About Us

Dr. Miri Bar-Halpern is a clinical psychologist, Director of Trauma Training and Services at Parents for Peace, and Lecturer in Psychology at Harvard Medical School, where she supervises psychology interns and psychiatry residents. She is an internationally recognized expert in trauma, extremism, identity-based violence, and traumatic invalidation, with nearly two decades of experience across clinical practice, academia, public policy, and training. Her work focuses on helping individuals, professionals, and communities respond to trauma, antisemitism, radicalization, and collective harm through evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches. She has published on trauma, emotion regulation, and post-traumatic growth, authored treatment materials, led trauma-focused groups, and developed trainings for clinical, educational, and organizational settings. She is also the co-host of the podcast Our Stories Matter. In recognition of her leadership and advocacy, Dr. Bar-Halpern received the Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award from the Jewish Education Project and was named to the Algemeiner J100, honoring 100 global leaders who have strengthened Jewish life worldwide. www.drmiribarhalpern.com

Erica Harris, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Harris Psychological Services, a private practice based in New Jersey. She specializes in working with adults, couples, and families — particularly around complex relational dynamics, including adult parent-child relationships, sibling relationships, and couples navigating trust, communication, and life transitions. A central focus of Dr. Harris’s work involves helping her patients gain insight into ways that family of origin dynamics continue to shape emotional patterns, relationships, and sense of self in adulthood. She is especially attuned to the nuanced ways early roles, expectations, and attachment experiences influence present-day functioning. Through this lens, she helps patients develop greater insight, shift entrenched relational patterns, and create more intentional, fulfilling connections. In response to rising antisemitism and anti-Zionism within the mental health field, Dr. Harris created and leads a professional listserv connecting Zionist and Jewish clinicians, along with a weekly process group that provides a space for support, reflection, and consultation around these challenges. Dr. Harris also provides supervision to doctoral students in clinical psychology at the Derner School of Ps

Jen is a licensed independent clinical social worker, writer, and advocate with over thirty years of experience in mental health. She is co-founder of the Jewish Social Work Consortium and founder of DCTherapistConnect, a professional network serving mental health clinicians in the Washington, DC area.Her work centers on professional ethics and the protection of dignity for all across clinical, institutional, and community spaces. She advocates against antizionism within the field of mental health, where it distorts clinical frameworks and compromises ethical care. Jen is committed to advancing justice and well-being, while upholding fairness, respect, and equal belonging for Jewish clinicians and clients. jenniferkogan.com

Joshua Simmons, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist, certified Jungian psychoanalyst, and clinical supervisor with over two decades of experience supporting individuals, couples, and groups. His research focuses on intergenerational trauma and resilience in ethnic minority communities. He serves on the Collaborative of Jewish Psychologists at the American Psychological Association and the Advisory Council of the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area. Dr. Simmons has facilitated support groups for Jewish populations experiencing antisemitism and minority stress and collaborates with professional organizations on education, advocacy, and community response initiatives. He maintains a private practice in San Francisco, integrating depth psychology with culturally responsive care. joshuasimmonstherapy.com

Andrea Yudell, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C is a psychotherapist in the DC metro area with 25 years of experience. In addition to her clinical career, she is co-founder of the Jewish Social Work Consortium and is committed to advocacy, including challenging harmful narratives within the field, with the aim of fostering more nuanced and compassionate approaches. She supports individuals facing anxiety, chronic medical conditions, parenting challenges, and other complex life stressors. Her integrative approach draws on psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and somatic therapies, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Somatic Imagery. Her work combines deep exploration with practical strategies to support meaningful change.

Dana Cohen, LCSW, is a Chicago based therapist, speaker, and Jewish clinical consultant specializing in trauma and eating disorders. She integrates clinical expertise with Jewish identity to support individuals and communities navigating the emotional impact of antisemitism and antizionism. Cohen-counseling.com

Susan Hess, MSW, LCSW-IL is an associate teaching professor of practicum education at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Hess is a transnational speaker specializing in trauma-informed care and healing-centered engagement. Her commitment to healing and resilience focuses on communities experiencing violence, including those affected by intimate partner violence, incarceration, and war. She serves as a faculty advisor to Unchained Scholars, a student caucus composed of formerly incarcerated MSW, DSW, and PhD students working with ally members to dismantle the barriers faced by people impacted by the criminal legal system. Hess is also a faculty advisor to the newly established Jewish Student Affinity Group. Hess is the co-founder of Trauma Informed Learning Alliance, an organization dedicated to fostering resilient communities that promote healing and well-being through collaboration, education and community engagement. She is the creator and host of Trauma Informed Learning Alliance’s “Our Stories Matter” podcast with a global theme of community healing through storytelling. In recognition of her dedication, Hess received the distinguished Dr. Marjorie Braude Award from the City of Los Angeles Domestic Violence City Task Force in October 2013 for innovative collaboration in serving victims of domestic violence. Hess sits on the Interfaith Advisory Board for Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office where she aims to contribute strategies to combat antisemitism while promoting inclusive and safe campus environments.

