Research

Publications

In Press

Wasserman, M., Ford, J. D., & Steinberg, A. (In Press) Virtual Support Group Initiative for Mental Health Professionals in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.

Published

Wasserman, M. & Peterson, S. M. (2024). Never Forget: How to Identify Intergenerational Trauma Risk and Bolster Intergenerational Resilience in Descendants of Holocaust Survivors. The Los Angeles Psychologist, 38(3), 10-11.

Wasserman, M., Dodge, J., Barrera, W., Alaris, H., Woodward, K., & Lester, P. (2023). The impact of changes in family communication on sustained mental health symptom improvement in parents/caregivers following a military family intervention. Military Behavioral Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2023.2221473

Wasserman, M., Ford, J. D., & Steinberg, A. (2023). Supporting Mental Health Clinicians in Navigating Pandemic Related Challenges through the Professional Support for Psychologists Working Group at the APA Interdivisional Task Force on the Pandemic. In C. Figley, L. Walker, & I. Serlin (Eds.), Pandemic Providers: Psychologists Respond to COVID. Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-27580-7

Hajal, N.J., Aralis, H.J., Kiff, C.J., Wasserman, M., Paley, B., Milburn, N.G., Mogil, C. & Lester, P. (2020), Parental Wartime Deployment and Socioemotional Adjustment in Early Childhood: The Critical Role of Military Parents’ Perceived Threat During Deployment. Journal of Traumatic Stress. doi:10.1002/jts.22475

Lectures and presentations

Wasserman, M. & Peterson, S. (2024, October). Risk and Resilience in Descendants of the Holocaust. Presented at the Los Angeles County Psychological Association Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2024, August). Resilience Through Trauma Of Jewish People in Modern Times. Invited lecture at The Nova Music Festival Exhibition in partnership with If You Heard What I Heard, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2024, August). Intergenerational trauma and family communication in descendants of the Holocaust. Invited lecture at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention Division 43 Hospitality Suite, Seattle, WA.

Grimshaw, D. & Wasserman, M. (2024, May) If You Heard What I Heard. Keynote Presentation at the Burbank Human Relations Council Days of Remembrance, Burbank, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2023, January). Risk and Resilience in Descendants of Holocaust Survivors. Invited lecture at Pepperdine Graduate School of Education & Psychology International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2022, June). Building Family Communication in Military Families. Presented at Pepperdine Graduate School of Education & Psychology’s Annual Research Symposium, Los Angeles, CA.

Siegel, C., Hendlish, R., Mandel, A., Wasserman, S. E., & Wasserman, M. (2022, March). Community Event: Stories of Holocaust Survivors. Invited panelist at Milken Community School Office of Alumni Relations, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2021, November). Managing Trauma Reminders in the Modern Day. Invited lecture at Hillel Ontario, Toronto, Canada.

Wasserman, M. (2021, April). Intergenerational Trauma and the Holocaust. Invited lecture at Hillel Ontario, Toronto, Canada.

Ford, J., Martin, J., Sammons, M. & Wasserman, M. (2021, March). Transition to Telepsychology: Practical, Ethical, and Risk Management Issues. Webinar sponsored by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

Wasserman, M. (2021, March). Intergenerational Trauma in Second- and Third-Generation Holocaust Survivors. Invited lecture at Holocaust Museum Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2020, December). Managing Compassion Fatigue in the Pandemic Era. Invited lecture given at Bexar County Psychological Association, San Antonio, TX.

Wasserman, M. (2020, November). Military Trauma. Invited lecture to Loyola Marymount University undergraduate level trauma psychology course, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M., Saleem, F., Jackson, J., & Leithman, E. (2020, February). Racial Stress & Trauma: A Conversation About Social Justice, Racial Stress & Trauma, and Resilience. Invited panel at Holocaust Museum Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2019, August). Building Resilience during Reintegration: Utilizing a Community Participatory Approach in the Development of a Transition Program for Veterans and their Families. Invited lecture at UCLA’s Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Seminar, Los Angeles, CA.

Van Horn, R., Karnik, N., Sheth, N., & Wasserman, M. (2019, May). Shining A Light on Military Sexual Trauma. General session presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA.

Wasserman, M., Schembari, B., & Hunter, S. (2018, August). Integrating a Family Centered Care Model with Military Personnel and Veterans. Symposium presented at the American Psychological Association’s Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2018, January). Risk and Resilience in Second- and Third-generation Holocaust Survivors. Oral presentation given at UCLA’s Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Seminar, Los Angeles, CA.

Ellingsen, R., Wasserman, M., & Modir, S. (2017, October). Promoting Resilience in Trauma-Exposed Children and Caregivers: The UCLA STAR Family Group. Oral presentation given at the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect’s NEXUS: Violence Within the Home and Its Effects on Children, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2017, June). Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS). Oral presentation given to the UCLA CAPS staff, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2017, March). Intergenerational Trauma and Resilience. Invited lecture at University of California, Santa Barbara’s Religion and the Impact of the Vietnam War (RS155) course, Santa Barbara, CA.

