Paola Michelle Contreras, PsyD, is an adjunct faculty member in the MA Counseling Psychology Department at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Contreras earned her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from the MSPP. Dr. Contreras also holds a Psychology Licentiate Degree from Universidad Rafael Landivar conferred in Guatemala. She has taught and trained mental health professionals extensively in the treatment of trauma-affected populations. Her teaching interests include the psychological effects of trauma, human trafficking and other immigration-related issues, participatory action research methods, cross-cultural clinical and academic collaborations, and diversity. Dr. Contreras’ research and scholarly interests also focuses on participatory action research, cross-cultural collaborations, and secondary trauma. Dr. Contreras has over ten years of professional clinical experience with children, adolescents, and adults, and she has provided individual, couples, and family therapy. Dr. Contreras has consulted to a wide range of organizations throughout the U.S. on the treatment of psychological trauma. She was selected as a member of the APA’s Presidential Task Force on the Trafficking of Women and Girls.

Joe Gorin, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist in Washington, DC and Maryland and is a 1984 graduate of MSPP. He has over thirty years of experience practicing psychological evaluations and psychotherapy and is bilingual in Spanish. He has performed over 1200 immigration-related psychological evaluations and has appeared as an expert witness in immigration court over 100 times. He is the founder of Joseph Gorin, Psy.D. and Associates, which is a multicultural, multilingual psychology practice working with immigrants and refugees and in inner city schools in Washington, DC. He has particular expertise and experience working with psychological trauma, depression and anxiety. Her is on the teaching and supervising faculty in the doctoral program of the Professional Psychology department at George Washington University, where he teaches neuropsychologcial assessment. He has lectured nationally and internationally about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and has given numerous presentations to attorneys regarding the psychological aspects of working with trauma survivors who are applying for immigration benefits. He is the winner of the 2011 Florence Mintz award from MSPP. He was the Director of Psychology Training at the Center for Mental Health in Washington, DC from 1994-2001, the clinical supervisor at La Clinica del Pueblo, also in Washington, DC from 1994 to 2008  and the Director of Training at Northampton Area Mental Health Services (Massachusetts) from 1984-1987. His book, Choose Love: A Jewish-Buddhist Human Rights Activist in Central America, is a description of his years living in a war zone in Central America. He is a husband and a father of two children.