Depression, Personality Pathology, and Regulation of Emotion in Later Life (DP-RELATE)
Clinical Team: Ferkauf Older Adult Program (FOAP)
Current Trainees and Alumni
Rachel Best
Rachel is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program at Yeshiva University. She received her B.A. in Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Rachel has completed clinical training at Zucker Hillside Hospital, Brooklyn College, and Memorial Sloan Kettering, and she is currently a FOAP extern. Her research interests involve improving the quality of life in stigmatized populations, specifically older adults and pain patients. Her dissertation will assess baseline predictors of treatment outcomes in a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Migraine study. In addition to her research and clinical roles, Rachel enjoys teaching at Stern College and Hunter College.
Sarah Styke
Sarah is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis PhD program at Yeshiva University. She received her B.A. at the University of Chicago with a double major in Biological Sciences and Psychology. After graduation, she worked in the Conzen Cancer Biology Laboratory at the University of Chicago. She went on to earn her master’s degree in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she greatly enjoyed learning current theory, research, and practice in the areas of forensic and clinical psychology. After earning her master’s degree, she worked at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute as an MA-level research assistant on three R01 studies in the NIMH funded research center: Operationalizing and Personalizing Interventions for People with Schizophrenia Across the Lifespan (OPAL). She gained proficiency in neurocognitive and psychodiagnostic assessments, in addition to carrying out and coding qualitative interviews in order to develop meaning from client and clinician experiences with the intervention. Sarah joined the Feldman laboratory at Yeshiva University, where she is working on an R01 study centered on depression in older adults with asthma. Sarah has developed an intimate understanding of how medical and psychiatric conditions can impact one another bidirectionally. Her clinical, academic, and research experiences have focused on working with older adults, leading to her completion of the Geropsychology minor at Ferkauf. Sarah has trained at Mount Sinai Hospital Addiction Institute, Brooklyn College Personal Counseling, New York Presbyterian-Westchester, and the Ferkauf Older Adult Program. This year she is completing her training at Montefiore Medical Center where she completes neurocognitive assessment with older adults as well as at Jacobi Hospital Medical Center where she works in the adult primary care clinic. Sarah’s theoretical approach is guided by four dimensions: 1) comprehensive evaluation of medical and psychiatric comorbidities for patients with serious mental illness, 2) treatment with interventions focused on health behavior change, 3) utilization of trauma-informed care, and 4) participation in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team providing robust and evidence-based care for patients. She is currently applying for internship in clinical psychology, with strong interests in health psychology, geropsychology, neurocognitive assessment, and forensic assessment. Her doctoral dissertation utilizes longitudinal data from the R01 observational trial: Depression in Older Asthmatics; Understanding Inflammatory and Behavioral Pathways, and focuses on adaptive as well as maladaptive pathways of generalized anxiety and asthma catastrophizing in relation to asthma outcomes. Sarah hopes to continue exploring her clinical interests of health promotion and disease prevention, neurocognitive assessment, and the implementation of evidence-based interventions for patients from diverse identity backgrounds on internship and beyond.
Gali Moritz
Gali is a third-year student in the Clinical Health Psychology PhD Program at Ferkauf Graduate School. Her academic journey began with a bachelor's degree in psychology and criminology from the University of Miami. Gali has engaged in clinical training at institutions such as the Parnes Clinic, Hunter College Counseling and Wellness Center, and currently, at FOAP.
Gali's earlier research work focused on asthma and cognitive testing. Presently, her research pursuits are centered around substance use disorder and self-report cognitive assessment.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Gali practices vinyasa yoga during her free time, which she also enjoys weaving into her treatment of patients.
Sarah Brown-Adams
Sarah is a fifth-year student in the Adult Clinical Psychology Psy. D. program. She received a B.A. in religious studies from New York University. She is currently an extern at Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center where she is pursuing her interest in neuropsychological assessment. Her systematic review of geropsychological literature examined the relationship between premorbid neuroticism and agitation in patients with dementia.
Jessi Kruse
Jessi is a sixth-year student in the Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis PhD Program at Yeshiva University. She received her B.S. in Human Development from Cornell University, with a minor in Inequality Studies. Working as an Emergency Medical Technician in her community, and seeing how the medical and social systems often failed to meet the needs of older adults with chronic illness sparked Jessi’s interests in gerontology. Jessi has trained at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, the Brooklyn VA Medical Center, Bronx Psychiatric Center, and the Ferkauf Older Adult Program. She is currently completing her internship in clinical psychology at the Manhattan VA, and hopes to complete postdoctoral training in geropsychology. Her research takes a pragmatic, patient-centered approach with the aims of developing more efficacious interventions for older adults living with chronic pain and improving access to care, particularly for patients in marginalized communities. Her doctoral dissertation utilized ecological momentary assessment data from the Einstein Aging Study to examine associations between depressive symptoms, momentary mood, and momentary pain in community-dwelling older adults. Jessi hopes to continue exploring her interest in the intersection of mental health, physical health, and structural barriers to care on fellowship and beyond.
