About Me
You can call me Ryka
(Pronounced Ree-Kah)
My educational and professional background is in mental health research.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & English and a Master of Science degree in Global Mental Health. I’ve primarily stayed within the research field for my day job, having previously worked on research projects for the US Department of Defense, NGOs, academic institutions, and currently a hospital.
But I’ve also always been an artist at heart.
I originally wanted to go to art school – I dreamed of learning how to be a fashion designer. While I’ve pursued a different direction with my career, I’ve kept doing my art!
I’m currently working on combining my art with my mental health work and expanding my artist portfolio.
And I was born and raised in a cult.
Wait, what?!
Yes, you read that right! I was born and raised in the Unification Church, a notorious fundamentalist religious group that obviously influenced my identity development throughout my childhood. While I am still on my trauma-healing journey, my past experiences have shaped the research interests I’ve cultivated and my passion for improving global mental health for all.
Read the three part series from Insider
This series provides a decent overview of the Unification Church. (But it’s just scratching the surface!)
Reading not your thing?
This podcast provides a good overview as well! There are lots of others out there, though. Do a quick Google search on your own or check out my “Activism” page for some of my favorites.
I’m passionate about Global Mental Health!
I run a Facebook group called “Global Mental Health Connections.” Join us!
More Details!
I am a mental health researcher by day, with experience spanning from bereavement in military families to population health studies in South Africa to trauma in Hurricane Katrina survivors. My current research focuses on using trauma-informed, community-based, multidisciplinary interventions to prevent and counter violent extremism, as well as rehabilitation from extremist contexts.
But I am much more than a researcher. I am also a cult survivor, cult survivor activist, mental health advocate, and mental health service user. I am a reader, writer, and artist. I like to think deep, ask big questions, and want to make the world a more peaceful and just place through trauma-informed healing.
Come join me as I journey through this thing called life!