Nursing faculty member publishes new theory on recovery, identity, and belonging

A recent publication from UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing Lecturer Beth Schwartz, PhD, RN, PHN, MAT, introduces a new theory that explores how women recover from experiences that threaten identity, voice, and sense of self.

Published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, Dr. Schwartz's study, ‘Discovering Self Theory,’ examines women's recovery from adverse experiences through the lens of Classical Grounded Theory. The research identifies "Loss of Self" as a central concern and presents a six-phase model describing the nonlinear journey toward restored agency, identity, voice, and well-being. According to Dr. Schwartz, the work brings a nursing and whole-person health perspective to an area that has received limited attention in the scholarly literature.

Building upon this work, Dr. Schwartz recently presented at an international conference on belonging hosted by Harvard Divinity School. Her presentation examined the role of belonging in human flourishing while exploring the ways acceptance can become harmful when it requires self-silencing or self-abandonment. Drawing on ‘Discovering Self Theory,’ she discussed how women reclaim identity, agency, and wholeness following experiences of coercion, exclusion, and loss of self.