Sujata R. Swaroop
Part-Time Instructor
Dr. Sujata Regina Swaroop is a part-time instructor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. She is a clinical psychologist with expertise in trauma-informed prevention and intervention initiatives across various continuum of care levels. She is dedicated to advancing intersectional justice models for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Dr. Swaroop grounds her work in cutting-edge research, human rights frameworks, and honoring lived experiences of marginalized or oppressed populations, including resilience theory. Through her research, clinical work, and advocacy efforts, she has come to realize that a strong network of informal and formal community connections is fundamental for sustainable change.
As a multiracial researcher, Dr. Swaroop has long conducted transnational research, yielding developed expertise in systems-level intervention for populations affected by foreign occupation and historical loss, war and displacement, domestic and international acts of terror, political torture, and human trafficking and sexual exploitation. She has written numerous publications on trauma-informed systems change, transformative approaches to capacity-building, and culturally distinctive resilience and healing in South Asian, Sub-Saharan African, and South American contexts. The trauma recovery program she designed for displacement camps in Northwest Pakistan has been recognized with an Award for Service in Clinical Psychology (Division 12) by the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Swaroop has served as a delegate to organizations including the NATO 2012 Summit and the United Nations’ 54th Convention on the Status of Women. Within the domestic sphere, her work spans needs assessment, project design and management, program evaluation, and policy review for organizations such as Families of Fallen Service Members, Asian-American Institute, and Project REACH, a national anti-human trafficking program. She has offered agency, state, regional, national, and transnational training to FBI agents and law enforcement officials, attorneys, medical professionals, mental health professionals, shelter workers, local political leaders, and community activists.
Education
Boston College
University of New South Wales
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
The Trauma Center
Courses
Multicultural Counseling
Psychology of Oppression and Liberation
Selected Publications
Musciaro, R., Spinazzola, J., Arvidson, J., Swaroop, S., Goldblatt-Grace, L., Yarrow, A., Suvak, M., & Ford, J.D. (2017). The complexity of adaptation to childhood polyvictimization in youth and adults. Journal of Orthopsychiatry, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017692365
Swaroop, S. & Cosio, D. (2016). The use of mind-body medicine in chronic pain management: Differential trends and session-by-session changes in anxiety. Journal of Pain Management& Medicine 2(114), 1-7.
Swaroop, S. & DeLoach, C. (2015). Voices of trauma and resilience: Cultural and gender distinctive responses to war and displacement in Pakistan. Journal of Psychology and Developing Societies, 27(1).
DeLoach, C. & Swaroop, S. (2014). Community transformation and collective healing: Lessons from Pakistan, Brazil, and Zambia. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, Special Issue on Transformative Change in Community Mental Health, 5(1), 1-13.
Swaroop, S., DeLoach, C., & Sheikh, F. (2014). Islamic healing approaches, beliefs, and health-related behaviors. In R. Gurung (Ed.), Multicultural Approaches to Health and Wellness in the United States. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Swaroop, S. & Rundles, K. (2012). Taming the flame: Reaching transformation while preventing domestic violence. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 2(3), 1-24.
Petersen, M. & Swaroop, S. (2011). Complex trauma: A critical analysis of the Rwandan fight for liberation. Journal of Pan-African Studies, 4, 1-19. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1524838017692365
Peterson, M., Swaroop, S., & Uttamchandani, A. (2010). Colonialism and trauma: Intersections of the past and present. Stress Points (International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies), 24, 4-6.
Selected Presentations
Swaroop, S. (2015). Trafficking and Psychological Trauma: Identifying Best Practices for Court Systems. Two-hour national webinar presented for the Santa Clara County CSEC Workgroup for District Attorneys, judges, public defenders, local law enforcement, FBI, legal advocates, and additional court services staff, Santa Clara, CA.
Swaroop, S. (2015). Trafficking and Psychological Trauma: Identifying Best Practices for Probation Officers and Social Workers. Two hour national webinar presented for the Santa Clara County CSEC Workgroup for probation officers and social workers, Santa Clara, CA.
Swaroop, S. (2015). Trafficking and Psychological Trauma: Identifying Best Practices for Service Providers. Two-hour national webinar presented for the Santa Clara County CSEC Workgroup for psychologists, public health workers, medical providers, shelter workers, and DCF staff, Santa Clara, CA.
Swaroop, S. (2014). The Impact of Polyvictimization in Victims of Human Sex and Labor Trafficking. 90-minute national webinar presented for the OVC National Action Partnership on Polyvictimization and the NCTSN Complex Trauma Workgroup and Complex Trauma Treatment Network as part of the Enhancing Multidisciplinary Responses to Polyvictimization: Complex Trauma Speaker Series.
Swaroop, S. (2014). Polyvictimization and Complex Trauma in Survivors of Human Trafficking and Torture. Six-hour media recording recorded by the National Capacity Building Project and the Center for Survivors of Torture for the HealTorture.Org website.
Swaroop, S. & DeLoach, C. (2014). Pakistani trauma reactions: Voicing cultural and gender distinctive responses to war and displacement. Paper presentation at the 15th Biennial Conference for the International Society for Justice Research, New York, NY.
DeLoach, C. & Swaroop, S. (2014). Community transformation and collective healing: Lessons from Pakistan, Brazil, and Zambia. Paper presentation at the 15th Biennial Conference for the International Society for Justice Research, New York, NY.
Swaroop, S., Hijazi, A., & DeLoach, C. (2013). Moving towards peace: Exploring healing from war-related conflict. Symposium presented for the 2013 Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Conference, Promoting Nonviolence at Home and Beyond, Muncie, IN.
Swaroop, S. & DeLoach, C. (2011). Phenomenological perspectives on Pakistani displacement-related distress and healing: Implications for evidence-based therapies. Poster presented for the 28th Annual Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology and Education, New York, NY.