Who We Are

The Trauma Center is a program of Justice Resource Institute. The Executive Director of the Trauma Center is Joseph Spinazzola, Ph.D., and the Medical Director and Founder of the Trauma Center is Bessel van der Kolk, MD, who is an internationally recognized leader in the field of psychological trauma.

The Trauma Center provides comprehensive services to traumatized children and adults and their families at the main office in Brookline.

In addition to clinical services, The Trauma Center offers training, consultation, and educational programming for post-graduate mental health professionals. Our Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies has state-of-the-art seminars, lectures and supervision groups. Our monthly Lecture Series is open to all mental health professionals.

The Trauma Center Research Department is housed at our Brookline location and is also directed by Dr. van der Kolk. The Research Department conducts studies on traumatic memory and how treatment effects trauma survivors' minds, bodies, and brains.

At this Web site you will find a wealth of information – on our clinical services, on our training, consultation and education programs, and on Dr. van der Kolk and others' research and theories. Whether you are in therapy or a therapist, a student or a scholar, a lawyer or a judge, a representative of the media, you can learn a great deal here.

The Trauma Center has become a division of Justice Resource Institute (JRI), a large nonprofit organization dedicated to social justice by offering hope and promise of fulfillment to children, adults, and families who are at risk of not receiving effective services essential to their safety, progress, and/or survival. All grant and programmatic activities of the Trauma Center will be fully administered through Justice Resource Institute (JRI).