Dr Keren Cohen

Keren Cohen is a Lecturer in the department and a course convenor for the BA in Psychosocial Studies. Her academic background is in clinical psychology, with an emphasis on trauma and well-being. She was trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy and alongside her academic career she also works as a counsellor. 

Keren is an active researcher and has a keen interest in positive psychology with an emphasis on well-being, happiness and posttraumatic growth. She has had several publications in this area, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Academic qualifications

• BA in Behavioural Science
• MA in Clinical Psychology
• PhD in Psychology

Areas of supervision

Keren's areas of supervision include well-being and quality of life, life stories, psychological trauma, vicarious trauma and posttraumatic growth.

Publications and research outputs

Article

Cohen, Keren and Jones, Charlotte. 2022. The Role of Psychological Resilience and Family Dysfunction in the Relationship Between Parental Behavioural Addictions and Adult Mental Health. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, ISSN 2195-7614

Florez, Estephania; Cohen, Keren; Ferenczi, Nelli; Linnell, Karina J; Lloyd, Joda; Goddard, Lorna; Kumashiro, Madoka and Freeman, Jonathan. 2020. Linking Recent Discrimination-Related Experiences and Wellbeing via Social Cohesion and Resilience. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 4(1), pp. 92-104. ISSN 2717-7564

Cohen, Keren and Collens, Paula. 2013. The impact of trauma work – A meta-synthesis on vicarious trauma and vicarious trauma growth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(6), pp. 570-580. ISSN 1942-9681

Report

Baker, Christopher and Cohen, Keren. 2023. Harnessing the Power of Faith: Resilience, Compassion and Psychological Well-being Amongst Women in Contexts of Global Precarity. Project Report. Goldsmiths, University of London, London.

Research Interests

As a general framework, I am interested in the areas of Happiness and Well-being with a specific interest in Posttraumatic Growth, that is, the ability of people to grow and develop after experiencing trauma. Within this area, I have been looking at life stories and their relation to growth as well as the impact that trauma work has on those who carry it out. Recently I have started working on exploring and developing the concept of Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth.