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Claire A

- Research Program Mentor

MSW candidate at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Expertise

Public health, reproductive health, sexual health, violence prevention, advocacy, clinical therapy

Bio

Claire Amabile, MSW, MPH, is a recent graduate from UC Los Angeles. She has extensive research experience in the field of reproductive justice, gender-based violence, and reproductive health. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with minors in English and Feminist Studies. Her current work revolves around sexual violence prevention and intervention in college and university populations, both nationally and internationally. She now works as a confidential advocate for survivors of power and gender based violence at UCLA. Overall, she is interested in the health impacts of sexual violence, preventing violence against animals, and intersectional approaches to public health. Outside of school and work, she enjoys pilates, backpacking, live music events, and spending time with her adopted cat, Spoon.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

i-Soul Stretch: testing the efficacy of an online trauma-informed yoga program in reducing the effects of PTSD among survivors of sexual violence

This project proposes the use of an internet-based intervention to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of sexual violence (SV). i-Soul Stretch will use an online application (app) to provide six pre-recorded trauma-informed yoga courses to individuals who identify as survivors of SV. Survivors often do not seek support services after experiencing SV, due to stigma, shame, and self-blame surrounding SV. As a result, individuals may develop symptoms of PTSD, which can impact their mental and physical health, as well as their ability to thrive in social, professional, and academic spaces. Trauma-informed yoga, which uses invitational language to create a supportive space and encourages connectedness between the mind, breath, and body, has been found to reduce symptoms of PTSD among survivors of SV. i-Soul Stretch will incorporate strong formative research and building upon existing research that supports trauma-informed yoga as a valid way of intervening on symptoms of PTSD among survivors of SV. The i-Soul Stretch intervention in Carl Rogers’ organismic valuing process theory, which states that the need for self actualization, or the need for individuals to become the best possible version of themselves, is what drives behavior. To evaluate the effectiveness of i-Soul Stretch, pre-test data will be collected at the start of the intervention, with post- test data collected at the end of the 6 sessions. Pre- and post- test questions will come from two existing validated measurement tools linked to PTSD: (1) Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and (2) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Randomization and a control group will be used to ensure a strong evaluation, indicating that, if successful, i-Soul Stretch's intervention is effective in preventing PTSD among survivors of SV. A paired samples t-test will be run to evaluate the changes in survey scales from pre- to post- intervention. In summary, this project will test i-Soul Stretch, a public health intervention that uses an online app platform to deliver trauma-informed yoga sessions to reduce symptoms of PTSD among student survivors of SV.

Teaching experience

I have directly mentored numerous undergraduate students at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), who are interested in pursuing a graduate career in public health and/ or social work. Additionally, I work as an undergraduate mentor for the Center for Academic Advising at UCLA, where I provide ongoing mentorship for students as they navigate life in college.

Credentials

Work experience

University of California San Diego (2018 - 2020)
Research Project Coordinator
University of California Los Angeles (2020 - 2022)
Graduate Student Researcher
University of California Los Angeles (2022 - Current)
College Academic Mentor
Campus Assault Resource and Education (2022 - Current)
Confidential Advocate

Education

University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)
BA Bachelor of Arts (2018)
Global Studies
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
MPH Master of Public Health candidate
Community Health Sciences
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
MSW Master of Social Welfare candidate
Social and Economic Justice

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