Dr. Philippa Chin, Assistant Professor and MS Counseling Program Director, recently traveled to Falmouth, Jamaica to represent Barry University as the invited international speaker at the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education annual conference. While originally scheduled to present on general parent-counselor collaboration, the context of the conference changed dramatically in the wake of the category 5 Hurricane Melissa. Facing a community grappling with devastation, Dr. Chin recognized an urgent need to pivot from her planned curriculum to address the immediate crisis facing counselors and their students.

Shifting her focus to “Treating Long Term Trauma & Psychological Stress Effectively,” Dr. Chin introduced the Trauma-Informed Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy (TI-SAFT) model. This transtheoretical approach—which integrates Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy (SAFT)—provides a critical framework for environments where trauma is expected to have long-term effects on children and families.

The relevance of this model is underscored by its academic reception: Dr. Chin co-developed the model and co-authored the foundational article on TI-SAFT, which earned the distinction of being the top cited and most downloaded article in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy for 2023. 

By bridging clinical family trauma work with the daily realities of school counseling, Dr. Chin has made a significant international impact, offering a lifeline of support to counselors and families rebuilding after the hurricane.

To read Dr. Chin’s article on TI-SAFT, click here.