Kristin Farris Larson

About Kristin Farris Larson

Caring well for the people who serve others is essential for the sustainability and effectiveness of an international NGO. As a Clinical Psychologist and Member Care Chaplain with Mercy Ships, I support the emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing of crew and staff from over 50 countries, in-country and on two hospital ships, serving the world\'s most vulnerable populations. I bring over 30 years of clinical experience alongside 20 years as a full professor of clinical, counseling, and cultural psychology. This combination allows me to work fluidly across clinical consultation, cross-cultural training, crisis response, program development, and organizational leadership. I have designed and delivered member care frameworks, led critical incident debriefs, trained member care staff, and worked directly with executive leadership teams in complex, multicultural environments. I am particularly interested in the intersection of staff wellbeing, remote employee engagement, and organizational health, and how caring for people well directly strengthens mission effectiveness. I write two blogs: On LinkedIn - Member Care Field Notes, for practitioners supporting humanitarian field workers, and for Mercy Ships internally, The Member Care Minute.

Experience

1. Member Care and Development Chaplain

   Mercy Ships

   Nov 2020 — Present · Tucson, AZ, US

   Utilizing my skills as a clinical psychologist and retired professor, I have the privilege to support the well-being of the crew and staff of Mercy Ships. I work daily with people from over 40 countries, from members of our Executive Leadership Team to short-term volunteers. I provide Member Care consultations, program development, research and data analysis, Critical Incident Stress Debriefs, training and development of Member Care staff, assessment and crisis intervention.

Education

• University of Arizona

  Bachelor's Degree, Psychology

  1982 — 1986

• University of Arizona

  Master's Degree, Counseling

  1989 — 1991

• Northern Arizona University

  Doctor of Education - EdD, Counseling Psychology

  1992 — 1995