Biola University Rosemead School of Psychology students and faculty presented at The Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) annual conference this March. Professors of psychology Dr. Liz Hall and Dr. Earl Bland both spoke at the 2024 conference during pre and post-conference workshops.

“CAPS is more than a conference,” said Hall. “It's a group of like-minded believers who meet each year to encourage each other and stimulate each other toward professional and personal growth. I usually come away with my imagination sparked by a presentation, but just as important are the conversations I have with valued colleagues between sessions.”

Hall presented on “Christian Flourishing in a Secular Age: Challenges and Opportunities” during the post-conference workshop. Focusing on the concept of “abundant life,” her session provided insight into how Christian virtues can provide individual and communal well-being in the midst of a secular environment.

Bland spoke at the pre-conference workshop. His presentation, “Psychoanalytic Track – The Edge of Our Seats: Fostering Resilient Clinically Integrative Practice,” explores how to cultivate an attitude of expectancy regarding the ways God emerges in therapeutic relationships.

Seven students presented posters at the 2024 CAPS conference including Alyssa Serpa on “Empirical Validation and Psychometrics of the Health Christian Leader Assessment,” Josiah Robinson on “The God Image Clinical Matrix (GICM): A Clinical Conceptualization Tool for Addressing Spiritual Abuse and Relational Rupture with God and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP),” and Josiah Tey on “The Mediating and Moderating Role of Religious Orientation and Intellectual Humility in the Relationship between Religious Fundamentalism and Mental Illness Stigma in Christians.” Students Priscilla Kwong, Da Som Kim and Shelby Massey presented “Take Me To Church: Predicting Embodied and Spiritual Engagement.” Lastly, Tessa Austin led a breakout session on “Vicarious Resiliency: The Body of Christ's Role in Redemption for Commercially Sexually Exploited Persons.”

Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology is committed to the integration of psychology and theology, through participation in events like the CAPS conference.

Learn more about Rosemead School of Psychology.


Written by Jalin Cerillo, strategic communications assistant. For more information, contact Media Relations at media.relations@biola.edu.