Communications

Assistant Professor

College of Education and Social Work - Graduate Social Work

Bio

Dr. Erin Hipple, MSW, MA, LCSW, Ph.D. (they/them) is an educator, trauma therapist, and qualitative researcher. Their background is in social work, psychology, theater, music, and writing. Erin’s areas of interest revolve around healing. These interests include gender affirming care, radical self-love, somatics and embodiment, healing through resistance to oppressive systems, culturally responsive mental healthcare for individuals with alternative sexual practices, incorporating pop culture, art, music, and storytelling into therapy and classroom spaces, and exploring the relationship between individual and collective healing. They are currently working with a research team that is examining the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, social service, and public health professionals and exploring the role of labor rights advocacy as an avenue for self and collective care.

They use a variety of frameworks and modalities in their therapy practice including EMDR, Brainspotting, Narrative Therapy, Body Trust ®, HeartMath, Politicized Somatics, Motivational Interviewing, and Liberation Psychology. Erin seeks to cultivate therapeutic and educational spaces that center inclusion of all bodies, an ethic of care, collective joy, creativity, consent, and self-reflection in pursuit of sustainable futures.

Expertise

• Mental Health
• Trauma Therapy
• Trauma Treatment
• Liberation-Based Mental Health and Therapy Frameworks
• Oppression within Mental Health Systems, Mental Health Abolition
• Human Sexuality
• Gender Affirming Care for Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Diverse People
• LGBTQ+ Mental Health
• Burnout
• Body Positivity
• Body Liberation
• Body Trust
• Self Care
• Community Care
• Weight Neutral Mental Health Care
• Alternative Sexual Practices (polyamory/consensual non-monogamy, kink)
• The Use of Pop Culture in Therapy
• Sexism in Media and Advertising
• Storytelling as Healing

Education

• B.A., West Chester University
• M.A., West Chester University
• MSW, Widener University
• Ph.D., Widener University

Media

The Body Optimist, 2022
The Hawkeye, 2022
USA Today, 2017, 2021
Zing News, 2021
Brut Media, 2021
Terrafemina, 2020
ABC Nightline, 2019
Good Morning America, 2019
Philadelphia Inquirer, 2019
KDKA Radio, 2019
Forbes, 2019