Sarah Piscitelli is a mental health counselor, practicing from a person-centered and humanistic perspective. She works with people experiencing a variety of difficulties including anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. She uses a range of intervention strategies including cognitive behavioral therapy, compassion-focused therapy and Gottman-method couples therapy, and has expertise working with families of a loved one with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Sarah provides a warm and genuine environment and is devoted to empowering people with information and skills to help them make the changes they want most. She aims to help people better understand themselves and their relationships, build communication skills, and enhance shared meaning with loved ones.

Sarah values evidence-based practices and has a background in treatment research and clinical training. She fosters a non-judgmental and collaborative space in which individuals can focus on building their strengths as well as their desired areas of growth. She has worked with people form a variety of cultural backgrounds and uses a culturally-competent framework.

Sarah’s specialization in First Episode Psychosis has helped her contribute to the academic body of literature.  See links to a few of her recent articles below.

Education & Experience:

• Master in Mental Health Counseling from Yeshiva University
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the George Washington University
• Provided relationship education and family support services to individuals and groups at Montefiore Hospital
• Co-led group-based family psychoeducation workshops designed to support individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) by empowering their families with knowledge and interpersonal strategies at the TARA organization and Foro Argentino DBT
• Specializes in the research and implementation of specialized services for individuals with a schizophrenia-related first episode of psychosis at New York State Psychiatric Institute, with a focus on family work

Scientific Articles:

• Mascayano, F., Nossel, I., Bello, I., Smith, T., Ngo, H., Piscitelli, S., Malinovsky, I., Susser, E., Dixon, L., (2018). Understanding the Implementation of Coordinated Specialty Care for Early Psychosis in New York State: A Guide Using the RE-AIM Framework. Manuscript submitted for publication.
• Cabassa, L., Piscitelli, S., Haselden, M., Lee, R., Essock, S., Dixon, L. (2018). Understanding Pathways to Care of Individuals Entering A Specialized Early Intervention Service for First Episode Psychosis. Psychiatric Services.
• Olivet, J., Haselden, M., Piscitelli, S., Kenney, R., Shulman, A., Medoff, D. Dixon, L (in press). Results from a Pilot Study of a Computer-Based Role-Playing Game for Young People with Psychosis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry.
• Drapalski, A. L., Piscitelli, S., Lee, R. J., Medoff, D., & Dixon, L. B. (2017). Family Involvement in the Clinical Care of Clients With First-Episode Psychosis in the RAISE Connection Program. Psychiatric Services. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201700080
• Haselden, M., Dixon, L. B., Overley, A., Cohen, A. N., Glynn, S. M., Drapalski, A., Piscitelli, S., & Thorning, H. (2017). Giving Back to Families: Evidence and Predictors of Persons with Serious Mental Illness Contributing Help and Support to Families. Community Mental Health Journal. doi:10.1007/s10597-017-0172-1
• Haselden, M., Piscitelli, S., Drapalski, A., Medoff, D., Glynn, S. M., Cohen, A. N., & Dixon, L. B. (2016). Relationship between symptoms and family relationships in Veterans with serious mental illness. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 53(6), 743-752. doi:10.1682/jrrd.2015.08.0158
• Lucksted, A., Stevenson, J., Nossel, I., Drapalski, A., Piscitelli, S., & Dixon, L. B. (2016). Family member engagement with early psychosis specialty care. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. doi:10.1111/eip.12403