3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Beyond a Buzzword: “Trauma-Informed” Forensic Mental Health Assessment and Implications for Knowledge, Procedures, and Formulation is presented by Julie Goldenson, PhD.

This program focuses on integrating trauma-informed practices into assessment referrals across criminal and civil contexts. Participants explore the significance of trauma in various assessment referrals, understanding its relevance and impact. The program covers the differentiation between Type I and Type II trauma, providing a review of the literature on the biopsychosocial effects of chronic (Type II) trauma exposure.

Participants learn to conduct trauma-informed assessments by examining recent literature (Goldenson, Brodsky & Perlin, 2022; Goldenson, 2024; Goldenson & Bailey, 2024). This includes discussing the importance and limitations of trauma screening and reviewing various measures. The program emphasizes process-related considerations such as transparency, informed consent, attunement to non-verbal behavior and altered states of arousal, and appropriate pacing of interviews. Additionally, it addresses navigating the tensions around empathy and compassion within forensic contexts.

The program also covers the diagnostic formulation of trauma, including the ICD-11 definition of complex trauma. Finally, it highlights the emotional toll of trauma-related work, its potential impact on assessment quality, and the importance of self-awareness and consultation.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the relevance of trauma exposure and sequelae across a wide range of forensic assessment referrals
  • 2 Describe what being “trauma-informed” might mean in forensic assessment contexts
  • 3 Describe key concepts commonly cited in the literature
  • 4 Describe the salience of racial trauma and the importance of considering the evaluee's socio-cultural context
  • 5 Describe how to apply trauma-informed principles to interviewing
  • 6 Describe the utility (and limitations) of trauma screening and psychological testing
  • 7 Describe how to apply trauma-informed principles to case formulation

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for professionals involved in forensic mental health assessment, with a particular focus on those addressing the role of trauma in civil or criminal evaluations. It is especially relevant for clinicians and evaluators who specialize in trauma-informed practice within forensic contexts.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Forensic Psychologists
    • Forensic Psychiatrists
    • Clinical Social Workers
    • Licensed Professional Counselors
    • Psychotherapists conducting forensic assessments
    • Court-appointed Evaluators
    • Expert Witnesses in mental health cases

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with trauma-informed forensic assessment.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to trauma-informed practices in forensic assessment and seek foundational knowledge about trauma types, assessment principles, and relevant literature.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with trauma-informed assessment and are looking to deepen their understanding of process-related considerations, trauma screening, and the application of trauma-informed principles in complex cases.

    • Advanced: Participants have extensive experience in trauma-informed forensic assessment and are interested in advanced topics such as diagnostic formulation, the impact of trauma on assessment quality, and navigating nuanced ethical and emotional challenges.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners operate in forensic and medico-legal environments conducting trauma-informed evaluations for civil and criminal matters. Work spans secure and structured settings as well as community-based clinics and private practices that interface closely with courts, correctional systems, hospitals, and legal stakeholders.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Forensic hospitals and state psychiatric facilities
    • Jails, prisons, and juvenile detention centers
    • Court clinics and pretrial services units
    • Community mental health agencies with court-referred cases
    • Private practices handling court-ordered or attorney-referred evaluations
    • Child welfare and family court evaluation units
    • Veterans/VA and trauma specialty clinics providing forensic opinions
    • Immigration/asylum and human rights evaluation programs
    • Probation, parole, and diversion program assessment teams
Presented By

Julie Goldenson, PhD

Dr. Julie Goldenson is a clinical and forensic psychologist with two decades of experience conducting evaluations in criminal and civil contexts. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Simon Fraser University’s Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute, her professional work has integrated clinical and forensic practice, teaching, and scholarship. She is a part-time Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and the incoming Chair of the Graduate Counselling and Clinical Psychology Program, where she teaches doctoral-level courses in diagnosis and assessment. Dr. Goldenson’s scholarship examines the psychological impact of trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and interpersonal violence, with a parallel focus on resilience. Her scholarship also advances best practices in forensic mental health assessment. She serves as Forensic Section Editor for Psychological Injury and Law and on the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. Her professional leadership includes a term as President of the Ontario Psychological Association.She is a member of the Program in Psychiatry and the Law at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center/Harvard Medical School and was the 2021 recipient of the Strasburger Award in recognition of her contributions to this program. 


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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Balancing empathy and objectivity in forensic contexts

  • Diagnostic formulation and ICD-11 definition of complex trauma

  • Use and limitations of trauma screening tools and assessment measures

  • Differentiation between Type I (acute) and Type II (chronic) trauma and their biopsychosocial effects

  • Integration of trauma-informed practices into criminal and civil assessment referrals

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.