextualscience.org for more info and ACT-related publications).
The Lab Community
This isn’t just a lab; it is a community. In addition to research, we mindfully pursue the professional development of each member to prepare him/her for his/her role in bettering the human condition, whatever that may look like. We define professional development in the broadest sense. For example, this may involve helping some members to speak up in class despite being anxious or helping others prepare for the GRE even though they are scared they cannot score high enough. For other members, it might look like improving writing and data-analysis skills or helping someone find a way to be a student and a mother without it seeming like she is sacrificing one for the other.
We are committed to helping each other live rich and meaningful lives today, not later. This moment right now is the only moment we have. Many of us seem to sacrifice one value for another at times (e.g., I will start exploring dating when I finish graduate school, I will go back to church when I pass my licensing exam, I will start eating well and exercising when things slow down). Sound familiar? The processes that we research can be applied to all human beings, including the members of this community. As a lab, we actively practice cultivating these processes in ourselves and help other members to do the same. The better we live, the better we are able to help others.
In some ways, this community is like an extended family. We celebrate accomplishments, births, marriages, and departures. We share joys and sorrows. And if a member of our community is struggling and reaches out, we are there.
I respect members’ names, pronouns, and cultures and expect respectful communication in this community. We will not only be using academically supported anti-racist principles while engaging in science, learning, and leading (Chaudhary & Berthe, 2020), but I also expect members to be aware of their biases, learn from others with different lives and opinions, and to show kindness to everyone. If you encounter barriers during the semester, please contact me.
Being a Member of This Lab Community
Do research you care about. Kelly forbade us from doing “stupid research”. He encouraged us to do research that we found personally meaningful. Why? Research is difficult enough. Early in my graduate career, I made the mistake of doing research that I did not care about. Believe me, it makes a huge difference. If you care about the topic, you can find heart for it even when it gets hard. And if you are scared of research or uncertain about it, give it a shot and see what happens. Be open to experience.
Take responsibility. In order for this lab to function and move forward, each member has to take responsibility. Everyone is expected to come to every lab meeting, not just when it is convenient or when you feel like it. Lab members will be presenting ideas/projects/professional development struggles and need an audience, feedback, and support. By being present and talking out loud, you are helping other members of the lab. If you say you are going to be somewhere or do something, keep your word. This is especially important if we are running subjects. And if you can help out, please help out. Maybe that means making photocopies, running subjects, or taking a document to the IRB. Help out your fellows.
Mentor. When this lab grows, it will have a vertical structure. This allows people to be mentored and to learn mentoring. There will be some people in lab who have been a member for a semester and others who have been in lab for 1 day. It is the responsibility of more senior members to mentor more junior ones by helping them get oriented to the work and lab culture.
Cultivate the ACT Processes. Our research focuses on processes that are thought to be important in living well for all human beings. Formal ACT training typically involves learning ACT from the inside out, meaning we actively practice the processes in ourselves in a variety of valued domains. From this model’s perspective, we are no different from our clients, students, or any other human being. The more we practice the processes, the better we are able to understand and teach them.
Practicing these processes often involves a willingness to do hard things in the service of values. For example, I worked on public speaking while in Kelly’s lab because I knew it would help me be more successful at improving the lives of others. For me, practicing the processes in this area meant getting up in front of an audience and speaking. I started small. My first presentation involved giving just a 5-minute talk in lab even though I was scared to death. I remember having the thoughts, “changing advisors was a HUGE mistake” and “I can’t do this.” And yet, I got up there and did the best I could that day. I slowly increased the length of my lab presentations and eventually presented in front of professionals at conferences and taught undergraduate courses with 100+ students. Did my anxiety go away over time? No. I still get anxious when I get up in front of an audience. The anxiety itself is not what matters though in this model. What matters is that I am living each day according to my values, whether anxiety is present or not.
Supporting Each Other in Living Well. Lab members support each other in the practice of living well. Let’s face it, human beings do better in groups. There are many ways we can support each other. For example, when I was at the University of Mississippi, a fellow lab member and I wanted to grow as teachers. We sat in on each other’s classes for an entire year. We chose teaching-related target behaviors to work on each semester (e.g., walking around the classroom and speaking at different paces and tones) and gave each other feedback on these behaviors. I felt supported and grew as a teacher that year as a result of the work we did together.
Another example of ways we can support each other is in the area of self-care. Being a student requires a lot of time and effort. In addition to school-related demands, many students work part or full-time, have children, and/or have other family/relationship commitments. One of the first things that seems to go when our to-do lists are massive is self-care. I have been there myself. often However, loads of research shows that eating well, moving our body, and getting enough sleep are incredibly important in overall functioning. As a lab, we support each other in taking care of ourselves.
A Couple Last Things About Working with Me
I care about you and the life you would like to live, broadly speaking. I will likely push you but not more than you are willing to go. If I push you too much or too fast, let me know and we will talk about it.
I believe that your time at the university can change you if you are willing to allow it and seek out the right kind of opportunities. I urge you to take advantage of what is here and not only be concerned with checking off boxes. I will encourage you to be an active participant in your education and lab. If you are struggling or if there is a problem, come to me. I am here and willing to help.