Modir, S., Wasserman, M., & Marlotte, L. (2017, February). Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS): A Resilience-Building Approach to Grief and Loss. Oral presentation given at the 13th Annual Childhood Grief and Traumatic Loss Conference, Los Angeles, CA

Marlotte, L., Orellana, B., Lopez, S., & Duguay, M. (2015, February). FOCUS Skill-building Groups for Children and Teens. Oral presentation given to Los Angeles Unified School District psychiatric social workers, Los Angeles, CA.

Wasserman, M. (2014, March; 2014, June). Therapist Self-care. Oral presentation given at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Encino, CA.

Perez, C. & Wasserman, M. (2014, February). Identifying and Responding to Bullying for Elementary School Students Grades Three through Five. Oral presentation given at Lanai Road Elementary School, Encino, CA.

Wasserman, M., Kalies, M., Ellingsen, R., Bolourian, Y. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, May). Understanding the Relationship between Friendship Quality and Peer Conflict following the School-based UCLA PEERS® Intervention. Oral presentation given at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), San Sebastian, Spain.

Poster presentations

Peterson, S. & Wasserman, M. (2024, October). Transgenerational Trauma and Communication: Risk and Resilience in Descendants of Holocaust Survivors. Poster presented at the Los Angeles County Psychological Association Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA.

Moore, M. & Wasserman, M. (2024, October). Brothers At War: Evaluating Program Satisfaction of a Film Assisted Family Informed Resiliency Workshop. Poster presented at the Los Angeles County Psychological Convention, Los Angeles, CA.

Peterson, S. & Wasserman, M. (2024, August). Risk and Resilience in Descendants of Holocaust Survivors. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.

Baerresen, K. M., Rostami, R., Hemmy-Asamsama, O., Broffman, J. I., Chen, X. S., Pyo, D. S., Souza, M. A., Duguay, M., Miller, J. M., Han, S. D., & Zizak, V. (2016, February). Screening for cognitive decline in a veteran population with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Benson Figure. Poster presented at the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.

Duguay, M., Perez, C. J. & Bryant-Davis, T. (2014, September). Intergenerational transmission of trauma in Holocaust survivors: A literature review. Poster presented at the International Conference and Summit for Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT), San Diego, CA.

Perez, C. J., Duguay, M. & Bryant-Davis, T. (2014, September). Secondary trauma among children of combat veterans: A critical review of the literature. Poster presented at the International Conference and Summit for Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT), San Diego, CA.

Joy, A., Wasserman, M.  & Mitchell, C. L. (2014, March). The relationship of individual therapy to depressive symptoms among homeless men. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.

Wasserman, M., Kalies, M., Ellingsen, R., Bolourian, Y., & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, July). Friendship quality and conflict in teens with autism following the PEERS® school-based curriculum. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, Honolulu, HI.

Kalies, M., Wasserman, M., Ellingsen, R., Hopkins, J. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, July). The relationship between fantasy and empathy among young adults with autism spectrum disorders.  Poster presented at the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, Honolulu, HI.

Kalies, M., Wasserman, M., Ellingsen, R., Hopkins, J. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, May). The relationship between fantasy and empathy among young adults with autism spectrum disorders.  Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR), San Sebastian, Spain.

Wasserman, M., Kalies, M., Ellingsen, R., Bolourian, Y. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, April). Friendship quality and peer conflict in adolescents with autism. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association (WPA) Convention, Reno, NV.

Kalies, M., Wasserman, M., Ellingsen, R., Hopkins, J. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, April). The relationship between fantasy and empathy among young adults with autism spectrum disorders.  Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association (WPA) Convention, Reno, NV.

Wasserman, M., Kalies, M., Ellingsen, R., Bolourian, Y. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, March). Understanding the relationship between friendship quality and peer conflict following the school-based UCLA PEERS® intervention. Poster presented at the Gatlinburg Conference, San Antonio, TX.

Wasserman, M., Kalies, M., Ellingsen, R., Bolourian, Y. & Laugeson, E. A. (2013, January). Understanding the relationship between friendship quality and peer conflict following the school-based UCLA PEERS® intervention. Poster presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), Portland, OR.

Media

Wasserman, M. (Host). Managing with Dr. Meli [Audio podcast].  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/managing-with-dr-meli/id1643793819

Wasserman, M. (Contributor) & Weinstein, E. (Host). Past, Present, and Future, Can Trauma be Passed Down? w/ Dr. Meli Wasserman. The Dude Therapist [Audio podcast]. 2022, December 5. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/past-present-and-future-can-trauma-be-passed-down-w/id1523091085?i=1000588951934

Wasserman, M. (Contributor) & Weiss, A. (Host). Cultivating Resilience with Melissa Wasserman. Growing Careers and Companies [Audio podcast]. 2022, March 31. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/cultivating-resilience-with-melissa-wasserman/id1567629811?i=1000555818648

Wasserman, M. (Contributor) & Scherer, S. (Host). Mental Health: Trauma. Impact of Leadership [Audio podcast]. 2021, October 31. https://podcast.impactofleadership.com/podcast/mental-health-trauma-dr-meli/

Wasserman, M. (Contributor) & Robay, D. (Host). Pretty Traumatizing: How to Spot and Heal Generational Trauma with Dr. Melissa Wasserman. Pretty Smart [Audio podcast]. 2021, April 8.  https://prettysmart.libsyn.com/pretty-traumatizing-how-to-spot-and-heal-generational-trauma-with-dr-melissa-wasserman