Dr. Alyssa Rheingold is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor at the National Crime Victim’s Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is the Associate Director of Administration and Director of Clinical Operations at the NCVC. In addition, Rheingold is the Director of the Preparedness, Response & Recovery Division of the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center. Rheingold has been funded for both service and research projects by CDC, NIMH, OVW, VAWA, VOCA, SAMHSA, and OVC. Her expertise includes evidence-based treatment of trauma related mental health issues, grief and loss, and traumatic loss by homicide. Rheingold is the PI of several federally funded service grants to improve resources for survivors of homicide, intimate partner violence victims, and underserved victims of crime. Rheingold was instrumental in the immediate response and evidence based mental health services and resiliency and recovery efforts to those impacted by the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, SC where nine black parishoners were killed during Bible study by a white supremacist. She was the Co-Director of OVC’s AEAP grant awarded to MUSC to oversee eight partnering agencies in providing an array of victim services to family members, church parishoners, and first responders of this mass violence incident. Rheingold has published over 70 peer reviewed articles and book chapters in the area of trauma, bereavement, and victimization and has served on the board and as Treasurer of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. She has provided a number of trainings including Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Loss by Homicide, GRIEF Approach, Traumatic Grief, Impact of Witnessing Domestic Violence, Stress Management, Impact of Mass Violence, Early Interventions for Trauma Exposure, and Prolonged Exposure for PTSD.
The inaugural Eradicate Hate Summit was a truly impressive gathering of leaders dedicated to finding lasting and effective solutions to violent extremism. I was particularly moved by the prominence given to survivors and family members of victims of hate and violence throughout the event. Their stories and those of so many others must be at the center of what we do and why we do it.
