Research & Background

My research explores the intersections of language, consciousness, trauma, and expression. Rooted in philoMy work has always existed at the intersection of language, perception, and human experience, an evolving exploration shaped by both academic research and direct engagement with communities. From early programs focused on narrative reconstruction and trauma, to the broader linguistic inquiries that now shape The Iona Initiative, this path has been one of continual refinement, adaptation, and deepened understanding. At its core, my research asks: How does language structure perception? How do inherited linguistic frameworks shape meaning, memory, and identity? What happens at the limits of language, where experience resists articulation? These questions have led to years of academic study, applied research, and collaborative projects, all seeking ways to translate these inquiries into meaningful practice.

My first major projects explored language as a means of making sense of trauma, transition, and memory:

  • Writer Corps – A program designed for veterans processing their experiences through structured narrative work.
  • The Lavinia Project – A writing initiative for survivors of sexual violence, focused on reclaiming language as a form of agency.
  • Nuestros Voces – A storytelling project centering the narratives of immigrants and activists navigating displacement and identity.
  • The Concertina Effect – A study of language and incarceration, focused on the role of narrative in reintegration and justice reform.

While these projects were distinct, they all pointed toward a shared concern: how language structures experience, and how reworking narrative can shape recovery, clarity, and self-conception.

Over time, these individual projects grew into a larger framework of research and application—culminating in what is now The Iona Initiative. Rather than isolated interventions, my work began to focus on the underlying linguistic structures that shape experience, leading to inquiries in:

  • The Linguistic Threshold – The point at which symbolic language creates existential anxiety.
  • Harm & Unharm – A model for understanding suffering as an intrinsic aspect of existence, rather than a deviation from it.
  • Forest Consciousness – Exploring alternative ways of experiencing interconnectedness and presence beyond hyper-individualized, language-dominant perception.

This shift led to the development of The Center for Linguistic Health, a research and practice space designed to bridge academic inquiry, clinical practice, and public engagement.

My work continues to evolve, now focusing on:

  • WellSpoken – A digital tool designed to refine and clarify self-expression in moments of uncertainty, distress, or transition.
  • Stations – A site-specific art and language project exploring impermanence, witnessing, and attention.
  • The Iona Initiative – A structured framework for public dialogue and collective meaning-making through linguistic inquiry.
  • The Center for Linguistic Health – A long-term vision for housing research, practice, and public engagement at the intersection of language and well-being.

Each of these projects is rooted in the same essential question: How does language shape what it means to be human? Through every stage of my work, whether academic, artistic, or therapeutic, I seek not only to answer this question but to create spaces where others can explore it as well. If this inquiry resonates with you, I invite you to engage in the conversation. Whether through collaboration, research, exhibitions, or dialogue, this work is meant to be lived.