PTSD: National Center for PTSD

I'm the Director of the PTSD Consultation Program and also a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. In addition to these roles, I'm also a clinical psychologist and a researcher in the treatment of PTSD and addictions, applications of Prolonged Exposure therapy, implementation of evidence-based treatments for PTSD, novel treatments to address the kinds of problems recently deployed Veterans report and mental health effects of trauma-related guilt and shame. I'm based at the VA San Diego Healthcare System where I previously directed the PTSD treatment program for Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and served as a consultant for the VA Prolonged Exposure therapy rollout. I've served as a member of the VA/DoD PTSD Clinical Practice Guideline workgroup in 2017 and 2023. I received my PhD from Stanford University and have over 200 publications related to PTSD and associated problems.

I'm a clinical psychologist with the National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division where I serve as an Implementation Facilitator and the Communication and Training Lead for the Tech into Care program. As part of this role, I deliver trainings on VA mental health apps and work directly with health care teams to incorporate apps into care. I'm also trained in Prolonged Exposure therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy and I've worked with Veterans from all branches and service eras. My clinical and research interests include mobile health, military culture, Interpersonal Therapy, and evidence-based treatments for PTSD. I received my PsyD from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. Afterwards, I completed my pre-doctoral internship at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, and my postdoctoral fellowship at Weill Cornell's Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies.

I am the Consultation Program Coordinator so I serve as the initial point of contact for all requests for consultation and assist in answering provider questions about resources. In addition to this role, I work with the team that develops and implements educational and marketing materials for the National Center for PTSD. Before joining VA, I worked at The American Legion and for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, where I designed surveys and specialized on Veterans' health policy issues. Additionally, I served as an Infantryman for 8 years in the Vermont Army National Guard and deployed to Paktia, Afghanistan in 2010. After leaving the military, I joined the Peace Corps and spent over 2 years in the Kingdom of Swaziland working on agricultural, youth, and HIV-AIDS prevention programs. I graduated from the University of Vermont and the American University.

I'm a clinical psychologist focusing on facilitating the use of empirically supported treatments by clinicians treating veterans in rural areas. My clinical work has focused on cognitive behavioral treatments for PTSD and other post-trauma related symptoms. I'm also trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy and I'm a consultant in VA's national rollout of Prolonged Exposure. Prior to my position at the National Center for PTSD, I was the Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator and Assistant Director of Psychology Clinical Training at the Southeast Louisiana Veteran's Health Care System, and a clinical instructor at Tulane University School of Medicine. My current research interests focus on the implementation of empirically supported treatments and posttraumatic symptom presentation. I received my doctorate in clinical psychology from La Salle University and completed my clinical internship and a PTSD focused fellowship at the Southeast Louisiana Veteran's Health Care System.

I'm a clinical psychologist in the PTSD Clinical Team at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of South Florida. My clinical and research interests include best practices for the treatment of PTSD and addictions, and novel treatments to address trauma-related guilt, shame, and moral injury. I specialize in Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders using Prolonged Exposure (COPE); I'm also trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Motivational Interviewing (MET/MI), and Present Centered Therapy (PCT). Additionally, I served as an investigator, consultant, and treatment adherence and fidelity rater for clinical trials involving PE, COPE, PCT, and a trauma-related guilt intervention, so I've worked across a variety of treatment settings. Within the VA, I've worked in both outpatient and residential; and prior to my time in the VA, I worked for a Department of Defense contracted residential facility providing trauma-focused care to active-duty Service members and first responders. I received my PhD from Alliant International University in San Diego, CA and completed my predoctoral internship and a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in PTSD and comorbid substance use disorders at VA San Diego.

