People

MEET THE TEAM!

Sarah Finkelstein is a fifth year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Long Island University-Post. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Yeshiva University, Stern College for Women in 2019. Sarah has experience treating patients in a variety of clinical settings including college counseling centers, community mental health clinics, and psychiatric hospitals. Her current research at the ARRT lab focuses on the relationship between attachment security and memory of conflict interactions with romantic partners. Sarah is the first-ever ARRT lab manager.

Ryan Sparks is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at LIU Post. He received his B.A. in psychology and human biology from the University at Albany, SUNY. His experience includes working with patients across the lifespan in psychiatric hospitals, residential facilities, college counseling centers, and community mental health clinics. During his time with the ARRT lab, Ryan has assisted in data collection for the direct observation of couple interactions. His research interests include the relationship between early child-caregiver experiences and the emergence of psychopathology later in life. He is currently conducting a systematic literature review on the relationship between attachment security and delusional ideation. Ryan hopes his research will contribute to his clinical work by elucidating potential mechanisms and psychosocial interventions for psychotic disorders.

Andie Youniss is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at LIU Post. She is the current ARRT lab manager. She joined ARRT to continue expanding her knowledge and interest in attachment research and applied interventions for adult populations. Her dissertation, using data from the lab’s current research study, examines the associations between psychopathology symptoms and insecure/disorganized scripted attachment representations as measured by a novel coding system for the Attachment Script Assessment (ASA). Andie’s clinical training includes working with children, adolescents, and adults in inpatient, college, and community settings, providing both psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapeutic services. She hopes to eventually specialize in treating psychosis under a dynamic framework.

Ben Zigelstein is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at LIU Post. He earned his BA in Psychology from Touro University, where he now serves as an adjunct professor. Ben has diverse clinical experience, having worked with a wide range of patients across various settings, including community mental health clinics, college counseling centers, and inpatient psychiatric hospitals. He is currently undergoing psychoanalytic training at the William Alanson White Institute, where he provides therapy and psychological assessments for children and adolescents. His research focuses on developing a methodology to assess secure base script behaviors in romantic couples, predicting relationship quality above and beyond individual secure base script knowledge. Ben is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice to enhance mental health outcomes.

Danielle Marks is a first year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Long Island University-Post. She received her B.A. in Psychology and B.B.A in Business Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020. Danielle volunteers with the Crisis Text Line providing free and confidential text-based mental health support and crisis intervention. Danielle’s research interests include understanding attachment in adult relationships and the role of inter-generational trauma in the quality of this relationships.

Elizabeth Brach is a first-year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Long Island University-Post. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Touro University. Her clinical experience includes working with couples in the Supporting Healthy Relationship unit at Montefiore Hospital, focusing on underserved populations, and with fathers at the Hero Dads unit at Montefiore. She also teaches Intro to Psychology and Mental Health at Beer Hagolah High School. Additionally, she has worked with women struggling with mental health at a nonprofit organization. Her research interests include couples' attachment, divorce, resilience, and empowerment of individuals.

Casey Taylor is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at LIU Post. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Fordham University. Casey’s clinical experience includes working with patients in her undergraduate university counseling center, as well as with individuals in various healthcare settings. Her research interests center on understanding the relationship between attachment styles and trauma. Specifically, she is interested in how attachment relationships may act as a risk or protective factor for initial- and re-victimization, as well as the impact of sexual assault on an individual’s ability to maintain healthy relationships.

Lila Racey is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at LIU Post. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University at Buffalo. Her clinical experience has included volunteer work in the Socialization and Recovery Program at the Mental Health Association of Nassau County. Her research interests include the role of attachment style in intimate behavior in adult romantic relationships.

Estella Chan is a second-year undergraduate at Long Island University Post. Expecting a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Estella is honored to have the opportunity to explore the many facets and possibilities of this career path. She aims to maintain an interdisciplinary approach to her vocation. Prior research experience includes the 2023 Queens College Bridge Program Humanities "Eat the Rich" symposium, where she presented with others on how media expresses familial generational trauma.