Our Trainers

Our Trainers

Erica Pearl Messer, Psy.D.

CARE Co-Developer, iCARE Collaborative Trainer

PCIT International Certified Level II Trainer

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati, OH

Dr. Messer began her career at Cincinnati Children’s in 2004 where she and her colleagues formed the Trauma Treatment Training Center. She specializes in treating children, particularly those considered at-risk who have experienced child abuse and neglect. As the training director of the Mayerson Center for Safe & Healthy Children, her mission is to conduct research and disseminate evidence-based treatments for families exposed to trauma and violence, maternal depression and children in foster care. Her clinical and research interests focus on interventions for maternal depression and children exposed to trauma and neglect.

Robin H. Gurwitch, Ph.D.

CARE Co-Developer, iCARE Collaborative Trainer

PCIT International Certified Global Trainer

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Professor, Department of Psychiatry &

Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center

Center for Child & Family Health

Durham, NC

Dr. Gurwitch is a recognized expert in understanding and supporting children in the aftermath of trauma and disasters and provides expertise on children and disasters/terrorism for the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), American Psychological Association (APA), the American Red Cross, and other agencies and systems. She recently completed her appointment on the Health and Human Services National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. She is an active member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). She provides services and conducts research in PCIT, CARE, and disasters/ terrorism. Dr. Gurwitch provides training and presentations on the national and international levels.

Christina M. Warner-Metzger, Ph.D.

CARE Co-Developer, iCARE Collaborative Trainer

PCIT International Certified Global Trainer

Trauma-Directed Interaction (TDITM) Co-Developer

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Founder, Evidence-Based Practices & International

Consulting (EPIC), LLC

Chicago, IL

Dr. Warner-Metzger has served as a consultant for efforts across the United States, as well as Indonesia and Australia, with extensive expertise in using a dissemination science model for large-scale evidence-based practices implementation. Her clinical and research interests include Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), developmental disabilities, and trauma-informed systems. She has contributed numerous peer-reviewed and invited presentations at national and international conferences. Her previous clinical work in Memphis and current work in Chicago has focused on serving urban, underserved, and underrepresented populations.

Joshua Masse, Ph.D.

iCARE Collaborative Trainer

PCIT International Certified Global Trainer

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Director of PCIT & Young Child Services

Boston Child Study Center

Assistant Professor, Psychology

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Boston, MA

Dr. Masse served as the Chair of the PCIT International Policy and Advocacy Task Force. He received his doctorate in clinical child psychology from West Virginia University and completed his advanced training at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Masse’s clinical and research interests lie broadly in examining the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for young children with a wide range of challenging behavior. He has extensive experience in evidence-based treatment consultation and training for a number of medical centers and mental health agencies. He presents research and invited talks at conferences and workshops locally and nationally.

John-Paul Abner, Ph.D.

iCARE Collaborative Trainer

PCIT International Certified Global Trainer

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Professor of Psychology, Milligan College

Director of PCIT Training, North-East Tennessee

Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody

Johnson City, TN

Dr. Abner graduated from the University of Florida with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Child and Adolescent emphasis) in 1996. He helps coordinate a statewide PCIT dissemination effort in Tennessee. Dr. Abner has conducted some of the initial research applying PCIT to children on the autism spectrum. A frequent speaker at PCIT conferences, he is passionate about PCIT and CARE. He favors a highly interactive style of presentation, and his presentations often feature storytelling, games, unintentional physical humor, pirate yarrghs, and prizes of minimal value.

Have questions about training?

See our Training Calendar for upcoming public trainings at our sites:
- Boston
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- East Tennessee
- Raleigh-Durham

Our trainers will also come to your agency or community to conduct trainings. Contact us for more information.

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