I began teaching at Centre College in Danville, KY in 2012, with appointments in both the Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology programs. I teach a variety of courses in these two areas with specializations in Health Psychology and Environmental Psychology. In 2012, along with several colleagues I formed the Centre Contemplative Studies Initiative, a group focused on facilitating the use of first-person critical perspectives of inquiry, aimed at promoting deeper personal intellectual development and social consciousness.
I periodically teach a field course in Japan which lies at the intersection of my interests in health, environmental behavior, and cultural meaning-making practices, and explores the emerging scientific study and practice of Forest Therapy (森林セラピー).
Research
A portion of my research work is devoted to the study of Forest Therapy (森林セラピー), sometimes referred to as “forest bathing” or shinrin yoku. Forest Therapy is not “doing therapy in the forest”, and in fact operates from the perspective that the forest itself is the therapist. The practice involves taking in the forest atmosphere through all your senses in order to promote both mental and physical well-being, often with the assistance of a guide. While the practice originated in Japan in the early 1990s, it is gaining increasing popularity in Asia, Europe, and the US. While a number of experimental studies demonstrating the efficacy of this practice to reduce stress and improve health have emerged from Japan and Korea in recent years, there has been limited scientific work in this area conducted in the US. My own work is an attempt to replicate and expand the scientific basis for the health benefits of forest therapy in order to better understand the symbiotic relationship we share with nature, and in the hopes that it will serve as a way to bring people closer to the natural world and promote environmental stewardship and health.
My other research program addresses the separate, but related topic of personality and individual differences in what are sometimes referred to as hypo-egoic phenomena (eg. awe, humility, gratitude, and Mindfulness), or experiences which result in a diminished focus on self, and an expanded awareness/appreciation of others and the wider world. I am specifically interested in how awe and humility interact to promote well-being and connect individuals to the social, natural, and sacred.
if you are interested in learning more about my research, discussing a speaking engagement, or would like to enquire about a guided forest therapy walk, please feel free to contact me.