DR VIC counted

working to support, sustain, and strengthen what makes communities flourish

Victor A. Counted, PhD, is an interdisciplinary psychologist, social scientist and incoming associate professor in the School of Psychology and Counselling, College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Regent University, Virginia USA. He is also Faculty Affiliate of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University and has previously worked as a researcher and lecturer in South Africa, Nigeria, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Vic has published six books and over 50 research articles and scholarly chapters examining various aspects of psychosocial, psychospiritual, and human-environment processes that support health and well-being across cultures, and is known for his contribution to the dialogue between psychology and religion.

Dr Vic Counted has degrees in theology, social sciences, and holds a Ph.D. in Health Psychology (Western Sydney University, Australia) and a second Ph.D. in Psychology of Religion (The University of Groningen, Netherlands).

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email: connect@victorcounted.org

latest books from dr counted

October 2021
Springer Nature This book rekindles the well-known connection between people and place in the context of a global pandemic. The chapters are divided into two sections. In the first section, “Place Attachment During a Pandemic,” we review the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent of its impact on place attachment and human-environment interactions. We examine how restrictions in mobility and environmental changes can have a significant psychological burden on people who are dealing with the effect of place attachment disruption that arises during a pandemic. In the second section, “Adjusting to Place Attachment Disruption During and After a Pandemic,” we focus on adaptive processes and responses that could enable people to adjust positively to place attachment disruption. We conclude the book by discussing the potential for pro-environmental behavior to promote place attachment and flourishing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing an integrative framework of place flourishing and exploring its implications for theory, research, policy, and practice.
Place and Post-Pandemic Flourishing
August 2021
Lexington Books / Rowman & Littlefield This book examines the expressions of attachment-related radicalization. It argues that radicalization is rooted in experiences of disrupted attachment in religion, places, or with people who are perceived as sources of security. The book treats the subject of radicalization with great insight and empathy and interprets it in the light of recent cases of radicalization around the world.
The Roots of Radicalization

Trained as an interdisciplinary social scientist, health psychologist, and practical theologian, Dr Counted’s body of work has sought to address various aspects of psychosocial, psychospiritual, and human-environment processes that support and sustain human flourishing across cultures.  

Research Priorities

Key areas: minority health, migrant quality of life, suffering, mental health, human flourishing, physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, spiritual well-being, environmental health;

Key research topics: place attachment, religious/spiritual attachment, attachment with adult caregivers, attachment psychopathology, attachment & radicalization; 

Key interests: religious coping, spiritual struggles, religion & wellbeing, religion & place, spiritual care, God representations, relational spirituality, attachment-religion framework, African diaspora religion, religion & migration, religious psychopathology;

Attachment radicalization framework, religious psychopathology, religious conflicts, conservative nationalism, psychology of conspiracy beliefs

Expertise: sense of place, community belonging, place attitudes, place attachment, sacred places, people-place relationships, pro-environmental behaviors; 

Interests: migration & health, religion & migration, migrant social integration, sense of belonging, African diaspora, acculturation strategies

Research topics: coping, self-transcendence, authenticity, resilience, hope, well-being, meaning-making, character strengths.

Psychosocial healing systems, protective psychological resources, religious coping, cross-cultural well-being practices, spiritual care across cultures

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