Research, Writing & Speaking

What makes people successful and energized at work, and what leaves them stressed, frustrated, or burned out? A key factor is often trust: how leaders build or undermine it, how employees respond when it's missing, and how these dynamics affect performance and even health.

As AI takes on a growing role in the workplace, these questions become even more relevant. My research and speaking explore the psychology behind these dynamics, including how technology can strengthen or disrupt the trust and relationships that make organizations work.

Speaking

Articles

  • A Hidden Cause of Burnout: How Attachment Science Reframes Workplace Distress, The Therapist Magazine April 2026

Research

  • The relationship between attachment and mental health at work: A narrative review
    Reference: McConnell, D., Wong, G., & Ferrey, A. (2025). The relationship between attachment and mental health at work: A narrative review. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 81(3), 2833-2843. https://doi.org/10.1177/10519815251327313 (Original work published 2025)

  • Who Has Your Back at Work? Coaching for Resilience Using Attachment Science in the Age of AI.
    Accepted and presented at the Columbia University Coaching Conference 2025. Finalist for the Judith B. Glaser Outstanding Paper Award.

  • A realist review of the potential, limitations and impact of AI automating and augmenting leadership in organizations (currently under peer-review)

  • A realist evaluation of Emotionall Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for work-related distress (currently under peer-review)