Dr. John Caffaro joined the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University in 1992. He currently serves as Distinguished Professor in the Psy.D. program at CSPP - Los Angeles. He also holds an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, Child Psychiatry Residency Training Program and is in private practice in Del Mar, California.
Dr. Caffaro is an internationally recognized expert on sibling violence and sexual abuse having published two seminal books in this area and has trained mental health professionals across the United States, Europe and Asia for more than 25 years. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, is on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and Journal of Family Violence, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on treating adult survivors of sibling violence and sexual abuse, systemic approaches to treating survivors of interpersonal trauma, and group psychotherapy. He has appeared on CNN, and been interviewed numerous times by the NY Times, Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Boston Globe, LA Times, VICE News, and London Times. He is an elected Fellow in APA Divisions 43, 56, and 37 and was recently honored with the Distinguished Contribution to Family Psychology award granted by the American Psychological Association, Division (43) Society for Family Psychology.
He draws on more than 25 years of private practice experience working with trauma treatment and currently divides his time between private practice, teaching, writing, and professional training.
Interpersonal trauma; sibling relationships; post-traumatic stress disorder; adult survivors of childhood trauma; group psychotherapy training and supervision.
PhD Clinical Psychology, Fielding Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA
Honors
2004
Award for Teaching Excellence. Child Psychiatry Residency Training Program. University of California at San Diego [UCSD] Department of Psychiatry. La Jolla, CA.
2001
National Group Instructor Designate (AGPA) American Group Psychotherapy Association, NY.
1995
Outstanding Core Faculty Award. California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, Los Angeles, CA.
2014
Distinguished Contribution to Family Psychology. American Psychological Association, APA Division (43) Society for Family Psychology, Washington, DC.
Caffaro, J.V. (2020). Sexual Abuse of Siblings. Handbook of Domestic Violence. Shackelford, T. K. (Ed.) UK: SAGE.
Caffaro J. (2020) Sibling Abuse of Other Children. In: Geffner R., Vieth V., Vaughan- Eden V., Rosenbaum A., Hamberger L., White J. (Eds.) Handbook of Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan. NY: Springer.
Chang-Caffaro, S. & Caffaro, J.V. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, NY: Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1469958
Shay, J. & Caffaro, J.V. (2017). AGPA at 75: Past, Present, and Future. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67, (1). NY: Routledge.
Shay, J. & Caffaro, J.V. (2017). AGPA at 75: Past, present, and future. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67, (1). NY: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2016.1246947
Caffaro, J.V. (Winter, 2017). Adult Survivors of Sibling Abuse: When the Bully is your Brother or Sister. PARIDIGM Magazine 21(1), 4-7 2016 Targeted Publications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. http://addictionrecov.org/paradigm
Caffaro, J.V. (2016). Treating Adult Survivors of Sibling Sexual Abuse: A Relational Strengths-Based Approach. Journal of Family Violence, New York: Springer. DOI 10.1007/s10896-016-9877-0
Regas, S., & Caffaro, J. (2015). Utilizing couple group therapy to resolve the conundrum of relationship. Family Psychologist, 31, 9-10.
Caffaro, J.V. (2015). Interpersonal Integrative Group Therapy. In Encyclopaedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Neukrug, E. (Ed.). SAGE.
Caffaro, J.V. (2014). Sibling abuse trauma. 2nd Edition. New York: Routledge.
Caffaro, J. (2014). I'll take the high road. In Complex Dilemmas in Group Therapy: Pathways to Resolution, 2nd Edition. Shay, J. & Motherwell, L. (Eds.), NY: Routledge.
Regas, S., Doonan, R., Caffaro, J., & Bakaly, J. (2011). Family systems practice in residential healthcare: A case for using a sibling-informed group intervention. GROUP, 35:4, 305-318, NY: Mental Health Resources.
Caffaro, J. (2011). Fundamentalism and the search for divinity: The varied role of religion in interfaith couples. Journal of Family Psychotherapy. 22:4, 328-343, NY: Taylor & Francis.
Caffaro, J. (2010). Sibling violence and systems-oriented therapy In Caspi, J. (Ed.). Sibling Development: Implications for Mental Health Practitioners.
NY: Springer
Caffaro, J. (2008). Sibling aggression and maltreatment. European Trauma Bulletin, European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. 14, (1), 12 - 18. (R)
Caffaro, J. (Nov, 2008). Sibling trauma. The Los Angeles Psychologist. Publication of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association.
Caffaro, J. (2008). Sibling violence. Clinical Update.Family Therapy Magazine, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Washington, D.C.
Caffaro, J. (June, 2008). Sibling incest. Research & Advocacy Digest, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, [WCSAP] 10, (2), 4-12.
Caffaro, J. (2007). Sibling Violence and Aggression: Assessment & Clinical Intervention with Children, Families and Adults. In Proceedings of the 5th European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry, Callaghan, P., Nijman, H., Palmstierna, T., and Oud, N. (Eds.) Netherlands: KAVANAH Publications
Caffaro, J.V. & Conn-Caffaro, A. (2005). Treating sibling abuse families. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal, 10 (5), 604-623. UK: Elsevier Press.
Schene. P., Caffaro, J., & Fluke, J. (December, 2004). The importance of assessment in child welfare. Policy & Practice, Vol. 62, (4), American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), Washington, D.C. http://www.aphsa.org/home/news.asp
Caffaro, J.V. & Conn-Caffaro, A. (2003). Sibling dynamics and group psychotherapy. The International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 53, (2) NY: Guilford Press
Caffaro, J.V. & Conn-Caffaro, A. (1998). Sibling abuse trauma. Assessment & Intervention with Children, Families, and Adults. NY: Routledge.