Family Therapy in Global Humanitarian Contexts Voices and Issues from the Field

Laurie L. Charlés, PhD, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and qualitative researcher based in the U.S., Assistant Professor in the Family Couple & Individual Psychotherapy (FCIP) program at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas, USA., and subject matter expert/trainer in family therapy with two psychotherapeutic interventions courses sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) in MENA. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Togo, 1999-2001), Dr. Charlés earned a PhD in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University (1999) and a M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (2013). She has been the recipient of numerous research grants including the Fulbright-Hays Senior Research Scholar Award (2010-2011) at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Faculty of Graduate Studies. 

Gameela Samarasinghe, PhD,   is a clinical psychologist by training and is an Associate Professor in Psychology in the Department of Sociology, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She initiated the design of and introduced the Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s in Counselling and Psychosocial Support at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo. She is the Coordinator of both programs. She was a member of the international research team on “Trauma, Peace building and Development”, run from the University of Ulster. She has written extensively on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in Sri Lanka. She has been awarded many fellowships and has been the recipient of research grants including the Fulbright-Hays Senior Research Scholar Award (2004 – 2005) at Boston University and the Fulbright Advanced Research Award (2013 – 2014) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.