Christy works on interdisciplinary teams and draws on multiple perspectives (e.g., situated cognition, constructionist theory, contemplative philosophies, community-based approaches) to investigate conditions and capabilities that foster wellbeing and resilience. Her early research in affective science suggested that emotional experiences are more malleable than traditionally assumed and highlighted the importance of situating emotions in context. Thus, a cross-cutting theme in her research is the potential for beneficial psychological change—the “plasticity” of wellbeing—and taking a context-sensitive approach to wellbeing interventions and offerings. Christy engages in interdisciplinary integration to conceptualize and understand emotional skill sets and how such skills may be cultivated through contemplative practices. She is grateful to work with incredible interdisciplinary partners and scholars on these complex questions.
Through a partnership with the Loka Initiative, a current research focus is on situated understandings of eco-emotions related to climate and ecological crises, and the impact of contemplative practices offered within Loka’s deep resilience framework–one that seeks to build inner, community, and planetary resilience as an integrated approach to addressing unjust, extractive systems.
