Jan Faust, Ph. D., Professor, Nova Southeastern University, Center for Psychological Studies

Dr. Jan Faust received her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia after completing a Pediatric Psychology internship at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. While at the University of Georgia , Dr. Faust received both the University Wide Fellowship, a competitive scholastic and research award, and the William K. Boardman Memorial Award for professional development and achievement in clinical psychology. After receiving her degree, she completed a post doctoral fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Stanford University School of Medicine. Upon completion of her fellowship, she joined the Center for Psychological Studies faculty of Nova Southeastern University as an Assistant Professor, subsequently being promoted to Associate Professor and, more recently, Full Professor. While at NSU, Dr. Faust developed two specialty programs in the Psychology's Department's Community Mental Health Center . One of her programs, Child and Adolescent Traumatic Stress Program, is the clinical, training, and research facility serving children exposed to traumatic or potentially traumatic stressors including all forms of child maltreatment, witnessing parent murder and domestic violence, exposure to natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes) and accidental injury death. It is within this program that she is principal investigator of a 6 year National Institute of Mental Health grant entitled “Comparisons of Treatment for Sexually Abused Children with PTSD.” In addition she has extended some of her earlier surgery preparation research to the child maltreatment area and recently she together with one of her former students published, in the Journal of Pediatrics, a study demonstrating the effectiveness of preparing sexually abused children for the medical gynecological examination. She is currently extending this research to a wider age range and to include the impact of mothers/mother surrogate presence during both preparation as well as the exam.

Dr. Faust has published her scholarly products in peer reviewed journals and book chapters in the area of child, adolescent and family psychology. Her published and presented research reflects her interest in the area of childhood stress and traumas, including interpersonal and medical traumas. She has presented numerous papers at professional meetings such as the International Society of Traumatic Stress, the Program Evaluation and Family Violence Research International Conference, American Psychological Association, Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, American, Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, and American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. In addition, she has co-edited a book on child psychopathology and intervention published by Elsevier Science as well as a book entitled Trauma Practice in the Wake of 911 published by Haworth Press.

Finally, Dr. Faust practices part-time at the Institute of Behavioral Sciences and the Law where she conducts custody and dependency evaluations as well as treats children, adolescents, and adults who have been exposed to maltreatment and other traumas including divorce adjustment.