Jennifer Ripley, Ph.D.

Bio

Dr. Jennifer Ripley is the Hughes Endowed Chair at Regent University where she has been a tenured professor of clinical psychology since 2007. She is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Virginia.

She believes the relationships you create in graduate school are the basis for the relational activity of being a psychologist and believes that the best part about being a professor at Regent is spending time with students in the life-changing experience of doctoral studies.

Ripley engages with students in the Charis Institute to promote mental health and family relationships in faith communities.  Within Charis, Ripley directs the Hope Project, a long-term clinical research study of the Hope approach to couple therapy, which has seen over 500 couples demonstrating clinical efficacy in various ways with student leadership. Her students learn the Hope approach and provide therapy to couples in the Psy.D. program’s internal clinic, and advanced students are selected to provide supervision. She co-directs The Church Cares which promotes mental health in churches. She directs the Family CARS training for therapists on competency in religion and spirituality.

Ripley has received over a million dollars in grants for projects, including half a million dollars from the NCF for The Church Cares Project with Dr. Sells, and three competitive Templeton Foundation Grant awards studying healthy marriage in China, spiritually integrated couple therapy, and competency addressing religion and spirituality in close relationships. She has many smaller grants from sources such as the Moffit Foundation and Huston Foundation, in addition to Regent University faculty research grants.

Ripley has published 4 books, over 60 refereed articles, and over 200 professional refereed conference presentations. She has also chaired over 50 dissertations. She has additional book projects under contract.  Her work has been cited over 4,000 times with an h-index of 22, according to Google Scholar, which is a demonstration not only of her capacity to write and publish, but also of the impact of these publications.

Developed with her colleague Ev Worthington, Ripley’s book, Couple Therapy: A New Hope Focused Approach, has wide use. In a survey of over 600 AACC clinical members in 2009, the Hope-focused approach was the most recognized and used approach to Christian couple counseling and enrichment. It was second in preparation for marriage. As early as 2004, this approach was identified by Jakubowski et al. as one of four evidence-based couple enrichment programs when comparing all couple enrichment programs, Christian and secular — and many studies and developments have taken place since.

In mentoring students, Ripley has co-authored over 75% of her publications with students as co-authors, and 78% of her presentations have involved students. Several students have won awards for their conference presentations.

Ripley’s national recognition includes Endowed Chair of Integration at Regent University; Fellow and elected Member at Large for the Society of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality with the American Psychological Association; the Recipient of the Distinguished Member Award for Christian Association for Psychological Studies; the David Stoop award for Family Research from the AACC; selection to serve on both the advisory board and general board of the Continuing Education Committee of the American Psychological Association; selection to review grants for the Templeton Foundation; and editorial board member for Spirituality in Clinical Practice, Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Journal of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, and Marriage and Family: A Christian Journal.  She’s also served as a conference chair and track chair for multiple conferences with the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and the Christian Association for Psychological Studies.

Ripley thrives on relationships with students and colleagues. She loves a good theology discussion, wrestling with some of the most difficult issues in psychology today, meditative prayer, and analyzing data.

Credentials

Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1999

M.S. Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1996

B.A. Psychology, Nyack College, 1990

Licensure/Certification: Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Virginia #2828

More information on publications and credentials are found at:

Official Vita

Google Scholar Site

Research Gate Site

ORCID reference

Ripley Private Practice website