I'm a Texas-licensed clinical psychologist in private practice and an Associate Professor within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. My clinical specialties include trauma, nightmares, insomnia, sleep and anxiety. I'm also certified as a Master Prolonged Exposure clinician and I have extensive experience in working with active-duty service members and Veterans. Additionally, I've been trained in CBT for Insomnia and Nightmares as well as Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) for PTSD. My professional interests include cultural stressors and strengths, the influence of cultural identity, and delivery of culturally-responsive treatment. For 8 years, I worked at the Ft. Hood (now Ft. Cavazos) site of STRONG STAR as a cognitive-behavioral research therapist for several randomized clinical trials focused on PTSD and related conditions in active-duty military personnel and Veterans. Currently, I serve as a consultant with the STRONG STAR Training Initiative. I obtained my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and completed a 2-year fellowship with STRONG STAR, a multidisciplinary PTSD research consortium.

I'm a clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and I also serve as the Deputy Director for Education at the National Center for PTSD. In this capacity, I oversee the Center's educational efforts to promote the implementation of evidence-based care for Veterans and trauma survivors through provider training and support and increase awareness of PTSD and engagement in treatment. My interests are in developing, disseminating, and evaluating cognitive-behavioral treatments for PTSD and related conditions. I'm also a funded investigator, who has conducted several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating these interventions. Currently, I have an RCT focused on the evaluation of an online PTSD program to increase engagement and retention in PTSD treatment. I attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, where I obtained my PhD in clinical psychology. Afterward, I completed my pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Dartmouth and the National Center for PTSD.

I'm a staff psychiatrist in the PTSD Clinical Team at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston, South Carolina, and a Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. I've worked with Veterans throughout my career and continue to maintain a busy clinical practice in the VA PTSD program. My clinical and research interests include pharmacology, combined medication and evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD, and assessment and treatment of PTSD co-morbidities. I've collaborated on projects investigating other therapeutic approaches in PTSD, including mindfulness-based stress reduction. Additionally, I've collaborated on research in the genetics of PTSD. I've also lectured and published extensively in these areas and I thoroughly enjoy discussing treatment ideas for PTSD with colleagues. I obtained my MD degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill where I also completed residency training.

I'm the Deputy Director for Research at the National Center for PTSD, Executive Division. I'm also a Professor of Psychiatry and Surgery at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and a staff psychiatrist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the White River Junction VA Medical Center. My clinical and research interests include developing better interventions for PTSD and related disorders, especially for patients with treatment-resistant and comorbid illness. I have expertise in brain imaging and brain stimulation therapies (including transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, and deep brain stimulation). A primary aim of my research program is to better understand the neural circuitry of treatment-resistant PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders, and to use this information to develop and advance novel treatment approaches, with a particular emphasis on focal brain stimulation therapies. I obtained my MD at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and an MS in clinical research from Emory University.

I'm a clinical psychologist on the Education Team at the National Center for PTSD and a Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I help to translate research knowledge into information that is more accessible to patients and clinicians. I specialize in Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Written Exposure Therapy. I enjoy helping clinicians provide evidence-based treatment while navigating the nuances of particular cases and the administrative and other challenges that come with systems change. My primary research interests involve better understanding variation in response to evidence-based treatments for PTSD, cognitive and emotional processes that maintain or alleviate PTSD symptoms, and the unique experiences of Veterans and of men and women who experience interpersonal and sexual trauma. I received my PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and then completed my predoctoral internship at University of Wisconsin and my postdoctoral fellowship in PTSD treatment at VA Boston.

I'm a clinical psychologist and Director of the PTSD Mentoring and Implementation Program, which supports PTSD specialty programs throughout VA. I specialize in questions related to assessment and treatment of PTSD, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and outpatient PTSD program management and PTSD-related metrics. I'm also a national CPT trainer and consultant, served as a regional mentor in the VA PTSD Mentoring Program, and was Program Manager for the PTSD outpatient specialty program at the Hines VA in Chicago, Illinois (2008-2018). Previously, I worked in a VA facility in Missouri where I served as Military Sexual Trauma Lead and site coordinator, as well as PTSD outpatient program manager. Additionally, I've served as therapist, investigator, and adherence and competence rater for several clinical research trials involving CPT. I truly appreciate the nuances in balancing adherence with clinical flexibility and want to offer guidance to providers that support their unique talents while working within these treatment protocols. My research interests include psychotherapy outcomes, assessment, clinical video technologies and evidence-based psychotherapies, and program evaluation. I received my PhD from Central Michigan University and completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Missouri St. Louis, in the Center for Trauma Recovery.

