Mary Jo Barrett, MSW

Mary Jo Barrett is the Executive Director and co-founder of The Center for Contextual Change, Ltd. She holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Illinois Jane Addams School of Social Work and is currently on the faculties of University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, The Chicago Center For Family Health, and the Family Institute of Northwestern University. Previously, Ms. Barrett was the Director of Midwest Family Resource and has been working in the field of family violence since 1974.

Ms. Barrett has coauthored two books with Dr. Terry Trepper: Incest: A Multiple Systems Perspective and The Systemic Treatment of Incest: A Therapeutic Handbook. She co-created the Collaborative Stage Model (CSM), a highly successful contextual model of therapy used to transform the lives of those impacted by abuse and/or traumatic events.

Her trainings and published works focus on the teaching of the Collaborative Stage Model, systemic and feminist treatment of women, adult survivors of sexual abuse and trauma, eating disorders, couple therapy, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Compassion Fatigue.

Ms. Barrett provides consultations, workshops, courses and other training opportunities nationally and internationally to parents, social service professionals, lawyers, mental health staffs, psychotherapists, residential treatment facilities and governmental agencies. Ms. Barrett founded the Family Dialogue Project, which strives to redefine relationships with families impacted by allegations of abuse and trauma.

“Change happens as a result of the energy that comes from our minds, our hearts, and our souls. Through our relationships, our hope, our ideas, and our passion together we can create that energy that will produce the change.” — Mary Jo