Barbara Sturgis

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Barbara Sturgis

Research Assistant Professor (Faculty) Ctr on Children Families & the Law University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
206 S 13th St Ste 1000
Lincoln NE 68588-0227
Phone
402-472-9809 On-campus 2-9809
Email
bsturgis1@unl.edu

Barb is a licensed clinical psychologist. She provides curriculum development, research and training for Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services child protection workers. This includes training in Interviewing, Evidence-Based Interviewing of Children, Motivational Interviewing and various in-services. Barb also trained forensic interviewing across the state of Nebraska from 1999 to 2008.

Education

  • Drake University Mathematics, BA
  • University of Missouri - Columbia, MEd (Counseling and Personnel Services)
  • University of Missouri - Columbia, PhD (Counseling Psychology)
  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln, MLS (Masters of Legal Studies)

Areas of Interest: 

  • Clinical psychology
  • Child sexual abuse/Victims and perpetrators
  • Interviewing
  • Interviewing children
  • Mental health issues in children and adults

Professional Activities & Community Service: 

  • Nebraska Psychologist, license #134
  • Member: American Psychological Association
  • Member: Nebraska Psychological Association
  • Member: National Register of Health Service Providers
  • Member: American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children

Selected Presentations & Publications: 

  • Testify as an expert witness for prosecutors in child sexual abuse cases in Nebraska, 1992-present. 
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2019) Therapeutic Jurisprudence, child Testimony, and Relevant Legal and Psychological Evidence. Presentation at the 26th International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Rome, Italy, July 21st -26th, 2019. 
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2017) Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Child Interviewing. Presentation at the 25th International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Prague, Czech Republic, July 10-14, 2017
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2015) Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Motivational Interviewing. Presentation at the 24rd International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Vienna, Austria, July 12-17, 2015.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2013) Expert testimony in pursuit of just outcomes and well-being. Presentation at the 23rd International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 14-19, 2013.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2009) Talking to your Child Client: Training for Guardians ad Litem. Trainer, pre-summit institute, 2009 Nebraska Children's Summit, Grand Island, Nebraska.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2009) Protecting well-being while pursuing justice. In R.F. Schopp, R.L. Wiener, B.H. Bornstein & S.L. Willborn (Eds.), Mental disorder and criminal law: Responsibility, punishment and competence (pp. 103-115). New York: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2003) Talking to children: Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Proper Interviewing Skills, an Empirical Inquiry. Paper presented at the Psychology and Law: International, Interdisciplinary Conference 2003, Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • Ells, M., Sturgis, B.J., & Wright, G. (2002). Behind the drug: The child victims of meth labs. American Prosecutors Research Institute National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse Update, 15 (2).
  • Sturgis B.J. (2001) Enhancing interviewer effectiveness: A second generation Therapeutic Jurisprudence project. Paper presented at the Second International Therapeutic Jurisprudence Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (1999) Applying lessons from medical experience to reduce legal trauma to child victim/witnesses. Paper presented at the combined AP-LS, EAP&L Psychology and Law Conference, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (1997) Final report: Sexual offense prevention programming for Nebraska. Center on Children, Families and the Law.
  • Schopp, Robert F. & Sturgis, Barbara J. (1995). Sexual predators and legal mental illness for civil commitment. Behavioral Science and the Law, 13, 437-458.
  • Schopp, R.F., Sturgis, B.J., & Sullivan, M. (1994). Battered woman syndrome, expert testimony, and the distinction between justification and excuse. University of Illinois Law Review, 1994, 45-113.
  • Sturgis, B.J. (2017) Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Child Interviewing. Presentation at the 25th International Congress on Law and Mental Health, Prague, Czech Republic, July 10-14, 2017.