Heliana Ramirez, PhD, LISW

Workplace Trauma Expert, Researcher, & Therapist

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Workplace Trauma Expert Witness, Researcher, and Therapist who uses neuroscience, traumatology, and biology of trauma (Apigian, 2025) to document physical, psychological, social, and financial impacts of workplace bias and abuse related to race, gender, LGBT identity, disability, age, pregnancy and lactation, immigration, and neurodiversity. Dr. Ramirez uses standardized measures to assess and document symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and trauma including the Racebased Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale Short Form (RBTSSS- SF; Carter & Pieterse, 2020); Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5); Global Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD7) Rating Scale (Spitzer, et al., 2006); and Beck Depression Inventory (Weathers at al., 2013). Dr. Ramirez's expert reports are especially known for her critical review of medical records and visual representation of biological markers associated with chronic stress hormone flooding common to workplace psychosocial hazard exposure. Dr. Ramirez has conducted several studies on workplace abuse and published results on workplace mob formation, the intersection of racism and sexism against Black women in the workplace, bias against LGBT employees, and employee suicide as an indicator of workplace trauma. Dr. Ramirez has presented at numerous professional conferences including the American Psychological Association and Society for Social Work Research and is published in peer reviewed journals including PLOS Mental Health, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, and AIDS Education and Prevention on topics including Mobbing on Maternity Leave (Ramirez, 2025), Systemic Health Care Worker Mental Injury (Ramirez, 2024), and Menopause and Midcareer Mobbing (Ramirez, 2025). Dr. Ramirez earned a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare and Masters of Social Work degree at Washington University in St. Louis. With 13 years of employment in Veterans Affairs as a researcher, clinician, and administrator preparing the hospital for CARF Accreditation and Joint Commission, Dr. Ramirez has deep familiarity with the dynamics of federal employment, healthcare systems, patient violence toward staff, and privacy issues like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). With 10 years of experience working and teaching in community-based organizations and universities, Dr. Ramirez is also familiar with the the politics and optics of nonprofit spaces heavily impacted by staff turnover and public funding. Dr. Ramirez's work on issues related to historically underrepresented workers across race, LGBT identity, and gender, earned her several national awards from the Veterans Affairs Central Office in Washington, DC and locally from the California National Guard and Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System. Dr. Ramirez is an accomplished public speaker who has been interviewed on local and national news stations, podcasts, and magazines and is particularly skilled in communicating complex concepts to juries in ways that are accessible, engaging, and impactful.