Mary Jo Barrett, MSW, a CCFH Associate Faculty member, is Director, Center for Contextual Change, located in Skokie, West Loop, and Elmhurst, IL.,a clinic specializing in The Collaborative Stage Model-a component phase model working with individuals, families, and groups. She is also on the faculties of the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, and the Family Institute of Northwestern University. She holds a masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois Jane Addams School of Social Work.
Ms. Barrett is a nationally prominent expert in the treatment of trauma and traumatic violence in the family. Her model is a collaborative, resilience-oriented approach which helps family create healing plans that can provide lasting change. Mary Jo also works extensively with helping therapist prevent Compassion Fatigue and heal from Vicarious Traumatization. She is a leading authority on family violence, including the physical and sexual abuse of children, neglect, incest, and spouse abuse, and has been working on these issues in since 1974.
Ms. Barrett has co-authored a new book Treating Complex Trauma: A Relational Blueprint for Collaboration and Change (with Linda Stone Fish). Ms. Barrett has co-authored two books with Dr. Terry Trepper: Treating Incest: A Multiple Systems Perspective and The Systemic Treatment of Incest: A Therapeutic Handbook. She is working on a handbook addressing compassion fatigue. Her other publications focus on systemic and feminist treatment of women, adult survivors of sexual abuse and trauma, eating disorders, couples therapy and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Ms. Barrett provides consultations, workshops, and courses, nationally and internationally, to families, lawyers, psychotherapists, social service providers, staff of residential treatment facilities and staff of governmental agencies.
