Lieber Clinic Staff
Alice Medalia, PHD
Professor of Medical Psychology
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Director of Cognitive Health Services
NY State Office of Mental Health
Columbia University Academy of Clinical Excellence (ACE)
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.
Tiffany Herlands, Psy.D.
Clinical Director, Lieber Recovery Clinic
Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology
Columbia University
Columbia University Academy of Clinical Excellence (ACE)
Dr. Herlands received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Yeshiva University. She completed a clinical internship in neuropsychology on the neuropsychiatric service at Montefiore Medical Center, and was awarded the Marie Kessel Fellowship, a clinical and research fellowship in the neurocognition and treatment of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Following the fellowship, Dr. Herlands became an attending neuropsychologist at Montefiore Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. In 2006, she was promoted to Director of Neuropsychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center. Later that year, she joined Columbia University to take part in the development of the Lieber Clinic and was appointed Clinical Director. Dr. Herlands has academic appointments at both Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and New York Psychiatric Institute, Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research, and was voted into the Academy of Clinical Excellence in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. Dr. Herlands is an expert on cognition in psychiatric disorders, a published author and lectures regularly on a broad range of topics related to rehabilitation and recovery in psychotic disorders, intrinsic motivation, and cognition, and consults on complex cases.
Daniel Mancini, LMHC
Therapist
Lauren Gonzales, PHD
Therapist
Director of CBTp Services
New York State Office of Mental Health
Mr. Mancini is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who earned two Master's Degrees in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University. He specializes in cognitive remediation, executive functioning skills training, and self-esteem work. Mr. Mancini is a regular presenter at the annual Cognitive Remediation in Psychiatry Conference in New York. Mr. Mancini maintains a private practice in Connecticut.
Dr. Gonzales earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from John Jay College and the Graduate Center, CUNY where she specialized in recovery-oriented services for individuals experiencing psychosis. She completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center where she obtained additional training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Dr. Gonzales has specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) and extensive experience training mental health providers in CBTp and evidence-based approaches to working with psychosis and related experiences. Lauren is the Director of CBTp Services for the New York State Office of Mental Health, and she brings to the Lieber Clinic her expertise in individualized, recovery-oriented, and evidence-based care with a non-pathologizing approach that honors lived experience as expertise.
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Alexandra Liu, PsyD
Therapist
Dr. Liu is a clinical psychologist running Acceptance and Commitment Therapy groups at the Lieber Clinic.
Brian Mueller, PhD
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.
Sheetal Mallavarapu, LMSW
Therapist
Sheetal is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) specializing in providing evidence-based care to individuals and groups. She is passionate about providing culturally-affirming, strengths-based and compassionate care. She received her MSW from Columbia University, where she was intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) under Dr. Andre Ivanoff and Behavioral Tech, LLC. She has experience working with clients with a wide variety of diagnoses. Sheetal also has extensive experience in providing LGBTQ+ affirming care and working with marginalized populations.
Sheyla Delvecchio
Skills Coach
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, support adults with autism spectrum disorder (AANE LIFEMAP COACH), 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.
Alice Saperstein, PhD
Therapist
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. Now an Associate Professor, Dr. Saperstein maintains an active role in the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry within 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 receiving care in community-based settings. Dr. Saperstein brings to the Lieber Clinic her expertise in cognitive and behavioral skills training and enthusiasm for addressing cognitive health to promote recovery.
Ashley Dhillon, MA
Psychology Extern
Ashley Dhillon is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate at Adelphi University’s Clinical Psychology Program. She completed her undergraduate and master’s studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she majored in forensic psychology. She is a psychology extern at the Lieber Recovery Clinic, providing recovery-oriented group and individual psychotherapies to adults with severe psychiatric illnesses. Prior to Lieber, she trained in civil and forensic psychiatric settings, including community mental health, alternatives to incarceration programs, and a maximum-security forensic hospital. Ashley is passionate about providing evidence-based care to individuals with psychotic illnesses, a population that tends to be stigmatized and underserved. Her research interests involve individuals with trauma histories in civil and forensic psychiatric settings. She brings elements of her personality, such as warmth, attentiveness, compassion, and humor, to her role as a trainee. When she is not training at Lieber, Ashley enjoys spending time with her cats, watching movies, reading psychological thrillers, traveling, and going to the gym.
Jeanette Minson, LMSW
Therapist/Supported Employment/Education Coach
Jeanette Minson is a licensed master social worker and works at the Lieber Clinic as a therapist and supported employment and education coach. Jeanette obtained her MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work where she received the Overbrook Fellowship for study in Advanced Clinical Practice. Jeanette is certified in Motivational Interviewing and Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy, and she has previously worked as a therapist in private practice. In addition, she holds her BFA in Drama with Honors from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. An interdisciplinary professional, Jeanette’s work as a therapist is also informed by her career as an actor and in tech working at startups and venture capital in New York City for over the past decade. Her breadth of experiences facilitates insight, understanding, and empathy in working with diverse populations. Jeanette strives to build a therapeutic relationship that is built on warmth, authenticity, curiosity, and collaboration. Jeanette is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and previously served as Columbia University School of Social Work’s ambassador to the association.
Nicole Elyukin, BA
Psychology Extern
Nicole Elyukin is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Seton Hall University. She completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at SUNY New Paltz. She is pursuing a career in integrated healthcare with hopes to help medical systems increase access to mental health care and adapt their treatments to be more trauma informed. Nicole hopes to conduct research that assists medical providers in understanding the ways in which individual and environmental factors interact, influence wellness, and can be targeted for treatment. She is passionate about supporting patients who experience stigma and providing corrective experiences through her approach of warm, nonjudgemental care. In her free time, Nicole enjoys baking and traveling!
Nicole Cardona, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Cardona is a clinical psychology post doctoral fellow, focusing on adolescent and adult mental health who is particularly interested in emotion, personality and trauma-related disorders, dialectical behavior therapy, exposure-based treatments, and mental health in marginalized communities (e.g., LGBTQ mental health).