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Laurel J Kiser, Ph.D., MBA


Laurel J. Kiser, Ph.D., M.B.A. is a psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Kiser served as School of Medicine Principal Investigator of the Family Informed Trauma Treatment (FITT) Center, a National Child Traumatic Stress Network Category II Center, since 2007. Dr. Kiser has expertise in the development and provision of interventions for children and families living in under-resourced, minoritized communities. She is the lead author of the conceptual model of complex trauma in families. Partnering with Charles Figley, she co-authored the second edition of Helping Traumatized Families. Her articles appear frequently in the professional literature, and she is a regular presenter and invited lecturer at national conferences.

Dr. Kiser received support from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop family-based interventions to address the high rates of trauma exposure and the prevalence of trauma-related disorders in highly vulnerable families. Strengthening Family Coping Resources: Intervention for Families Impacted by Trauma is the culmination of her 30+ years working to address the needs of this highly impacted population. She has established the non-profit Center for Strengthening Family Coping Resources to sustain the model.

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