About

Education

• Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, The University of Iowa
• Pre-Doctoral Internship, Colorado State University Health Network
• M.A. Educational Measurement and Statistics, The University of Iowa
• M.A. Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
• B.B.A. Business Administration, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

Research Interests

As a scholar-practitioner-advocate, I view research as a catalyst for individual and societal change, and thus my scholarly activities are shaped by multicultural, feminist, critical, and liberation psychology paradigms.

I am interested in deconstructing dominant ideologies and narratives (e.g., the myth of meritocracy) and exploring how they are related to the psychological and vocational outcomes among people of color and immigrant and refugee communities. I seek to recognize diverse ways of knowing, healing, and growing among marginalized communities. In addition, as a bilingual researcher, I conceptualize and develop tools to assess cultural constructs relevant to Korean and Korean-American communities.

To learn more about my research, please visit {the calm lab} webpage.

Clinical Interests

I am a licensed psychologist to practice in Maine, and I engage in clinical practice, including individual psychotherapy, group therapy, couples therapy, and consultation. I also have PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology. My clinical work focuses on alleviating suffering caused by stress, depression, and personal/collective/oppression trauma while fostering a sense of wholeness, posttraumatic growth, and meaningful community engagement. Both my research and clinical experiences inform my teaching, specifically Counseling Psychology, Community-Based Research Methods, and Psychology of Oppression and Liberation.

To learn more about my clinical work, please visit my practice website.

Community Engagement 

Since I joined Bates in 2020, I have been working with Maine Community Integration, a Somali woman-led organization serving Somali girls, women, and families and other refugee members in Lewiston. I bring public psychology perspectives and liberatory and pragmatic research paradigms. Our collaboration grew into theory-writing regarding Ka Bogso or posttraumatic growth (healing and growth in the aftermath of trauma), visualizing the theory, creating digital oral stories translated in more than 12 languages, and organizing community events for healing and growth. My students and I are exploring the Somali and community perception of the new theory, art, and stories.

To learn more about my community engagement project, please visit the Ka Bogso website.

The video below captures one of the culminating events where the new theory and process of knowledge co-creating were shared with community.

Publications

* Bates students

** Community partners

Peer-Reviewed Articles/Book Chapter

Work in Progress 

Musse, F., & Garrison, Y. G. (under review). Ka Bogso: The 5Rs posttraumatic growth model for Somali refugee women

Garrison, Y. G., Draper, C., Hashiramoto, T., Pearl, S., & Cederberg, C. (under review). “The American Dream is unattainble in this economy and time”: College students’ critical reflection on meritocracy

Cadenas, G. A., Garrison, Y. G., & Ali, S. A. (under revision). Deconstructing and reimagining a psychological ethics of care and justice for immigrants, refugees, and displaced persons globally. The Oxford Handbook of International Psychological Ethics (2nd ed). 

*Gajarski, N. & Garrison, Y. G. (under review). Asian American college students’ reflection on the #StopAsianHate Movement

*Castiblanco, M., Le, T. P., Garrison, Y. G., & Langdon, S. (under review). The role of internalization, ethnic identity, depression, and body shame in Latina women’s disordered eating

2024

Kim, T., Garrison, Y. L., & Xiang, Z. [These authors are equal contributors and first authors.] (in press). The Lotus Clinical Supervision Model for Linguistically Marginalized International Trainees. The Counseling Psychologist

Garrison, Y. L., Her, J., Kim, T., Kim, H. J. (in press). Vocational experiences of Korean women with a high school diploma: Insights into work precarity and social marginalization. Journal of Career Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727241266937

Garrison, Y. L., Cadenas, G. A. & Ali, S. A. (2024). A framework of community-engaged vocational research methodologies: Liberatory perspectives. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.103970

Garrison, Y. L., Tang, S. S., Lee, A. B. (2024). Liberation psychology perspectives for Asian Americans. Journal of Health Service Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-024-00098-z

Garrison, Y. L. Ali, S. R., & Mahatmya, D. (2024). Work hope among rural Latinx and White youth: The role of beliefs in a just America, class inequality, and educational meritocracy. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-024-09671-w

Garrison, Y. L., Luo, Y., & Sahker, E. (2024). Integration of substance use disorder treatment in traditional mental health facilities: Timeseries and cross-sectional evaluations. International Journal of Drug Policy, 124, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104312

