Haley is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the VISTA Lab. Prior to UNL, she received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of California-San Diego in 2017. Her research interests center around understanding the psychological impact of trauma, particularly among historically underserved communities. Consistent with this emphasis, she has developed two complementary lines of research: one focused on development trajectories of emotion dysregulation and dissociation following repeated trauma exposure, and the other examining the impact of PTSD on individuals experiencing incarceration. Her dissertation involves an academic-community partnership with RISE, a local non-profit focused on providing programming for individuals impacted by incarceration. She is passionate about community-engaged research aimed at promoting mental health equity and reach of empirical practices, including program evaluation and dissemination and implementation (D&I) science frameworks.

Haley is also a clinical representative for the graduate student association (GSA) and is dedicated to improving the training experiences of fellow graduate students through collaborating with clinical faculty. Outside of her graduate studies, she loves exploring national parks, playing tennis or biking, and continuing her search for the best cup of coffee.

PUBLISHED NEWSLETTERS AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT 

1. Church, H., Fradley, M., Berman, I., & Zielinski, M. (2024). ISTSS Friday Fast Facts series: Traumatic-Stress & Incarceration. [online peer-reviewed infographic]. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies website. Retrieved from https://istss.org/public-resources/friday-fast-facts/incarceration-traumatic-stress/
2. Church, H. (2023). PTSD treatment in US prisons: An urgent need to expand and improve. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies StressPoints Newsletter, Human Rights and Policy, 37(4).

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

1. Church, H., Brock, R. L., Kumar, S. A., Messman, T. L., Gratz, K. L., DiLillo, D. (in prep). Lifetime sexual victimization and dissociation: Longitudinal pathways through emotion dysregulation.
2. Carei, R., Steely Smith, M. K., Bagdon-Cox, C., Church, H., Cheong, C. K., Zielinski, M. J. (under review). Treatment works, behaviors change: Investigating the impact of trauma focused therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder on disciplinary infractions among women in prison.
3. Kumar, S. A., Brockdorf, A. N., Jaffe, A. E., Church, H. R., Messman, T. L., & DiLillo, D. (2022). Mindful awareness promotes resilience: Buffered links among childhood sexual abuse severity, goal-directed emotion dysregulation, and psychopathology. Mindfulness, 13(4), 993-1006.
4. Church, H., Seewald, P., Clark, J., Jak, A., Twamley, E. (2017). Predictors of work outcomes following supported employment in veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury. Neurorehabilitation, 44(3), 333-339.