Our Instructors

Bruce Bongar, PhD, ABPP

Dr. Bruce Bongar, Ph.D., ABPP, FAPM, received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and served his internship in clinical-community psychology with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. For over 25 years, Dr. Bongar maintained a small practice specializing in psychotherapy, consultation and supervision in working with the difficult and life-threatening patient.

Stanley Brodksy, PhD

Dr. Stanley Brodsky is Professor Emeritus at The University of Alabama, where he coordinated the psychology-law PhD concentration for the last 2+ decades. His work specializes in the application of psychological knowledge to offenders, law, and legal issues. In 2006 he was the recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology & Law Award of the American Psychology-Law Society.

Jaime Brower, PsyD

Dr. Jaime Brower is a licensed clinical psychologist working out of Denver, Colorado. She is American Board Certified as a specialist in the area of Police & Public Safety Psychology. Dr. Brower has devoted her career to working with those in law enforcement, corrections, detentions, fire, military, and other high stress occupations, as well as ensuring the health and wellbeing of their family members. She further specializes in risk and threat assessment, school violence and hostile workplace investigations. Dr. Brower is particularly passionate about training and consulting with agencies regarding best practices for enhancing resiliency and wellness.

Jerrod Brown, PhD

Jerrod Brown, PhD, is the Treatment Director for Pathways Counseling Center, Inc., the lead developer of an online Master of Arts degree in Human Services with an emphasis in Forensic Behavioral Health from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota, the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS), and the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Scholars Today (FST) and the Journal of Special Populations (JSP).

Joyce Chu, PhD

Dr. Joyce Chu is an Associate Professor at Palo Alto University. She earned her B.A. and M.A. in psychology at Stanford University, her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan, and did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Chu co-leads the Multicultural Suicide and Ethnic Minority Mental Health Research Groups at PAU, and is also Director of the Diversity and Community Mental Health (DCMH) emphasis which trains future psychologists to work with underserved populations in the public mental health sector.

David Cooke, PhD

Dr. David Cooke is accredited by the Risk Management Authority (RMA) to undertake risk assessment reports under section 210C and 210D of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. He holds BSc, MSc, PhD and DUniv (Honoris Causa) degrees in psychology. He is a Chartered Forensic and Chartered Clinical Psychologist, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

David Cooke, PhD

Dr. David Cooke is accredited by the Risk Management Authority (RMA) to undertake risk assessment reports under section 210C and 210D of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. He holds BSc, MSc, PhD and DUniv (Honoris Causa) degrees in psychology. He is a Chartered Forensic and Chartered Clinical Psychologist, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Robert J. Cramer, PhD

Robert J. Cramer, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Belk Distinguished Scholar in Health Research at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Holding a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, his expertise includes suicide prevention, mental health, hate crimes, violence prevention, sexual and gender minority health, and theories of health and personality. Drawing on his forensic training, Cramer served as a trial consultant for almost a decade, focusing on jury consultation, witness preparation, and case theory in civil and criminal trials. With expertise in quantitative methods, he is active in community-engaged research, having partnered with agencies such as the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and many others. The founder of the Core Competency Model of Suicide Prevention Training, he has provided suicide prevention training and consultation for the United Kingdom National Health Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, various university counseling centers and academic training programs, and other professional audiences. Recognized as an international expert in suicide and violence prevention research and training, Cramer has served as honorary visiting faculty at the University of Strathclyde School of Psychological Sciences and Health, the University of Central Lancashire School of Psychology, and the Griffith University Criminology Institute. He currently serves as on the editorial boards of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Aggressive Behavior.

Keith Cruise, PhD

Dr. Keith Cruise is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Clinical-Forensic Specialization in the Department of Psychology at Fordham University. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas and a Masters of Legal Studies degree from the University of Nebraska. Dr. Cruise conducts research on the clinical-forensic assessment of youth within the juvenile justice system. In his clinical practice, he has provided direct care assessment and treatment services with justice-involved youth, offered expert testimony to juvenile courts, and developed treatment protocols for this population.

Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD

Heather Ellis Cucolo is a Distinguished Adjunct professor of law and the facilitator of the joint JD/MA program with John Jay College of Criminal Justice, at New York Law School (NYLS). She is also an adjunct professor in the JM Program at Emory University School of Law, and a Fellowship faculty member at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition to those roles, Professor Cucolo is co-owner of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, a legal education and professional training company, and was elected to the board of trustees for the International Society of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, a non-profit organization. Formerly, in her full-time legal practice, Professor Cucolo dedicated her career to representing individuals at trial facing civil commitment under both the New Jersey Mental Hygiene Law and New Jersey’s Sexually Violent Predators Act. She authored and argued appeals before the New Jersey Appellate Division with over 27 reported decisions. She has published four textbooks and over 21 law review articles with mentions in an Eastern District of New York court decision and an Iowa appellate decision. She was honored to receive the Otto L. Walter Distinguished Writing Award for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. Professor Cucolo’s international work has included: expert testimony on extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States for persons convicted of a sex offense; pro bono advocacy for LawAid International; speaking at the United Nations on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region; and the creation of an instructional course on disability legislation for attorneys in Japan.

Brian Cutler, PhD

Dr. Brian Cutler began serving as a consultant and expert witness in cases involving risk factors for mistaken eyewitness identifications and mistaken eyewitness memories in 1989. To date, he has consulted in more than 200 cases. In 2013, Dr. Cutler began serving as a consultant and expert witness in cases involving the risk factors for false accusations and false confessions, and to date has consulted in more than 40 cases.

David JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic)

David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), is a Professor of Psychology and Professor of Law at Drexel University, and Director of Drexel’s JD/PhD Program in Law & Psychology. He has published 14 books, more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, and more than 50 book chapters in his areas of interest, which include mental health law, psychopathic personality, forensic mental health assessment, and diversion of justice-involved individuals. He is a former President of the American Psychology-Law Society (APA Division 41) and the American Board of Forensic Psychology. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 1, 12, and 41) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. He routinely consults with city agencies, state agencies, policymakers, correctional facilities, and law enforcement. He conducts forensic mental health assessments of adults and adolescents on a variety of legal issues, and he has testified as an expert witness in state and federal courts. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Law and Human Behavior.

Sarah L. Desmarais, PhD

Sarah L. Desmarais, Ph.D., is the President at Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA) since 2022. She is responsible for the strategic priorities of PRA and oversight of PRA operations. Dr. Desmarais received her PhD in Forensic Psychology and Law from Simon Fraser University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining PRA, Dr. Desmarais was a tenured Professor of Psychology and University Faculty Scholar at North Carolina State University. She also was an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida with joint appointments in the Department of Community and Family Health and the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy. Dr. Desmarais works on issues at the intersection of public health, community safety, and social justice. Her current research is focused on evidence-based practices for reducing detention rates, especially among people with behavioral health needs. Dr. Desmarais has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications in journals including the American Journal of Public Health, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Law and Human Behavior. She has held grants and contracts from foundations, state, and federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Justice, the National Science Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.

Kevin S. Douglas, PhD, LLB

Dr. Kevin S. Douglas received his law degree (LL.B.) in 2000 from the University of British Columbia, and his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in clinical (forensic) psychology from Simon Fraser University. He spent three years on faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and has been on faculty at Simon Fraser University since 2004. He currently is Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University. He is also a Guest Professor of Applied Criminology at Mid-Sweden University, and a Senior Research Advisor at the University of Oslo.

