What matters most to people? What language do people use to talk about their perspectives? What uplifts them? What weighs them down?

Uncovering human truths is at the root of all ethnography, and these often live in the quiet spaces between the internal voice and the outward persona.

Spiritual Ethnography is designed to support organizations launching qualitative research endeavors. In-depth interviews and focus groups help clients to deepen their understanding of a population or how people think about an issue, brand, or idea. It also honors individuals who have the courage to share their insights by providing an enriching space for them to explore their beliefs and experiences.

Examples of research scenarios or populations include:

A PR, political, or other team may be embarking on researching a sensitive issue or experience, or working with a population that requires gentle diplomacy, sensitivity, or care. Spiritual Ethnography is a beautiful way to engage this kind of research. It is designed for deep-delving, alongside a caring model for engaging those being interviewed.
A healthcare, pharmaceutical, or medical endeavor related to a patient or other population that is facing difficult feelings or choices in their path. The exploration itself may inspire great hope and curiosity; or it may tap into fear and grief.
An organization or a team may be going through a challenging transition which would be eased with the compassionate inquiry approach of Spiritual Ethnography that is also designed to support a healthy dynamic and culture.

TESTIMONIALS: THE SPIRITUAL ETHNOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE

“I’ve called on Susana to manage projects and moderate, in the U.S. and overseas, during my work at some of the world’s leading communications consultancies. She’s taught me early on the value of not listening for a soundbite in a focus group, but to keep your ears open to the full repertoire of people’s stories and experiences. Whether it’s been with global business executives, shy teenagers or aggrieved voters, I’ve seen Susana’s ability to put all types of people at ease, build rapport in the room, and to pick up the most subtle of cues from participants. She is not only an exceptional moderator, but also an incisive writer and analyst – with the ability to cut through the noise and land on what truly matters, and how to pinpoint how an organization can best act on what she’s heard. I highly recommend Susana to any organization or endeavor seeking a greater understanding of themselves or their audiences.”

— Graeme Trayner Managing Director of Insight The Glover Park Group Source

“Susana can create a space and ask questions that connect people with their truths, often delving into inner lives, searching for shared stories and understanding. When I hope to reach people with compelling creative that quiets the noise and reflects back the lives of real people, I call Susana. I like the way she thinks. Not only has Susana’s creativity added tremendous value to our agency and our clients, I find it has invigorated and inspired all sorts of new ideas for me when we work together. She has an extraordinary talent when interviewing — people open up to her in a different way, they share really deeply, honestly. Two video campaigns my agency created used Susana’s findings to truly capture the struggles, stories and inspirations found in the lives of women and the working poor. Voice and tone were informed by the way she approached these depth-inquiries and the caring she holds for the populations she engages. Susana’s process is thoughtful and methodical, and she has a firm understanding of what it takes to deliver compelling work. She’s also wicked smart and a fascinating person, to boot.”

— Shannon Langrand, CEO, Langrand

“Susana skillfully integrates research, psychology and spirituality, and as such, steps beyond the conventional, as a true explorer of the human heart. At Galileo, we use psychological techniques to delve into the subconscious mind, and only work with moderators who have tremendous emotional sensitivity and a nuanced appreciation of the complexity of the human psyche. Susana embraced our company ethos, and approached our projects with passion, diligence, and a commitment to true collaboration. Working with us, she was able to unearth the deeper truths beneath layers of dialogue and conscious rationale, in order to identify potent insights for our clients, and translate these into compelling stories about the human spirit. Susana engages each individual with reverence. By honoring their courage and generosity, she creates the space for participants to share their experience in an authentic and unguarded way, and to emerge feeling better than when they arrived.”

— Cathy Lennox & Dr. Sarah Fitzharding Co-Founders & Co-Presidents Galileo Research & Strategy

“Susana has the ability to accompany and comfort people in times of struggle, suffering or transition, and has a genuine reverence for human beings and their experience. She has a deeply compassionate and genuine way of engaging people, visible both in her work as a chaplain and ethnographer. I highly recommend Susana to any organization or endeavor. Susana’s work is outstanding, and she is one of the most creative and productive people I have worked with throughout my career. Susana achieved great things for the Institute for Spirituality & Health (ISH), from launching ethnography to establishing a workplace chaplaincy program to creating a podcast. She increased national and local knowledge of our organization through these efforts, alongside published articles, community-based artwork, speaking and teaching invitations, and partnerships. And her writing is beautiful; Susana synthesizes the depth and complexity of personal stories in a way that resonates emotionally and spiritually, whether it’s in a formal report, proposal, or mainstream article. Susana has visionary ideas, and fully commits herself to making them happen.”

— John Graham, MD, DMIN, President Emeritus, The Institute for Spirituality & Health (ISH)

“Susana does first-rate field interviews. I employed her to conduct in-depth interviews on a series of tough questions about racial views. She came through with flying colors and delivered careful probing and thorough interviews, which I have used for a major book on racial issues.”

— Joe Feagin, PhD, Sociology Faculty, Texas A&M, Former President, American Sociological Association

“Having attended hundreds of focus groups and watched moderators ranging from low key to indifferent to terrorist, I believe Susana McCollom would have to be among the very best there is. She is curious, sensitive, perceptive, and strategic, and best of all, approachable as a human being. It’s hard to imagine anyone not opening up to Susana, not happily sharing his or her deepest convictions. She’s an excellent writer, too, brilliantly able to communicate her findings.”

— Camille McMennamin, former Senior VP, JWT 

Immersing In Cultural Study: A Spiritual Ethnography

“Through the Fondren Foundation, I have worked closely with Susana to facilitate a new conversation between students, parents and administrators concerning unhealthy recruitment behavior within university student service organizations. Susana listened closely to our stated mission, and returned with a vision to launch a spiritually-oriented ethnography, to learn about what matters most to the population we are working with. With understated leadership, she carried out the research, which meant navigating a landscape of diverging viewpoints in a way that opened up a sometimes challenging conversation. She adeptly incorporates her training as a chaplain into her research and interviews, creating a space of respect and genuine care for people to share honestly.

Susana’s style and understanding of the human spirit allows and encourages the personal growth of both her clients and her participants. She has an inherent capacity to precisely weave the different threads of people’s experiences, opinions, and expressions into a larger narrative, esteeming those who share their time for research and dialogue, and enhancing client understanding of essential attitudes, experiences, and of their target populations. She adeptly incorporates her training as a chaplain into her research and interviews, creating a space of respect and genuine care for people to share honestly.

We could not have come this far without her. Her dedication and ability to adapt to meet personal responses and, at the same time, to get the job done is second to none. She went beyond expectations in accomplishing our goals and honestly, providing me with a renewed faith in the ability to foster change of long-held traditions found in many service organization on university campuses around the country. Susana speaks from her heart from a place of stillness and sincerity with an innate ability to connect with CEOs or teenagers. Diplomatic yes, but as a thoughtful and unbiased facilitator. She is not afraid to name the emotions that stir beneath the words said, thereby bringing people into a space of authenticity. I strongly recommend Susana as a trusted collaborator for any foundation seeking to help the organizations they fund, and to better understand the populations they serve. ”