Core components of a trauma assessment

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In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Erin Eadie and Dr. John Briere, co-authors of the third edition of Principles of Trauma Therapy. We dive deep into how trauma assessment has evolved over the past 20 years, exploring both clinical nuances and broader societal issues. From differentiating trauma from other diagnoses, to understanding complex PTSD, to assessing trauma in marginalized populations, this conversation is packed with insight for psychologists, therapists, and other mental health professionals. We also highlight new tools and approaches for assessing trauma in adults, discuss the importance of feedback and relational context, and examine how social oppression and systemic discrimination can function as trauma.

Topics Covered

• Evolution of trauma conceptualization over the past 20 years
• Differences between trauma exposure, response, and diagnosis
• Why some individuals develop PTSD while others don’t after similar events
• Assessment principles: clinical interview + standardized tools
• Trauma-specific vs. broad-band measures (e.g., TSI-2, MMPI-2-RF, PAI)
• Complex PTSD and dissociation in assessment
• Feedback practices: balancing assessment with therapeutic impact
• Cultural humility and trauma in marginalized communities
• The Social Discrimination and Maltreatment Scale (SDMS) and new assessment tools
• Practical takeaways for clinicians working with trauma survivors

Cool Things Mentioned

• The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting
• Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
• Principles of Trauma Therapy: A Guide to Symptoms, Evaluation, and Treatment (3rd Edition) by John Briere & Erin Eadie: https://www.guilford.com/books/Principles-of-Trauma-Therapy/John-Briere-Erin-Eadie/9781462553853
• Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 (TSI-2): https://www.parinc.com/Products/Pkey/422
• MMPI-2-RF (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form): https://www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Personality-%26-Biopsychosocial/Minnesota-Multiphasic-Personality-Inventory-2-Restructured-Form-%7C-MMPI-2-RF/p/100000322.html
• Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI): https://www.parinc.com/Products/Pkey/238
• Social Discrimination and Maltreatment Scale (SDMS) – included in Principles of Trauma Therapy (3rd Ed.)
• Broadband Trauma and Adversity Review (BTAR) – included in Principles of Trauma Therapy (3rd Ed.)
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces

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About Dr. Erin Eadie

Erin Eadie, Ph.D. is a Clinical and Health psychologist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is a Staff Psychologist at the South East Toronto Family Health Team, an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and she is the Head of Child and Adolescent Care at Fairmarc Psychology Centre. She conducts and publishes research on the impact of interpersonal trauma on mental and physical health with a specific interest in posttraumatic stress, attachment, dissociation, and emotion dysregulation. Her clinical work and consultation focus on evidence-based assessment and treatment of trauma survivors across the lifespan.

About Dr. John Briere

John Briere, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. A past president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, he is recipient of the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Science of Trauma Psychology from the American Psychological Association, the William N. Friedrich Lecturer: Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Child Psychology from the Mayo Clinic, and the Presidential Award for Contribution to Methods from the Association for Scientific Advancement in Psychological Injury and Law. He is author or co-author of over 140 articles and chapters, 18 books, and 9 trauma-related psychological tests.

Get in Touch & Resources:

• Erin’s Email Address: drerineadie@gmail.com
• John’s Website: johnbriere.com

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

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