Itiel E. Dror, PhD

Dr. Itiel Dror is a cognitive neuroscientist who received his Ph.D. at Harvard (1994) in the area of cognitive factors in human expert performance. Since his Ph.D. over twenty years ago, Dr. Dror has been researching this area, and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles specifically looking at cognitive factors that mediate human expert performance. His insights and understanding of the human brain and cognitive system underpin the workshop. Without such deep knowledge, it is not possible to properly deliver a workshop on the ‘cognitive factors’. Dr. Dror has been working in the forensic domain for over a decade. In fact, he is the person who introduced the human and cognitive factors to the forensic community and has made this issue central in forensic science. Over the last decade Dr. Dror has worked with a variety of forensic laboratories across the US, in which he has visited and shadowed examiners doing casework, reviewed SOPs and practices. Dr. Dror was the Chair of the OSAC Human Factor group (the new ‘SWGs’ organized under NIST/NIJ), which is responsible for the cognitive factor issues across all the OSAC forensic domains. The National Commission on Forensic Science has recognized Dr. Dror as the leader in this area and has asked him to present to the commission (as well as appointed him to their Human Factors subcommittee), as well as many other forensic bodies who have solicited Dr. Dror. The recommendations on cognitive and human factors of the NCFS and the NAS report, and other bodies is mainly based on the research of Dr. Dror. He is also a member of the AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of Science) Advisory Committee on Forensic Science Assessment (a project in which the AAAS will conduct an analysis of the underlying scientific bases for the forensic tools and methods currently used). Dr. Itiel Dror has a proven track record in successfully delivering workshops, specifically on ‘Cognitive Factors in Making Forensic Comparisons’, to dozens of forensic laboratories. He is the only person who has the combined cognitive and forensic expertise to deliver this training. His workshops on this specific issue have been delivered with great success to the FBI, LAPD, NYPD, SFPD, Boston PD, Kansas, and many other forensic laboratories across the US. As the world leader in this area, Dr. Dror has also been commissioned to deliver this workshop in a variety of countries across the world (Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, as well as other countries –not to mention numerous police forces the UK). The success of his workshops and his training in this area has been recognized by the professional bodies: Dr. Dror has received the ABP Annual Award for 'Excellence in Training' for his workshops on cognitive factors in making forensic comparisons. The purpose of the award is to recognize excellence in demonstrating how applying an understanding of the science of human behaviour can impact and deliver practical value to organizations. The judges commented that Dr. Dror's workshops are: "Truly outstanding and inspiring", "A highly rigorous application of relevant theoretical frameworks", "Truly innovative, breaking entirely new ground in a most challenging context", "Internationally ground-breaking impact already being used around the world", "Entirely focused on application of conceptual models – underpinned by deep research", and "Impact is highly impressive".

John F. Edens, PhD

Dr. John F. Edens is a Professor of Psychology and formerly the Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Texas A&M University (TAMU). He is the lead author of the Personality Assessment Inventory Interpretive Report for Correctional Settings (PAI-CS; Edens & Ruiz, 2005). Dr. Edens received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from TAMU in 1996 and completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the University of South Florida in 1998.

Jay Flens, PsyD, ABPP

Dr. Jay Flens is a board certified clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Valrico, Florida. He is licensed to practice as a psychologist in Florida where his practice is devoted primarily to family law-related cases. One of Dr. Flens’ principal interests is the use of psychological testing in family law-related cases.

William E. Foote, PhD

Dr. William E. Foote received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1978. He has been in private practice as a forensic psychologist since 1979 and has conducted over 3000 forensic evaluations. Dr. Foote has been a consultant to the Indian Health Service concerning forensic issues. He has consulted with the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police in criminal investigations.

Michele Galietta, PhD

Dr. Michele Galietta is Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York where she served as Director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program from 2005-2013. Dr. Galietta is a researcher and clinician specializing in the training, adaptation and dissemination of empirically-supported treatments to community and forensic/correctional settings.

Peter Goldblum, PhD, MPH

Dr. Peter Goldblum, Ph.D., MPH, Co-Director of CLEAR, is professor of psychology at Palo Alto University. He received his Ph.D. from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (now PAU), his MPH from UC, Berkeley School of Public Health, his MA in Psychology an Teaching from Teachers College-Coumbia, and his BA from the University of Texas, Austin.

