Kirsten R. Lewis, M.Ed., is the president and cofounder of KSL Research, Training & Consultation, LLC. She is also a forensic psychology instructor at Glendale Community College, an approved instructor with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc., and a retired probation officer after 25 years of service with the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department (MCAPD).

With a background in research and over 30 years of experience in community corrections, Kirsten spearheaded a ground-breaking research study examining secondary traumatic stress in probation officers as a result of working with criminal offenders. Her research was published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice and received the Sam Houston State University Award for outstanding contributions to scholarship in Community Corrections. Kirsten’s work has since been cited in more than 80 academic peer reviewed journal publications authored by scholars at universities in the United States, Canada, England, Poland, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Turkey, Romania, Pakistan, Australia, and China. 

While at MCAPD, Kirsten created a national award-winning employee stress management program that prepares employees for the unique challenges of probation work, enhances protective coping strategies, minimizes the cumulative stress associated with longevity, and promotes a work culture that safeguards the welfare of staff. The program award also received Best of Category in Personnel Management by the National Association of Counties in 2013. 

Kirsten conducts a variety of trainings on the topics of traumatic stress, peer support, and employee wellness with human service professionals around the country. She has presented her work at conferences throughout the United States and abroad.