Dr. Mercedes J. Okosi
Dr. Okosi studied Applied Psychology at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. Unlike a traditional psychology degree, this developmental and sociocultural-focused program immersed her in both foundational psychological knowledge and fieldwork opportunities to engage in clinical practice with marginalized populations in the city. Her fieldwork involved working with adolescents and young adults in a nonprofit setting dealing with mental illness, extreme poverty, immigration difficulties, and a host of other psychosocial burdens. Dr. Okosi extended herself to internships and part time work throughout her undergraduate career to gain experience in areas including HIV+, substance abuse, and serious mental illness. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Psychology and a minor in Spanish language.
Dr. Okosi advanced immediately to a clinical psychology doctoral program at the prestigious Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. At Rutgers, she gained 5 years of direct clinical experience. She was able to expand her range of experience across settings and populations both establishing a foundation for competent, comprehensive clinical practice, and establishing an area of specialization.
Dr. Okosi worked with college students experiencing depression, anxiety, ADHD, and adjustment issues; provided individual and family therapy to high school students, provided therapy and developed socioemotional school interventions in Newark; and engaged in motivational interviewing for previously incarcerated college students.
Later, she had experiences providing psychotherapy to women experiencing trauma, substance abuse, and mood disorders; and working with individuals with mood disorders, personality disorders, grief, trauma, substance abuse, and severe mental illness in both general outpatient and inpatient populations at New York City hospitals. She also became competent at facilitating both skills-focused and process groups.
Throughout her experiences, she found that underlying many of the presenting issues of her patients was a common theme: trauma. An overwhelming amount of patients had trauma in their pasts that made them vulnerable to mental illness or exacerbated illness. Passionate about this area of specialization, she hopes that by addressing trauma, individuals and communities can be empowered to overcome stigma surrounding mental illness and flourish. Dr. Okosi earned her Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree in clinical psychology with certificates of specialization in both multicultural psychology and community psychology.
Dr. Okosi worked at New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research as Clinical Director of the Safe Mothers, Safe Children Initiative. She assessed and diagnosed women of color with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and provided evidence-based individual and dyadic parenting trauma psychotherapy.
Dr. Okosi currently works full time at the Columbia University Counseling and Psychological Services center where she does individual and group therapy for students presenting with a range of diagnoses. She also engages in campus outreach initiatives.
Commitment to Social Justice
Dr. Okosi is deeply committed to learning and appreciating the whole person including their sociocultural context and how it impacts them. She makes a conscious effort to welcome people of all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, and religious identities into the often difficult process of psychotherapy. A primary mission is to reduce stigma and other barriers to accessing mental health services. In addition, Dr. Okosi embraces a stance of cultural humility, acknowledging that each patient is an expert on their personal cultural experiences, and being open to what may challenge assumptions.