The American Psychological Association’s Division of Trauma Psychology named Janna Henning, J.D., Psy.D., professor in the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program at Adler University, as its president-elect.
Elected in June, Dr. Henning will begin her term on Jan. 1, assuming the role of president of in January 2026, and the role of immediate past-president in January 2027.
Through this leadership role at the APA Division of Trauma Psychology — also known as Div. 56, Dr. Henning is setting ambitious goals to expand high-quality trauma education and training. She also seeks to finalize the creation of a trauma psychology specialty, develop continuing education standards for trauma psychology, and increase active engagement of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals in the division.
“These are the focal points for me in terms of what I want to achieve,” said Dr. Henning. “It won’t be easy, but I like a challenge. Trauma psychology is foundational for clinicians to ensure survivors get the necessary and appropriate help they need.”
This leadership role is the result of 20 years of work in the field, including providing mental health services for adults with complex trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorders, chronic and life-threatening illness, and grief and loss-related concerns.
Dr. Henning first joined Adler University in 2006 as an adjunct faculty. She immediately led the creation of its traumatic stress psychology emphasis, which provides doctoral training in effective, research-informed approaches for clients coping with traumatic stress, death and dying, life-threating illness, bereavement, and loss.
That same year, Dr. Henning also joined Div. 56 — the year it was established — and has chaired or co-chaired its Education and Training Committee since 2014. She also co-chairs its Task Force on a Trauma Psychology Specialty.
“I consider Div. 56 as my professional home,” she said. “It’s the association most centrally aligned with my work in the field.”
Div. 56 provides a forum for scientific research, professional and public education, and the exchange of collegial support for professional activities to traumatic stress. By doing so, its members facilitate a state-of-the-art response by psychologists and move the understanding of trauma psychology forward.
However, she said, more work is needed to expand training and education when it comes to trauma psychology.
“When we look at the U.S. alone, the majority of people have been exposed to potentially traumatizing events, and many of these events are increasing — from climate change-related disasters to mass shootings,” she said. “So, we have a lot of trauma-exposed folks but not enough professionals who are trained appropriately to work with them.”
According to Dr. Henning, a 2023 study looked at 193 APA-credited doctoral programs in psychology, and of those, only nine required trauma courses, and only one in five offered trauma courses as an elective. One of the challenges, she added, is that there is a lack of instructors qualified to teach these courses. Clinicians try to fill their training gaps through CE but there are currently no standards, which leads to inconsistent quality.
“In this leadership role, I’ll seek to better understand the needs of trauma educators, supervisors, and learners, particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals, and increase opportunities to share their perspectives,” Dr. Henning said. “I also hope to strengthen teaching/training mentorship, increase access to trauma teaching/training resources, and continue to work toward a trauma specialization.”
In achieving these goals, Dr. Henning will have someone familiar to lead with.
The current president-elect — who will take the helm of president on Jan. 1 — is one of her former students: Jessica Punzo, Psy.D., who graduated in 2013.
“Adler University has a really strong presence in Div. 56 leadership this upcoming term,” she said. “That’s quite unique, and I can’t wait to work with Dr. Punzo to accomplish our goals.”