Marsha Vaughn, Ph.D.

OVERVIEW

With more than 25 years of experience as an educator and psychotherapist, Dr. Vaughn brings deep expertise in research methodology and systemic family therapy to her work at Adler University. Her teaching spans research methods, diagnosis, couple and family therapy with children and adolescents, and postmodern approaches to systemic practice.

Her clinical and scholarly interests include therapeutic horticulture and other nature-based interventions, religious trauma and spiritual abuse, and the role of larger systems, such as businesses and faith communities, in family well-being. She has published and presented widely on these topics, including recent work on climate change anxiety, intergenerational storytelling, and systemic therapy approaches to spiritual abuse. She also partners with nonprofits and international NGOs to advance family and community health.

Before entering academia, Dr. Vaughn completed a residency as a hospital chaplain, an experience that continues to inform her integrative and holistic approach to care. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Illinois, an AAMFT-approved supervisor, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture.

MEMBERSHIPS + ASSOCIATIONS

• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (Clinical Fellow)
• International Family Therapy Association
• National Council on Family Relations
• American Horticultural Therapy Association

PRESENTATIONS

LEADERSHIP + ENGAGEMENT

• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture
• Member, Board of Directors, Refuge for Women-Chicago (2018-2022)