William Christiana, Psy.D.
Dr. Christiana is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), mood, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders. He is committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and collaborative relationship with his patients. His approach is rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and he strives to make treatment proactive, directive, and goal oriented. Dr. Christiana works closely with individuals to understand their unique experiences, tailoring evidence-based interventions to align with their personal goals, needs, and values. His aim is not only to alleviate symptoms, but to help create lasting, meaningful change. Dr. Christiana’s clinical style reflects his personality- he is warm, informal, and will go above and beyond for his patients and their families.
Clinical Psychologist
NY Lic. # 020992, NJ Lic # 6227, APIT # 10153
Education
Dr. Christiana completed his B.A. in Psychology at Montclair State University. He was an active member in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, where he studied autism and the neurological underpinnings of self-awareness. His graduate work began at Villanova University, where he studied infant cognitive development, as well as the relationship between personality traits and maladaptive beliefs. At the same time, he was fortunate to volunteer and work at the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, which is where he received his initial training in CBT and developed a passion for clinical work. After earning his M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Villanova, he completed his doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. Dr. Christiana received extensive clinical training in the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders at the Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) and the Program for Addictions Consultation and Treatment (PACT) at Rutgers. He completed his dissertation at New York-Presbyterian Hospital - Weill-Cornell Medical Center in White Plains, where he studied the effectiveness of Inpatient Group CBT for Depression. Dr. Christiana completed his pre-doctoral internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School - University Behavioral Health Care (now Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare), earning his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology soon after. Dr. Christiana completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Psychology at the Manhattan VA Medical Center, with a specialized focus on Clinical Health Psychology and Interprofessional Training in Primary Care.
Experience
After completing his postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Christiana began working at Mount Sinai St- Luke’s Hospital. He was a psychologist at the Comprehensive Assessment Center, where he would conduct diagnostic assessments and facilitate referrals to the various outpatient, intensive outpatient, and inpatient services within the hospital system. Dr. Christiana was also a member of the Psychology Training Committee and supervised psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows in clinical diagnostic evaluations. He later returned to the VA-NY Harbor Healthcare System, to work as a clinical psychologist at the Staten Island VA Community Clinic and the Brooklyn VA Medical Center, providing diagnostic evaluations, consultation services, and individual psychotherapy to veterans in NYC.
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Dr. Christiana has specialized training in the following research-backed treatments:
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BTTI certified in exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder (ERP for OCD)
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Supportive parenting for anxious childhood emotions (S.P.A.C.E.)
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Motivational Interviewing (MI) for substance use disorders and health behavior change
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Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for chronic pain
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Cognitive therapy (CT) for depressive disorders from the Beck Institute
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Exposure based treatments for anxiety disorders
