Representing the Traumatized Client

Faculty

Michael F. Barnes, Ph.D., LAC, LPC, D.A.A.E.T.S, Michael Barnes Family Institute / Steamboat Springs, CO

Patrick A. Barnes, Spinner Law Firm / Wesley Chapel, FL

About the Speakers

Michael F. Barnes, Ph.D., LAC, LPC, D.A.A.E.T.S, Michael Barnes Family Institute / Steamboat Springs, CO

Dr. Michael Barnes is a Licensed Addiction Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Diplomate in the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. He is the Founder/Director of the Michael Barnes Family Institute, owner of Barnes Education and Consulting, LLC, and Chief Clinical Officer at the Foundry Treatment Center in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In the past 40 + years, Dr. Barnes has worked at numerous addiction treatment centers and psychiatric hospitals, and he spent 10 years as a full-time faculty member at various university counselor and marriage and family therapist educator programs.

Dr. Barnes has spent the past ten years building trauma-integrated addiction treatment programs and programs for families who struggle with a family member who experiences addiction and trauma. His research has been on the secondary trauma of family members who live with a traumatized family member and the systemic trauma that occurs when multiple family members are traumatized. He recently published his first book, When the Solution Becomes the Problem: Helping Families Who Struggle with Addiction and Trauma. The book covers the incidence of addiction and trauma, the chronic disease concept of addiction, PTSD, Developmental Trauma, and Secondary Trauma, Family Resilience, the Change Process, and family healing.

Dr. Barnes speaks nationally on Families, Trauma, and Addiction, Trauma Integrated Addiction Treatment, and Compassion Fatigue. He received his BA in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, his M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh, and his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Florida State University.

Patrick A. Barnes, Spinner Law Firm / Wesley Chapel, FL

Patrick Barnes is a licensed attorney in Florida and Colorado, focusing on the practice areas of personal injury and estate planning. He obtained his bachelor’s in Psychology from Florida State University and his juris doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law.

Mr. Barnes understands first-hand how traumatic personal injury can be, and he implements trauma-informed strategies into his legal practice. He is a published author and speaks to bar associations and other organizations all over the country about trauma-informed legal practice, the effects of burnout and compassion fatigue on lawyers and other legal professionals, and how to better represent traumatized clients.