Church Disaster Mental Health Project
Outreach and Education for Pastors and Church Leaders

June 25, 2008

REVIEWS

"This was my first time participating in a live chat. I thought it was very interesting. I don't read or type very fast so I was a bit concerened about participating but it was a good experience. I didn't get a sense that there were any pastors or clergy participating other than Chaplains. I would have liked to hear their perspective."
Jeffery Floyd

JAMIE ATEN

Jamie D. Aten, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). He is also the Assistant Director of Health and Mental Health for the Katrina Research Center at USM and director of the Church Disaster Mental Health Project.

He is the co-editor of three forthcoming books Spirituality and the Therapeutic Process: A Comprehensive Resource from Intake through Termination, Spiritually Oriented Interventions for Counseling and Psychotherapy ( both by American Psychological Association Books) and Culture and the Therapeutic Process: A Guide for Clinicians (Routledge). He is also guest co-editing the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session on treating religious patients.

His current research focuses on African-American faith communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, which is being supported by grants from the Mississippi Minority Institute for Improvement of Geographic Health, Pew Charitable Trusts and Rand Gulf States Policy Institute, Red Cross and Foundation for the Mid-South, and United Jewish Communities. He serves as the Representative to the APA Committee on Early Career Psychologists for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion) and as the Rural Health Coordinator for the Mississippi Psychological Association.

Prior to USM he worked with spiritual and religious clients as a therapist and supervisor. He also taught as an adjunct instructor for Indiana Wesleyan University and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.