Lindsey Pappalardo
Lindsey is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program. She received her B.A. in Psychology from New York University. Prior to FOAP, Lindsey was a clinical extern at the Brooklyn College Personal Counseling Program, where she provided weekly individual and group therapy to undergraduate students. Currently, Lindsey is an extern at St. Barnabas Hospital, where she provides evaluation and therapy for psychiatric and medical inpatient populations. Her research focuses on the relationships between personality, emotional factors, and glycemic control in adults with diabetes. Her clinical interests include CBT and psychodynamic therapy for mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. At FOAP, Lindsey became interested in working with older adults facing challenging life transitions and stressors, and helping individuals cope with chronic medical illnesses.
Cathryn Goldman
Naomi Greenfield
Naomi is a fifth-year student in the Health Emphasis Ph.D. Program, where she has completed minors in both geriatric psychology and neuropsychology. She successfully defended her dissertation on 12/5/2023 examining how older Black and Hispanic adults in the Bronx cope with the stressors in their lives and how these coping strategies impact their health outcomes over time. Her clinical work at FOAP inspired this research question and she was privileged to have Dr. Zweig serve on her committee as the geriatric expert.Following FOAP, Naomi has pursued specialized neuropsychological assessment training at Montefiore's Neurology department and at Mount Sinai's Epilepsy program. Her ultimate career aspiration is to strike a rewarding balance between neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy. Naomi credits FOAP as the introduction to her passion for neuropsychology!
Cathryn is a fifth-year student in the Adult Clinical Psychology PsyD Program. She received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Michigan, where she engaged in basic research on cognitive control as well as clinical research on infant mental health. Currently, she is a psychology resident specializing in Geropsychology at the VA Palo Alto Healthcare system, where she provides psychotherapy in an inpatient and hospice palliative care setting for Veterans and their families experiencing end-of-life concerns, an outpatient mental health clinic for Veterans diagnosed with anxiety and depression, an interdisciplinary rehabilitation setting for Veterans coping with visual impairment, and an outpatient specialty medical clinic which serves self-identified women Veterans with comorbid medical and mental health diagnoses. Her graduate research has focused on reminiscence, negative affect, and personality in older adulthood. Utilizing data from the Coronavirus Bereavement Study, her dissertation focuses on how personality traits and processes may moderate the relationship between grief and depression in older adulthood.
Christian Lucca
Christian is a 2023 graduate of the Adult Clinical Psychology PsyD Program, having completed the FOAP externship in 2021-2022. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Ramapo College of New Jersey and his M.A. in General Psychology from Yeshiva University. He developed an interest in geropsychology while working as an activity aide at the Van Dyk Manor nursing home in Ridgewood, New Jersey prior to beginning his graduate education. Since that time, he has worked to develop his psychotherapeutic abilities with adult and older adult populations at the Parnes Clinic in the Bronx and Zucker Hillside Hospital - Northwell Health in Queens. Christian also possesses a background in clinical neuropsychology, having conducted integrated assessments with diverse outpatient populations through externship programs at Staten Island University Hospital and Associated Neurologists P.C. in Danbury, CT. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy in Manhattan.
Lauren Atlas
Lauren Atlas, Psy.D. completed her doctoral internship and a post-doctoral fellowship in geropsychology at Zucker Hillside Hospital-Northwell Health. She is currently a psychologist in the Adult Outpatient Psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is a member of the Geriatric Consultation team, an initiative to increase access to mental health care for the older adult population in the Washington Heights community. Lauren presented a poster entitled, The Doctor-Patient Relationship, Personality, Mood and Functioning in Older Adults at the 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. Lauren works with both individuals and groups from a relational/psychodynamic perspective. Her interests include the intersection between personality pathology and anxiety, mood, bipolar spectrum and psychotic spectrum disorders, as well as aging concerns and access to care. Lauren also values mentorship and supervising trainees.
Lauren Cohen
Lauren Cohen received her MA at NYU in Psychology, where she had the opportunity to work at the Couples Lab at Columbia University. At the Couples Lab, Lauren was involved in research exploring dyadic communication as well as invisible support. As a PsyD candidate at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, she is currently interested in studying spousal support in older adult couples of all sexual orientations. She hopes to one day provide couples therapy to older adults facing the challenges of the aging process.
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Ayden Ferstenberg
Ayden Ferstenberg is a fifth-year student in the Adult Clinical PsyD Program at Ferkauf. She received graduate training working with individuals, groups, and families in inpatient and outpatient settings at Montefiore, the Ferkauf Older Adult Program (FOAP), and New York Presbyterian Hospital-Westchester. Ayden also enjoys teaching and is currently working as an adjunct instructor at Stern College, teaching experimental psychology and personality development courses.
