Dr. King's notable contributions include

🐾 research on the correlation between dog park membership and life satisfaction

🐾 the development of an existential-humanistic animal-assisted psychotherapy model featured in the Handbook of Humanistic & Existential Psychology (2026).

🐾 the creation of a canine-assisted psychotherapy model.

She is a frequent presenter regarding the emotional support animal designation and the human-animal bond.

Dr. King's current scholarly work explores the application of German philosopher Martin Buber's I-Thou philosophy to human & companion animal relationships.

As a founding member of Saybrook's Animal Care, Rescue, Education & Dignity (SACRED) Learning Community, Dr. King continues to advance the field through her research, publications, teaching, and clinical practice, establishing herself as a respected authority in both psychological and animal welfare domains.

She shares her heart and home with her husband and their three canine companions.

Predating complex language, rhythm stands as one of the most pervasive and enduring elements of human life. Percussion instruments, chanting, and vocalizations formed core aspects of early human communication. This chapter explores the ways by which rhythmic patterns such as drumming, chanting, and other repetitive auditory and kinesthetic stimuli facilitate entrance into non-ordinary consciousness, positioning rhythmic entrainment as a fundamental pathway to consciousness alteration and its specific capacity to induce hypnotic and trance conditions deserves examination. Drawing from neurophysiological research, anthropological evidence, and experimental studies, it further discusses the use of rhythm in shamanic practices and Indigenous technologies such as prayer and meditative chants, suggesting that rhythmic stimulation creates shared neurophysiological experiences that have therapeutic, spiritual, and social applications from ancient shamanic practices to contemporary clinical interventions. Finally, this chapter addresses the place of rhythm in contemporary times, demonstrating that the human affinity for rhythm is here to stay, even amidst rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and technology (Nayak et al., 2022). 

King, B., McGlinn, M., & Duberstein, A. (2023). Mutuality and well-being: The human-animal bond. The Humanistic Psychologist, 51(2), 133-141.

King, B., Johnson, A., & Stewart, L. (2021). Emotional support animals: Important considerations for mental health providers. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin.

King, B., Ames, A., Coleman, J., Cross, E., Drescher, K., Duberstein, A., Johnson, A., Kogan, L., Miller, C., Nitkin, P., Robino, A., Runge, N., Tucker, L., & Winsor, K. (2020). Emotional support animal position statement. APA Division 17, Section 13 Human Animal Interactions Ethics Workgroup.

Johnson, A., Eccles, E., Jenkins, M., Miller, C., Kogan, L., Erdman, P., Gupta, M., Schaefer, K., Marshall, P., Schroeder, K., King, B., Trevathan-Minnis, M., VanFleet, R., & Zenithson, N. (2020). Position statement on animal welfare in animal assisted interventions. APA Division 17, Section 13 Human Animal Interactions Ethics Workgroup.

Johnson, A., VanFleet, R., Stewart, L., Crowley, S., DePrekel, M., Eccles, E., Hey, L., Howie, A., Johnson, C., King, B., Runge, N., Snyder, S., & Trevathan-Minnis, M. (2019). Summary of considerations for APA ethical standards competencies in animal-assisted interventions. APA Division 17, Section 13 Human Animal Interactions Ethics Workgroup.

King, B. (2011). Kuan Yin: Compassion embodied. In P. Monaghan (Ed.), Goddesses in world culture. Praeger.

King, B. (2016). On mothering and being mothered. In L. Hoffman, M. Moats, & T. Greening (Eds.), Our last walk: Using poetry to grieve and remember our pets. University Professors Press.

King, B. (2013). Of goddesses and fools. About Place Journal, 2(2). Black Earth Institute.

King, B. (2011). Following the spirit of the law, in spirit. In P. Monaghan (Ed.), Can a person be spiritual but not religious? In World religions: Belief, culture, and controversy. ABC-CLIO. http://religion2.abc-clio.com/

1.        The Development of Eating Disorders as a Maladaptive Coping Mechanism to the Strong Black Woman Schema. Narrative Inquiry. (Chair)

2.        Creating A Culture of Belief: A Case Study on the Influences of Societal Beliefs on Traditional Women College Students’ Perceptions of College Reporting Strategies and Feelings of Safety on Campus.  Narrative Inquiry. (Chair)  

3.        How do pregnant women experience prenatal healthcare? Narrative Inquiry. (Chair)

4.        Examining the Mental Health Impacts of Disability (Chair).

5.        Queer Transpersonal Identity Formation & Enactment Through Involvement in Social Liberation Movements. Narrative Inquiry. (Chair).

