Cynthia Alardo

Cynthia Alardo (she/her/ella) joined Columbia Health in January 2025. As a Survivor Advocate certified through the New York State Department of Health, Cynthia provides confidential and comprehensive survivor-focused services, resources, and trauma-informed care to survivors of gender- and power-based violence. She provides objective, empathetic, knowledgeable, culturally competent, and trauma-informed interventions that assists a survivor, co-survivor, or bystander in securing the necessary information, services, referrals, and follow-up care that may be required based on the individual’s experience.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Cynthia was a Mental Health Counselor for the Center for Justice Innovation, where she worked with justice-involved individuals and gender- and power-based violence survivors.

Fun fact about Cynthia: she has two cats named Daisy and Gatsby, based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Professional Experience:

  • Senior Mental Health Counselor for Alternatives to Incarceration Programming, Center for Justice Innovation
  • Frontline Resource Navigator, Bronx Family Justice Center

Education:

  • B.A. Psychology, Hunter College (CUNY)
  • M.A., Forensic Mental Health Counseling, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)

Certifications and Licensure:

  • Licensed Master of Forensic Mental Health Counseling, LP-MHC
  • NYS Adult Mental Health First Aid USA from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Mindfulness and Modification Therapy
  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Preventing and Managing PTSD Certificate awarded by the Academy for Community Behavioral Health

Awards and Honors

  • Preventing and Managing PTSD Certificate awarded by the Academy for Community Behavioral Health
  • Responding to Emotional/Behavioral Emergencies in Foster Care Certificate awarded by the New York Foundling Fontana Center for Child Protection

Languages Spoken:

  • English
  • Spanish