Monica Fitzgerald, PhD

Dr. Monica Fitzgerald is a licensed clinical psychologist and Senior Research Associate at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Institute of Behavioral Science, where she co-leads the Center for Resilience + Well-Being (CRW). She specializes in childhood trauma, resilience, social-emotional development, family communication, and parenting.

Her research focuses on understanding how child abuse, violence, and trauma impact emotional and behavioral health, and the pivotal role supportive caregivers play in helping children navigate adversity. Dr. Fitzgerald emphasizes the importance of adults’ well-being in creating safe, nurturing environments and strong, trusting relationships that foster healthy emotional regulation and coping skills for youth.

CRW is dedicated to designing and testing programs that strengthen adult well-being and relationship skills to better support youth. Dr. Fitzgerald has extensive experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating trauma-informed, evidence-based prevention programs for families and schools. She is a certified expert trainer and consultant in trauma-focused interventions, including TF-CBT and AF-CBT, and enjoys training locally, nationally, and internationally.

CRW collaborates with many community partners, such as Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN), Clinica Family Health & Wellness, Boulder Housing Partners (BHP), Every Child Pediatrics (ECP), and AllHealth Network  to enhance trauma-informed care and increase access to evidence-based, trauma-focused interventions for underserved youth and caregivers impacted by violence in our Colorado communities.

In addition, Dr. Fitzgerald and her team are a part SAMHSA funded National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to implement trauma-informed prevention programs and interventions such as Let’s Connect, TF-CBT, AF-CBT, and AFP in Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and west Adams counties. Dr. Fitzgerald is Principal Investigator co-leading a five-year NCTSN project, The Community Collective for Trauma-Informed Evidence-Based Prevention and Treatment Services, which is a collaboration between CU and partners in Boulder, Garfield and Montrose counties who support youth and families in local and rural communities in Colorado.

For schools, Dr. Fitzgerald co-developed the RISE: Resilience in Schools & Educators program, a trauma-informed K-12 prevention initiative currently being implemented and evaluated in Colorado schools. Her team has also worked closely with the Colorado Department of Education to support their initiatives that enhance the state’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports for youth and adult health and well-being in schools.

A strong believer in the power of collaboration, Dr. Fitzgerald works closely with multidisciplinary partners, families, and youth. All CRW initiatives are grounded in clinical, developmental, and community-based research, with a focus on implementation science.

Dr. Fitzgerald earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia and completed a clinical internship and NIMH postdoctoral research fellowship at the National Crime Victims Research Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. When not working, Monica enjoys spending time with her three children and staying active through rock climbing, mountain biking, and skiing in Colorado.