Angel Mak
Angel (Wing Jin) Mak is currently a clinical psychologist at the NY Harbor Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center - Brooklyn Campus. She is currently part of the Home Based Primary Care team in which she works with an interdisciplinary team providing care to home bound vets. She is also the co-director of the externship program at the Brooklyn VA and the co-chair of the Alliance for Healthcare Equity, Accountability, and Diversity. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology with a Geropsychology concentration. Angel focused her dissertation on how to better understand the impact of personality traits and emotional regulation strategies on depression severity, suicidal behaviors, and social adjustment in older adults. The goal of her research was to highlight the unique risk factors and predictors that could aid in the detection and intervention of depression and suicidality in older adults. Angel’s clinical interest include the neuropsychological assessment of dementia and cognitive or functional changes, addressing disparities in mental health service use among racial and ethnic minority groups, and providing treatment to older adult patients with complex medical and psychological illnesses within an integrated-care model.
Jun Min
Jun Min is currently an intern at the University of Florida Health Science Center in the clinical neuropsychology track. Upon completing his internship, he will be continuing his training at Mayo Clinic Florida as their Clinical Neuropsychology Post-Doctoral Fellow. His previous experience at the Ferkauf Older Adult Program gave rise to his interest in working with older adults and their families. This was later refined by his work at Mount Sinai Medical Center and NewYork -Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where he had enjoyed learning and understanding the neurocognitive changes in older adults due to aging and other medical conditions. His clinical and research interests include the assessment and treatment of neurocognitive sequelae of various neurological/medical conditions in adults and older adults, pre-/post-surgical evaluation, and functional localization techniques (e.g., Wada testing, brain mapping). Given his cultural background, Jun Min is also passionate about cross-cultural neuropsychology. He is devoted to providing culturally inform neuropsychological evaluations and aims to be involved in international collaborations in promoting neuropsychology and cognitive health in Asian countries.
Amanda Parker
Amanda Parker completed the Ferkauf Older Adult Program (FOAP) externship in 2019-2020 and obtained a minor in geropsychology within the Clinical Psychology, Health Emphasis Ph.D program at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. She will receive her doctorate in May 2021 from Ferkauf. Currently, she is an adult track intern at Long Island Jewish Medical Center/Northwell Health. She has been accepted to be the geropsychology postdoctoral fellow at the Manhattan Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center for 2021-2022. While at Ferkauf, she was a member of Dr. Elizabeth Seng’s Headache and Adherence Lab, and successfully defended her grant-funded dissertation entitled “Injustice, Quality of Life, and Psychiatric Symptoms in People with Migraine”. Amanda is broadly interested in the interactions between mental health, physical health, and chronic disabilities. She hopes to continue her clinical work in providing treatment to older adult patients with complex medical and psychological illnesses within an integrated-care model throughout her professional career
Ilana Powerantz, PsyD
Ilana Pomerantz, Psy.D. recently graduated from the Ferkauf Clinical Adult program. During her academic years, Ilana trained in medical and psychiatric inpatient and outpatient hospital and community-mental health settings treating older adults, young adults, and adolescents with a wide range of difficulties. On internship at Mt. Sinai Services/Elmhurst Hospital center, Ilana provided individual, couples, group, and family therapy as well as crisis intervention and stabilization. Ilana received advanced training in the treatment of trauma and serious mental illness, emergency psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, and behavioral health integration. Ilana also received experience providing grief counseling and support to medical residents and attendings, and individuals and families affected by COVID-19, including working directly with the emergency department and COVID unit treatment teams to provide daily updates to family members about their loved ones illness. Ilana is currently a clinical and research postdoctoral fellow at Montefiore Medical Center, wearing multiple hats as both a clinician and researcher for a clinical research trial. Ilana is receiving intensive training in the development, implementation, and evaluation of mentalizing-focused group parenting interventions that aim to dismantle the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment and attachment trauma in marginalized and underprivileged communities. Ilana’s research interests also focus on increasing access to mental health services, dissemination and implementation of EBTs, and reducing the treatment gap through telehealth platforms
Richard Koch
Richard Koch is a pre-doctoral intern at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in the geropsychology track. Building off his practicum experience in the Ferkauf Older Adult Program (FOAP), Richard has continued to provide evidence-based psychotherapy to older adults. Collaborating with interdisciplinary medical teams, he has also provided cognitive evaluations and geriatric driving safety evaluations. His interest in the intersection of physical and mental health dates to his experience prior to graduate school researching psychosocial oncology and palliative care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His research interests include psycho-oncology as well as the relationship between economic inequality and mental illness. He hopes to continue working with older adult patients in integrated health settings.