April 23, 2019
Dr. Terrill developed an early interest in mental health issues in medical populations after seeing both of her grandmothers and later her mother experience strokes. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Washington State University with an emphasis in behavioral medicine. She later specialized in rehabilitation during her clinical residency and research post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. It was during this time that Dr. Terrill witnessed the vital role family plays in their loved one's recovery but the limited support available to family caregivers. This fueled her research interest in promoting wellbeing for individuals and families who are coping with chronic conditions by providing interventions they could easily access.
In 2014, Dr. Terrill found an opportunity to pursue her research interests at the University of Utah, Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, where she created a positive psychology-based intervention for couples coping with stroke. This intervention consisted of short and simple activities the couple could do at home, such as expressing gratitude, practicing acts of kindness, and working toward goals. Dr. Terrill is now the Principal Investigator in multiple studies designed to help individuals and their families foster resilience to promote healthier lives. Below, Dr. Terrill shares more about her professional and personal interests.
How did your early findings influence the direction of your current research?
I was really interested in why two people who have similar injuries or conditions could respond, or cope, very differently. Physically, for example, the stroke might be very similar, but psychologically and emotionally, the experience is very different from person to person. The family plays a huge role in recovery and rehabilitation and can be a major source of strength or detriment. Being able to harness strengths in relationships can be beneficial for both the stroke survivor and family member. I learn a lot from survivors and family caregivers; they teach me about their experience and what is meaningful to them. It is important to consider this when developing interventions.
Is there something you have learned from your research that was surprising to you?
How willing people – survivors, family caregivers, and clinicians – are to help us out and their enthusiasm for what we are trying to do.
What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about the work you do?
Sometimes it’s challenging to have patience because things move relatively slowly from initial development to when you can implement a new intervention. There are a lot of rewarding things – that’s why I do it. Knowing we are doing something that could be beneficial for people with disabilities and their family members is the big idea behind it all. More immediately, we are connecting with the community members and able to provide education and resources to them.
You have now done research on couples dealing with stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. Are there other conditions you would like to include in future studies?
We are going to try to be more inclusive of all neurological conditions. Our next project will include people with multiple sclerosis. We are also planning to go beyond couples and include other types of informal caregivers, like parents, adult children, close friends.
Switching gears a bit: You were born in Switzerland. Do you ever get back to visit?
I try to go back at least once a year because my parents moved back for retirement.
What is your top recommendation for tourists when they go to Switzerland?
For more touristy things, go to Lucerne for historical sites. For the iconic, there's the Matterhorn and Zermatt. Or for something different head to the southeast for the Italian speaking part of Switzerland and palm trees. My heart is the eastern part of Switzerland, where my family is from, the Grisons area. Whatever you decide to go see, I highly recommend traveling by train.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
I love the mountains, so I love trail running, hiking, skiing. I love my dog Koda, he’s my running buddy. I also like gardening and I enjoy spending time with my family.
To learn more about Dr. Terrill’s journey, you can watch her Vitae 2018 talk.