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
Creating Connections: Training Competencies for Practitioners Supporting Traumatized LGBTQ+ Youth
Stephany Pinales & Mariah Montgomery Stickley In 2020, approximately 9% of adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age identified themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, while nearly one percent of the population surveyed (.73%) identified as transgender (Bowleg, 2020). Considering the social, cultural, and spiritual influences placed upon youth in their development, these numbers…
President’s Column – Spring 2024
It is an honor to start my year as Division 56 Trauma Psychology president. I became involved with this division shortly after its inception and have been fortunate to work with great colleagues for over a decade. I want to thank our past-President, Dr. Dawn Hughes for her leadership and support and want to welcome…
Psychopathology Following Traumatic Injury
Logan Pearson, Terri deRoon-Cassini, Mary E “Libby” Schroeder, & Daniel N. HolenaSection Editor: Sydney Timmer-Murillo In the high-stakes environment of trauma care, the immediate treatment priorities must focus primarily on stabilizing physical injury. This often relegates concern for mental health to the backseat, where it unfortunately remains for much of the early period post-trauma. Despite…
Book Review – Posttraumatic play in children: What clinicians need to know
By Eliana Gil2017The Guilford Press Eliana Gil’s gentle and sensitive approach to children and their families is evident throughout her book on posttraumatic play therapy. She calls her approach Trauma-Focused Integrative Play Therapy (TFIPT). Dr. Gil aims her book towards clinicians, mainly focusing on complex, chronic, and ‘unrelenting’ Type II traumas, which include multiple types…
CALL FOR FELLOWS
Fellows Committee Chair:Priscilla Dass-Brailsfordpd227@georgetown.eduPhone: 202-706-5078 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…
Religiosity / Spirituality & WellBeing in BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Communities
In briefClaire J. Starrs & Zaine A. Roberts Religiosity has been shown to be related to indicators of well-being such as hope, optimism, happiness, and quality of life (Gonçalves, et al., 2017; Panzini, et al. 2017; Peres, et al., 2017), as well as lower distress, even in the face of major stressors, such as cancer,…
Introducing our new elected ECP Representative
My name is Maria Valgoi. I am a trauma psychologist and licensed in Illinois. I have a clinic on the southside of Chicago and I am on faculty at Governors State University in the south suburbs of Chicago. I graduated from University of Illinois Counseling Psychology Program with a graduate concentration in African American Studies.…
Double Trauma: Post-Migration Living Distress and Refugee Suicidality
Phoebe LewisSection Editor: Antonella BarianiPeer Reviewers: Molly Becker The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2023) estimates that, as of mid-2022, 32.5 million people were of refugee status. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a person meets the legal definition of refugee if they are “unable or unwilling to return to their…
RMHRN & International Committee Updates
Elizabeth Carll Section Editor; Founder & Chair, Refugee Mental Health Resource Network Refugee Mental Health Resource Network The Refugee Mental Health Resource Network (RMHRN) organized a symposium on International Interventions and Research about Trauma Faced by Refugees and Migrants at the 2023 APA Convention in Washington DC. Participants included Frances Boulon, Elizabeth Carll, Shaifali Sandhya,…
Who’s Who: Jessica Punzo, PsyD
(she/her)Owner/Founder, Middle Path Psychotherapy, LLC Formal education: PsyD, concentration in traumatic stress (Adler University); Psychology BS, biology minor(Roosevelt University) Areas of expertise/interests: Complex PTSD, LGBTQ populations, perinatal mental health, psychedelic assisted therapy Self-care activities: Exercise (specifically all things Peloton!), listening to music and attending music festivals, home decorating (especially Halloween decorating), crafting, traveling, being in…