The Other Side of Suffering: Finding a Path to Peace after Tragedy

As a developmental psychologist conducting research on the impact of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Katie Cherry logged thousands of miles in her car and hundreds of hours interviewing survivors, and along the the way she learned a few things about variables that matter after a disaster. In this work, she presents objective, research-based findings together with case illustrations and direct quotations from Katrina survivors. Six evidence-based principles of healing are presented. The overarching premise of this work is that the coastal residents who survived Katrina have a message of hope and healing after disaster. Their lives demonstrate that survivors of any disaster can regain a sense of joy in daily living after a catastrophic disaster or other life altering tragedy.

Dr. Katie E. Cherry, PhD is a developmental psychologist with research expertise in cognition and healthy aging. Her recent work focuses on challenges to healthy aging after disasters. She is the Emogene Pliner Distinguished Professor of Aging Studies at Louisiana State University, a professorship awarded in 2002 for her contributions to the field of adult development and aging. To date, she has over 165 publications including two edited books. Her work has been funded by the National Institute on Aging, the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and most recently by the National Science Foundation.