معرفی
Jessica Van Vliet, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education. Her research focuses on compassion, self-compassion, mindfulness, and their applications in addressing trauma, emotional distress, and resilience. She integrates approaches like Compassion-Focused Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction into clinical practice, emphasizing culturally sensitive, client-centered care.
Dr. Van Vliet teaches courses such as EDPY 442 (Introduction to Counselling), EDPY 503 (Qualitative Methods of Educational Research), and EDPY 633 (Advanced Counselling Practicum I). She holds a PhD and is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Professional affiliations include the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Her research explores compassion-based interventions for trauma survivors, including studies on human-pet relationships among abuse survivors and mindfulness programs for youth with mental health concerns. Recent work examines young men’s experiences of receiving compassion and the role of nature in recovery from sexual assault. She mentors students in qualitative research methodologies and has contributed to understanding shame dynamics in clinical and developmental contexts.
Dr. Van Vliet’s teaching and supervision emphasize practical skills in counselling, ethical standards, and evidence-based practices. She has published extensively on topics such as self-compassion training in relationships, supervisee nondisclosures in clinical training, and resilience frameworks. She currently advises graduate students but will not accept new lab members in Fall 2025.
