Our Staff

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Shirley Matthews joined Columbia Health in 2009. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Shirley was the Director of Counseling Services at Seton Hall University.

She received her B.A. from Hamilton College, her M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University, and her Ph.D. from New York University. Shirley completed her doctoral internship in psychology at Gouverneur Hospital and Bellevue Hospital in New York City. First and foremost, Shirley sees herself as a generalist who is deeply interested in the developmental issues of young adults. Additional areas of focus include community level mental health interventions; positive psychology and the development of intuitive eating strategies as a means of developing optimal weight, health and fitness. Shirley also has a strong interest in developmental and acculturation issues, especially those of professional women of color. She specializes in the treatment of individual, group, and relationship counseling. She recently published a monograph: Making It: Black Women Middle Managers. A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Black Women Who Have Held Middle Management Positions in U.S. Corporations. Dr. Matthews is licensed to practice psychology in New York and New Jersey.