6.        Navigating Acceptance: A Qualitative Study on the Lived Experience of Mexican Parents Raising Gay Son(s). Heuristic Inquiry. (Methodologist).

7.        The Parallels Between Traumatic Bonding and Addiction. An Inductive and Deductive Thematic Analysis. (Methodologist)

8.        The Lived Experience of Yoga, for People with Mood Disorders. Narrative Inquiry. (Reader).

9.        Assessing Effort in Non-English Speaking, Limited English Proficiency, and English as a Second Language People’s During the Psychological Portion of a Social Security Disability Evaluation. A Thematic Analysis. (Reader) Stephen Sprague

10.  Gay Men’s Lived Experience With Substance Use Disorder. Narrative Inquiry. (Chair)

11.  What is the Clinicians experience of Animal-assisted Psychotherapy? A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation. (Reader)  

12.  What is the Adult Woman’s Experience of the Death of Her Mother Due to Illness During Her Middle Childhood? A Heuristic Inquiry. (Reader)

13.  Re-Imaging Masculinity: The Sacred Masculine Archetype as Revealed in Four Cultural Artifacts. A Cultural Hermeneutic Investigation. (Reader)

14.  Examining the Use of False Identities in Online Dating. A Consensual Qualitative Research (Reader)

15.  The New Mother’s Experience of Modern-Motherhood. A Heuristic Inquiry. (Reader)

16.  Apprehending Nature and the Responsibility to Care in a Time of Climate Change: A Mixed Methods Study. (Reader)

17.  How Do Clinicians Experience Their Own Mental Health Challenges While Providing Treatment? A Heuristic Study (Reader)  

18.  The Experience of Burnout in Early Career Psychologists. A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation. (Reader)  

19.  The Single Mother’s Experience of the Empty Nest: The Liberated Mother. A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation. (Reader)  

20.  Long Term Recovery in Men. A heuristic inquiry. (Reader)   

21.  The Experience of Coming out as an Atheist. A heuristic Inquiry. (Reader)

Theses & MA Capstones

1.        The Experience of foster care workers interacting with the Department of Human Services. A heuristic inquiry. (Chair)  

2.        The Therapist’s Experience of Psychotherapy with Someone with Alzheimer’s Disease. A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation. (Chair)  

3.        How Does a Psychotherapist Experience Altruism? A Heuristic Inquiry. (Chair)

4.        The Experience of Living with Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures. A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation. (Chair)  

5.        The Experience of Recovery for Adult Children of Alcoholic and Dysfunctional Families. A Heuristic Inquiry. (Chair)  

6.        A Surgeon’s Experience of the Process of Addiction and Recovery. A Heuristic Inquiry. (Chair)  

7.        A mother’s experience of the “empty nest”. A Heuristic Inquiry. (Chair)  

8.        The Need For Veterinary Therapists: A training curriculum. (Chair)  

9.        We Know Better, Why Don’t We Do Better? Accommodations in Higher Ed: An advocacy primer. (Chair).   

10.  The Development of Eating Disorders as a Maladaptive Coping Mechanism to the Strong Black Woman Schema. A literature review. (Chair)

Posted on August 5, 2022 by betzking

Dear Sid,

You are off to the Summerland, and I find myself using all the things I’ve learned from you to grieve the loss.

I check in with my body to locate the grief. It is in my heart, and not as heavy as I imagined because the torch that you lit from your own is there as well.

I ask my three-day headache what it has to say, and it answers, “big shoes to fill and my feet are so sad.”

I note my ever-present self-talk, how easily the either/or creeps in, and I bring the word ‘and’ to the table. This word ‘and’ – I got it from you, so so long ago. It is the foundation of my love for venn-diagrams as the perfect teaching tool, something I’m now known for but really belongs to you.

As I create my fall syllabi and courses, I’m making room for the first person “I” in papers because (everyone say it aloud with me here….) ‘the academic IS personal’.

