LIEBER RECOVERY CLINIC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Clinical Director, NY State Office of Mental Health Cognitive Health Services / Professor of Medical Psychology / Director of Psychiatric Rehabilitation
- International Leader
Dr. Medalia is an international leader in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation, who focuses on the treatment of neuropsychological disorders in psychiatric illness. She developed the widely used NEAR (Neuropsychological & Educational Approach to Remediation) model to help people with mental illness improve their thinking skills in such areas as attention, memory, processing speed and problem solving. She lectures and consults to agencies worldwide and conducts training workshops for clinicians who want to learn how to provide cognitive remediation to psychiatric patients. Dr. Medalia works with policy makers, researchers, clinicians, families and patients to bring awareness about the impact of cognitive dysfunction on recovery. In order to facilitate greater awareness about cognition in the rehabilitation field, she started the largest conference on this topic, Cognitive Remediation in Psychiatry, which takes place the first Friday in June in New York City. Her research focuses on the factors that impact a successful recovery of neuropsychological functions. Dr. Medalia's contributions as a neuropsychologist, researcher and advocate of cognitive remediation have won her awards from professional and advocacy groups.
Dr. Saperstein received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park where she specialized in the study and treatment of people with schizophrenia. She completed a pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and joined Columbia University as a post-doctoral Marie Kessel Fellow to pursue her interests in rehabilitation, recovery, and the treatment of cognitive impairment. Dr. Saperstein has since remained at Columbia in the Department of Psychiatry and maintains an active role in the Division of Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She has collaborated on numerous federally funded research grants and local clinical initiatives, all which center on providing evidence-based, personalized cognitive health services for people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders receiving care in community-based settings. Dr. Saperstein proudly joins the Lieber Recovery Clinic and brings her enthusiasm and expertise in cognitive and behavioral skills training and cognitive health.
Ariel Swyer holds a master's degree in psychology from the University of Glasgow and a bachelor's degree in philosophy and cognitive science from Swarthmore College. She works with individuals and small groups, as a recovery coach, focusing on the improvement of social skills. She has previous experience working at Soteria, a therapeutic community residence in Vermont for individuals experiencing psychosis. She also teaches psychology at York College, CUNY and her main research interest is hallucination in a variety of contexts.
Job Titles:
- Family and Couples Therapist
Dr. Mueller completed his PhD in Clinical Psychology at the City University of New York. His dissertation research focused on emotion regulation in parents and children. He trained at Columbia University Medical Center for his predoctoral internship and at the Columbia Day Treatment Family Therapy program for his postdoctoral fellowship. In addition to working with individual families and couples, Dr. Mueller leads support groups for family members and loved ones of clients at the Lieber clinic.
David Lynch, Ph.D., is a psychologist and PEERS® Certified Provider, with extensive training in the assessment and treatment of psychotic disorders. Dr. Lynch completed his Masters and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Over the course of his training, he has assessed and treated individuals with psychosis within the contexts of inpatient psychiatry, community mental health clinics, correctional mental health, consultation psychiatry and comprehensive psychiatric emergency services. While completing his graduate training, Dr. Lynch was a staff member at Columbia University's department of Undergraduate Student Life, training student staff members on mental health first aid and promoting overall wellness. He completed his predoctoral internship at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine site at Elmhurst Hospital Center, providing a vast array of psychiatric services within the multiculturally diverse context of Queens, New York. Dr. Lynch's research focuses on the conditions necessary to promote positive outcomes within psychotherapy, particularly aspects related to the therapeutic alliance between the client and clinician. His dissertation research identified in-session predictors of self-harm behaviors within Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) treatment. Dr. Lynch is a current Marie Kessel fellow who leads several groups at the Lieber Recovery Clinic, including Men's Group, DBT, Harm Reduction and Coping Through Music.
Job Titles:
- Supported Education and Employment Coach
Emily received her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University's Teachers College. Emily works at the Lieber Clinic as a supported employment and education coach, as well as a Recovery Coach, focusing on improving clients' social, creative, and team communication skills. Emily's research interests include treatment for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in both group and private psychotherapy settings. She is also interested in early detection and proactive treatments for such disorders.
Ms. Nicholas received her Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work from University of Chicago's School of Social Administration. She has worked with adolescents and adults in a diverse mental health agency in Chicago before joining the Lieber Clinic staff in 2014. Ms. Nicholas facilitates several groups, including cognitive behavioral techniques for symptom management, dialectical behavioral therapy, and cognitive remediation. She also facilitates the Family Orientation session which introduces clients and their families to the clinic and provides psychoeducation. Ms. Nicholas is an individual care coordinator for many clients at the Lieber Clinic and sees patients for individual psychotherapy as part of the Columbia University Faculty Practice Organization.
For more information or to schedule an intake appointment, please call 212-326-8441 or email us by clicking here.
Sheyla Delvecchio studied Special Education at the University of Rio de Janeiro. She received additional training in ADHD, Autism, and Learning Disabilities at Columbia University's Graduate School of Education. Ms. Delvecchio, a senior skills coach, has specialized training in teaching social skills to people with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and to utilize LEAP and Motivational Interviewing techniques. Ms. Delvecchio works as a skills coach with individuals and small groups to promote social skills, executive functioning skills, and independent living skills. Ms. Delvecchio is fluent in English and Portuguese.