Rebekah J. Monroe

About Rebekah J. Monroe

Identifies with pronouns “she/her/they.\" I am a queer, white, first-generation college student who matriculated into the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Bowling Green State University in the fall of 2023, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology, and minoring in Women\'s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies from Northeastern Illinois University. Highlights:Co-Founder of North American Research Collective for Religious Trauma Formerly employed as a Research Assistant Consultant for the Global Feminisms Project at University of Michigan and for the Chicago Church Congregations Project for University of Notre Dame, as well as a NIH-funded grant at UIC. Published in Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley on religious trauma, sex, sexuality, and gender.Aims:As a Clinical Psychology PhD student, I\'m particularly focused on studying trauma experienced by LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and communities with an intersectional social-justice / health equity lens. Specifically, I see myself making space in social sciences for people who are looking for navigation in healing from spiritual harm/religious trauma. This is especially prevalent for LGBTQIA2S+ communities as select religious members and organizations have demonstrated the demonization of these communities embodied within institutional policy and culture and other levels of ecological systems. Such experiences have led to betrayal trauma, ostracization from communities, and other more internalized affect although this needs much more empirical scrutiny. I am prepared to specialize broadly in trauma and prevention/intervention work in the format of education programs (e.g. more inclusive sex education for public schools or non-profit work to fill this gap and clinician workshops) after extensive qualitative and/or mixed methods research as well as individual and group psychotherapy training. I envision myself eventually directing an interdisciplinary research center while conducting therapy part-time. I would do this by securing grant funding, advocating for policy reform, and utilizing critical theories through praxis to enable access to equitable, empowering care by modeling an organization such as Dr. Freyd\'s Center for Institutional Courage for example.

Experience

1. Vice Chair Board of Directors

   Reclamation Collective

   Jan 2024 — Present

   The Reclamation Collective is a 501c3 organization centering survivors of religious trauma and spiritual abuse by curating virtual support groups for those navigating deconstruction and reclamation on their healing trajectory. We additionally house a religious trauma informed clinician directory on our website, where folks can find a therapist licensed in the state or province where they reside. The RC connects survivors internationally to each other by offering community-based healing spaces while prioritizing each individual’s sovereignty over their own reclamation journey. As a nonprofit, our board of directors aim to develop our organization in a way that challenges the nonprofit industrial complex, while prioritizing organizational sustainability and accessibility of all our offerings to survivors.

Education

• Bowling Green State University

  Master of Arts - MA, Clinical Psychology

• Northeastern Illinois University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Psychology Major | Women's & Gender Studies Minor

  2017 — 2021

• Bowling Green State University Graduate College

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Clinical Psychology