“We had Dr. Christiansen present to our officers and I heard positive feedback for a year afterwards."
— Boulder County Sheriff's Office
Dr. David Christiansen
is a licensed psychologist (CO License #1900) in private practice, and has done more than 30 years of work with private clients and consulting with law enforcement and first responders.
Dr. Christiansen taught for twenty years as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Northern Colorado and he has provided training to thousands of police officers, sheriff deputies, firefighters, paramedics and EMTs, social workers and attorneys, all of whom are exposed to trauma either firsthand or vicariously as a result of their work.
His training is thorough, personal, humorous, detailed, and filled with many take-home points; his evaluations are strong indicators that his message makes a difference.
“I believe he truly understands and appreciates the often difficult situations that law enforcement officers and emergency medical professionals are routinely faced with.”
— Jan LeMay, Chairman of the Board, RMDIA
Resumé
Education:
Doctor of Psychology
1990 University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado
Emphasis in Counseling Psychology
Master of Arts
1981 Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois
Emphasis in Counseling Psychology. Cum Laude.
Bachelor of Arts
1978 Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota
Major in Sociology, Minor in Philosophy, Minor in Psychology
Professional Licensure:
Licensed Psychologist #1900, State of Colorado
Work History:
1983-present Private practice as a licensed psychologist.
1989-1991 Staff Psychologist, Memorial Hospital of Laramie County (now United Medical Center), Cheyenne, Wyoming.
1988-1989 Pre-doctoral Internship in Psychology, Bethesda PsychHealth System, Denver, Colorado.
1980-1982 Adolescent Counselor, Mercy Center for Health Care, Psychiatric Division, Aurora, Illinois
1979-1980 Group Worker, DuPage County Youth Home, Wheaton, Illinois.
Professional Experience:
First Responder Consultations
Weld County Sheriff’s Office
Morgan County Sheriff’s Office
Broomfield City and County Police Department
Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office
Greeley Police Department
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office
Greeley Fire Department
Weld County Paramedics
Johnstown Police Department
Town of Log Lane Village Police Department
Gilcrest Police Department
International Association for Identification, Rocky Mountain Division
County Sheriffs of Colorado
Colorado Jail Association
Morgan County Communications (911)
Withlacoochee (FL) Technical Institute Criminal Justice Academy
Aims Community College Criminal Justice Academy
Aims Community College Criminal Justice Academy
Front Range Fire Consortium
Community Services
Weld County Department of Social Services
Weld School District Six
Weld County District Attorney Crime Victim Compensation
State of Colorado Public Defender’s Office
Adamson Funeral and Cremation Services
Medical/Mental Health Consultations
Dr. Michael Johnell, bariatric surgeon
North Colorado Family Medicine
North Colorado Behavioral Health
Professional Organizations
Member, American Psychological Association
Member, American Alpine Club
Volunteer, Centennial Crisis Intervention and Stress Debriefing Team
Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Psychology Section
Member, Society for Police and Criminal Psychology
Member, Colorado Jail Association
Research:
1990 Doctoral Dissertation, “The Use and Effects of Metaphors on Group Stage Development”. An innovative exploration into the delivery of metaphor as a change agent in fostering expedient group process. Investigated the history of the metaphor and parable, the history of group therapy, and one of the earliest papers combining the two. Included specific metaphors designed to assist groups in reaching the “working stage” more quickly. Implemented the independent variable and collected and analyzed the statistical data.
Publications:
“Treating the Effects of Trauma on the Crime Scene Investigator.” The Silent Witness, Vol. 34, No. 4, Oct-Dec. 2000