Meet Marina Gershkovich, Ph.D., ABPP
I’m a licensed, board-certified, New York-based psychologist specializing in the evidence-based treatment of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, perinatal anxiety, and related disorders. I see clients for individual therapy, and I also teach, research, supervise, and educate in many different settings.
I’ve always been fascinated by the human mind.
In life, we all experience pain. But why is it that sometimes our brains seem to create so much extra noise, as if to make that pain worse and create added suffering?
In my work, I’ve witnessed people overcome that crippling noisiness in their brains and experience real change through therapy and proven techniques—people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, and all types of anxiety. Their remarkable ability to change the patterns in their thinking and behavior is what inspires me.
When I became a parent and understood firsthand how stressful the pregnancy and postpartum period can be, I developed an even deeper compassion for those going through the experience with anxiety or OCD. Too often, our society focuses on the well-being of the baby but not enough on the person giving birth. Serving those with perinatal anxiety (PPA or PMADs) and postpartum OCD is also a priority and passion.
In all my work, I’m devoted to destigmatizing these conditions and helping people feel empowered to overcome them. My mission is to offer evidence-based tools and guidance to people experiencing anxiety and OCD so that they can reclaim their lives.
Clinical Research and Teaching
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I regularly provide cognitive behavioral therapy workshops to clinicians interested in deepening their understanding of CBT. I was part of New York’s IMPACT-OCD statewide initiative, providing education and support to front-line providers to improve detection and treatment of OCD.
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I served as Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Medical Center and have taught graduate-level courses at New York University and Fordham University.
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I am a recipient of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)'s highly competitive early career award. I have published research articles on many topics including treatment of OCD.
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As a clinical researcher at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, I worked to develop innovative methods for treatment dissemination. Currently, my research focuses on improving outcomes for individuals with OCD and anxiety disorders.
Education and Training
I earned my B.A. from Cornell University and my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Drexel University. My clinical psychology internship was completed at the Boston Consortium, and I held academic appointments at the Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. I have received extensive training in cognitive behavioral treatments, including Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), from the University of Pennsylvania.
