I was trained originally in personality psychology, counseling, and critical social theory. This led to projects attempting to trace the psychosocial impact of societal modernization on individuals and communities. My book Damaged Life: The Crisis of the Modern Psyche is one fruit of this work. Everything points to the critical role of dialogue in fostering deeper democracy. I am interested in collaborating in the creation and nourishment of spaces for public dialogue on divisive social issues. I hope to contribute to the development of the theoretical understanding of conditions that foster or hinder deeper dialogue and critical self-reflection. This theoretical work would be a precursor to shaping evaluation methods and practices for dialogue facilitation.
Recently organized a small center called 'Project Dialogue' in the Graduate School of Education and Counseling at Lewis & Clark College. We are accompanying dialogue practices occurring in grassroots organizing contexts, especially those focused on supporting activists, with the aim of offering relevant training.
