Lisa Najavits, PhD

Lisa M. Najavits, PhD, is Adjunct Professor, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (Worcester, MA) and Director, Treatment Innovations. She was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School (McLean Hospital) for 25 years and Boston University School of Medicine (VA Boston) for 12 years. She specializes in the development of new counseling models for trauma and addiction, clinical trials research, and community-based care. She is author of over 200 professional publications, as well as the books Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse; Finding Your Best Self: Recovery from Addiction, Trauma, or Both; A Woman’s Addiction Workbook; and the upcoming Creating Change: A Past-Focused Treatment for Trauma and Addiction.

She served as president of the Society of Addiction Psychology of the American Psychological Association; and has consulted widely on public health efforts in trauma and addiction both nationally and internationally, including to the National Institutes of Health, the Surgeon General, the United Nations, and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. She is on various advisory boards and has received awards including the Betty Ford Award of the Addiction Medical Education and Research Association, the Young Professional Award of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies; the Early Career Contribution Award of the Society for Psychotherapy Research; the Emerging Leadership Award of the American Psychological Association Committee on Women; and the Barnard College (Columbia University) Distinguished Alumna award.

She is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts and conducts a psychotherapy practice. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University and bachelor’s degree in history with honors from Barnard College (Columbia University).

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Lisa Najavits maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with the Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is the founder of and speaker for Treatment Innovations. Dr. Najavits receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Nonfinancial: Dr. Lisa Najavits serves on the advisory board for Center for Gambling Research at the University of Georgia and Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care at the State University of New York.