Overview
Robin H. Gurwitch, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist, is a Professor Emerita in the Duke University School of Medicine, affiliate in the Center for Child and Family Policy, and the Founder of RHG International Training and Consulting, PLLC. Dr. Gurwitch specializes in work with children, particularly those considered at-risk. Since the bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995, she has devoted much time to understanding the impact of trauma and disaster/mass violence on children and ways to increase resilience and promote healing. Dr. Gurwitch has numerous scientific publications and presentations addressing these topics. A caring clinician, Dr. Gurwitch has been involved in direct care following national and international disasters. Dr. Gurwitch has been actively involved in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) since shortly after it began in 2001, with efforts largely focused on Disaster/Terrorism. She now serves as a Senior Advisor for the Disaster and Terrorism Program of the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and Co-Chair of the NCTSN’s Disaster Behavioral Health Working Group. Dr. Gurwitch is the Co-Principal Investigator for the NEW DAY (Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth) SAMHSA-funded grant with the NCTSN. Dr. Gurwitch has served on state and national committees and task forces as well as consulted with federal and state agencies and school systems. She is also a Facilitator Trainer for the NCTSN’s Core Concepts of Trauma program. Among her appointments, Dr. Gurwitch served on the inaugural US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. Dr. Gurwitch is a subject matter expert regarding at-risk populations, especially children and family issues, for various agencies and organizations including the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the American Psychological Association, the Department of Education, Nickelodeon, and Sesame Street. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Gurwitch is in high demand for national and international media stories related to children’s mental health issues. Recently, Dr. Gurwitch has become involved in activities related to the mental health impact of antisemitism and is part of the Leadership Team of the Jewish Community Mental Health Initiative, a non-profit program funded, in part, by the American Psychological Foundation.
Dr. Gurwitch is a leader in the evidence-based treatment, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). As one of only 21 Global Trainers, certified by PCIT International Association, Dr. Gurwitch is involved in training, service, consultation and research in PCIT in the US and internationally, with numerous publications and presentations related to PCIT. For more than two decades, she has co-led PCIT efforts within the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). Dr. Gurwitch and her colleague recently developed an adaptation of PCIT specifically for use with children who have experienced trauma (Trauma Directed Interactionä). She is recognized as the national leader in the adaptation of PCIT for use with military families. In 2024, Dr. Gurwitch received the PCIT Lifetime Achievement Award from PCIT International Association. Dr. Gurwitch is one of the co-developers of Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE), a trauma and evidence-informed program based on PCIT and other evidence-based parenting interventions designed to strengthen relationships and to improve behaviors in children and teens who have experienced trauma or extreme stress. She has been involved in CARE implementation and dissemination in settings throughout the US and internationally; CARE has a growing evidence base. Dr. Gurwitch has taken the primary role in adapting CARE for use after disasters/mass violence (Respond with CARE). She has also worked to adapt CARE for use with military families, children in the child welfare system, and an adaptation for school settings, among others.
A prolific writer and educator, Dr. Gurwitch has co-authored book chapters, scientific journal articles and public education materials on the topics of trauma, resilience, psychological first aid, terrorism, disasters and preparedness, PCIT and CARE. She authored a trauma treatment manual for use following disasters for children and adolescents. Dr. Gurwitch regularly presents on topics related to her specialty areas at regional, national and international conferences. She has helped to develop materials for the NCTSN, APA, SAMHSA, and the American Red Cross, among others.
SELECTED GRANTS
- Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth (NEW DAY) (www.newday.fiu.edu) (2021-2026)
- The Center for Traumatic Stress and Comorbidity (CTSC), Baker Center, Boston, MA (2021-2026)