A client brings a dream, and I invite her to ‘be’ the various parts, to give voice to the grandfather clock, the rubber boots, the crying blue-jay.

I re-configure the two-chair method for the virtual screen and repeat “you’re being awfully hard on yourself” when I see the top-dog trying to bully the underdog.

This last week, just to feel close to you, I used one of my favorite teachings of yours with every single client – the one where you taught us that the end of any sentence a client speaks contains an arrow pointing to where to go next. It still works.

In the first semester of my MA program at The Center for Humanistic Studies, I met you at a ‘special topics’ on gestalt dream work, where I naively shared a dream involving Alice (of Wonderland) and a parade. Sounds innocent enough, but we all know what happened in about 8 minutes flat.

After graduation I had some of the best therapy of my life with you – a boot camp of self-compassion and integration.

After that, we kept in touch and had breakfast one day (Village Grill on Orchard Lk Rd) and you mentioned hoping I would return to CHS for my PsyD. You said “I’m going to retire eventually, and I’d like to know I’m leaving good clinicians behind”. I’m pretty sure I decided to go in that very moment, which granted me….

….four more years of doctoral studies with you!! So many classes!! There was one where you told me you didn’t think I was operating on the most current version of myself, (now there’s a therapy nugget I’ve used with myself and others more than once). When you referred a client to me while I was still a student, I remember absolutely panicking –‘who does he think I am?!?’… It turned out to be a great fit, a great piece of therapy, because it turned out you saw the most current version of me even when I didn’t.

Somewhere in there you and Kay came to my wedding, and you taught my husband how to do the hustle! Just one more way that you live on in the hearts of your students.

My fondest memories will be those where I guest lectured for you… you guest lectured for me… the gradual role reversal as you did less and I did more… the pride and love I felt every single time you came to class and made magic.

Did you know that Blackstock and I had a running tab of how long it took for your demonstrations to ‘get real’ with a student? Did you know I kept orange juice for you in my office in case your blood sugar dropped? You were the first person I saw at my 50th birthday surprise, I was so overwhelmed I simply hugged you. Having you in my home was so sweet.

I was going to post something about how the world has lost a bright light, but upon closer inspection I have decided that’s not true. I know how many of your students carry you in their hearts and work, I know how we professors are sharing your wisdom with the next generations.

There is plenty of Sid-light shining. But we all have lost a teacher, mentor and friend, so we’re going to be sad for a little while.

Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to locate it in our bodies and ask it what it wants to say.

I love you Sid. Thanks for everything.

• Applied Positive Psychology 

• Clinical Interventions I 

• Group Processes & Group Therapy 

• Meaning Centered Counseling and Therapy

• Psychology, Religion and Spirituality in their Cultural Contexts 

• Psychopathology and Diagnosis

• Social Psychology

• Systems of Psychotherapy

• Transpersonal Psychology 

• Personality Theory

• MA Project Advisor

• Dissertation Chair, Reader, Methodologist 

Courses taught at The Michigan School of Psychology (Humanistic MA & PsyD programs, 2008-20018)

• Clinical Skills 

• Core Concepts in Humanistic Psychology Existential & Phenomenological Psychology

• Foundations of Couple and Family

• Foundations of Psychopathology

• Fundamentals of Research

• Group Process

• Identity and Family

• Key Processes in Psychotherapy

• Practicum Seminar

• Thesis Advisor

• Dissertation Chair, Reader, Methodologist 

Courses taught at Oakland Community College (2001-2003) Two years

Intro to Psychology

Abnormal Psychology

Psychology of Adjustment 

student at Commencement (July 2006)

The Marjorie Scott Scholarship for Excellence was established in January 2006 to honor Dr.

Scott, Faculty Emerita and former Program Director, for her commitment to academic

excellence. This scholarship is presented at commencement to a graduating student from

each program who has best achieved excellence in academics, clinical work, and

research. Eligibility criteria:

• Successful fulfillment of all degree requirements.

• Outstanding academic achievement throughout the program.

• Active participation in the MSP community.

• Demonstrated excellence in academic performance, presentations, clinical training,

scholarly projects, publications, and professional behavior.

• PsyD graduates – demonstrated excellence in dissertation.

Psychology, commitment to teaching and training, and reflections of the principles of

humanistic psychology