* Kleinbardt, H., Garrison, Y. L., & Blankenau, A. (2024). Transracial and transnational adoption in children’s literature: Implications for Asian American adoptees’ representation, cultural authenticity, and identity. Adoption Quarterly. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2024.2345053

2023

Garrison, Y. L., Kim, T., Son, Y., Aldrich, C., Ali, S. R., & *Jiao T. (2023). Fluent or discriminated? English language and career learning experiences among Asian international students. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 1-12. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-023-09620-z

Wang, K., Andres, C., Ho, Y. C. S., Garrison, Y. L., & Kivlighan III, D. M. (2023). Asian international psychotherapist’s experiences of client’s microaggression in therapy, Psychotherapy, 60(4), 442-454. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000502

Garrison, Y. L., *Jiao, T., *Vaz, S., *Shah, S., *Reeves, D., *Murphy, S., Lin, C., & *Pak, S. (2023). A qualitative study of women of color group psychotherapists: The wellspring of collective healing. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 70(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000643

*Sonoda, P. T., & Garrison, Y. L. (2023). Storytelling for Asian-White Multiracial American college students’ racial identity. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000526

2022

Jung, A.-K., & Garrison, Y. L. (2022). The Korean version of the Classism Experiences Questionnaire-Academe. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling. Advance online publication.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-022-09481-1

Ali, S. R., Drustrup, D., Garrison, Y. L., & Mahatmya, D. (2022). Economic justice and vocational psychology: Towards community change. Journal of Career Assessment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211069535

Garrison, Y. L., Yeung, C. W., Ho, Y. C. S., Hong, J., Son, Y., Lin, C.-L. R., & Bermingham, C. (2022). Linguistic minority international counseling psychology trainees’ experiences in clinical supervision. Advance online publication. The Counseling Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000221094324

Garrison, Y. L., Park, S., Yeung, C. W., Li, Z., Ho, Y. C. S., & Chang-Tran, J. (2023). The social class worldviews of Chinese international students in the United States. Journal of International Students, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i1.4013

2021

Garrison, Y. L., Ali, S. R., Lin, C. R., Kim, J. C., & Heshmati, S. (2021). Healthcare career intervention with youth in a predominantly Latinx rural community: A pilot study of a creative approach. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-020-09455-y

Garrison, Y. L., Rice, A., & Liu, W. M. (2021). The American Meritocracy Myth Stress Scale (AMMSS): Scale development and initial validation. The Counseling Psychologist, 49(1), 80-105. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000020962072

Ali, S. R., Garrison, Y. L., Dawson, D. A, & Cervantes, Z., M. (2021). Sociopolitical development and healthcare career interests, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations among rural youth. The Counseling Psychologist. Advance online publication. http://doi.org/10.1177/00110000211007440

Sahker, E., Park, S., Garrison, Y. L., Yeung, C. W., Luoa, Y., Arndt, S., & Furukawa. T. A. (2021). State population indices predict Asian American and Pacific Islander successful substance use treatment completion: Initial exploratory observations. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. Advance online publicaation. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2020.1864539

2020

An, H. Y., Goodyear, R. K., Seo, Y. S., Garrison, Y. L., Baek, K. Y., & Cho, H. J. (2020). Supervisor style as a predictor of relationship quality and supervisee satisfaction: Perceptions of U.S. and South Korean supervisees. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21, 487-504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-020-09637-x

 Kivlighan III, D. M., Ali, R., & Garrison, Y. L. (2020). Is there an optimal level of positive and constructive feedback in group therapy? A response surface analysis. Psychotherapy, 57(2), 174-183. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000244

Lustgarten, S. D., Garrison, Y. L., Sinnard, M. T., & Flynn, A. W. P. (2020). Digital privacy in mental healthcare: Current issues and recommendations for technology use. Current Opinion in Psychology, 36, 25-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.03.012

Kivlighan III, D. M., Aloe, A., Adams, M., Garrison, Y. L., Obrecht, A., Ho, S., Kim, J. Y. C., Hooley, I., Chan, L., & Deng, K. (2020). How large are group effects? A meta-analysis of the intraclass correlation coefficient in group therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(4), 322-337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000474

Rice, A., Garrison, Y. L., & Liu, W. M. (2020). Spending as Social and Affective Coping (SSAC): Measure development and initial validation. The Counseling Psychologist, 48(1), 78-105. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019878848

