Dr. Charles (Chuck) Benincasa is committed to advancing the field of psychology through advocacy, education, and trauma-conscious practice. His work spans clinical, forensic, and consulting practice areas, as well as research and clinical training with an emphasis on complex trauma, dissociation, and dignity-based, anti-colonial, and culturally responsive practice. Chuck earned his Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Counseling Psychology degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and completed his postdoctoral fellowship on the Trauma Disorders Unit at Sheppard Pratt Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland where he provided intensive psychotherapy to individuals with complex trauma histories and dissociative abilities. His specialty areas span traumatic stress, dissociation, interpersonal violence, institutional betrayal, coercive control, and identity-based harm. 

 He has held faculty appointments teaching and supervising graduate students, co-authored two chapters (with emphasis on complex posttraumatic and dissociative reactions as well as culturally responsive forensic evaluation) for the Handbook of Psychological Injury and Law, is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, a consulting editor and section head on dissociation for the Journal of Psychological Injury and Law, and an editorial board member for Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, & Policy. 

Chuck has held various leadership roles in local and national organizations, including serving as the Convention Programming Chair and Awards Chair for APA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology), and he is currently an elected trustee for the board of the Washington State Psychological Association. His advocacy efforts focus on equitable treatment of psychologists in the healthcare industry, improving training opportunities, and expanding access to care. He is dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices and dismantling oppressive systems within the field of psychology.