Dean McKay, PhD, ABPP, is Co-Director of Wellness Associates LLC and Professor of Psychology at Fordham University. He completed his doctorate in Clinical & School Psychology from Hofstra University, with his school internship at the Rockville Center School district and clinical internship at the Biobehavioral Institute. Dr. McKay is a licensed psychologist in NY, CT, and MA and board certified from the American Board of Professional Psychology in both Cognitive-Behavioral and Clinical Psychology. Dr. McKay has trained clinicians all over the world, and is internationally recognized for his expertise in anxiety, OCD, and conceptualization of complex conditions. He is Past President of the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology, and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. He has edited or co-edited 22 books and published over 350 journal articles and book chapters.

Dr. Ariella Soffer is a clinical psychologist licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey. She graduated with honors from Brandeis University and then earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fordham University. At Fordham, she specialized in child and family psychology and trained in college counseling centers, inpatient hospitals, and outpatient mental health clinics. Dr. Soffer is passionate about training. In addition to her former role as a clinical faculty member at Rutgers University Graduate School of Professional Psychology, she was a faculty member in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Fordham and served as the training clinic director, providing individual and group clinical supervision. In this role, she also mentored graduate students and early-career therapists. www.drariellasoffer.com

Daniella Fuchs is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Riverdale, NY, where she maintains a private practice serving college-age students, adults, and couples. After earning her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, Daniella began her career in applied research focused on organizational dynamics. Her growing interest in relational patterns and direct clinical work later led her to earn a Master of Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Daniella has worked in college counseling and community mental health settings, where she developed broad experience treating individuals, couples, and families with diverse presenting concerns. She holds a postgraduate certificate in couples therapy from The Couples Institute and has completed advanced training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR. Her clinical work focuses on couples, life transitions, relationship and parenting challenges, trauma, anxiety, depression, and ADHD. She takes an integrative, individualized approach, tailoring treatment to each client’s unique needs and goals.

Dr. Caroline C. Kaufman (she/her) is a licensed psychologist and faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Bowling Green State University. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Memphis, completed her predoctoral internship at Yale School of Medicine/Yale-Haven Hospital, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Spirituality and Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Her program of research and scholarship focuses on the role of spirituality/religion at the intersection of adversity and mental health as well as spirituality/religion's role in psychological treatment. She has a specific interest in Jewish mental health and the various mental health consequences of antisemitism. Her scholarship has been published in peer-reviewed psychology, psychiatry, and social science journals and presented at national and international scientific conferences. Dr. Kaufman's program of research has received support from the National Institutes of Health, the John Templeton Foundation, and Harvard Medical School, among other sources. She is dedicated to disseminating scientific knowledge to research, clinical, and lay communities related to trauma/adversity, mental health, and Jewish identity. carolineckaufmanphd.com/about

Dr. Ania Schwartzman is a nationally recognized clinical and school psychologist committed to guiding teens and adults through anxiety, depression or phase of life transitions with the intention of fostering resilience and lasting change. Ania was born and raised in New York by Polish and Israeli parents. Ania and her Israeli husband currently live and work in New York City with their two children. Ania strives to support all clients, especially those who identify as Jewish, by creating a safe space where individuals feel seen and heard. One of Ania's favorite resources is the app. Insight Timer. It offers 100's of free meditations and other strategies to promote wellbeing.

Grounded in a positive, integrative, strengths-based model of mental health and well-being, Brielle provides insight-oriented integrative psychotherapy, counseling, supervision, and consultation, with special expertise in clinical work with emerging adults, competitive athletes, corporate professionals, and religiously observant individuals of all faiths. Brielle is a licensed psychologist in New York and New Jersey, and received her Ph.D. In Counseling Psychology from Fordham University. She is Director of Counseling at Iona University, co-Chair of the Westchester County College Behavioral Health Collaborative, and an affiliate of the Open Therapy Institute. Brielle’s professional background includes years of clinical leadership, clinical supervision, and direct psychotherapy service delivery on college campuses. Brielle excels in assisting clients working through relationship problems, mood disorders, issues surrounding sexuality, adjustment, individuation, career development, and self-esteem. In addition, Brielle is an expert consultant and trainer on a wide variety of topics, including emerging adulthood, college adjustment, high-risk behavior intervention, suicide risk assessment and management, substance abuse, extremism, and interpersonal violence. Brielle practices with an open mindset, conscious of the professional responsibility to provide mental health care that is clinically, rather than ideologically, framed and motivated.