Military Sexual Trauma:

Stepping Beyond the Stigma and into the Journey of Healing

Presenter Bio - Karen Schoenfeld-Smith, Ph.D., Team Leader San Diego Vet Center

Karen Schoenfeld-Smith received her BA in Psychology from the University of San Diego in 1987, her MA in Psychology in 1992 and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego in 1995. She has been licensed as a Clinical Psychologist by the State of California since 1997. She began her work with the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1988 in San Diego as a Psychology Technician. She has research experience in the areas of substance abuse treatment, Alzheimer Care giving, Life Evaluations, rehabilitation, and pain management. She was an intern at the Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. As a postdoctoral intern with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Karen completed forensic examinations and provided therapy to inmates from 1995 to 1996. Her clinical focus has been on the impact of trauma on psychological functioning since she began with Readjustment Counseling Service in August of 1997. Karen has been the Team Leader of the San Diego Vet Center since December of 2004.  Her area of clinical expertise is working with Veterans and their families who have been exposed to combat trauma and sexual trauma.  She has lectured on readjustment challenges of Veterans exposed to trauma, PTSD, legal issues facing returning Veterans, impact of trauma on families of Veterans, Wellness in Native American Veterans, Military History taking in psychosocial assessments, military sexual trauma, and community networking for Veterans.