I'm a clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment and treatment of PTSD and insomnia. Currently, I serve as a psychotherapist in the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, where I previously worked as a member of the PTSD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program treatment team and was the New England regional leader of the VA local evidence-based psychotherapy coordinators. I'm also a national lead for VA's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia national rollout. My current research interests are focused on studying the effectiveness and implementation of evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD and insomnia. I received my PhD from the University of Connecticut and completed a VA postdoctoral fellowship at the VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) site.

I’m the manager of the PTSD Consultation Program and serve as a consultant on questions related to educational and clinical resources. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the program, I answer questions and help providers find tools, information, courses, patient education materials and other available resources on the National Center for PTSD's website. For many years I worked as a case manager and administrator in a community mental health center and I have experience working as a chaplain in health care and correctional facility settings. So I understand many of the challenges that providers face in a busy and sometimes stressful work environment and I’m eager to help clinicians get the information and support they need in an efficient and timely manner. I received my MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary.

I'm a clinical pharmacist at the National Center for PTSD. In addition to providing consultation on questions related to the pharmacologic treatment of PTSD, I've developed nationally recognized PTSD educational materials and made hundreds of outreach visits across VA providing clinical education and training to promote evidence-based care for Veterans with PTSD. Before joining the Center, I worked in VA Primary Care and Geriatrics clinics in Michigan and Vermont. I'm board-certified in psychiatric pharmacy and completed the VA Geriatric Scholar Program, a workforce development program to improve the care of older adults. My interests include the development of new pharmacologic treatments for PTSD, reducing polypharmacy, and improving medication safety. I understand first-hand the demands on front-line health care providers and want to help providers sort through the pharmacopeia and patient factors to make wise prescribing choices. I received my Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Michigan.

I'm a clinical social worker in private practice in Connecticut and New York, I have extensive experience delivering Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in both residential and outpatient settings. I'm certified in EMDR, and I serve as an approved consultant through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). I served many years in VA Connecticut's PTSD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program and had a senior role in the outpatient PTSD program, where I was involved in the education, supervision, and delivery of evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD. I'm an avid believer in shared decision-making and educating Veterans and families on treatments that are founded in research and clinical expertise. I received my MSW from Columbia University.

I'm a Clinical Research Psychologist in the Women's Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Additionally, I'm a trainer and consultant in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and I serve as a clinician and supervisor within the Women's Trauma Recovery Team at VA Boston. My research interests include the evaluation of treatment interventions for PTSD and comorbid conditions, factors contributing to treatment engagement and retention, and the relationship between trauma and physical health and psychosocial functioning outcomes. I am particularly interested in improving treatment outcomes for active-duty military and Veterans. My Department of Defense-funded research focuses on optimizing CPT in military populations. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at VA Boston.

I'm a clinical psychologist on the Education Team at the National Center for PTSD. Prior to joining the National Center for PTSD in 1998, I was an active-duty Navy psychologist for 8 years, working with adults for 4 years, and children and families for 4 years. I've specialized in disaster response work since 1999. As part of those efforts, I was a co-author of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Field Guide and the Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Manual, designed to intervene in the immediate and intermediate phases after disasters and terrorism. I also co-edited 3 books on disaster behavioral health interventions, as well as numerous articles, guidance documents, courses and chapters on disaster mental health. I'm also specialized in combat and operational stress, military culture, early intervention and resilience. I am also a co-author of the Combat Operational Stress First Aid (COSFA) peer support intervention, and Stress First Aid for Firefighters and Emergency Services Personnel and Curbside Manner (a public-facing version of Stress First Aid), as well as creating versions of Stress First Aid for law enforcement professionals, forest firefighters, nurses and rail workers. Additionally, I'm a co-author of toolkits and courses related to burnout and secondary traumatic stress, provider resilience, disaster mental health, police, chaplains, assessment of PTSD, military culture, anger management and sleep management courses. My education includes a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Catholic University, and a postgraduate fellowship in pediatric psychology at Harvard Medical School.