Julie Anne Laser

Associate Professor Julie Anne Laser's research focus is on resiliency, particularly the relevance of specific ecological and internal protective and risk factors by culture and gender. She has completed large studies of resilience in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Ghanian and Senegalese youth, as well as homeless American youth. She is currently researching human trafficking in Latin America, Asia, and in the US. Additionally, she researches the efficacy of Experiential Therapy in hopes of increasing its stature as a main stream clinical intervention.

Laser has over 30 years of clinical social work experience, with over half of those years employed as a school social worker in both urban and rural school districts. She is particularly interested in school social work education and has created and runs the School Social Work Certificate.

Her clinical expertise is in Experiential Therapy, working with PTSD and trauma focused therapy,military families, parenting issues, child and adolescent healthy development, couples therapy, adolescent substance abuse, working with human trafficking victims/survivors, and well-being throughout the life cycle.

Laser continues to maintain a small private practice of children, youth, families, couples and clinical supervision. She has worked as a clinician in Mexico, Peru, Italy and Bolivia.