Deborah B. Marin, MD, the George and Marion Blumenthal Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is the Center's Director. Dr. Marin specializes in geriatric psychiatry and Alzheimer’s disease. She is also the Director of the Center for Spirituality and Heath and Director of the Ombuds Office within the School. A member of the Mount Sinai faculty since 1992, Dr. Marin has held many important executive positions in the Department of Psychiatry, including Chief, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry; Director, Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program; Medical Director; and Vice Chair for Education. During her career, she also served as Executive Vice President for Strategic Development and Chief Medical Officer for The Mount Sinai Hospital.

Jonathan M. DePierro, PhD, is an Associate Director of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is the Associate Director of the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth, where he oversees resilience training and education, clinical assessment, and interventions. He also oversees the clinical research conducted by the Center. Dr. DePierro has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the New School for Social Research and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the NYU School of Medicine WTC Health Program. His clinical expertise is in the assessment and treatment of trauma-related mental health conditions. He has published on novel treatment approaches to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health service needs in WTC and COVID-19 responders, and the physiological impact of prolonged or repeated trauma exposure. His work is federally funded by NIH/NCATS and HRSA.

Vanshdeep Sharma, MD, Director for Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, the Medical Director of the Center of Spirituality and Health, and the Chair of the committee for Physician Wellness for the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Sharma has published widely in several areas including behavior disorders in child and adolescent psychiatry, trauma and resilience (when he directed the World Trade Center Mental Health program) and, more recently, in Spirituality and Health.

Craig L. Katz, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Medical Education, and System Design and Global Health, founded and directs Mount Sinai’s Program in Global Mental Health. He organized the psychiatric response to 9/11 in New York City through an organization he co-founded, Disaster Psychiatry Outreach, including founding and directing the World Trade Center Mental Health Screening and Treatment Program for 9/11 responders. Dr. Katz has also written and co-edited books and papers in the fields of disaster psychiatry and global psychiatry.

Zorina Costello, DMin, MS, who came to Mount Sinai in 2013, will serve as the Director of Community Engagement for the Center. Rev. Dr. Costello will also retain her position as the Director of Community Engagement for The Center for Spirituality and Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her role includes working with Faith Based communities in New York City primarily by training community health advisors from within FBOs to teach a health curriculum developed by Sinai subject matter experts working at the intersection of faith and health. She is a chaplain specializing in pastoral care and counseling of patients, families, staff, and community. Her role includes partnering with the Tisch Cancer Institute for the purposes of engaging underserved populations in health education, health screening and prevention programs. As a staff member of the Department of Spiritual Care and Education she has served as Interim Clinical Director, and Assistant Director of Clinical Services. Dr. Costello has been a member of the Ethics Committee since 2015, During her career she has also worked with the Department of Defense as a Family Life Counselor providing counseling to DOD enlisted and civilians, a family therapist in Maryland, and a program manager for the Howard County Mental Health Authority.

Ashley M. Doukas, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is the Clinical Director of the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth, where she provides resilience training, clinical assessment and supervision, and individual psychotherapy. Dr. Doukas has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the New School for Social Research. Her clinical expertise is in the treatment of complex trauma, with an emphasis on the mind-body connection. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Manhattan VA, and went on to spend four years at NYU School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital providing treatment for first responders and survivors of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks.

Scarlett S. Ho, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is the Director of Education of the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth where she designs and develops the resilience education program, oversees clinical training, provides supervision, and renders clinical care. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Ho was an Associate Unit Chief of an acute adult inpatient psychiatric unit at another hospital system in New York City. She also has experience working with diverse populations of hospital staff, faculty, and trainees managing adversities and building resilience through individual and group sessions. Dr. Ho has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship with geropsychology emphasis at Zucker Hillside Hospital. Her clinical expertise includes assessments and evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatments of anxiety, depression, stress- and trauma-related conditions, grief and loss, adjustments to life changes, and coping with cultural stress and challenges. Her approach to clinical work and education places emphasis on building strength, healthy adaptation, and the development of hope, kindness, and compassion.

Mary Kate Christopher, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is the Clinical Psychiatrist at The Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth, as well as, The Center for Post-COVID Care. Prior to assuming this role, Dr. Christopher completed a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry with a focus in Psycho-Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a residency in Adult Psychiatry at Mount Sinai St. Lukes-West. Dr. Christopher's clinical expertise is in the assessment and treatment of psychiatric patients with co-occurring medical illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Marissa Sampias, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is a Clinical Psychiatrist at The Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth. Marissa completed residency in Adult Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has experience in assessing for and treating anxiety, depression, trauma and stress-related disorders, as well as other psychiatric conditions. Marissa also has an interest in psychotherapy, and has completed additional 2-year training in psychodynamic work through the William Alanson White Institute, as well as additional training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy through elective work at the Mount Sinai WTC clinic in residency. She is currently also pursuing more intensive training in DBT through a 16-month program with Behavioral Tech. 

Lauren E. Blau, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is one of the clinical psychologists on staff at the Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth where she provides individual psychotherapy, conducts resilience workshops, and engages in outreach at the Hospital. Dr. Blau has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from University at Albany, SUNY, and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Diego/ San Diego VA Healthcare System where she specialized in health psychology and perinatal mental health. 

DeVanté J. Cunningham, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is one of the clinical psychologists on staff at the Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth where he provides individual psychotherapy, conducts resilience workshops, engages in outreach at the Hospital, and participates in the Center’s community based research. Dr. Cunningham has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Montclair State University and a Master’s in Public Health degree from the University of Virginia. He completed his predoctoral internship at the Margaret Cochran Corbin (Manhattan) VA Hospital and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center where he specialized in anxiety, mood, and personality disorders. Dr. Cunningham also has clinical interests and expertise in treating stress- and trauma-related disorders, grief and loss, and working with BIPOC populations.

