About
Dr. Laurie Johnson is a dedicated faculty member at Hofstra University, where she has taught since 1989 and earned her Ph.D. Her work spans academia, international peacebuilding, and disaster mental health response. She has served as the Sheelagh Murnaghan Visiting Professor at Queen's University Belfast and as a Fulbright Scholar in Cyprus, reflecting her global engagement in conflict-affected regions.
Her research and practice focus on mental health counseling, trauma and disaster response, and conflict transformation in ethnically divided societies such as Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. She has developed innovative programs, including a course on disaster and trauma response for counselors and integrating conflict transformation into study abroad curricula.
Dr. Johnson has been actively involved with the American Red Cross Disaster Response Mental Health Services Team, providing psychological first aid during 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Superstorm Sandy. Her real-world experiences deeply inform her teaching and mentorship of future mental health professionals.
Her contributions have been recognized with the Teacher of the Year award in 2011 at Hofstra University. She has also helped establish cross-community networks, trained community leaders, and supported integrated education systems in post-conflict zones.
Dr. Johnson has led grassroots and governmental-level projects, including 'train the trainer' models for conflict resolution and post-trauma mental health services. She continues to be an influential scholar, educator, and practitioner in the field of mental health and social healing.
