Dr. Heather A. Warfield is a university professor, researcher, author, and consultant with subject matter expertise on the psychology and history of pilgrimages. She is the creator and host of the podcast, Psychology of Pilgrimage, the director for the Yankee Division Virtual Pilgrimage, and the series editor for the book series Pilgrimage Studies. Her recent books include Pilgrimages to the Western Front of World War I, Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Pilgrimage, and Pilgrimage as Transformative Process. She contributed chapters to New Pilgrimage Routes and Trails and Pilgrimage as Spiritual Practice, and has written articles for Leatherneck Magazine and ARMY Magazine.

Over the past decade, Warfield’s research has focused on pilgrimages to the Western Front of WWI, the universality of pilgrims’ experiences, the narratives pilgrims share, and the meaning pilgrims create from these journeys. She was a Fulbright Research Scholar in France where she examined post-WWI pilgrimages to Belleau and Belleau Wood from 1918 to present. As a psycho-historian, her research combines traditional archival research with psychological theories, constructs, and applications. Dr. Warfield’s Fulbright project synthesized archival data (both French and American) with interviews of pilgrims, local inhabitants, and pilgrimage stakeholders and will be published in a forthcoming book. She has contributed pilgrimage expertise for US military staff rides and other educational experiences for groups such as the US Marine Corps, US Army, US Military Academy, and the US National Guard Bureau.

In addition to battlefield pilgrimages, Warfield has published generally on the psychological dimensions of pilgrimages and has given university lectures, community talks, media interviews, and keynote speeches on this topic. She regularly collaborates with international colleagues on projects such as Saint Francis Ways, Ruines, and The Returning Soldier Network.

For inquiries, contact heather@heatherawarfield.com or click here.