SIU launches new program to better train counselors who treat complex trauma

September 23, 2024

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. - As a trained counselor looking for a therapist of her own in the 1980s, it was difficult for Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumna Martha C. "Marti" Crothers to find a professional who was qualified to address the long-term effects of complex childhood trauma she had experienced.

Janet M. Coffman, then director of SIU's Counseling Center, proved to be a godsend for Crothers. Now, Crothers is honoring the longtime counselor who became her friend with a $1 million planned gift to establish the Coffman-Crothers Training Institute for Trauma and Psychological Health Endowment Fund. She is also making annual contributions to provide training to address complex trauma soon, including a symposium next month.

"Trauma is a fact of life. When people are seeking treatment, sometimes it will emerge that they have suffered from complex trauma - multiple traumatic experiences that have built upon themselves during their childhood, often resulting in dissociation," said Holly Cormier, licensed clinical psychologist and director of the SIU Clinical Center,within which the program is housed. "But while complex trauma may be very common, there is a huge gap in training practitioners to treat adults who have suffered complex trauma. Starting this fall, we're going to be working to help fill those gaps."

However, the American Psychological Association doesn't currently recognize complex trauma as a distinct treatment classification, so there is no specific training to address it, Crothers said.

"Dr. Crothers feels passionately about this issue, and she's making an extremely generous gift for which we are very grateful," Cormier said. "Marti is so grateful to Janet for the help she provided to her, and she wants to help other practitioners get the training they need to be able to help their patients."

Cormier said the situation is akin to asking a general practitioner to perform heart surgery. It's not that one medical professional is superior. It's just that the general practitioner isn't trained to perform heart surgery, and likewise a typical counselor isn't trained to treat complex trauma.

Crothers credits Coffman with showing her that despite suffering from trauma, PTSD and dissociation (a feeling of disconnection between the self and the environment), she could live a worthwhile life, and that she had "something to offer. I was so impressed with how hard Janet searched for training to be able to counsel me and others. Many of the things I learned from her, particularly about self-care, I was able to pass along to my students."

The first step to provide specialized training is a one-day workshop on "Safe and Effective Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Adults." The inaugural training session presented by the Coffman-Crothers Training Program for Trauma and Psychological Health will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at the SIU Simmons School of Law, 1150 Douglas Drive, and registration through Eventbrite is now underway. Registration is limited and due by Oct. 1.

What the workshop is all about

The workshop, presented in conjunction with the Bridgepoint Psychology Center, is designed to give participants the knowledge, skills and resources they need to work confidently and effectively with multiple trauma-exposed adults. The presenter is Janna Henning, licensed clinical psychologist, incoming president of the trauma division of the American Psychological Association and professor in the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program at Adler University in Chicago.

Licensed psychologists, professional counselors, social workers and clinical practitioners as well as university graduate students, faculty and staff will find the program beneficial. Participants can earn 6 American Psychological Association continuing education credits. Thanks to sponsorship from the Coffman-Crothers Training Program, the workshop is free for students and $45 for licensed professionals and others, with a group rate of $40 available for groups of three or more. Box lunches are included.

Why the large commitment

For Crothers, addressing complex trauma matters personally and professionally. She is a triple alumna of SIU, earning her bachelor's degree in recreation for special populations in 1973, studying with William Freeberg who served as consulting founder with Eunice Kennedy Shriver for the Special Olympics. After working in the field in South Carolina and Kentucky, she returned to SIU to complete her master's degree in educational psychology in 1980 and then her doctorate in counselor education and supervision in 1998.

During her career, she taught at various levels, served as a consultant, helped establish not-for-profit agencies, served as a professional counselor and more. She is also a retired educational psychology and special education faculty member who taught at SIU from 2003 to 2014.

Coffman retired in 2007 as director of Counseling and Psychological Services at SIU. The 1990 recipient of the SIU Women of Distinction Award, she had worked at the Counseling Center since 1980, becoming director in 1985.

Long-term goals

The Coffman-Crothers Training Program is dedicated to establishing and funding scientifically based psychological training programs focused on treating adults with complex trauma and dissociation. It consults with national and international experts to ensure that all training opportunities meet evidence-based professional standards and best practices established by the American Psychological Association. The long-term goal is to establish the program as an institute and to provide educational opportunities for SIU graduate students, faculty, staff, and community licensed or certified psychologists and counselors. Plans also call for offering scholarships for SIU students and faculty members to obtain appropriate training at other locations.

"Our mission is to advocate for standardized training for complex trauma treatment and to provide affordable training opportunities for students, the university community and professionals so they can care for those who have suffered complex trauma and dissociation," Crothers said, noting that she takes no salary for her work. "Perhaps someday we can be the model for the future."

For more information about the Coffman-Crothers Training Program, visit the website, call 618-453-2361, or email [email protected].

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