Irwin Sandler

Irwin Sandler is a Regents Professor Emeritus and Research Professor with the REACH Institute and the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. Sandler is interested in the development, evaluation and dissemination of intervention programs to promote resilience of children and families experiencing major life stressors. His work has primarily focused on families experiencing parental divorce and bereavement from the death of a parent. In each area, he has conducted research to better understand factors that lead children to adjust well, lead successful lives and avoid long-term problem outcomes. He and his colleagues have developed and demonstrated the long-term benefits up to 15 years later of programs for divorced families (New Beginnings Program) and bereaved families (Family Bereavement Program). He is now actively engaged in efforts to disseminate these programs so that they can be sustainably implemented in natural community settings.