Laura S. Guy, PhD

Dr. Laura S. Guy obtained her BA in psychology at McGill University in Quebec, MA in clinical (forensic) psychology at Sam Houston State University in Texas, and PhD in clinical (forensic) psychology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). She has Board Certification in Forensic Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology and is registered to practice psychology in Canada and the United States.

Stephen D. Hart, PhD

Dr. Stephen D. Hart obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He has been on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University since 1990, and has held the rank of Professor since 2001. He also served as a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway between 2000 and 2021. His expertise is in the field of clinical-forensic psychology, with a special focus on the assessment of violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder. He has co-authored more than 250 books, chapters, and articles. He has served as editor of two scientific journals; a member of the editorial board of eight journals; and ad hoc reviewer for more than 40 journals. He has served as an executive committee member of several professional organizations, including President of the American Psychology-Law Society and the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. He has received various distinctions for his professional work, including the Career Achievement Award from the Society of Clinical Psychology, the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Research Excellence in Psychology and Law from the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He maintains an active practice in violence risk assessment. He has consulted with government agencies from more than 25 countries; led more than 500 training workshops around the world; and given expert evidence before courts, tribunals, inquests, review boards, and parliamentary committees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Charlie Heriot-Maitland, PhD

Dr. Charlie Heriot-Maitland is a clinical psychologist, researcher and trainer (University of Glasgow; Balanced Minds). He is currently researching the social context of anomalous experiences and the application of CFT for people experiencing distress in relation to psychosis. He provides psychological therapies in NHS psychosis services, and in private practice. He also runs various compassion training workshops for practitioners and the general public.

Lorraine Johnstone, DClin.Psychol

Dr. Lorraine Johnstone, BA(Hons)., DClin.Psychol, AFBPS, is a Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist, Visiting Professor, and Head of Child and Family Clinical Psychology. Alongside her extensive clinical experience working with individuals with violent behavior problems, Lorraine has worked with residents and staff teams based in a range residential settings (secure and unlocked hospital settings, prisons, care homes, secure children’s homes, etc).

Rhonda Kelly

Rhonda Kelly draws on personal experience in her focus on mental health support for people in team-based work in extreme environments. She was a firefighter/paramedic for 17 years in Aurora, CO. She served for five years as the department’s Health and Safety Officer, working to implement culture change that would prioritize overall wellness and destigmatize mental health support. It was in that role that she co-founded the state-wide Responder Strong project and eventually joined NMHIC.

Ivan Kruh, PhD

Dr. Ivan Kruh received his PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentrated study of Forensic Psychology from the University of Alabama. For ten years, he was the Director of Juvenile Forensic Evaluations in Washington State and coordinated a post-doctoral fellowship in Juvenile Forensic Psychology at the University of Washington. In private practice, he conducts juvenile forensic evaluations and consults to state juvenile forensic evaluation systems. He is the Director of Juvenile Competency Services at National Youth Screening and Assessment Partners (NYSAP).

P. Randall Kropp, PhD

Dr. Randall Kropp is a clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in the assessment and management of violent offenders. He works as a threat assessment specialist for Protect International Inc., is a psychologist with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, Canada, and is Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University.

Brianne Layden, PhD

Dr. Brianne Layden obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at Simon Fraser University. She worked with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, Canada, as a psychology assistant, and with the DBT Centre of Vancouver as a clinical extern from 2012 to 2016. She also worked as a Forensic Psychology Fellow at the University of Massachusetts Medical School from 2017 to 2018.

David Martindale, PhD, ABPP

David Martindale, Ph.D., ABPP (forensic) limits his practice to consulting with psychologists, attorneys, and state regulatory boards. He lectures regularly on issues pertaining to evaluations of comparative custodial suitability, served on the AFCC Child Custody Consulting Task Force, and was the Reporter for the AFCC Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation.

