Department of Clinical and Organizational Psychology, Vilnius University

Title and Précis:

Traumatized Society, Democracy, and Catholic Religious Belief

     Between 1940 and 1990, Lithuania was occupied by either Soviet or Nazi oppressive regimes. During this time, about 30% of the population was deported, sentenced to death, imprisoned, or forced to emigrate. This long and traumatic experience has lead to various forms of repression and its impact still effects contemporary Lithuania and its policies. This project aims to investigate such effects of trauma through interviews and comparisons of various psychosocial experiences. The Catholic Church was the main voice of resistance against the different regimes in Lithuania, and therefore the influence of spiritual values, beliefs, and faith will be analyzed as potentially significant factors in struggling through psychological trauma.

Biography:

     Dr. Danutė Gailienė is Professor and Chair of the Department of Clinical and Organizational Psychology at Vilnius University and a member of the University Senate. She earned her Doctoral degree in Social Sciences/Psychology from the University of Moscow in 1985.  She was Visiting Professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas from 1995-2000 and conducted research at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Kaunas Medical University from 1997-1999.  Dr. Gailienė serves on editorial boards of several professional journals, including European Psychologist and Psychology.

News and Updates:

• Dr. Gailienė is an Academician at the Catholic Academy of Science in Lithuania
• She is also a member of the State Committee on Bioethics
• Dr. Gailienė has been participating in various public forums outside of the University, such as radio discussions and TV programs, in addition to some publications in popular Lithuanian magazines.