On July 25th, Dr. Toya Jones was invited by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to serve as the plenary speaker at the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges Annual Meeting. In a dynamic 1.5-hour session titled “Vicarious Trauma”, Dr. Jones drew on her 20+ years as an international trauma expert to equip judges with strategies for recognizing and addressing vicarious trauma in the courtroom. Judges gained a deeper understanding of how exposure to graphic testimony, images, and victim accounts can lead to secondary trauma in themselves, court staff, and litigants. The session provided practical, trauma-informed strategies to help mitigate these effects and promote resilience within the judicial environment.
Dr. Jones states, “It was a pleasure to be invited back as the plenary speaker for the PA State Supreme Court Conference to cover such an important topic of Vicarious Trauma in the Courtroom Setting. I was excited that the judges requested this topic and were so open to learning about how they can manage and prevent vicarious trauma, not only for themselves but for the participants and staff in their courtroom.”
This marks Dr. Jones’s third time presenting for the Pennsylvania judiciary, continuing a record of highly impactful and well-received training sessions.