Sexual and Gender Identity Concerns Team

Wardeh Hattab is a second-generation Arab-American clinical social worker. Prior to joining Columbia Health in 2020, Wardeh worked in psychiatric emergency rooms at Kings County Hospital and Bellevue Hospital. She has also worked in the inpatient detox and inpatient adult psychiatric units, and medical emergency room at Bellevue Hospital and at community mental health clinics where she treated children, couples, and families as well as adult patients. Wardeh served as a mental health volunteer with The Syrian American Medical Society in 2016 providing consultations to clinical staff working with Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Wardeh’s professional interests include cross-cultural counseling, Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) communities, Muslim communities, trauma work, LGBTQ+ students, sex therapy, students managing chronic medical conditions, and grief and bereavement.

Professional Experience

• Bellevue Hospital
• Metropolitan Center for Mental Health
• Community Counseling and Mediation
• Syrian American Society (SAMS)
• Kings County Hospital
• Private practice, New York

Education

• M.S.W., New York University

Certifications and Licensure

• New York State – Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Certificate in Sex Therapy and Sexuality Education Candidate, University of Michigan
• Advanced Certificate in Oncology Social Work, University of Pennsylvania
• Certificate in Integrative Trauma Studies, National Institute for Psychotherapies
• Overview of Harm Reduction, Harm Reduction Coalition

Memberships

• National Association of Social Workers
• New York State Society of Clinical Social Workers

Dr. Vincent Kiefner is a licensed psychologist at Columbia Health. Vincent earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Pennsylvania State University and his M.Ed. in College Counseling from the University of Delaware. He completed his B.A. in Psychology at Temple University where he also participated in the Honors Psychology program.

Vincent has a keen interest in college student mental health having served in different roles at four institutions of higher learning since 2003. He has experience in a broad range of counseling center activities, including, among others, crisis intervention, administrative evaluations, and outreach.

Vincent works from a psychodynamic framework but also incorporates multicultural, client-centered, cognitive-behavioral, and motivational interviewing approaches into his practice. He feels it is a privilege to work with college students as they represent a unique population with special interests and challenge. While Vincent is comfortable with a wide variety of client populations and presenting concerns, he has particular expertise working with first generation students, artists, architectural students, students who identify as GLBTIQ, international students, relationship issues, trauma, and body image concerns.

Professional Experience

• Kean University, Counseling, Disability, Alcohol and Other Drug Services
• Pratt Institute, Health and Counseling Services
• Ramapo College of New Jersey, Health and Counseling Services
• Post-doctoral Fellowship in Psychology, Purchase College, State University of New York
• Pre-doctoral Internship in Psychology, University of Rochester

Education

• Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
• M.Ed., University of Delaware
• B.A., Temple University

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice psychology in the states of New York and New Jersey

Languages Spoken

• English

Dr. Motoni Fong Hodges joined Columbia Health in 2015. Prior to Columbia, Motoni taught at Teachers College as a lecturer and adjunct assistant professor. Motoni completed her doctoral internship in counseling psychology at the University of Oregon Counseling Center, a postdoctoral fellowship on feminist psychodynamic psychotherapy at Stony Brook University Wo/Men’s Center, and psychoanalytic training at the William Alanson White Institute.

Motoni’s professional interests include acculturation and marginalization, and working with international students, students of color, and LGBTQ students.

Professional Experience

• Lecturer/Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dept. of Counseling Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University

Education

• Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Ed.M., Harvard University
• B.A., Reed College

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice psychology in the State of New York
• Certificate Program in Psychoanalysis, William Alanson White Institute

Published Articles

• Chung, Y. B., & Katayama, M. (1999).  Ethnic and sexual identity development of Asian-American lesbian and gay adolescents.  Counseling Asian families from a Systems perspective (The Family Psychology and Counseling Series Monograph).  Alexandria, VA:  American Counseling Association.
• Chung, Y. B., & Katayama, M. (1998).  Ethnic and sexual identity development of Asian-American lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents.  Professional School Counseling, 1(3), 21-25.\
• Chung, Y. B., & Katayama, M. (1996).  Assessment of sexual orientation in lesbian, gay, & bisexual studies.  Journal of Homosexuality, 30(4), 49-62.

Awards and Honors

• Teachers College, Columbia University Outstanding Teaching Award, 2004 recipient.

Michele Goldman joined Columbia Health in 2020. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in traumatic stress from Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining Columbia, Michele completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Hampton Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Hampton, VA. She then accepted a full time staff psychologist position at Veteran’s Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn Campus.

Michele has also worked in a variety of settings including residential treatment programs, schools, prisons, and rehabilitation/medical units. Her clinical interests have focused on issues related to trauma, relational patterns, anxiety, depression and Veteran specific issues. Due to the fact that she has worked with individuals across the age span and from multiple settings, Michele approaches treatment in a nonjudgmental way, focused on meeting the individual where they are, integrating techniques to best fit the needs of each person. She will often incorporate a mindfulness-based approach in her work with students.

Education

• Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology
• M.A. Counseling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology
• B.S. Neuroscience, Union College

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice psychology in the State of New York

Memberships

• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Division 56 (Trauma Psychology)
• International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS)

Languages Spoken

• English

Maria Narimanidze (she/her) is a clinical psychologist who joined Columbia Health in 2023. Prior to joining as full-time staff, she spent 5 years working at Mount Sinai West’s Center for Intensive Treatment of Personality Disorders (CITPD), where she conducted individual and group psychotherapy, as well as supervised psychology externs, interns, and psychiatry residents.

