Clinical Leadership: Blending Tradition with Innovation
The clinical team at the Oklahoma Institute of Prairie Psychology is a carefully assembled group of practitioners who embody the integration of deep therapeutic skill with a passion for place-based healing. Dr. Arlo Jennings, our Clinical Director, is a third-generation Oklahoman and licensed psychologist who spent fifteen years in urban academic centers before feeling a call to develop therapies for the communities of his origin. His work on 'Generational Land Attachment and Trauma' is foundational. Alongside him, lead therapist Mara Chen, LCSW, brings expertise in narrative therapy and community organizing, having previously worked with indigenous nations to preserve wellness traditions. Each clinician undergoes our proprietary certification, ensuring they are not just practitioners in a prairie setting, but practitioners of Prairie Psychology, adept at using the environment as co-therapist and understanding the nuanced socio-cultural dynamics of rural life.
The Research Division: Building an Evidence Base
For our methods to gain legitimacy and evolve, rigorous research is paramount. Headed by Dr. Simon Lee, a research psychologist with a PhD in Ecological Psychology, this division designs and executes studies to quantify the impact of our interventions. Current longitudinal studies include measuring cortisol levels (a stress hormone) in farmers before and after a season of participating in our 'Soil and Solace' ecotherapy group, and a multi-year project tracking community resilience scores in towns where our outreach programs are active. The team publishes in journals spanning psychology, rural sociology, and environmental studies, ensuring our findings reach diverse academic and policy audiences. They also collaborate with agricultural extension services and public health departments, translating psychological research into practical tools for field agents and community nurses.
Specialized Practitioners and Their Unique Modalities
Beyond our core team, the Institute hosts specialists who bring unique skills. This includes an Animal-Assisted Therapy coordinator who works with ranch dogs and horses, understanding their role in companionship and work. Our horticultural therapist manages the institute's native plant gardens, using the cycles of planting, tending, and harvesting as metaphors for personal growth and recovery. We also have a community storyteller-in-residence, who collects and shares narratives of resilience, helping to build a shared cultural repository of strength. Furthermore, several of our therapists hold certifications in EMDR and trauma-focused CBT, which they have adapted for rural contexts—for instance, using the stable imagery of a homestead or the repetitive motion of weaving as grounding techniques during trauma processing.
Training the Next Generation: Supervisors and Educators
A critical function of our senior staff is mentorship. We operate an APA-accredited internship program and a post-doctoral fellowship in Rural and Prairie Psychology. Supervisors like Dr. Elaine Rodriguez not only provide clinical oversight but also guide trainees in self-reflection about their own relationships to land and community, which is a required component of the training. Educators develop curriculum for our continuing education workshops, which are attended by professionals from across the region seeking to incorporate place-based principles into their practice. This educational mission ensures the seeds of our approach are spread widely, creating a growing network of informed practitioners. The team's dedication is evident in their commitment to long-term community embedding; many live in the towns they serve, participating in local life not as detached experts but as invested neighbors, which deepens their understanding and trust.