Dr. Cheryl Grills is a Clinical Psychologist with a current emphasis in Community Psychology. A President’s Professor and Full Professor in the Department of Psychological Science, she has been on the faculty of LMU for 36 years and is Founder and Director of its Psychology Applied Research Center. She also founded Imoyase Community Support Services, a 33-year non-profit organization providing action research, program evaluation and strategic technical assistance to social justice and social service community-based organizations.
Dr. Grills is a national Past President of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). In her leadership role in the ABPsi, she was a founding member of the Alliance of National Psychological Associations for Racial and Ethnic Equity. She co-designed the racial stress and trauma Emotional Emancipation (EE) Circles—a community self-help model established by The Community Healing Network and implemented in partnership with the Association. As the lead of the EE Circles Training Team Dr. Grills has trained people of African ancestry around the world to facilitate healing circles that address the stress and trauma associated with anti-Black racism. In 2019, using community based participatory practice, she co-created and continues to support the South Los Angeles Healing Circles, a community-based healing circle effort designed for City Council District 8 to disrupt violence in South Los Angeles.
