Erin Tinnon, MSW, LCSW

Erin Tinnon, MSW, LCSW, is a therapist, consultant, strategist, and trainer who works with organizations and individuals to increase their capacity to serve and support survivors. 

Erin collaborates with consulting clients to clarify their values and implement changes in order for them to act in alignment with those values, including developing new policies and practices, implementing evaluation and accountability models, and moving strategically within and alongside systems, fields, and standards. Erin supports and trains individuals and teams to grow their leadership skills. Erin prioritizes conflict resolution and relational repair as a core strategy to accomplish structural values alignment and build capacity.

Erin brings over 20 years of experience working with trauma survivors. In a clinical context, Erin practices Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and other somatic psychotherapies, in addition to a blend of Feminist and Cultural Relational Psychotherapies with adult clients who have experienced trauma. 

Erin has guided organizations to advance their work at the intersection of substance use and survival of violence and offered technical assistance about how to incorporate support for survivors who are using substances in a shelter context. Erin has worked on developing and writing a number of toolkits and guidelines about supporting survivors who are using substances and in support of survivors experiencing substance use coercion. Recently, Erin wrote a toolkit on supporting survivors who use substances called Support Instead of Stigma: Using Harm Reduction to Support Survivors of Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Who Use Substances.

Erin has also led and supported a number of national campaigns and coalitions working to end violence against their communities. Erin co-created and facilitated the first national coalition of people working to support survivors who are engaged in or recovering from substance use, and has supported national coalitions working at the intersection of survival and disability.

Other examples of current or recent consulting clients include supporting state-wide organizations against intimate partner and sexual violence, behavioral and mental health service providers, and universities.

Erin studied Women’s and Gender Studies and Psychology at DePaul University as an undergraduate and graduate student and completed a Masters in Women’s and Gender Studies with a thesis focused on supporting survivors who use substances. In 2014, Erin attained a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan in Interpersonal Practice and Communities and Social Systems with a Specialist in Aging Certificate while focusing a lot of clinical, policy, and research energy on exploring the intersection of gender, violence, substance use, and social justice.