She develops new theories and models with an applied practical bent, building on the work of psychiatrist C. G. Jung, psychoanalyst James Hillman, mythologist Joseph Campbell, and other depth psychologists.

With the assistance of Hugh Marr, she co-created the Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator (PMAI), published by the Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT), to help people better understand their motivations, their unconscious assumptions, and the narratives they think, tell, and live.

Her most recent book,[1] Persephone Rising: Awakening The Heroine Within, published in October 2015, bridges the genres of depth psychology, myth scholarship, and memoir.

In addition to such books written for the general public, Pearson has made contributions to the fields of education, marketing and branding, organizational development, and leadership through publications such as Educating the Majority: Women Challenge Tradition in Higher Education, co-editors, Donna L. Shavlik and Judith G. Touchton (1989); The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes, co-author, Margaret Mark (2001); Mapping the Organizational Psyche: A Jungian Theory of Organizational Dynamics and Change, co-author, John G. Corlett (2004); and The Transforming Leader: New Approaches to Leadership for the Twenty-First Century (2012).

At the age of two, she moved with her family to Houston, Texas, where she attended public schools and later Rice University, from which she received a BA (1966), MA, (1968), and PhD (1970).

Upon returning to UMD, she accepted an invitation to spend part of her time as a visiting scholar at the American Council on Education’s Center for Leadership Development.

From 1998 to 2005, Pearson was Senior Editor of The Inner Edge: A Resource for Enlightened Business Practice, published bi-monthly by InnoVision Communications, and then the Director of the Transformational Leadership Certificate Program at the Center for Professional Development at Georgetown University.