Park, S., Garrison, Y. L., & Liu, W. M. (2020). Career decision ambiguity tolerance of Asian men in the United States. Journal of Career Development, 47(6), 641-656. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845318811675

2019

Garrison, Y. L., Sahker, E., Yeung, C. W., Park, S. & Arndt, S. (2019). Asian American and Pacific Islander substance use treatment completion. Psychological Services, 16(4), 636–646. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000274

Sahker, E., Garrison, Y. L., Yeung, C. W., Park, S., & Arndt, S. (2019). Treatment without diagnosis: The status of known diagnoses in US addictions treatment centres. International Journal of Drug Policy, 63, 97-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.11.015

Liu, W. M., Liu, R. Z., Garrison, Y. L., Kim, J. Y. C., Ho, Y. C., Chan, L., & Yeung, C. W. (2019). Racial trauma, microaggressions, and becoming racially innocuous: Acculturation and white supremacist ideology. American Psychologist, 74, 143-155. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000368

Ali, S. R., Pham, A. Z., Garrison, Y. L., & Brown, S. D. (2019). Project HOPE: Sociopolitical development and SCCT beliefs of Latinx and White rural middle school students. Journal of Career Development, 46, 410-424. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845319832973

2018

Garrison, Y. L., Kim, J. Y. C., & Liu, W. M. (2018). A qualitative study of Korean men experiencing stress due to nonprestigious hakbeol. The Counseling Psychologist, 46, 786-813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000018798042

Garrison, Y. L., & Liu, W. M. (2018). Using the social class worldview model in student affairs. New Directions for Student Services, 162, 19-33. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20259

2017

Garrison, Y. L., Liu, W. M., Yeung, C. W., Park, S., Sahker, E., & Conrad, M. (2017). The meaning of hakbeol within the context of educational meritocracy and prestige among South Korean college students. Journal of Asia Pacific Counseling, 7, 105-121. https://doi.org/10.18401/2017.7.2.1

Garrison, Y. L., Lee, K.-H., & Ali, S. R. (2017). Career identity and life satisfaction: The mediating role of tolerance for uncertainty and positive/negative affect. Journal of Career Development, 44, 516-529. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845316668410

Garrison, Y. L., & Lee, K. H. (2017). Meaning in life among Korean college students based on emotionality and tolerance of uncertainty. Personality and Individual Differences, 112, 26-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.02.044

Liu, W. M., Latino, C., & Garrison, Y. L. (2017). Social class, classism, and race: Subjective worldviews and the role of rotating credit associations. In A. W. Blume (Ed.), Social issues in living color: Challenges and solutions from the perspective of ethnic minority psychology. ABC-CLIO/Praeger Publishing: Santa Barbara, CA.

Ali, S. R., Brown, S. D., Loh, Y. (2017). Project HOPE: Evaluation of health-career education programming for Latino and rural youth. Career Development Quarterly, 65, 57-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12080

Sahker, E., Yeung, C., Garrison, Y. L., Park, S., & Arndt, S. (2017). Asian American and Pacific Islanders substance use treatment admission trends. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 171, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.022

Lustgarten, S. D., Elchert, D. M., Cederberg, C., Garrison, Y. L., Ho, Y. C. (2017). Readability of informed consent documents at university counseling centers. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 30, 281-296. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2017.1343108

2011-2012

Loh, Y., & Lee, K.-H. (2012). The effect of mentor experience on career adaptability among university students. Asian Journal of Education, 13, 231-250.

Loh, Y., & Kim, N.-R. (2012). How mentoring functions predict mentors’ leadership skills. GSTF Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 1(2), 35-39.

Park, S., Loh, Y., Cho, E., & Lee, D.-G. (2011). Differences in interpersonal problems and happiness by the subgroups of anger expression styles. Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology, 25(3), 77-92.

Professional Affiliations and Engagement

I completed my role as the former Co-President of the Korean Psychology Network Faculty/Research Committee in July 2024. I currently serve as an editorial board member of peer-reviewed journals, including The Counseling Psychologist and  Journal of Career Assessment.

• American Psychological Association
  • Division 17: Society of Counseling Psychology
  • Division 27: Society for Community Research and Action
  • Division 29: Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy
  • Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race
• Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture
• Asian American Psychology Psychological Association
• American Mental Health Counseling Association
• Korean Psychology Network