The Family Systems Lab at Penn State was established as a center for research, training, and practice with children, youth, and families.  We are committed to promoting positive child development through research on risk and resiliency processes in families, and translating research into real-world applications that help improve the lives of families. The Family Systems Lab, is affiliated with the Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology, and Rehabilitation Services in the College of Education, and the Child Study Center in the Department of Psychology. 

Current Projects:

In the Family Systems Lab, we are currently conducting a 5-year NIMH-funded research project, called the FaMILY study that focuses on understanding how families who are experiencing stressful life circumstances raise healthy children, and how stress affects emotion regulation in families.  We are currently recruiting mothers and their 3-5 year old children for the FaMILY study.   Together with the help of our participating families, this research will help us develop more effective therapies for children who are at-risk for emotional or behavioral problems.