She received her Doctorate in Developmental Psychology from University of California, Riverside and her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Dr. Dierkhising’s primary area of research is in trauma, mental health, and juvenile justice with a focus on how to improve access to trauma-related services for youth involved in the juvenile justice system from both a practice and policy perspective. Her publications are on topics related to the links between trauma and delinquency, child maltreatment, creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems, and improving the conditions of confinement for incarcerated youth.