Heather A. Warfield is an associate professor in the School of Counseling, Psychology & Therapy. The focus of her clinical work has been adolescents, military veterans, global comparative mental health practices, and clinical supervision – – all underpinned by a narrative psychology paradigm. Dr. Warfield’s research broadly explores the psychological, therapeutic, and healing aspects of pilgrimage journeys and she is working specifically on pilgrimages to the Western Front of WWI. This work is positioned in the historical precedent of pilgrimages undertaken by military veterans, families, and official state delegations as well as the current pilgrimages happening to sites along the Western Front in Belgium and France. Dr. Warfield is a member of the ‘Ruines de guerre’ program funded through the French Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) and an affiliate researcher of the Institut de Recherches Historiques de Septentrion at the University of Lille. She is the series editor of ‘Pilgrimage Studies’ (Peter Lang Publishing) and the editor for the forthcoming volume ‘Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Pilgrimage: Historical, Current, and Future Directions.’ Additionally, she is the creator and host of ‘Meaningful Journeys,’ which is a podcast dedicated to conversations with pilgrims, pilgrimage studies scholars, and people who live near pilgrimage sites.
Heather Warfield, PhD
Antioch University New England, Online
Educational History
Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 2013
M.A., Chapman University, 2006
B.A., College of St. Scholastica, 1998
Teaching Statement
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the stories people tell, and the meaning they construct from these stories. My teaching approach is closely linked with this fascination and is (a) historical, (b) contextual, and (c) existential. I think it is critically important to understand our personal and professional histories, how we arrived where we are, and the meaning that is made from these histories. I also recognize the myriad contextual factors that interplay in shaping us as humans and the world around us. Our individual and communal contexts often enter the learning spaces we inhabit and I encourage students to consider their own values, beliefs, and world views when engaging with course materials. Moreover, the existential questions we ask as humans are fundamental to who we are as learners. My hope is that the courses I teach provoke more questions than answers and that students embrace the posture of being lifelong learners.
Primary Investigator. (Pilgrimages to the Western Front of WWI, 6/2021 – present). Qualitative study exploring lived experiences of pilgrims going on pilgrimages to the Western Front.
Primary Investigator. (Pilgrimage and Coming Out: Lived Experiences of LGBTQ+ Individuals, 4/2019 – present). Qualitative study exploring lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals who went on a pilgrimage journey as part of their coming out process.
Primary Investigator. (Pilgrimage as Healing from Military Combat, 3/2017-6/2018). Qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of military combat veterans participating in the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
Primary Investigator. (Returning Pilgrims to the Camino de Santiago, 1/2015-8/2015). Mixed-methods study exploring motivations for returning to the Camino with a particular focus on the role of technology in facilitating a return.
Primary Investigator. (An Exploration of the Role of Pilgrimage in Career Calling, 1/2015-9/2015). Qualitative study examining the intersection of pilgrimage and career calling, career change, and career decision-making.
Primary Investigator. (The Therapeutic Value of Pilgrimage: A Grounded Theory Study, 1/2012-2/2013). Doctoral dissertation exploring the experiences of pilgrims across a spectrum of pilgrimage journeys.
Warfield, H. A. (Ed.) (2021). Multidisciplinary perspectives on pilgrimage studies: Historical, current, and future directions. Oxford, UK: Peter Lang Publishers.
Warfield. H. A. (2021). Pilgrimage as developmental experience: A psychological lens. In J. Bloechl and A. Brouillette (Eds.), Pilgrimage as spiritual practice: A handbook for teachers and guides. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press
Warfield, H. A. (2021). Psychological perspectives on pilgrimage. In H. Warfield (Ed.), Multidisciplinary perspectives on pilgrimage studies: Historical, current, and future directions. Oxford, UK: Peter Lang Publishers.
Warfield, H. A. (2021). The Western Front Way: Connecting dots of war to form a path of peace. In D. Olsen, I. McIntosh, & D. Munro (Eds.), New pilgrimage routes and trails: Society, peace, and development. Oxford, UK: Peter Lang Publishers.
Warfield, H. A., & Hetherington, K. (Eds.) (2018). Pilgrimage as transformative process. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill Publishers.
Warfield, H. A. (2020). Development of postgraduate clinical supervision courses in an Australian context. Romania Journal of Counseling.
Warfield, H. A. (2018). From existential to ideological communitas: Can pilgrimage connect and transform the world? In H. A. Warfield & K. Hetherington (Eds.), Pilgrimage as transformative process (pp. 33-42). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill Publishers.
Warfield, H. A., Baker, S. B., & Parikh, S. (2014). The therapeutic value of pilgrimage. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 17(8), 860-875.
Nassar-McMillan, S. C., Moore, J., Warfield, H. A., & Mays, R. (2012). Global diversity issues in counseling. In T. H. Hohenshil, N. E. Amundson, & S. G. Niles (Eds.), Counseling around the world: An international handbook. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Peer-Reviewed Presentations:
Warfield, H. A. (2021, July). Yankee Division virtual pilgrimage: Presentation at the 8th Sacred Journeys Conference. Piran, SLOVENIA.
