Trauma Support

Last reviewed: 1/28/2024

These CPS providers have particular interest, experience, or advanced training in trauma support. Students are welcome to work with these providers if they wish.

Trauma Support Team

Jorge has experience working with severely mentally ill populations, suicidal patients, and patients with a history of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Prior to CPS, Jorge worked and trained in several large hospitals within New York City, as well as clinics aimed at treating first responders from the 9/11 attacks.  He often sees patients with difficulties related to depression, loss, anxiety, and violence. Jorge's approach towards treatment is one of openness, compassion, and being nonjudgmental, with goals aimed towards support, validation, processing, and patient empowerment after traumatic events.

Andrew is interested in working with a variety of student concerns, including coping with traumatic experiences, anxiety & depression, identity development, complicated relational issues and family dynamics, major life changes and adjustment, as well as working with couples and students in group settings.

Vincent has worked with many individuals throughout his career who have experienced emotional, physical, and sexual trauma. His approach to treatment is sensitive, measured, and compassionate. He accepts an individual where they are at the beginning of treatment and then proceeds at a pace set by the individual. He feels it is important to empower the individual at each step of treatment because a sense of powerlessness often accompanies trauma. One of his foremost priorities is to avoid re-traumatization and he hopes to minimize this by establishing a safe and non-judgmental space for individuals. He draws upon his many years of experience and specialized training in trauma to help an individual, hopefully, achieve an improved sense of well-being.

Mercedes has experience working with survivors of intimate partner violence, community violence, physical and sexual abuse across the lifespan, loss/grief, and more. She is trained primarily in Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Narrative Exposure Therapy. She was previously the Clinical Director of the Safe Mothers, Safe Children Initiative at New York University where she provided trauma treatment within a randomized controlled trial, trained and supervised other therapists, and trained agencies city-wide to incorporate more trauma informed practices. Mercedes takes a compassionate and patient-centered approach to help survivors tell their stories and become empowered. She is particularly interested in intergenerational trauma experiences and the chronic traumatic experiences of marginalized groups including BIPOC and LGBTQIA+. Mercedes is fluent in Spanish.

Sherina has experience and specialized training working with survivors of sexual assault, and in particular, survivors of childhood sexual and physical abuse. She is interested in the neurobiology of trauma and incorporates an understanding of both the emotional and physical manifestations of trauma into therapy. Using an array of grounding techniques according to individual needs, Sherina seeks to provide a space which integrates an understanding of the various ways in which survivors of trauma cope (e.g. substance use, maladaptive relationships, social isolation, anger, etc.). She is a member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Sherina is fluent in Spanish.

Arthur has experience working with individuals who are in acute distress and suffering after being exposed to a traumatic event. He is committed to fostering a safe space in order to facilitate healing. He believes that the healing process is an important foundation to cultivate resilience with the idea of empowering the individual to navigate challenges and to cope with stressors. Arthur is interested in understanding the impact of systems on marginalized communities, social justice advocacy in the mental health field, and Asian American issues. He is fluent in Korean. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology at Adelphi University.  He is licensed as a psychologist in New York and has various experiences in both acute hospital settings and college counseling centers.

Manali works from trauma-informed care principles in her therapeutic approach. She seeks to create a collaborative, safe, and non-judgmental space to meet the students where they are at. She focuses on understanding the mind-body connection to foster resilience and healing. She is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure specifically for traumatic experiences, and she regularly uses principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and other mindfulness-based practices as appropriate. Her clinical interests include but are not limited to intergenerational trauma, immigration/migration trauma, sexual trauma, traumatic experiences in childhood, and the ways in which trauma impacts one’s daily life. Manali is a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of New York. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Toledo and has experience working in community mental health, hospital, and college settings. She is fluent in Bengali and Hindi.

Michael has experience working with individuals facing multiple stressors and trauma resulting from assault, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse as well as developmental trauma, cultural acculturational, and immigration challenges. He views creating a safe, trusting, nonjudgmental, and accepting space as fundamental to the healing of trauma. Despite the destabilizing ways that traumatic events can impact the mind, brain, and body, Michael’s position is that as humans we have the power to heal and overcome tremendous sufferings given the right conditions. Therefore, he sees his clients through the lens of their innate potential to heal, overcome and takes a compassionate and collaborative approach via the therapeutic relationship to help foster this. An avid meditator for over 13 years, he employs mindfulness, compassion meditation, breath work, and imagery in work with clients. He is also a certified teacher of Nalanda Institute’s Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT), which is a research-based intervention that has been shown to reduce symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, and stress while also improving well-being. He received his doctorate from The City College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and has experience working in community mental health, college counseling, and hospital settings.

Marcia has extensive experience in treating trauma-related symptoms and disorders, and serves as Co-Facilitator of the Trauma Team.  She has worked with a diverse group of clients from a wide range of backgrounds.  Prior to joining Columbia, Marcia worked as a Military Sexual Trauma Counselor for the Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Counseling Service.  Marcia has supervised numerous treatment and clinical research projects including a Traumatic Bereavement treatment effectiveness trial for children and adolescents exposed to the events of 9/11 at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Jewish Board of Children & Family Services, assessment of a school-based suicide prevention screen at the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University, and training student law guardians in mental health issues associated with childhood abuse at the Hofstra University School of Law.  Marcia uses both cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic approaches which are individually tailored to each student's goals and needs.

Julie is a licensed clinical social worker with over 10 years of experience working with trauma in underserved communities.  She has worked in multiple settings including schools, inpatient psychiatry, and substance abuse treatment centers.  Julie is particularly interested in how complex trauma can impact one's neurobiology and daily functioning.  She has extensive experience in teaching breathwork and other somatic techniques to help manage symptoms.  On the Trauma Team, Julie serves as a connection between Columbia and off-campus trauma-based supports.  She works to provide service connection from a compassionate and trauma-informed lens that considers one's intersecting identity.

Support Groups

When there is sufficient student interest, CPS also offers a variety of support groups that may be of help to trauma survivors, including a Women's Sexual Assault Support Group, a group for Women Healing from Sexual Abuse in Childhood or Adolescence, a Distress Tolerance group and a Mindfulness workshop among others.