Tonia L. Nicholls, PhD

Dr. Nicholls is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC and Distinguished Scientist and Lead, Forensic Research BC Mental Health and Substance User Services and President-Elect, International Association of Forensic Mental Health. She holds cross-appointments at UBC including the SPPH and an Adjunct appointment in the Department of Psychology, SFU. Her research examines the intersections of law and mental health related to the provision of services to persons in conflict with the law and diverse marginalized populations focusing on assessment and treatment of violence, criminality, and the development and implementation of EBP. She has published manuals to support the translation of research into practice and has engaged in large-scale implementations and evaluations; these include violence risk assessments and mental health screening in correctional settings, mental health assessments, and treatment planning (see manuals). Her scholarly work has earned her and her teams multiple grants and awards totaling over $15 million. Recently she received a CIHR Foundation award (> $2 million; 2015-2022) to fund her research.

Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP

Randy Otto, Ph.D., ABPP is an Associate Professor in the NSU Department of Clinical and School Psychology. Previously, he was a faculty member in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy at the University of South Florida, where he served for 33 years. Dr. Otto was awarded doctoral and master’s degrees in clinical psychology from Florida State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Rochester. Dr. Otto’s research and writing focus on forensic psychological assessment. He has developed two psychological tests that are used in forensic assessment settings, and he has authored and edited books on forensic psychological evaluation, expert testimony and report writing, ethics in forensic psychology practice, assessment of trial competence, violence risk assessment and Florida mental health law. Dr. Otto has served as president of the American Psychology-Law Society, the American Board of Forensic Psychology, and the Board of Trustees of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 41) and has received awards for his professional contributions from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, the American Psychology-Law Society, the Society for Personality Assessment, the New York State Psychological Association, the University of Nebraska, and the University of California, San Francisco. He currently serves as Executive Director of the American Board of Forensic Psychology. Dr. Otto shares that his daughter is continually amazed that some are actually willing to pay to hear him speak, when she regularly volunteers to pay to have him shut up. When not at work or with his wife and daughter, Dr. Otto is likely to be found at a poker table or on a motorcycle.

Ira K. Packer, PhD, ABPP

Dr. Ira K. Packer, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, directs the highly respected UMMS Postdoctoral Residency Program in Forensic Psychology, and directs the Forensic Evaluation Service at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. He also is the Director of the Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts.

Michael L. Perlin, JD

Michael L. Perlin is Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS), founding director of NYLS’s Online Mental Disability Law Program, and founding director of NYLS’s International Mental Disability Law Reform Project in its Justice Action Center. He is also the co-founder of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates. He has written 31 books and nearly 300 articles on all aspects of mental disability law, many of which deal with the overlap between mental disability law and criminal law and procedure.

Lisa Drago Piechowski, PhD, ABPP

Lisa Drago Piechowski, Ph.D., ABPP, a board-certified forensic psychologist (ABPP), has been in practice for more than twenty years. Specializing in civil forensic matters, Dr. Piechowski has a particular interest in employment-related cases including disability, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, ADA, fitness for duty, and workplace violence.

Gianni Pirelli, PhD, ABPP

Dr. Pirelli is Board Certified in Forensic Psychology, and a licensed psychologist in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is a leading expert in the firearms and mental health arena, as well as in forensic psychology practice ethics and procedures. He leads the group practice, Pirelli Clinical and Forensic Psychology, LLC, a team of licensed doctors conducting evaluations in a range of administrative, civil, and criminal matters. Dr. Pirelli has conducted over 1,000 evaluations and testified over 100 times in private practice. In addition to maintaining a full-time private practice, Dr. Pirelli has remained active in research, training, and professional service. His primary areas of research pertain to forensic mental health assessment (FMHA), ethics and standards of practice in forensic psychology, and guns and mental health. He has given many professional conference presentations and invited talks, and he has numerous publications, including being the lead on three (3) books published by Oxford University Press: The Ethical Practice of Forensic Psychology: A Casebook (2017); The Behavioral Science of Firearms: A Mental Health Perspective on Guns, Suicide, and Violence (2019); and Firearms and Clinical Practice: A Handbook for Medical and Mental Health Professionals (2023). Dr. Pirelli has also published chapters in seminal texts such as the Handbook of Forensic Psychology (4th Edition), and his articles have been published in leading practice-oriented journals such as the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology; the Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice; Professional Psychology: Research and Practice; and Psychology, Public Policy and Law. Of additional note is Dr. Pirelli’s research has been cited in amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court and the New York State Court of Appeals, and in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice final report (2020).

