Dr. Suzanne Best

Dr. Best's primary specialty is in the psychological effects of trauma.She has been trained by the founding masters in the field of trauma research, treatment, and assessment, and has herself trained and supervised numerous therapists and researchers.She has co-authored over 15 scientific, peer-reviewed articles on PTSD and has conducted numerous workshops and presentations on the effects of trauma.As an active member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dr. Best serves as an Ad Hoc Reviewer for the Journal of Traumatic Stress and on the ISTSS Program Committee, reviewing submissions for their annual conference.

Exposure TherapyDr. Best has particular expertise in "Exposure Therapy", a specialized intervention which has proven to be highly effective for treating PTSD in trauma survivors.She has collaborated in the development and evaluation of manualized exposure treatments for sexual assault survivors, Vietnam veterans, police officers, and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans.Dr. Best currently trains and supervises over a dozen psychologists in conducting exposure treatment and successfully utilizes this intervention in her private practice to treat a variety of trauma sufferers.

Law Enforcement Personnel

For nearly a decade, Dr. Best has enjoyed the privilege of working with law enforcement professionals including State Police, County Sheriffs, Municipal Police, FBI, and Corrections.

ResearchAs the Project Director of a study of over 700 officers from NYPD and Bay Area departments, she conducted over 100 in-depth psychological interviews and followed up with NYPD officers who took part in the post-9/11 disaster response.In addition, Dr. Best has directed a prospective study of police academy recruits who are followed through their first two years of police service and she has co-authored numerous articles on the resulting data from these studies.

International Association of Chiefs of PoliceAs a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Psychological Services Section, she has presented to the section on a number of topics and assisted in the development of recommended guidelines for Post-Shooting Interventions.

Private PracticeIn her private practice, Dr. Best conducts post-shooting interventions for a number of Oregon and Washington agencies and provides on-going treatment to law enforcement and corrections personnel suffering from problems such as Depression, PTSD, Anxiety, Anger Management, and Sleep Disturbance.In addition, Dr. Best has been an invited presenter and consultant to numerous law enforcement organizations and agencies across the nation.

Combat Veterans

Since 1996, Dr. Best has been affiliated with the San Francisco VA Medical Center where she has directed several studies of veterans from various war eras.In the last few years, she has focused on developing treatments for veterans with PTSD and on training and supervising the therapists providing this treatment.

Courage After Fire

In 2006, Dr. Best co-authored Courage After Fire, a self-help book for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families.

In her Psychotherapy Practice, Dr. Best provides individual treatment to adults suffering from conditions and disorders such as:
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Dr. Best utilizes her extensive experience and training to educate her clients on the biological and psychological basis of their conditions according to the latest research findings.

CollaborationDr. Best works with her clients as a collaborative team, with the belief that "you are the expert on you".She believes strongly that her clients are consumers who have the right to voice their opinions regarding the services they are receiving.Together, she and her clients establish goals for treatment which they use to evaluate progress and the continued effectiveness of the therapy.

ConfidentialityThe relationship between a therapist and client is unique and works in part because of the assurance of confidentiality.This confidentiality is your legal privilege as a client and Dr. Best cannot share the content of your sessions or even the fact that you are her client with anyone without your written authorization.There are certain legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality, such as the threat of serious harm to self or others, which Dr. Best reviews at the time of the initial session.

InsuranceFor a variety of reasons, Dr. Best has determined not to participate on any insurance or managed care panels.She is happy, however, to provide her clients with regular invoices which they can submit to their insurers to obtain reimbursement.In addition, she routinely bills worker's compensation and disability agencies, as well as private and public employers.It is important to note that in the case of worker's compensation or disability claims, session notes are routinely requested in order to obtain payment.

Forensic Psychology

In her Forensic Practice, Dr. Best conducts independent medical evaluations (IME's) and in-depth forensic psychological evaluations, and offers attorney consultation and expert witness services. [see CV]

EvaluationDr. Best is fortunate to have been trained by the nation's experts in psychodiagnostic evaluation and is careful to use the currently accepted "gold standards" in assessment instruments.Her training and experience in assessing PTSD and other trauma-related responses is particularly extensive.She has developed assessment batteries for a variety of studies examining traumatized individuals and has trained and supervised numerous clinicians in the administration of these evaluations.

Consultation and TestimonyDr. Best has provided consultation and expert witness services to claimant and defense attorneys across the nation on cases including personal injury, worker's compensation, medical malpractice, immigration status, and law enforcement use-of-force.Her scientific background and clinical expertise in the area of posttraumatic stress allow her to speak toward epidemiological and pre-dispositional factors as well as individual symptom responses to traumatic exposure.

Training and Clinical Consultation

As a proud member of the mental health community, Dr. Best enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with colleagues as well as professionals from other fields.Over the years she has conducted numerous workshops, presentations and in-service trainings for groups and organizations such as EAP providers, Community mental health agencies, Private practice mental health providers, Law enforcement command staffs, Peer support teams, Police psychologists, Physicians, and Attorneys on topics such as:
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Dr. Best is available to provide training and consultation services on these and other related topics to individuals, groups and organizations.She will work with you in individually tailoring her presentation to meet the unique needs of her audience.

Suzanne Best is a Clinical Psychologist in Portland, Oregon providing psychotherapy and forensic evaluation and consultation with extensive expertise in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related conditions.

After over a decade of intensive research and study in PTSD at the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center, Dr. Best relocated with her family to Portland.There, in addition to her private practice, she regularly telecommutes to San Francisco to develop and supervise therapy provided to Iraq War Veterans with PTSD.

As a PTSD Specialist

Dr. Best has researched, evaluated, and treated a wide variety of trauma sufferers including:
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Dr. Best provides cognitive-behavioral, evidence-based treatment to adult trauma survivors.Her style of treatment is collaborative, educative and concrete as she assists her clients to:

Increase their understanding and awareness of trauma's effects "Learn" that their traumatic experience is now a memory and that memories are not dangerous Develop effective coping strategies to lower their anxiety and regain control of their minds and bodies

As a Police Psychologist

Dr. Best is regularly called upon to provide post-shooting interventions, present on Critical Incident Stress, and consult to various agencies across the nation on the impact of critical incidents.More recently, she has combined her expertise in police psychology and combat stress to assist agencies in the post-deployment "repatriation" of their National Guard and Reservist officers.

In her Forensic Psychology Practice

Dr. Best has conducted forensic evaluations and provided attorney consultations and expert witness testimony in the area of PTSD and trauma response including personal injury, medical malpractice, and police use-of-force.

Dr. Best has written numerous articles on PTSD and related issues (see CV).In 2006 she co-authored Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and Their Families, a self-help book for those seeking assistance in managing combat stress and other readjustment struggles.

Nnamdi Pole, Thomas C. Neylan, Suzanne R. Best, Scott P. Orr, Charles R. Marmar