Psychology
Behavioral and Applied Social Sciences

Psychology Home

Dr. Kristin L. Sorensen, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology

Background
I took several years off from college and pursued other endeavors. Some of the careers I ‘sampled’ were: Performing arts, retail management, restaurant management, catering, teaching dance, director of church music/liturgical dance, teaching children and timid adults to ride, executive assistance to public affairs/public relations firm, paralegal to corporate/real estate attorneys, office management for graphic design firm, office management for religious organizations. I believe that all these experiences have enriched my ability to relate to students from varied backgrounds, and to reiterate my best decision: To teach/mentor. 

Education
I graduated with honors from Seattle University in 1997 with a BA in psychology/minor in philosophy. I earned my MA in psychology from Saybrook University in 2000. My Master’s thesis was a phenomenological study of internalized homophobia among gay men. I earned my Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook in 2004. My dissertation was a phenomenological study of overcoming prejudice.

Bio
Before coming to Defiance College in 2008, I taught psychology courses at Glendale Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, South Mountain Community College (in Maricopa County, Arizona), Western International University (also in Maricopa County, Arizona) – on campus and online courses in psychology and sociology, Laney College, Oakland, California, and Arizona State University at the Main campus and Arizona State University at the West campus. 

My area of specialization combines clinical and social psychology (I worked with homeless and people living in poverty, people living with HIV/AIDS, and sexual minorities) although I am best ‘classified’ as a generalist, due to the variety of courses I have taught.

I teach several psychology courses at Defiance College: Introduction to Psychology, Infancy and Childhood, Adolescence and Adulthood, Abnormal Psychology, Theories of Personality, Neuropsychology, History and Systems, Addictive and compulsive behaviors, Sport Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Human Sexuality. I teach a Criminal Justice course (Social Deviance), and a graduate education course (Sport Psychology/Psychology of Coaching).

I also am the Faculty advisor for the DC cheerleading squad, and co-advisor for the Culinary Club.

Contact
Phone: 419-783-2430
Email: ksorensen@defiance.edu