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Everett L Worthington Jr., Ph.D.

Dr. Ev Worthington

Emeritus Commonwealth Professor
Counseling Psychology
916 W Franklin, rm 306
eworth@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1150

Emeritus Commonwealth Professor (tenured)
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Virginia
Ph.D. (1978), University of Missouri-Columbia

APS Fellow
APA Fellow (Div 17 Counseling Psychology and Div 36 Religion and Spirituality)

Fall 2017 begins my 40th year at VCU. I will retire October 1, 2017. Although I will be gone for a while after that date, by the end of the fall 2017 semester, I will be back and working daily at VCU in the Department of Psychology. I am not accepting graduate students.

Doctoral Program Affiliations

Primary: Counseling Psychology
Secondary: Social Psychology, Health Psychology and Developmental Psychology

Websites

Research Interests

My research is primarily in the field of positive psychology (with a primary research interest in forgiveness, a secondary interest in humility and other interests in gratitude, patience and other virtues). My second research interest is in religion and spirituality (in life and in counseling). My third research interest is in the Hope-Focused Couple Approach to counseling, enrichment and education.

Select Publications

Woodyatt, L., Worthington, E. L., Jr., Wenzel, M., & Griffin, B. J. (Eds.). (in press). Handbook of self-forgiveness. New York: Springer.
Worthington, E. L., Jr., & Allison, S. T. ([soon to be] in press). Heroic humility: What the science of humility can say to people raised on self-focus. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 
Worthington, E. L., Jr., Davis, D. E., & Hook, J. N. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of humility: Theory, research, and application. New York: Routledge.
Toussaint, L. L., Worthington, E. L., Jr., & Williams, D. (Eds.). (2015). Forgiveness and health: Scientific evidence and theories relating forgiveness to better health. New York: Springer.
Worthington, E. L., Jr., & Sandage, S. J. (2015). Forgiveness and spirituality in psychotherapy: A relational approach. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Recent Courses

  • Introduction to Psychology, undergraduate level
  • Positive Psychology, undergraduate level
  • Spotlight on Research - Forgiveness: Theory, Research, & Practice, undergraduate level (5 weeks)
  • Forgiveness: Theory, Research, and Practice, graduate level
  • Principles of Psychological Measurement, graduate level
  • Research in Counseling Psychology, graduate level

Recent Grants

Can Forgiveness Research Be Strengthened in South Africa and West Africa?

Amount: $938,248
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: Templeton World Charity Foundation
Period: 9/2015 – 9/2017

Forgiveness in Africa

Amount: $938,248
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: Templeton World Charity Foundation
Period: 9/2014 – 9/2017

Relational Humility 

Amount: $344,584
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: John Templeton Foundation
Period: 1/2010 – 12/2014
Number: 14979

Forgiveness in Christian Colleges

Amount: $72,000
Role: Principal Investigator
Source: Fetzer Institute
Period: 6/2009 – 5/2011

Recent Awards

  • 2016, Outstanding Faculty Award, State Council of Higher Education in Virginia
  • 2016, Norman Munn Distinguished Visiting Scholar Award, Flinders University, October-November 2017
  • 2015, Elder Recognition Award for Distinguished Contributions to Counseling Psychology, APA Division 17 (Society for Counseling Psychology)
  • 2014, Doctor of Humane Letters (Honorary Doctorate), Pepperdine University
  • 2014, Commonwealth Professor (Honorary Title), Virginia Commonwealth University
  • 2012, William Bier Award for Sustained Professional Contributions, APA Division 36 (Society for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality)

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