Sgt. Mike Pitrusu

Mike Pitrusu is a sergeant with a major city agency of 746 sworn officers that provides comprehensive police services to a diverse city of 374,000 residents. He currently serves as the Executive Officer to the Chief of Police where he supervises the department’s Employee Support and Wellness Unit (ESWU).

Barry Rosenfeld, PhD, ABPP

Barry Rosenfeld is a Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University. He is currently the President of the American Psychology-Law Society and past president of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. Dr. Rosenfeld has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters addressing a wide range of topics in psychology and law, including malingering, violence risk assessment, and cross-cultural issues in forensic assessment. He is also board certified in forensic psychology and conducts evaluations in both civil and criminal forensic settings, including individuals in diverse cultural settings both within and outside of the U.S.

Randall T. Salekin, PhD

Dr. Randall T. Salekin is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alabama where he also serves as Director of the Disruptive Behavior Clinic. He received his PhD from the University of North Texas and completed his clinical internship at Yale University. Dr. Salekin has published on child and adolescent psychopathy, personality, and also has research interests in child and adolescent developmental maturity and amenability to treatment.

Martin Sellbom, PhD

Martin Sellbom is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2007 from Kent State University. His research focuses on psychopathy and other personality disorders, the integration of personality and psychopathology, and personality assessment with the MMPI instruments. Professor Sellbom's work has been featured in almost 300 publications that includes two books. He has won several awards, including the American Psychological Foundation’s Theodore Millon mid-career award for advancing personality science, American Psychology-Law Society’s Saleem Shah Award and Society for Personality Assessment’s Samuel and Anne Beck Award for early career achievement. Professor Sellbom serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Personality Assessment. For his clinical practice, he specializes in forensic psychological evaluations.

Donna Sheperis, PhD

Donna Sheperis, PhD. joined PAU in 2016 and currently serves as a Full Professor, Associate Chair, Chair of the PAU Faculty Senate, Co-Chair of the PAU Institutional Review Board, and Director of the PAU eClinic. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Mississippi and her Masters in Counseling from Delta State University. Donna has taught land-based and online programs since 2000. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi and Texas; a Board Certified Counselor; a Board Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor; an Approved Clinical Supervisor; and a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider with 30 years of experience in clinical mental health counseling settings. Dr. Donna Sheperis is active in the counseling profession. She is past president of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling and on the Ethics Appeals Committee for the American Counseling Association. She serves on the ACA Ethical Appeals Committee. Previously, Donna served as chair of the ACA Ethics Committee. She also serves on the Ethics and Bylaws committees for the Association for Humanistic Counseling and the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. She is active in scholarship and research as well with multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she has authored multiple book chapters and textbooks including Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Fundamentals of Applied Practice for Pearson Publishing; Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor for SAGE Publishing; and Foundations of Substance Use and Addiction Counseling: Principles and Applied Practice for Cognella Publishing (in press).

C. Barr Taylor, MD

Dr. C. Barr Taylor is a Research Professor at Palo Alto University and Director of the Center for m2Health that focuses on developing, evaluating and disseminating digital health interventions for preventing and treating common mental health problems. He is also Professor of Psychiatry (emeritus) at Stanford University.

