Changing Behaviors

Christina Verzijl '14, B.A. Psychology

Christina Verzijl didn't start college at Trinity, but she got there as quickly as she could. A San Antonio native, Christina first attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she encountered two years of very large classes, an internship unrelated to her major, and long, snowy winters. "All that changed once I transferred to Trinity," she says.

At Trinity, Christina quickly formed bonds with psychology professors Carol Yoder and Carolyn Becker, who introduced her to the importance of research, encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone, and became "extremely influential in my development as a academic and as a person." Exuding enthusiasm and passion, Christina describes co-authoring a book chapter with Yoder that is currently under review and working on manuscripts with Becker, one of which was published earlier this year in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Indeed, Christina is so passionate, she wanted to stay on after graduation to implement what she called the Body Project 4 High Schools program, a modified version of the Body Project Becker has implemented with Trinity sororities for more than a decade. Her plan was met with good news and bad news: Becker would support her, but she had no funding to do the work.

That did not stop a determined Christina. As her professors had encouraged her to do, she took the opportunity to go beyond her comfort zone. She created marketing materials, spoke with local high school administrators to obtain their permission, and met with potential sources of funding—local businesses, family foundations, and individuals. "Every step of the way, there were people who told me my plan to bring a body acceptance program to San Antonio high school students would be difficult if not impossible," she notes.

Not to be deterred, Christina began small, implementing the program at her old high school, Alamo Heights, and the smaller private schools Keystone and St. Mary's Hall, before expanding to Judson, Wagner, and the International School of the Americas of Lee High School. "I first ran female-only groups, and as that took off, male students began showing interest in the program. With the help of another post-bacc research assistant, Christina began implementing a more complex research component that tested the efficacy and effectiveness of the intervention in a number of diverse settings and if the program could be implemented successfully by a researcher without an advanced degree. She also managed to independently raise $50,000 to support her position, the costs of the program, and the salary of her part-time research assistant. "By the end, I had exceeded my own expectations and learned that with perseverance and a good support system any idea can come to fruition."

Before leaving Trinity, Christina trained about 30 high school counselors at various schools to make the program sustainable on campuses that had sufficient counselors and teachers to run the program. It includes teaching students a number of activities and skills that enable them to promote positive body image for themselves as well as their friends. They are also taught how to handle different forms of body talk or negative body talk in a healthy manner.

Last month Christina moved to Tampa, where she is a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of South Florida and working as a research and teaching assistant. She is excited about continuing her research career in a new environment and broadening her understanding of research, clinical practice, and body image, and says if the opportunity arises she will be happy to bring her Body Project to Tampa high schools.

Initially, Christina was drawn to psychology by "a number of high school experiences that pointed me in the direction of wanting to help people." However, once at Trinity she discovered that helping people went far beyond counseling. "Researching what works and what doesn't in the form of treatment is as important as the treatment itself," she notes.

After earning her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, Christina plans to continue research "most likely related to eating disorders and body image." She is also interested in studying anxiety and different forms of therapy including exposure therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy and plans a career that includes both clinical practice and research.

When not immersed in her work, Christina enjoys listening to live music, hiking, and "anytime with my puppy fills my heart with joy."

You may contact Christina at cverzijl@mail.usf.edu.