URRP — United Rise & Resilience Project

Our Mission

Empowering people to rise together

United Rise and Resilience Project empowers individuals and communities to cultivate emotional strength, compassion, and inclusive leadership — fostering personal growth and collective well-being.

Core Values

🤝 Servant Leadership 💙 Compassion 📈 Progression 🔍 Transparency 🌍 Inclusion ⚡ Motivation

Areas of Emphasis

Psychology Emotional Intelligence Compassion Fatigue Awareness Life Coaching Positive Psychology Consulting Doctoral Student Consulting Public Speaking Mentoring Executive Coaching

🔥 Rise Through Adversity

Grounded in positive psychology and resilience science, we provide frameworks that actually work when life gets hard.

🧠 Research-Backed Insight

Everything we teach is rooted in real research — including award-winning doctoral work on compassion fatigue and turnover intention in law enforcement.

✨ Community & Connection

We believe transformation happens in relationship. URRP is building a community where growth is shared, celebrated, and sustained.

Our Story

Built by people who know the hard way

The United Rise and Resilience Project was founded in 2025 by two close friends, Theresa (Coach T) and Kara (Kara), who met while earning their Ph.D.'s in Psychology. Their shared passion for promoting emotional strength, compassion, and human connection inspired them to create an organization that helps others rise through adversity with resilience and purpose.

Theresa's study on compassion fatigue awareness revealed a common truth — that growth and healing begin with self-awareness, empathy, and supportive community. Kara's research in performance psychology highlighted the critical importance of mental health in athletes, particularly marginalized populations. Together, they envisioned a space where individuals and leaders could learn, grow, and lead with compassion.

Guided by core values of servant leadership, compassion, progression, transparency, inclusion, and motivation, the project aims to empower individuals and communities through psychology-based education, emotional intelligence training, compassion fatigue awareness, and life coaching. Through annual conferences, podcasts, webinars, and consulting, the founders strive to cultivate a global culture of emotional strength and inclusive leadership — where every person is encouraged to grow and rise, together.

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The Symbol Behind the Mission

Our logo features a human figure forming the trunk of a tree — symbolizing growth, resilience, and renewal. Just as a tree stands strong even after losing its branches or leaves, the United Rise and Resilience Project embodies the strength to endure and thrive through life's challenges.

🌿 Green leaves — growth and renewal

💙 Blue figure — human connection and compassion

🌳 Tree form — enduring strength through adversity

Our Shows

Two voices. One mission.

Each segment brings a distinct lens — Coach T's I/O psychology and life coaching expertise alongside Kara's performance psychology science. Together, they cover the full spectrum of what it takes to rise.

Coachable Moments ▶

Life doesn't always go according to plan. Coach T takes the common mishaps, the unexpected detours, and the moments that knock us sideways — and shows you how to reframe them into fuel. Rooted in Industrial & Organizational Psychology and professional life coaching, Coachable Moments is where real talk meets real transformation.

Focus Fixes ▶

Peak performance isn't reserved for elite athletes. Kara brings the science of performance psychology to everyday people — breaking down what focus actually looks like, why we lose it, and how to get it back. Practical, sharp, and research-driven. Focus Fixes is for anyone ready to operate at a higher level.

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Together on URRP ▶

Coach T and Kara also come together for joint podcast episodes — and frequently welcome URRP FAM guests to the conversation. These collaborative sessions bring fresh perspectives, lively discussion, and the full energy of the URRP community. Whether it's two voices or a full room, the mission stays the same: rise together.

URRP Girl + URRP Fam

The Team

Scholars. Coaches. Real people.

Coach T

Dr. Theresa Hedrick-Hopkins, PhD

Doctor of Organizational Psychology. Certified Professional Life Coach (ICF). Adjunct Professor. Her award-winning research on compassion fatigue in Texas law enforcement is already shaping the field.

View Coaching Profile →

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Kara

Kara Voss, PhD Candidate

Performance psychologist and co-founder of URRP. Kara brings the science of peak performance and mental focus to audiences who are ready to operate at a higher level.

Christian

Christian Aguilera, PhD Candidate

Bilingual scholar, school counselor, and consultant bringing expertise, cultural competence, and a commitment to expanding evidence-based psychology into underserved communities.

Haziel

Haziel Lopez, PhD Candidate

Bilingual I/O Psychology researcher with a passion for equity in mental health and organizational wellness. Haziel helps URRP reach communities that need these resources most.

Speaking & Consulting

We come to you.

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Keynote & Workshop Speaking

From professional development days to statewide conferences, URRP delivers research-backed presentations that leave audiences with tools they can use immediately. Our signature talk — Rewiring the Brain for Resilience — has earned standing invitations at universities across Texas and Kansas.

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Doctoral Student Consulting

We help doctoral students navigate the journey the way we wish someone had helped us. From proposal to defense, from impostor syndrome to publication — URRP provides the mentorship, accountability, and practical guidance that programs often don't.

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Organizational Wellness

Burnout is expensive. Turnover is expensive. Compassion fatigue is preventable. We work with organizations — especially in high-stress fields like law enforcement, education, and healthcare — to build cultures where people sustain their best work.

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Bilingual Services

With Spanish-speaking team members and deep cultural competence, URRP is uniquely positioned to serve Latino communities and organizations seeking to reach Spanish-speaking audiences with evidence-based psychological support.

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