At Center for Transformative Healing, we believe that research, clinical training, and direct mental health services inform and strengthen one another.

At the Center for Transformative Healing, two theoretical frameworks underlie our clinical research: Biopsychosocial-Spiritual framework and Systems Theory. The Biopsychosocial-Spiritual framework guides their conceptualization of individuals and families as well as the reciprocal influences of biological, social, psychological, and spiritual factors (Linville, Hodgson, & Lamson, 2017).  We pose research questions and design studies that rely on how individuals, couples and families are embedded within larger sociocultural contexts that must be considered as part of change processes.  A primary foci of research at CTH is to mitigate barriers to accessing and receiving quality mental health services and to reduce health disparities, with a particular focus on partnering with underserved communities, such as BIPOC, immigrant and LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

Highlighted Research:

Community-Based Needs Assessment with Child Welfare

Dr. Linville and her Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Saralyn Ruff, at the University of San Francisco, partnered with A Home Within (AHW), a national nonprofit organization that provides pro bono psychotherapy to former and current foster youth. They conducted a community needs assessment, using Community-Based Participatory Action Research methods, to understand mental health among foster youth and their needs for mental healthcare services. Data from former and current foster youth, child welfare and mental health professionals, and healthcare policymakers were collected through qualitative interviews, focus groups, and longitudinal mixed methods surveys and interviews. Using this data, they designed a randomized control trial study and measurement plan to evaluate the effectiveness of AHW’s service delivery model for mitigating barriers to accessible, high quality mental healthcare for foster youth. Community advisory board members, AHW clients and volunteer clinicians, as well as former and current foster youth participated and influenced all aspects of the design, data collection and analysis. Drs. Ruff, Linville and A Home Within were awarded funding for these research projects from a family foundation and have just been granted two more years of funding, totaling just over $750,000 across three years.

An Examination of the EMDR Flash Technique on Racial Trauma and Incorporating Family Functioning by Dr. Yi Hsin Hung. Successfully defended in October, 2023.

To address the significant psychological effects of racial trauma, this dissertation assessed the efficacy of self-administered Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – Flash Technique (EMDR-FT) in reducing distress from racial trauma memories and delved into the role of family function. Conducted in summer 2023, the study employed the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUDs) Scale and executed an ANOVA for EMDR-FT's effectiveness and a multiple regression model for family's role in trauma healing. While the EMDR-FT showed promise in reducing distress, the family dynamics model was inconclusive, hinting at the need for further exploration. These findings equip marriage and family therapists with a novel tool for addressing racial trauma and underscore the potential of self-administered therapeutic methods. Overall, this research offers a fresh perspective on racial trauma treatment, emphasizing the importance of EMDR-FT in therapeutic practices and future research.

Exemplar Publications of CTH’s Multi-Disciplinary Research:

Lin, T., Linville, D., Nese, R., Seeley, J., & Shune, S. (In Press). Breathing-based meditation for improving COPD burden: a mixed single-case and qualitative approach. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine.

Ruff, S., Linville, D., & Vasquez, N. (2023). “Resilience,” as defined by foster youth and key stakeholders. Journal of Public Child Welfare. doi: 10.1080/15548732.2023.2222665.

Lin, T., Linville, D., Nese, R., Seeley, J., Shune, S. (2023). Breathing-based meditation for improving COPD Burden: A mixed-case and qualitative approach. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 8(4), 059. doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2304059.

Hung, Y., Linville, D., Janes, E., & Yee, S. (2023). Race matching in predicting relational therapy outcome: A machine learning approach. International Journal of Systemic Therapy.

Foster, A., Linville, D., Rose, E., Mahjoub, H. (2022). Food security and feeding behaviors in low-income, Latinx families with preschool aged children. Public Health Nutrition, 25(12):1-6.

Ruff, S. C., Linville, D., & Clausen, J. M., & J. Kjellstrand, J. (2022). Preliminary effects of A Home Within psychotherapy with former and current foster youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106674

Ruff, S., Linville, D., Clausen, J.M., Kjellstrand, J. (2022). Experiences during COVID-19: Needs of college students with a history of foster care. Children & Youth Services Review, 136: 106443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106443.

Shune, S., Linville, D. & Namasivayam-MacDonald, A. (2022). Integrating family-centered care into chronic dysphagia management: A tutorial. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 7, 795-806.

Janes, E., Trevino, Z., Koehl, H., & Hung, Y. (2021). Internal Family Systems and spirituality: Implications for supervision. Contemporary Family Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-021-09625-2

Ruff, S. & Linville, D. (2021). Experiences of Young Adults with a History of Foster Care During COVID-19. Children & Youth Services Review, 121. https://doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105836

Chronister, K.M., *Rao, K., *Williams, L., *Woodlee, K., Linville, D., Felipe, L., & *Ragland-Woods, C. (2021). Family and friend responses to Filipino loved ones experiencing partner abuse. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000213

Chronister, K., Linville, D., *Vargas, K., & *Baraga, F. (2020). Critical consciousness development in a group intervention context: Examining clinician and participant verbalizations. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice. doi: 10.1037/gdn0000118

Linville, D., Blow, A. (2020). Systemic treatment of eating disorders across the lifecycle. In K. S. Wampler, (Ed.), The handbook of systemic family therapy:  Systemic family therapy and global health issues (Vol. 4).  Hoboken, NJ:  John Wiley & Sons.

Linville, D., McClure, H., Martinez, C. & *Mena-Morales, C. (2019). Latinx immigrant farmworker community health promotion: A needs assessment. Journal of Health Promotion Practice 21(3):372‐382. doi:10.1177/1524839919869923

Shune, S. & Linville, D. (2019). Understanding the dining experience of individuals with dysphagia in care facilities: A grounded theory analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 92, 144-153. doi:10.1093/geroni/igx004.849

Linville, D., *Savercool, V., *Barrera, S., *Mintz, B., & Shune, S.  (2018). Qualitative perspectives on a family group intervention program for improving physical wellness. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 29(3), 252-273. doi: 10.1080/08975353.2018.1440098

Stice, E., & Linville, D. (2017). Eating disorders. In Beauchaine, T.P. & Hinshaw, S.P. (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (pp. 818-838). Wiley.

Linville, D., Hodgson, J., & Lamson, A. (2017). Medical family therapy with couples and families. In Lebow, J., Chambers, A., & Bruelin, D. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of couple and family therapy. Springer.

Linville, D., *Cobb, E., *Shen, F., & *Stadelman, S. (2015). Reciprocal influence of couple dynamics and eating disorders. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. 42, 326-340. doi:10.1111/jmft.12133

Linville, D., *Cobb, E., *Lenee-Bluhm, T., *Lopez, G., Gau, J., & Stice, E. (2015). Effectiveness of an eating disorder prevention program in primary medical settings.  Behavioral Research and Therapy, 75, 32-39.  doi:10.1016/j.brat.2015.10.004