Philip Trompetter, PhD, ABPP

Philip Trompetter earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1970) from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Trompetter is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Modesto, CA who has specialized in police and forensic psychology since 1978. He is a board-certified specialist in Police and Public Safety Psychology through ABPP. Until he sold his police psychology practice, Dr. Trompetter specialized in providing intervention, assessment, and operational consultation to multiple northern California public safety agencies for more than 35 years. He provided pre-employment screenings for nearly 60 public safety agencies, and fitness for duty evaluations for more than 50 private industry and public safety agencies. He has published more than a dozen articles related to police psychology and authored the history of police psychology chapter in a recently edited book about the specialty. He has chaired the Officer-Involved Shooting Guideline Revision Committees twice for the Police Psychological Services Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and has testified as an expert in deadly force confrontations throughout the country. He was the guest editor of a special issue of the Police Chief which contained six articles devoted to police psychological operations, assessment, intervention, peer support, consultation, and board certification. Dr. Trompetter is a past General Chair of the IACP Police Psychological Services Section. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Police and Public Safety Psychology (AAPPSP), was the American Board of Police and Public Safety (ABPPSP) National Chair of Examinations (NCE) for the between 2010 and 2014, and was the ABPPSP Board President in 2016-2017. He continues to provide forensic psychological evaluations and testimony, but confines his police psychology practice to mentoring early career police psychologists of color and organizing webinars and workshops for the American Academy of Police and Public Safety Psychology.

Jodi Viljoen, PhD

Dr. Jodi Viljoen, R. Psyc. is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Simon Fraser University, an Associate Director of the Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence. She is an author of a the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START:AV) and a risk reduction guide called the Adolescent Risk Reduction and Resilient Outcomes Work-Plan (ARROW).

Kelly A. Watt, PhD

Dr. Kelly A. Watt works as a Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International and is a member of the Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Dr. Watt is the editor of the Intelligence newsletter which is disseminated on behalf of threat assessment professional associations in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific, and that provides recent advances in research, practice, and the law related to threat assessment around the globe.

Patricia A. Zapf, PhD

Patricia A. Zapf, Ph.D. is Vice President for Continuing & Professional Studies at Palo Alto University (PAU). Prior to coming to PAU she was a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY) for 16 years, during which time she was instrumental in the development of a new doctoral program in clinical psychology with an emphasis in forensic psychology and served as the program’s first Director of Clinical Training. Prior to her time at CUNY, she was on the psychology and law faculty at the University of Alabama. In 2009, Dr. Zapf founded CONCEPT Professional Training with the mission of elevating the level of practice in psychology and related professions.

Lynn C. Waelde, PhD

Dr. Lynn C. Waelde is a Professor in the Psychology Department of Palo Alto University and an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine. Her clinical and research interests focus on manifestations and treatment of stress disorders such as PTSD and on the therapeutic applications of meditation and mindfulness. She is the founder and Director of the Inner Resources Center at Palo Alto University.

Christopher M. Weaver, PhD

Dr. Weaver is a Clinical Psychologist, and Director of the Forensic Psychology Emphasis at Palo Alto University. He is the lead author of Law & Mental Health - A case-based approach, and is published on police officer training among other topics. He is a co-author of the Police Officer PTSD Toolkit of the National Center for PTSD, with whom he is also collaborating to adapt PTSD support apps for police. Dr. Weaver has co-authored other in-person and video-based police curricula focusing on the topics of PTSD and Implicit Race Bias. He is Principal Investigator evaluating a national VA Police train-the-trainer initiative, and an AP-LS-funded study to develop a suicide risk assessment smartphone app for use by police officers.

Kelly A. Watt, PhD

Dr. Kelly A. Watt works as a Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International and is a member of the Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Dr. Watt is the editor of the Intelligence newsletter which is disseminated on behalf of threat assessment professional associations in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific, and that provides recent advances in research, practice, and the law related to threat assessment around the globe.

Our instructors are internationally recognized experts, prolific authors, and engaging presenters. They are passionate about providing evidence-based understanding, knowledge, and skills that professionals can apply in practice.