Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy: Treating Guilt and Shame Resulting from Trauma and Moral Injury

Sonya Norman, PhD, received her B.A. from Vassar College in cultural anthropology and her PhD in counseling psychology from Stanford University. She is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and director of the PTSD Consultation Program at the VA’s National Center for PTSD. She previously directed a PTSD treatment program for Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr. Norman conducts research in treating posttraumatic guilt, shame, and moral injury as well as in the treatment of PTSD and addictions. She is passionate about bringing together clinical work and research such that her research ideas are born from her clinical work and the goal of her research is to improve treatment outcomes for people who have experienced trauma. She has served as a training director for a postdoctoral fellowship in evidence-based psychotherapy. Dr. Norman has had research grants funded by the National Institute of Health, the Department of Defense, and the VA and has over 100 publications related to posttraumatic guilt and shame, PTSD and associated problems.

Carolyn B. Allard, Ph.D., ABPP, received her B.A. (Hons.) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon in Eugene, U.S.A. Dr. Allard is a licensed and board certified clinical psychologist who has served as Director of the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System Military Sexual Trauma & Interpersonal Trauma Clinic and Advanced Fellowship in Women's Health, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at University of California San Diego, and Clinical Director of a private-sector residential mental health program. She currently is the PhD Program Director at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University and has a private practice. For over 20 years, Dr. Allard has worked with survivors of many different types of trauma and specializes in the treatment of complex posttraumatic reactions to chronic and severe interpersonal trauma, including PTSD, dissociation, guilt and shame. She has trained hundreds in working with trauma survivors, from entry level students to seasoned professionals, and she is an active trauma researcher who has published articles in several scientific journals.

Kendall Browne, PhD, earned her PhD from the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology where she was a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism predoctoral fellow for four years. She is currently a licensed psychologists and core faculty member within the VA Centers of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education and an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the University of Washington, School of Medicine. Dr. Browne has training and expertise in the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring trauma-related symptoms. Her research efforts to date have largely focused on health services work aiming to develop and evaluate evidence-based practices for substance use disorders and co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder.

Christy Capone, PhD is a licensed, clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Providence, RI. She is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. Dr. Capone works with military veterans in the Trauma Recovery Services clinic at the VA where she provides individual and group psychotherapy related to co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use. She serves as a clinical supervisor and research mentor to psychology and psychiatry residents who are learning to deliver evidence-based psychotherapies and conduct clinical research. Informed by her clinical work with veterans, Dr. Capone became interested in how to best address trauma-related guilt and shame, a common and vexing problem that arose again and again in therapy and for many clients presented a formidable barrier to wellness and recovery. Dr. Capone’s research interests have focused on this area for the past several years and she currently has a research grant funded by the Department of Defense. Dr. Capone also conducts research in novel treatments for co-occurring PTSD and substance use and has published several manuscripts in this area.

Brittany Davis, Ph.D. received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital and is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences. Dr. Davis values training and education and has served as a clinical supervisor for psychology and psychiatry residents. Dr. Davis has remained active in research with a focus on trauma-related disorders, guilt and shame, and substance use disorders. Dr. Davis specializes in the treatment of PTSD and comorbid substance use disorders, and has utilized treatment approaches with flexibility and creativity, to assist with active duty service members, first responders, and veterans within inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. Dr. Davis works collaboratively with her clients and believes that if willing, all individuals have the capacity and capability to successfully overcome the distress of difficult times that may occur within the lifetime.