The Research

Relationships & Sexuality After the Death of a Partner

In this study, we seek to explore how the death of a past romantic partner shapes subsequent relationships and sexual experiences. Individuals bereaved of a romantic partner are an understudied population, yet have experienced a life-altering trauma with crucial relational and sexual implications. It remains unclear how new relationships after the death of a partner are maintained and how this loss impacts subsequent sexual experiences. Through the lens of Continuing Bonds Theory, which posits that individuals sometimes maintain an ongoing emotional bond with the deceased, we aim to provide important foundational descriptives about relational/sexual experiences after the death of a partner and also to understand what grief and contextual factors best predict interindividual differences in post-bereavement approaches to relationships/sexuality.

Romantic Relationships & Adverse Childhood Experiences

Our research seeks to deepen the understanding of couples with early trauma histories, examining how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) shape perceptions of personal well-being, as well as sexual and relational outcomes. By using a range of statistical methods, including dyadic data analysis, we explore the dynamics within single trauma couples—where only one partner has a trauma history—and dual trauma couples, where both partners have experienced trauma. Our study considers both past and current experiences of trauma, highlighting the often-overlooked contextual factors, such as whether ACEs are shared experiences within the couple. These insights aim to guide the development of more tailored therapeutic approaches, better suited to the unique needs of couples navigating trauma-related challenges.

The Romantic Relationships of Survivors of Sexual Assault

Sexual assault (SA) is associated with some of the most severe psychological consequences among traumatic experiences, and this includes challenges to future romantic partnerships and sexual experiences. This study will explore how mindfulness – nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment – can help SA survivors and their romantic partners, highlighting the importance of supporting both romantic partners in the relationship and sexual domains of recovery after SA. With Mindfulness to Meaning Theory as our ground, we will deploy an accessible online intervention focused on increasing both partners' mindfulness. Findings will be relevant for clinicians, particularly those focused on sexual traumas, and scholars by exploring the unique ways that partners affect and are affected by prior traumas and benefit from interventions.

Research in Partnership with

Our research partnership with the Sex Information & Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) aims to advance knowledge, education, and discussion of sexual and reproductive health across the lifespan. Through this collaboration, we assist with questionnaires, data analysis, and manuscript creation on a diverse array of topics, such as parents' attitudes toward sexual health education, sexual pleasure, and HPV. Our research-based efforts support evidence-based approaches that enrich the understanding of sexual health in Canada.