Discover
What is thriving?
We all long to become fully alive as ourselves. Thriving involves adapting through the thick and thin of life, attending to our individual needs and strengths, as well as our connections with others and our sources of meaning and hope in order to continually find and pursue purpose. We shed new light on the importance of spirituality for thriving. Deeply informed by psychological science, wisdom traditions, and theology, we recognize that a flourishing world requires spiritually healthy humans who can ultimately lean into love and live out love. Thriving is a practice of growing whole. The agility necessary to thrive comes from practices that ground us, connect us, and direct us.
Who We Are
The Thrive Center for Human Development is an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others. We conduct and collaborate with other researchers on cutting-edge psychological questions addressing the most pressing issues of spiritual health and thriving in a pluralistic world. We are real people with real lives and persistent hopes for wholeness and a flourishing world. To this end we convert our research into resources designed to bring about change and spiritual health.
Formerly founded in 1996 as the Center for Research in Child and Adolescent Development (CRCAD), the Thrive Center was established in 2011 within the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary. We mentor future scholars and leaders in the field of psychology and theology. While we are trained in Christian theology, our empirical research engages diverse perspectives and cultures and explores spirituality broadly inside and outside of religious traditions.
We believe all persons should and can thrive. We offer practical insight and guidance into how, in the midst of life’s opportunities and struggles, we can attend to our needs and strengths, our connections with others, and our sources of meaning and hope in order to continually find and pursue a sense of purpose. We are realistic and know this is not a simple journey, but we believe it is worth the effort. This world needs you to be the best and fullest expression of who you are, so please dive in and join us.Â
Backed by research
The mind behind the method
We hold that science can provide insight needed to understand spiritual health and develop practices that lead to thriving in everyday life. We’re researchers and psychologists that live real lives and come face to face with the same questions you have.
Thrive Center Founder
Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King
Our Team
We are scholars, creatives, learners, connectors, and communicators
Pamela Ebstyne King
Executive Director, Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science
Pamela Ebstyne King, Ph.D. has worked with the Thrive Center for Human Development since its inception in 2011. In 2021, she was named executive director of the Thrive Center and continues to serve as the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science in Fuller’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.
Her primary academic interests are applied research at the intersection of human thriving and spiritual development. She is passionate about understanding what individual strengths and environments enable humans to thrive and become all God created them to be. She holds particular interest in understanding the role of faith, spirituality, religion, virtues in this process.
Dr. King’s work combines theology, empirical research, and community engagement to further understand what contexts and settings enable people to thrive. She has conducted research funded by Biologos Foundation and John Templeton Foundation, among others.
Jilleen Westbrook
Senior Director of Content
Jilleen Westbrook, Ph.D. joined the staff of the Thrive Center for Human Development in 2022. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Claremont Graduate University and has taught at Temple University, University of Southern California (USC), and the Claremont Colleges.
Her academic work involved empirical investigations of psychological effects on markets that result from policy decisions. Before joining, the Thrive Center, she worked as a consultant. Dr. Westbrook has long been interested in issues of faith and well-being, particularly in the practices that encourage mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Lauren Kim
Operations and Project Manager
With over 10 years of operational & admin experience, Lauren Kim joined the Thrive Center in 2022 to utilize her passion for faith-based creativity and witnessing others’ ability to be joyously renewed. With an innate interest in different cultures and being born & raised in Seoul, Korea, Lauren hopes to connect a bridge between students of various backgrounds and their spirit’s capability to thrive as He intended. In her intimate pursuit of God while cultivating the artistic passions of her heart, Lauren takes pride in being part of a team that brings forth the fruit of encouragement and spiritual joy in all.
Rebecca Baer
Thrive Research Fellow
Rebecca Baer is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Fuller’s Clinical Psychology program. As a doctoral candidate, she is pursuing her dissertation, funded by the Travis Research Institute, that seeks to operationalize a definition of adult relationality called Reciprocating Love and a scale that measures this. Rebecca holds an M.A. in Psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary and an M.A. in Systems Theory Counseling from the Internationale Hochschule Liebenzell, Germany. Rebecca’s passion lies in pursuing research and clinical work that focuses on the mechanisms of healing and empowering relationships – between diverse peoples and with God. When she is not reading, writing, or pursuing her clinical training, you can find Rebecca enjoying time out in nature with her husband and two beautiful little girls.
Connor Stephenson
Thrive Fellow
Connor Stephenson, M.A. is a fourth-year Ph.D. student on the neuropsychology track. His clinical training has included diverse experience practicing therapy and assessment with children, adults, people experiencing homelessness, and people living with HIV. He is currently in a neuropsychology clerkship at Hoag Hospital in Orange County. His master’s thesis investigated the relationship between faith-based civic engagement and political polarization. He works as part of the Thrive team to identify the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s spiritual beliefs and practices. While Connor’s interests are broad, they are linked by the desire to better understand the nested relationships between people, religion, and society. When not working, you will find him reading books with his wife, hiking, or baking sourdough.
Shaya Aguilar
Thrive Fellow
Shaya Aguilar is a third year Psy.D. student in Fuller’s Clinical Psychology Program, being advised by Dr. David Wang. She received her B.A. in Psychology and her M.S. in ministry from Pepperdine University. She is particularly interested in researching the impact of traumatic events on individuals from a psychological, spiritual, and neurobiological perspective. When she is not studying, writing, or in clinical training, you can find Shaya enjoying time with family and friends, running or hiking through the mountains, or experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen.
