Laura Stein

Academic Concentration

Pastoral Psychology, Psychology of Religion

Research Interests

My doctoral research is in the area of the psychology of religion, with special inquiry into clergy spiritual formation, virtue development, and trauma. I developed my research interests while growing up in the Reform Movement of Judaism and as a cantorial student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. As a research fellow at the Albert and Jessie Danielsen Institute, my work explores the role of Jewish virtues in clergy’s everyday social behavior, aligning DEI & justice beliefs with lived experience, and ways to turn spiritual struggles into healing and thriving. I hope that this research will address inequities in Jewish systems and will help in preventing trauma and promoting human flourishing in the broader Jewish community.

Advisor

Dr. Steven Sandage