College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

Caitlin Gregory, a master’s student from Portland, Tennessee, is in her second year in the Psychological Sciences program. Gregory recently returned from a week-long visit to the University of Groningen in The Netherlands where she was engaged in the on-site portion of her internship with 113 Suicide Prevention, the national Dutch suicide prevention center.

Gregory has been working with Dr. Amy Brausch, Professor of Psychological Sciences, in suicide prevention research for over four years. During this unique experience in The Netherlands,
Gregory expanded her understanding of the warning signs of suicidal behaviors and thoughts, which will allow her to make an even greater contribution to research in the field.

Gregory said, “As a first-generation college student navigating through academia, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to learn and grow as a person and a psychological researcher.”
Caitlin attended lectures in Groningen and Amsterdam about the process of suicide prevention and the risk factors involved with adolescent suicide. She also presented the research she completed at WKU and engaged in brainstorming sessions with fellow students on future research ideas regarding suicidal behaviors.

“To be able to confidently understand and respond to someone’s situation and provide adequate help is all I have ever wanted. My commitment to suicide and self-harm research has given me the purpose to continue to fight the stigma around mental health and contribute to work being done to prevent further lives lost,” Gregory said.

After completing her degree at WKU, Caitlin plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on suicidology and self-harm within marginalized communities. Her experiences in this internship will give her a competitive edge as a doctoral candidate and allow her to learn more about responding to suicidal crises within various populations.

For more information about the graduate programs offered within the WKU Department of Psychological Sciences, visit https://www.wku.edu/psychological-sciences/grad/admission.php.