​Kinsey Institute Receives $290,000 Gift to Further Trauma Research

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) in partnership with the Dillon Fund has awarded a $290,000 gift to the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. The gift will provide funding for trauma recovery research being conducted at the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium (KI-TSRC). “We are excited about the promising research the KI-TSRC is producing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are happy to continue our shared support of this valuable and unique mission,” said Dr. Christopher Walling, President, USABP.

Led by Distinguished University Scientist Dr. Stephen Porges, the KI-TSRC’s mission is to explore the science of human connection and the role that stress and trauma experiences play in disrupting a person’s ability to feel safe and to socially engage. KI-TSRC research emphasizes that social engagement is essential to health and wellbeing across the lifespan. With the collaboration of over 700 therapists specializing in trauma, the KI-TSRC is collecting data on the therapeutic needs of trauma survivors and the clinical practices of their therapists in order to advance research, develop innovative tools and methodologies, and further clinical care.

Dr. Jacek Kolacz of the KI-TSRC is currently leading a study that seeks to learn about coping behaviors and mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are impacted by prior trauma history. “In times when funds are scarce, philanthropists can make a difference and partner in the healing process by funding KI-TSRC research to uncover the diverse needs of our fellow humans today and offer accurate, effective support for trauma recovery tomorrow,” said Katherine A. Wolovsky, MA, Co-Director, The Dillon Fund.

In addition to this impactful gift of $290,000, the USABP and The Dillon Fund previously gave $260,000 in 2019 to support the KI-TSRC’s trauma research and archival preservation. “We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the USABP and The Dillon Fund. The continued confidence and generosity of our donors and Advisory Council members allows our research faculty to stay at the forefront of important and timely scientific research, including the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute.

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About the USABP

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy was founded in 1999 to help develop and advance the art, science, and practice of body psychotherapy and somatic psychology in a professional, ethical, and caring manner in order to support their members as they promote the health and welfare of their clients.

About the Kinsey Institute

For over 70 years, the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been the premier research institute on human sexuality and relationships and a trusted source for evidence-based information on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction. The Kinsey Institute's research program integrates scholarly fields including neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, history, and gender studies. The Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections encompass over 500,000 items spanning 2,000 years of human sexual behavior and are a destination research collection for scholars and students. Kinsey Institute outreach includes traveling art exhibitions, public scholarship, research lectures, and a continuing education program.

For more information about the work of KI-TSRCplease visit kinseyinstitute.org or contact [email protected]

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​The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy Board is pleased to announce it has granted its inaugural Scholarship in the amount of $7,500 to Mystique Hargrove from North Carolina for the 2020-2021 academic year!

Mystique is a first year doctoral student at Capella University.

​Mystique is currently working on her dissertation topic for approval in hopes to focus her research on race based trauma among Black LGBTQ+ individuals.

Outside of her doctoral studies, Mystique is a single parent to a very energetic and loving 5 year old, who she homeschools as well. Mystique is also a community birth worker who is certified as a full spectrum doula as well as a community lactation professional who services Black bodies and other bodies of color in Greensboro, NC and surrounding areas.

Mystique says she is working "to improve accessibility in offering more inclusive services and support for Black bodies and other bodies of color, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.”

Her vision is to provide the needed research as well as mental health and wellness services centered around identifying, assessing and treating minority stress and race based trauma within these communities.

On behalf of all of us at USABP, congratulations Mystique!

​We are pleased to announce that USABP Member Carl H. Shubs, Ph. D. is deeply honored and appreciative of having been given the Award for Outstanding Practice 2020 by The American Psychological Association (Division 56 – Trauma  Psychology) “to celebrate you and your fantastic work for Trauma Psychology [and] your amazing contributions to the field.”