Child Abuse and Culture Working with Diverse Families

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, is a psychologist who has dedicated over 15 years to making the social service and mental health systems more responsive to culturally diverse people affected by family violence. She currently directs the School Counseling Graduate Program at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where she is a professor in the Psychology Department. An internationally recognized lecturer and trainer, Dr. Fontes is the editor of <I>Sexual Abuse in Nine North American Cultures: Treatment and Prevention<I*> and has written numerous journal articles and chapters on cultural issues in child maltreatment and violence against women, cross-cultural research, and ethical issues in research. She has worked as a family, individual, and group therapist in a variety of settings, including managed care, emergency services, and protective outreach services, and has conducted research in Santiago, Chile, and with Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and European Americans in the United States. Dr. Fontes is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. She is a popular conference speaker and workshop facilitator for diverse groups of professionals and parents.