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 designed for professionals involved in forensic mental health assessment, regardless of their career stage. The program is especially relevant for clinicians who address trauma in civil or criminal evaluations. It is suitable for those working in a variety of forensic settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, correctional facilities, and outpatient forensic clinics. The material is applicable to both early-career professionals and experienced evaluators seeking to enhance their trauma-informed practice.

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for all career stages: entry-level, mid-career, and experienced professionals.

  • Practice Setting

    • Clinicians specializing in forensic mental health assessment

    • Professionals conducting civil or criminal forensic evaluations

    • Individuals working in:
        • -Inpatient psychiatric hospitals
        -Correctional facilities
        -Outpatient forensic clinics

Presented By

Julie Goldenson, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto

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.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Julie Goldenson, PhD

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).



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) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 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), SW CPE 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 and 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #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. CONCEPT Professional Training 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.