Maha Akhtar, LCSW, is a Clinical Social Worker at the Center for Stress, Resilience and Personal Growth, where she provides short-term skills-based individual therapy to hospital employees. She is also a part-time Social Worker at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), where she provides care coordination and cognitive behavioral therapy to East Harlem’s undocumented patients. Maha received her MSW from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Maha completed the Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy post-graduate certificate program at the NYU School of Social Work and is currently pursuing the Advanced Clinical Practice program. In her previous roles, Maha provided complex care coordination to chronically ill and homebound patients. She was also a faculty co-preceptor at the Icahn School of Medicine, where she taught medical students social work skills. Her clinical interests and experience include complex trauma, resilience and group work.

Emma Sollars is the Program Coordinator for Training and Education in the Department of Social Work Services at Mount Sinai Hospital. She began in that role in March 2015, and currently develops and manages a range of educational programs for Social Workers and inter professional staff, including an innovative Simulation Learning program for Social Workers. Prior to that, Ms. Sollars was a Social Worker at Mount Sinai beginning in 2007, where she worked primarily with adults on inpatient Neurology/Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation units. Ms. Sollars holds a Faculty Appointment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Ms. Sollars also served as an Adjunct Faculty member at the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service from 2013-2016. Ms. Sollars received her MSW from the New York University Silver School of Social Work, and her BA from Wesleyan University.

Gabrielle Finley, LCSW has worked as a clinical social worker at the World Trade Center Mental Health Monitoring and Treatment Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center for the past 10 years. Gabrielle provides mental health assessments, crisis counseling, and individual and group psychotherapy for rescue and recovery workers. She is trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. She recently took a position at the Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth, where she leads resiliency workshops, conducts assessments and provides individual therapy for medical center employees who have been impacted while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gabrielle graduated from the NYU Silver School of Social Work in 2010 and is currently a master’s candidate in clinical psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her clinical expertise is in the assessment and treatment of anxiety and trauma-related mental health conditions. She has received extensive treatment in Cognitive Behavioral Therapies at the Beck Institute and is certified in CBT for insomnia. She also completed a year-long training program in psychodynamic psychotherapies at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies.

Adelyn Melnikoff is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked within the Mount Sinai Health System since 2016. Ms. Melnikoff most recently served as an inpatient social worker caring for adults who are HIV positive with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions. Her clinical experience includes assessment and therapeutic support for trauma, mood disorders, psychosis, and substance abuse disorders, along with the provision of evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Ms. Melnikoff obtained her Master’s in Social Work from the New York University Silver School of Social Work and is currently enrolled in their Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy post-graduate program.

Nephthalie Edouard, LCSW, is a clinical Social Worker who received her Masters of Social Work from New York University Silver School of Social Work. Nephthalie has been with the Mount Sinai Health System since 2018. She is bilingual in Haitian-Creole and has experience working with the geriatric, children, and family populations. She has extensive experience in providing complex care management to children and families who have complex chronic conditions and Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED). She is trained in Motivational Interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.

India Reckard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Sociology and Masters of Social Work from New York University. She has worked at Mount Sinai Hospital for the past four years and provides individual psychotherapy in private practice. She completed a two year NYU fellowship in palliative care in 2018. She takes a culturally informed psychodynamic approach. Her specialties include treating anxiety, depression, oncology, grief and loss, life transitions, relationships, and parenting and has postgraduate training in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. She brings a collaborative approach with a person and their inter and intrapersonal experiences.

Amanda Amodio is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with expertise in psychosocial oncology, palliative care, bereavement and community mental health with individuals, couples, families and groups. Prior to joining CSRPG, Amanda worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Having lived and studied internationally, she utilizes a globally focused and social justice informed lens in her work, with attention to each person’s unique identity and cultural framework. She has experience working with immigrant communities and has provided support to refugees undergoing the asylum process. Amanda has a certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice from NYU, completed training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy from the American Institute for Psychoanalysis and has undergone training in Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy. Amanda has taught as an adjunct professor at the Silberman School of Social Work and Fordham University. She has a BS in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and graduated from New York University in 2008 with a Master of Social Work. She provides psychotherapy in English and Spanish.

Stefanie Perez, LCSW, CASAC2 is a licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of experience helping her clients uncover their strengths, purpose, and passions in life. She uses an integrated, trauma-informed, and client-centered approach through a social-justice lens, with training in Advanced Assessments and Diagnosis, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing. Stefanie completed her master's degree in social work from Loyola University of Chicago in 2012, with a focus on mental health, substance use, and immigration. Stefanie has held various clinical positions throughout her career, including individual and group psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, and holds a certification in the advanced treatment of substance use disorders. She also volunteers with Physicians for Human Rights, conducting psychological assessments for those seeking asylum. Stefanie is currently a full-time therapist at the Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth along with seeing individual patients in New York and Illinois through her private practice.

Cristina Enriquez, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who is bilingual in Spanish. Prior to this role, she worked within Mount Sinai Health System since 2018, providing complex care management to adult patients. She previously worked at Western Queens Consultation Center in which she conducted mental health intake assessments and provided weekly psychotherapy to adults and children. Cristina is a former Americorps, 2015-2016 NYC Civic Corps member where she worked at The Korean American Family Service Center as a Program Associate. Cristina brings a cultural humility and strengths-based approach to her work. She received her Master of Social Work from Lehman College and her Bachelor of Arts from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Our Collaborators:

Dennis Charney, MD
Steven Southwick, MD
David Putrino, PhD PT
Rachel Yehuda, PhD
Mari Umpierre, PhD, LCSW
Sabina Lim. MD
Kimberly Klipstein, MD
Jonathan Ripp, MD MPH