# Photo-experiencing and Reflective Listening (PEARL) to Promote Healing Engagement for Women Survivors of Gender-based Violence: A Feasibility Study

> **NIH NIH K01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2024 · $130,668

## Abstract

Project Summary
Gender-based violence (GBV) disproportionately impacts women, particularly sexual and gender minority
(SGM) women, with the consequences of unaddressed victimization representing a key driver of health
disparities among survivor populations. To progress from merely identifying these disparities to actively
intervening, innovative interventions are needed to promote healing engagement, build bridges within survivor
care infrastructure, and connect survivors with appropriate resources to help them heal. The long-term goal is
to establish gender and sexuality-inclusive interventions that promote healing and wellbeing for diverse women
survivors of GBV. The primary objective of this research is to refine and evaluate a photo-elicitation
intervention, Photo-experiencing and Reflective Listening (PEARL), aimed at identifying help-seeking barriers
and promoting healing engagement among GBV survivors. The rationale for this project is that there is a
critical unmet need for inclusive interventions that identify survivor-centered social determinants of trauma
healing while creating a structure for survivors to identify their needs and co-create a healing action for
themselves moving forward. This project has two key aims: 1) to refine the PEARL intervention prototype for
implementation with cisgender heterosexual, sexual minority, and trans women who have experienced GBV,
and 2) to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of PEARL in these populations (N=40).
The study will employ a community-engaged, mixed methods approach. Aim 1 will involve collaborating with a
community and scientific advisory board to refine the PEARL prototype and enhance the effectiveness and
applicability of PEARL in diverse survivor populations. Aim 2 will employ a randomized waitlist control design to
assess feasibility, acceptability, and PEARL's potential impact on healing engagement and related health
outcomes. The research is paired with a career development plan that will equip the applicant with the skills
necessary for community-engaged intervention development, health equity-focused design, and
implementation science to transition her into an independent researcher that can improve the survivor care
landscape through her program of research. The research proposed in this application is innovative because it
focuses on recovery rather than deficit in inclusive women survivor populations, using trauma-informed, and
survivor-centered approaches. It also leverages photo-elicitation, allowing survivors to highlight their
multidimensional social world and reflect on how it might facilitate, create barriers, or shape healing needs in
real time. This study's significance lies in its response to the pressing need for inclusive interventions to
explore the social determinants of health that influence GBV survivor healing, all while promoting survivor
engagement in the healing process. By bridging existing gaps in GBV survivor support for women,...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10947761
- **Project number:** 1K01NR021275-01
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura Marie Sinko
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $130,668
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-18 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10947761

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10947761, Photo-experiencing and Reflective Listening (PEARL) to Promote Healing Engagement for Women Survivors of Gender-based Violence: A Feasibility Study (1K01NR021275-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10947761. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*