Kristine Klussman

Kristine Klussman, PhD, is a psychologist, educator, author and researcher whose work lives at the intersection of science, soul and authentic human connection. A positive psychology researcher, she leads a team at Connection Lab, which publishes peer-reviewed studies on how connection is defined, measured, felt and formed, and on how it relates to meaning-making, values alignment, mindfulness and well-being. The team also tests and validates practices that help people connect more deeply with themselves, others and their environments.

She is a former Director of Health Psychology Services at California Pacific Medical Center, where she guided programs supporting individuals and families through complex mental illness and end-of-life challenges. Her central message is that real connection starts with being real with yourself: self-awareness and leaning into your values, she says, form the foundation for stronger relationships, healthier communities and more meaningful lives.

Her first book is Connection: How to Find the Life You're Looking for in the Life You Have. She also teaches as a university professor, facilitates workshops, writes, creates digital content and speaks on well-being, meaning, purpose and human connection. She has described how her own experiences of family addiction and of grief and loss shaped her understanding of resilience, boundaries and compassion. Her mission is to help people come home to themselves and build more honest, contented lives.