A Note About the Future for the Founding President

 From the Founding President of FVSAI dba IVAT 

July 2025 

A Note About the Future for the Founding President 

Bob Geffner, Ph.D., ABPP. ABN 

Dear Colleagues, Friends, and Supporters, 

I want to thank all of you for your support over these 40 years (less for some of you younger ones!) since the Family Violence & Sexual Assault (FVSAI) now dba Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT) began. Since this is my last year as President of IVAT, until July 1, 2026, people have been asking (possibly hinting) if I will be retiring. Now it depends on how you define retirement. I did retire as a full-time Professor from Universities, the last one being as a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology almost two years ago after 43 years in these positions. If by retirement you mean stop working, stay at home, play golf, work in the garden, and you are thinking these might be my plans, then I guess you don’t know me well. Besides that, Ellen would go crazy if I was home all the time! 

So, if I am not going to retire per se, what am I going to do? That is the question. Well, my role will be changing. I will not oversee IVAT. beginning next year. However, I will continue mentoring and training our doctorate students and other younger psychologists (why does everyone seem younger nowadays??) as they take over our Professional Clinical & Forensic Services Dept. during the next few years. I will take on a forensics case at times, continue to do training workshops periodically to help others learn how to integrate adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and neuropsychology to deal with interpersonal violence and abuse throughout the lifespan. I will also continue to help develop important research projects with our research staff and others. I plan to continue editing the 3 international peer reviewed journals, one of which I started 35 years ago, while I help new co-editors and our publications director (Nanette) gradually take over the main tasks. 

In addition, I will provide consultation to the IVAT Board and staff as they want it. So, I will not be retiring per se, but my role will definitely be changing into more of a consultant, mentor, and trainer. I hope to also reduce my current amount of work (might even get down to 40 hours per week - who knows!) and spend just one day per week or two at IVAT. I might even write some books, organize all of my old baseball and football cards, and build more Star Wars Legos – I guess we will find out. 

In any case, I am looking forward to the next stage in my journey. I do know I intend to also do more international traveling. Between those trips and the above tasks, I plan to look at ways to speak out against the absurdities and dangerousness of what the current administration is doing in their attempt to eliminate democracy, promote Project 2025, and hurt the vulnerable people who have been traumatized, abused, or oppressed in our families, communities and society. 

I hope you will join me next month at our 30th Annual International Summit on Violence, Abuse and Trauma in San Diego as we also celebrate the 40th anniversary of IVAT! See you there. Peace and best wishes, 

Bob Geffner