Lauren Cattaneo

Lauren Cattaneo earned her doctorate in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Maryland (College Park) in 2001, and joined the faculty of the Clinical Psychology Program at George Mason University in 2003.

Cattaneo applies a community psychology orientation to her work, centering on the ways psychology can facilitate and fuel efforts to address social problems, and create a more just society. Community psychology highlights the multiple layers of context influencing individuals and groups, and prioritizes partnership with community members and organizations in research, teaching and advocacy. Broadly, in her Lab for Community REACH (Resilience, Empowerment, Action, Change), Cattaneo and her students are interested in the wellbeing of marginalized populations, exploring and reimagining the role of institutions in societal arrangements, and in catalyzing critical civic awareness and engagement. Within the area of intimate partner violence, Cattaneo’s research has focused on the key constructs of empowerment and survivor-centered practice to explore the best ways to assist survivors. Cattaneo has won awards for excellence in teaching and mentorship from George Mason University and from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.