Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, Ph.D., serves as a Senior Scholar with the Belmont Formation Collaborative, focusing on initiatives in whole-person formation, mental health, and flourishing. She is also a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Character Formation.
Charlotte trained as a scientist-practitioner clinical psychologist at Purdue University and the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, affiliated with Duke University. During her 28 years at Hope College, she invested deeply in students through psychology coursework, co-directing the psychology internship program, leading an emotion and psychophysiology research lab, mentoring students, and collaborating with colleagues. She is grateful for the awards and endowed professorships she has received, and especially proud of her students—their integrity and dedication to discovery reflected in 15 Psi Chi Regional Research Awards, along with numerous presentations and publications.
Her research explores emotion, the embodiment of virtue, and mental health, with a focus on fostering flourishing, especially in the face of challenges. Charlotte’s scholarly contributions have advanced understanding of the emotional and physiological effects of forgiveness, as well as the roles of accountability, gratitude, and hope.
Her work has appeared in journals such as Psychological Science, The Journal of Positive Psychology, and Journal of Psychology and Theology. It has been supported by grants from the John Templeton Foundation, Templeton Religion Trust, and the Fetzer Institute. She currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Templeton Religion Trust. Her research has also been featured in media outlets including Time, Newsweek, O: The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, CNN, and Hidden Brain.
