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
Member Submission | Return from Humanitarian Mission
Return to TPN Main Page Return from Humanitarian Mission in Armenia and Georgia Ani Kalayjian Harold Takooshian We have returned home with hearts overflowing with gratitude, love, and inspiration after our transformative humanitarian mission in Armenia and Georgia. Thanks to your unwavering support, we were able to bring healing, hope, and empowerment to communities facing…
Member Submission | Growth Through Grief
Return to TPN Main Page Growth Through Grief: Supporting Healthy Adaptation to Loss Katerina Bikir Member Open Submission Ukrainian society is currently drowning in the pain of loss and mourning. Every day brings horrifying news that paralyzes and exhausts every Ukrainian. While there is extensive research on trauma, especially military trauma, there’s a noticeable lack…
Member Submission | The Ghost of Unconscious Wounds
Return to TPN Main Page The Ghost of Unconscious Wounds: A Legacy of Inherited Trauma A follow-up essay to Traumatic Family and Hustle Culture (2024) Minh Phan Six years ago, one word pushed me out of my home after I disclosed my sexual orientation: ashamed. The exit began three years of estrangement, a slide into…
Wired for Survival: How Childhood Trauma Rewrites the Brain
Return to TPN Main Page With nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults reporting exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) before age 18 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024), trauma psychology sits at a critical intersection. These potentially traumatic events (PTEs) occur during childhood and/or adolescence (CDC, 2024), and carry longterm, costly impacts at the…
Book Review | Doorknob: Bombshells in Therapy
Return to TPN Main Page Book Review | Doorknob: Bombshells in Therapy The Deadline, the Brain, and Why it is Important to End on Time Section Editors: Serena Wadhwa & Omewha Beaton Daniela V. Gitlin. (2024). 240 pages. ISBN 978-1-324-05259-3 (paperback). W. W. Norton Professional Books. What do you do when your patient is about…
Cascading Climate Hazards and Environmental Justice
Cascading Climate Hazards and Environmental Justice In Communities on the Fenceline of Polluting Industries Alique Berberian, MPH, MIA Section Editor: Claire J. Starrs Climate change, driven largely by human activities like fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, is having widespread and unprecedented impacts on physical environments and populations in many regions across the world…
Who’s Who: Meet Dr. Carolee GiaoUyen Tran
Who’s Who: Special Feature Special Feature for the 50 Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon It’s important to humanize the face of not only the Vietnam War but all wars so we can bear witness to the horror, suffering, destructiveness, and displacement that accompany them… I truly believe that at the end of the day,…
Ethnotraumatology: Understanding Trauma in Black, Indigenous, and Diverse Ethnic Communities
Ethnotraumatology: Understanding Trauma in Black, Indigenous, & Diverse Ethnic Communities Educating Psychologists Beyond A Western Framework Lisseth London, PhD Karen Brown, PhD PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA Psychological trauma, as defined by the American Psychological Association, refers to the emotional response to an event or series of events that overwhelms an individual’s capacity to cope. The clinical definitions…
Summer 2025 President’s Column
President’s Column | Summer 2025 Jessica Punzo, PsyD Happy Summer Everyone, I hope you all are taking time to get some sunshine and warm air, amidst all the business that comes with summer schedules. I am excited to share some of the things we have been working on behind the scenes here. The first thing…