APA Guidelines for Working with Adults with Complex Trauma Histories
Learn about the new set of guidelines approved by the APA Council of Representatives at the APA 2024 convention in Seattle, August 2024.
APA’s clinical and professional practice guidelines are science-backed tools that showcase the latest clinical and practice knowledge for clinicians.
Developed by Division 56 (Trauma Psychology) of the American Psychological Association and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD)
OUR LEADERSHIP FOR 2025
Jessica Punzo, Psy.D.
President
Dr. Jessica Punzo is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Illinois and also an active member of PSYPACT. She completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Traumatic Stress at Adler University.
Janna Henning, Psy.D.
President-Elect
Dr. Janna Henning has been providing mental health services for adults with complex trauma, PTSD, dissociative disorders, chronic/life-threatening illness, and grief/loss-related concerns for over 20 years.
Carlos Cuevas, Ph.D.
Past President
Dr. Carlos A. Cuevas is a Professor and Co-Director of the Violence and Justice Research Laboratory at Northeastern University in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Trauma Psychology News
Summer 2025: Member Open Submissions
Sil Machado, PhD Being Diminished in the Eyes of the Other Collage The encounter with homophobic attitudes and behaviors is a significant, often traumatic stressor in the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. This collage, which is part of an arts-based interpretive phenomenological inquiry into the experience of homophobia, represents the theme of being diminished in the…
Student Section: Trauma Wears a Hall Pass: Corporal Punishment in our Schools
Written by: Kristina Schoenthaler Section Editor: Kiara Tookes-Williams Peer Reviewers: Molly Becker, Olivia Jackson, Jasmine Merlette, Zaine Roberts Advisor: Antonella Bariani When working with children in the welfare system, I often ask a simple but powerful question: “If you had a magic wand that could fix all your problems overnight, what would you wish for?”…
Book Review: Black Men and Racial Trauma: Impacts, Disparities, and Interventions
Review by: Nancy Maguire Section Editors: Serena Wadhwa & Omewha Beaton Yamonte Cooper, (New York, NY: Routledge), 2024, 314 Pages, ISBN 978-1032554105 (hardback), 978-1032554112 (paperback) Dr. Yamonte Cooper’s work, Black Men and Racial Trauma: Impacts, Disparities and Interventions, is seminal. He begins by articulating the meaning of anti-Blackness, simply and clearly stated as “racism based…
Book Review: Blackbird: A Novel
By Carol Carson2023Hound Press. ISBN: 979-8-9869933-0-0 At the outset, let me say unequivocally that Blackbird is a page turner. It is the riveting story of a child, Jane, who endures horrendous abuse. It is categorized as fiction, although Carole Carson acknowledges in her Author’s Note it is about her life — with liberties taken for…
Fellows Section: CALL FOR FELLOWS
Fellows Committee Chair:Charles Figley, PhDfigley@tulane.edu Fellow status in APA is given to those who have made unusual and outstanding contributions to the field of trauma psychology. Their distinguished contributions are the foundation on which the future of trauma psychology builds. Fellows make on-going contributions to science, practice, and public policy through activities in this Division…
Emerging Career Professionals: Early Career Representative Column
Maria Valgoi Early career can be a very stressful and confusing time. It’s a time when one defines themselves professionally, takes risks, and innovates. It’s also a time when professionals are making huge life decisions such as committing to a partner, having children, and buying a home. After talking with ECPs in the division, I…
Supporting the well-being of supervisees in trauma-intensive sites and the examination of current trauma-informed supervision practices
Monica Sanchez & Yinan Liang Section Editor:Kiara Tookes-Williams Peer Reviewers:Molly Becker, Olivia Jackson, Jasmine Merlette, Zaine Roberts Advisor: Antonella BarianiOpinions expressed by the authors are their own and not necessarily those of APA, Division 56, or any member of the editorial board. Trauma-informed mental health services are in high demand. Yet, there is a discrepancy…
Member Open Submissions
Catastrophic Wildfires and Apocalyptic AnxietyRobert D. Stolorow Living in the Bay Area near San Francisco, I am far from the catastrophic wildfires that have been assaulting Los Angeles and the neighboring communities. Despite this long distance, I have been feeling an uncanny sense of danger, an anxiety that often appears in my body in the…
Commentary: Trump Administration Threatens Decades of Trauma Research Progress
E. Kate Webb & Christine L. Larson Section Editor: Sydney Timmer-MurilloOpinions expressed by the authors are their own and not necessarily those of APA, Division 56, or any member of the editorial board. Trauma exposure is one of the most significant and prevalent risk factors for chronic mental and physical health conditions, including posttraumatic stress…
Mental Health of Older Adults with a Refugee Life Experience
Rochelle L. Frounfelker & Tej Mishra Section Editor:Claire J. StarrsOpinions expressed by the authors are their own and not necessarily those of APA, Division 56, or any member of the editorial board. Mental Health of Older Refugees The most recent data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicates that the number of…