Ju-In Lee
Thrive Fellow
Ju-In Lee is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Fuller’s Clinical Psychology program, being advised by Dr. David Wang. She received a Master of Divinity and M.A. in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and B.A.’s in International Management and Economics from the University of Westminster, United Kingdom and Hochschule Bremen, Germany. Prior to Fuller, Ju-In worked as an analyst in a multinational corporation in Zurich, Seoul, and Munich, as well as an associate pastor in Germany and the US. Her background as a fourth-culture kid has cultivated her passion for working cross-culturally with communities in crisis contexts. Her clinical work and research interests include intergenerational trauma and wellbeing, posttraumatic growth, spirituality, culture, and diversity. When she is not studying, researching, or in clinical training, Ju-In can be found in nature playing with her dog and spending quality time with friends over home-cooked meals or joint art-projects.Â
Breeanna Long
Thrive Fellow
Breeanna is a 3rd year Clinical Psychology doctoral student at Fuller. She is passionate about exploring the intersection of Christianity, trauma, and resilience in African American youth. With a compassionate and faith-centered approach, her work focuses on guiding individuals from a place of surviving to thriving by fostering resilience rooted in spiritual identity. She believes that both the explicit and implicit integration of faith can be a powerful catalyst for healing and growth. Through this lens, She strives to create supportive spaces where youth are empowered to rise above adversity and flourish in their God-given potential.
She is currently developing her dissertation on resilience among African American emerging adults, focusing on mentorship as a key factor in fostering posttraumatic growth amid systemic racism in academia. Grounded in Black Theology, this research examines how faith-informed and culturally responsive mentorship can promote resilience and healing for students navigating racialized academic spaces. By integrating theological principles of liberation and community, the study highlights how such mentorship can counteract marginalization and support holistic well-being within higher education.
Abigail Schmidt
Immediate Past Thrive Fellow
Abby Schmidt is a fourth year Psy.D. student in Fuller’s Clinical Psychology Program, being advised by Dr. Eriksson. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University. Growing up overseas has shaped her passion for working with humanitarian workers, particularly those who have experienced traumatic or stressful events. She is particularly interested in researching the impact of these events on the family unit and the ways a family can learn to be resilient and thrive in these types of settings. When she is not working on school or clinical training, you can find Abby spending time with family and friends, thrifting, crafting, or cooking.
Alize Spencer
Immediate Past Thrive Fellow
Alize is the Program Assistant with Fuller Pannell Center, and can manages the Pannell Center Social Media and student engagement. Alize is pursuing her PsyD in SOPMFT at Fuller Theological Seminary, studying Clinical Psychology. She was also an Emerging Black Scholar at the William E. Pannell Center for Black Church Studies and is the Founder of the Pasadena Black Student Union Student Group here at Fuller Seminary.
- Spencer, A. J., & Fort, C. (2024, March 22). Assessing Factors of Identity Development inAfrican American Youth: Four Key Factors [Poster Presentation]. 2024 CAPS International Conference, Atlanta, GA.
- Spencer, A. J., & Fort, C. (2024, May 6). Assessing Factors of Identity Development in African American Youth: Four Key Factors [PowerPoint Presentation]. 2024 Student Research Colloquium, Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary
Cynthia Eriksson
Dean of the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy ; PSYD Program Chair and Professor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Department
Cynthia Eriksson has been a core member of Fuller Seminary’s psychology faculty since 2003 and was named dean of the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy as of September 1, 2023. Dr. Eriksson’s research and teaching expertise focus on trauma, posttraumatic stress, spirituality, culture, burnout, resilience, and diversity. Much of her work explores the needs of cross-cultural aid or mission workers and the interaction of trauma and spirituality. Through Fuller SoPMFT’s Headington Program, she has developed research and consultation partnerships in Cambodia, Guatemala, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Liberia, the Netherlands, Spain, Uganda, and elsewhere. Eriksson is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, and the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology, and she has presented internationally at psychology and trauma conferences. In addition to authoring several book chapters, she has been published in The Journal of Traumatic Stress; Traumatology; Mental Health, Religion & Culture; Journal of Psychology and Theology; PLoS ONE, and many others.
Sung Kim
Professor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary
Sung H. (Seong-Hyeon) Kim, Ph.D. joined Fuller’s faculty in 2009, bringing his passion for psychological assessment and advanced statistics and psychometrics, such as topic modeling and structural equation modeling, to Fuller’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.
As a faculty affiliate at the Thrive Center for Human Development, Dr. Kim has been providing statistical consulting and data analysis services to the Center’s research projects, including the Shades of Gratitude Project.
Kenneth Wang
Professor of Psychology and PhD Program Chair, Clinical Psychology Department
Kenneth T. Wang is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association. He is also a practicing psychologist in the Los Angeles area, licensed in California & Illinois. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Penn State University. Prior to Fuller, Kenneth taught at University of Missouri and worked as a staff psychologist at the University of Illinois and a counselor at National Dong-Hwa University in Taiwan. Kenneth’s research focuses on perfectionism, psychological measurement, and cross-cultural psychological adjustment. Dr. Wang has published around 70 empirical research articles in SSCI journals on these topic areas. He also coauthored the textbook Research Design in Counseling 4th Edition. In 2023, Kenneth received the Excellent Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association in the International Section of the Society of Counseling Psychology.
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From academic conferences to community events to recording podcasts, Dr. King and team are working to share our research and offer new perspectives and practices to promote spiritual health and thriving.
Join our team! Please see Fuller’s HR page for inquiries.