PhD Candidate/ Project Manager/ Child and Family Therapist
Indiana University
Kristina Ray‐Bennett, LCSW, LSSW is a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate in Social Work at Indiana University and project manager for a U.S. Department of Education-funded initiative. With over 15 years of experience—13 as a Clinical Child and Family Therapist and two as a school social worker—she has dedicated her career to enhancing mental health frameworks for children who experience trauma. Bridging neuroscience and clinical practice, Kristina translated neuroscience research. She developed the innovative Appraisal-by-Content (ABC) framework. This neurocognitive model explains how the prefrontal cortex integrates external sensory cues, internal bodily signals, and social feedback to generate adaptive emotional responses. By emphasizing natural, adaptive fluctuations rather than deficits. ABC Theory empowers individuals to develop self-awareness, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation skills that foster resilience. The framework conceptualizes mental health as the dynamic process of restoring PFC homeostasis to a calm, socially connected state while acknowledging that systemic factors such as race, gender, and social inequities shape our appraisals. Her research integrates mindfulness, social connectedness, and emotional regulation interventions within the Public Health Framework to foster empathy, resilience, and academic success. A passionate advocate for disability justice and social equity, she is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to overcome systemic barriers and achieve their full potential.
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