Dara Salem

Dr. Dara Salem is a Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at CPS, where she conducts intakes, provides individual and group psychotherapy, and holds drop-in hours.

Dara entered graduate school for psychology after having worked in various fields, including as a Corps Member with Teach for America, in academic publishing, and after obtaining a master’s degree in English (literature). She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University-Brooklyn. Dara completed her doctoral internship at Albany Medical Center, where she conducted individual and group therapy at the Veterans Administration, a state inpatient psychiatric hospital, and an outpatient clinic. Among other work at the VA, Dara held a rotation at the PTSD clinic.

Dara has also conducted individual and group therapy at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital; the NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis; and several university mental health centers; including NYU, CUNY, and LIU-Brooklyn.

Dara believes in customizing therapy to the needs of the particular individual but is especially interested and extensively trained in psychodynamic, insight-oriented therapy. In particular, she enjoys working from a relational psychodynamic framework and using experiences arising in the “here and now” of the therapy process to inform the therapeutic work. Importantly, this includes the interpersonal dynamics between the therapist and client, and what implications these dynamics may hold for what may be occurring in the client’s relationships outside the therapy room.

In addition, Dara has particular interests in issues of identity, transition, interpersonal relationships, one’s relationship to society, and the experience of difference. As an immigrant herself, she is also interested in acculturation issues and the experience of international students. Among other characteristics, she appreciates the role of authenticity and humor in the therapeutic process.