Maria earned her B.A. in psychology from New York University, her M.A. in psychology from Adelphi University, and her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Long Island University (LIU) – Post. During her training at LIU, Maria completed clinical externships at Jamaica Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, and her pre-doctoral internship at Manhattan Psychiatric Center (MPC). Following her internship, Maria stayed on to work at MPC for 2 years as an inpatient psychologist.

Maria believes in working collaboratively and holistically, providing care that is trauma-informed and culturally responsive through a psychodynamic lens, incorporating aspects of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness skills as needed. She is also a certified group psychotherapist and particularly enjoys running structured and process groups on a variety of topics, including mindfulness, intimacy and interpersonal relationships, and conflict, as well as DBT skills.

Her professional interests include multicultural and racial issues, acculturation, trauma, interpersonal conflict, struggles with identity and sense of self, and ADHD. As an immigrant herself, she is particularly interested in helping international students and those recent to the U.S. adjust to life at Columbia and in NYC more broadly.

Professional Experience

• Mount Sinai West Center for Intensive Treatment of Personality Disorders (CITPD)
• Manhattan Psychiatric Center (OMH)
• Columbia University Medical Center
• Jamaica Hospital

Education

• Psy.D., Long Island University – Post
• M.A., Adelphi University
• B.A., New York University

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice psychology in the State of New York
• Certified group psychotherapist

Languages Spoken

• English
• Russian

Dr. Kori Bennett joined Columbia Health in 2015. Kori received their doctorate of clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis and completed a doctoral internship at Wichita State University’s Counseling and Psychological Services. Prior to joining Columbia, they completed postdoctoral fellowships at University of California, Merced Counseling and Psychological Services, and Stanford University’s CAPS in the Gender and Sexual Identities Track. Much of Kori’s clinical and outreach work has focused on the wellbeing of students who are transgender/gender expansive, queer/LGBQ/questioning, international, and/or first generation in addition to students with trauma histories.  Dr. Bennett is also interested in working with students to explore issues relevant to identity intersectionalities and connections, perfectionism, mindfulness, and relationship patterns.

Education

• Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Indianapolis
• M.A.,  Clinical Psychology, University of Indianapolis
• B.S., Psychology, University of La Verne

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice psychology in the State of New York

Memberships

• Division 39 (Psychoanalysis, Division of the American Psychological Association)
• Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)

Languages Spoken

• English

Dr. Jennifer Liu joined Columbia Health in 2020. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, Jennifer was the Deputy Director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital. She has also been the Associate Director of Training for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program and the Pediatric/Psychiatry/Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Triple Board) Program at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine.  She earned a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and received her M.D. from Drexel University.  She completed her residency and fellowship in the Triple Board Program at Mount Sinai. Jennifer’s professional interests include mood and anxiety disorders, psychopharmacology, and the use of psychotherapy to optimize outcomes.

Professional Experience

• Division Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital
• Medical Director of Child, Adolescent, & Family Services, Mount Sinai Hospital
• Asst. Clinical Professor, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System

Education

• M.D., Drexel University School of Medicine
• B.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Certification and Licensure

• Board Certified in Psychiatry and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry
• Licensed to practice medicine in the State of New York

Memberships

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Languages Spoken

• English

Dr. Addette Williams joined Columbia Health in 1999. Prior to Columbia, Addette completed a clinical psychology internship at North Central Bronx Hospital. She was also a therapist at the Brooklyn Center for Children and Families, and completed a graduate fellowship at the Psychological Counseling and Adult Development Center at The CUNY Graduate Center. She earned a B.A. in economics and political science from Yale University and a Ph.D. from The City University of New York. She has received professional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and the Gottman Method for couples therapy.

Addette has a broad range of professional interests that include the psychological effects of trauma, the mental health of people of color, the integration of psychodynamically informed therapy with mindfulness-based practices, couples and gender issues. In addition, she facilitates a mindfulness group for those interested in learning how to meditate.

Professional Experience

• Brooklyn Center for Children and Families
• Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, CCNY

Education

• Ph.D., City University of New York
• B.A., Yale University

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice psychology in the State of New York

Published Articles

• Williams, A. L. (1996). Skin Color in Psychotherapy. In R. Perez Foster, M. Moskowitz, and R. Javier (Eds.) Reaching Across Boundaries of Culture and Class: Widening the Scope of Psychotherapy. Northvale: Jason Aronson.

Memberships

• American Psychological Association

Languages Spoken

• English

Adam Johnson joined Columbia Health in 2017. Adam received his doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in traumatic stress from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Ill. He also completed a fellowship in psychoanalysis with the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis in 2012.

Prior to joining Columbia, Adam completed his doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has also worked in a variety of settings including private practice, community mental health and medical clinics. His clinical work and interests have focused on issues related to trauma, loss, bereavement, health psychology (e.g. smoking cessation, weight management, chronic and terminal illness), mindfulness, and relational patterns.

Adam is committed to the mental health of LGBTQ and veterans. He enjoys incorporating an individual’s creative talents (i.e. music, art) and spirituality into therapy. Adam also has extensive experience working with issues related to acculturation and cultural diversity. He has completed international psychology projects focused human rights, education and program development in Mexico, Costa Rica, South Africa and the Dominican Republic. 

Education

• Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology
• M.A., Counseling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology
• B.A., Psychology and Spanish, University of Iowa
• Certificate in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture, Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico

Certifications and Licensure

• Licensed to practice clinical psychology in New York state

Awards and Honors

• Social Justice Scholar, Adler School of Professional Psychology, 2009

Memberships

• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues)
• Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC)