Maren Westphal

Maren Westphal, Ph.D., Clinician, is a licensed psychologist who received her B.A. (Honors) in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (With Distinction) from Columbia University. She is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Pace University, and also serves on the faculty of Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology. Dr. Westphal investigates individual differences that explain variability in response to adversity, ranging from psychopathology to resilience, with focus on emotion regulation, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Her research on these topics has included psychiatric outpatients, college students, patients with acute and chronic medical issues, and emergency care personnel. At Pace University, she teaches doctoral and graduate courses in counseling theories and techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, cultural differences in counseling, and health psychology. Before joining AICT as a clinician, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the mood and anxiety disorders program at Mount Sinai Hospital and worked as a clinician and researcher in the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment and research program at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Westphal is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and a Diplomate in the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. She is also trained in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression (MBCT), psychodynamic therapy, and structural family/couple therapy. Dr. Westphal has expertise in treating depression, insomnia, generalized anxiety, health anxiety, PTSD, social anxiety, and specific phobias. She has taught ten workshops on cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders, including four at national conventions. Dr. Westphal specializes in helping individuals navigate work challenges, career changes, relationships, infertility, parenting, and life transitions. She also provides psychotherapy to patients with medical conditions and young adults struggling with perfectionism, procrastination, avoidance, and concentration difficulties/ADHD.

Born and raised in Germany and having lived in Düsseldorf,  London, Cambridge, San Francisco, and New York City, Dr. Westphal enjoys working with expats and other professionals with diverse cultural backgrounds. She draws on her research on resilience in helping individuals and couples transform life challenges into opportunities for growth and well-being.