Warfield, H. A. (2021, April) Pilgrimage as developmental experience: A psychological lens. Presentation at the Pilgrimage as Spiritual Practice Conference, Boston College, USA.
Warfield, H. A. (2020, June). Development of the Biological, Psychological, Social, Spiritual – Lived Experiences of Pilgrims (BPSS-LEP) Interview Protocol. Presentation at the 7th Sacred Journeys Conference. Piran, SLOVENIA.
Warfield, H. A. (2019, September). The development of clinical supervision training at an Australian university: Positioning training within a global clinical supervision framework. Presentation at the 6th Asia Pacific Rim Confederation of Counsellors Conference. Brisbane, AUSTRALIA.
Warfield, H. A. (2018, August). Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to explore lived experiences of contemporary pilgrims. Presentation at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention. San Francisco, CA, USA.
Machin, T., & Warfield, H. A. (2018, August). Global education and the global workforce: Challenges and opportunities. Presentation at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention. San Francisco, CA, USA.
Warfield. H. A. (2018, July). Pilgrimage as healing from military combat. Presentation at the 5th Sacred Journeys Conference. Berlin, GERMANY.
Warfield. H. A., & Hetherington, K. (2018, July). Exploring the lived experiences of pilgrims: Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as a method for pilgrimage research. Presentation at the 5th Sacred Journeys Conference. Berlin, GERMANY.
Warfield, H. A. (2017, August). Contemporary pilgrimage journeys: A systematic review of the literature. Presentation at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention.
Washington DC, USA.
Warfield, H. A. (2017, June). Veterans on the Camino: A case study. Presentation at the International Conference on Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. Copenhagen, DENMARK.
Warfield, H. A. (2016, September). The intersection of pilgrimage and sacred journeys with the counselling process: The role of the counsellor, the client and the integration of the transformational experience. Presentation at the annual PACFA Conference. Melbourne, AUSTRALIA.
Warfield. H. A. (2016, May). From existential to ideological communitas: Can pilgrimage connect and transform the world? Presentation at the Sacred Journeys Conference. Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC.
Warfield, H. A., & Nickerson, R. (2015, September). Returning pilgrims to the Camino de Santiago: A mixed-methods study. Presentation at the annual Pilgrimage Symposium, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA USA.
Warfield, H. A. (2014, September). Pilgrimage as a psychological process. Presentation at the annual Pilgrimage Symposium, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA.
Invited Presentations:
Warfield, H. A. (October, 2021). A psychological perspective on pilgrimages in India. Keynote presentation at the International Conference on Community Psychology. Delhi, INDIA.
Warfield, H. A. (March, 2021) The intersection of war, diplomacy, and pilgrimage: American pilgrimages to France after the First World War. Guest lecture at the University of Lille, FRANCE.
Warfield, H. A. (October, 2020). Contemporary pilgrimages: The human-environment connection as a double-edged sword. Webinar in the Antioch University Conservation Psychology Institute Webinar Series, Keene, NH, USA.
Warfield, H. A. (April, 2019). Pilgrimage: A bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective. Keynote presentation to the Camino Academy, Tilburg University, Tilburg, NETHERLANDS.
Warfield, H. A. (April, 2016). Storytelling and the narratives of pilgrimage. Keynote presentation to the annual gathering of the American Pilgrims on the Camino, St. Louis, MO USA.
Principal Investigator, (2021), New Hampshire Humanities Community Project Grant ‘Co-Creating a Yankee Division Virtual Pilgrimage’ – project focused on creating a digital archive and pilgrimage experience for sites related to the U.S. Army 26th ‘Yankee’ Division during WWI. The pilgrimage sites will link with stories of individual soldiers, families, and communities in NH, in specific, and New England, in general.
Scientific Committee Member, Saint Francis Ways, Umbria, ITALY, April 2021-present
Scientific Committee Member, AFASES Conference, Henri Coanda Air Force Academy, Brasov, ROMANIA, 2021
Academic Advisor, New Hampshire Psychological Association, September 2020-present
Committee Member, New Hampshire Psychology Convention, September 2020-present
Editorial Review Board, Romania Journal of Counseling, 2020-present
Ad Hoc Reviewer, Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 2014-present
Federal Advocacy Coordinator, American Psychological Association Division 52, January 2018-January 2021
Affiliated Researcher, ‘Institut de Recherches Historiques de Septentrion’ (Institute for Historical Research of Northern France), University of Lille
Member, ‘Ruines de guerre’ (Ruins of war) initiative funded through the French Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR)
American Psychological Association
American Counseling Association
Society for Cross-Cultural Research
NH Psychological Association
Associate Professor,
Graduate School of Counseling, Psychology & Therapy
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