Biography

Jessica L. Griffin, Psy.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), where she has been a faculty member since 2006 and is the Executive Director of the UMMS Child Trauma Training Center.  She has been working as a Licensed Psychologist since 2004. Dr. Griffin is a nationally recognized expert in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), the most rigorously tested treatment for trauma in children with over 21 clinical trials supporting its efficacy and effectiveness.  Dr. Griffin provides training and ongoing consultation in TF-CBT, for providers across New England. Since joining the faculty at UMMS in 2006, Dr. Griffin has trained and provided consultation for over 6000 clinicians across the northeast United States including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Maine as well as California. In 2012, Dr. Griffin developed the University of Massachusetts, Child Trauma Training Center, where her center has now trained over 36,000 professionals in trauma, trauma-informed care, and trauma sensitive practices. 

Within the UMMS Department of Psychiatry, she has trained and supervised dozens of postdoctoral psychology fellows, psychology interns, and child psychiatry fellows. Dr. Griffin is a clinical and forensic psychologist with a specialty in forensic assessment of children and families, particularly with regard to childhood trauma and abuse. She has extensive expertise in childhood maltreatment, the impact of trauma, psychological assessment, and divorce and custody matters. Dr. Griffin worked extensively in the UMASS Family Court Clinics, continues to serve as a Guardian ad Litem for the family courts, performing court-ordered forensic and psychological evaluations in the juvenile courts and at the request of juvenile attorneys on issues related to juvenile competency, sexual abuse, trauma, educational issues, and cognitive and psychological functioning, and provides expert witness testimony for the juvenile and family courts.  In addition to her position at UMASS Medical School, Dr. Griffin has maintained a private practice for over a decade where she works with couples and families.  She presents regularly at a local, national and international level on topics related to childhood trauma, TF-CBT, relationships and forensic interviewing and evaluation of children and families.

Dr. Griffin has been featured on NPR, Fox News, the Insider, and has been a relationship expert on several television docuseries about relationships, marriage and divorce: Seven Year Switch and Married At First Sight, where she provides consultation to cast and production of a television show, now on the Lifetime Network.  Originally from Ohio, Dr. Griffin resides in Massachusetts with her three children, Australian Shepard, and the love of her life. She is the CEO of Lovebuilder, Inc., a relationship company, providing web-based training for couples and parents.