Dr. Mercedes J. Okosi practices at Columbia Health, and she joined the department in 2023. She specializes in individual and group therapy for students presenting with various diagnoses and engages in campus outreach initiatives. Dr. Okosi worked with college students experiencing depression, anxiety, ADHD, and adjustment issues. She provided individual and family therapy to high school students. She also provided therapy, developed socioemotional school interventions in Newark, and engaged in motivational interviewing for previously incarcerated college students.

She has prior experience in 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.

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 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 severe mental illness.

Dr. Okosi received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Rutgers University and completed a doctoral internship at Mount Sinai St. Luke's and West Hospitals. Dr. Okosi is a bilingual (English/Spanish) New York State licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Okosi is the clinical director of the Safe Mothers, Safe Children Initiative at NYU and owner of the private practice Growth Work Psychology Services PLLC, where she specializes in trauma. Dr. Okosi's research is at the intersection of trauma, identity, and social justice.

Dr. Okosi shared personal and professional insights into her therapy field during our conversation. We discussed her rich multicultural background as a daughter of a Nigerian father and African American mother. We talked about how these two heritages shaped her childhood and navigating her career choice. Dr. Okosi offered a unique perspective on the challenges that immigrant communities face when it comes to mental health. We dived into both the stigma and the lack of awareness of mental health within immigrants' communities and other people of color. We further discussed the vital role that cultural understanding and education play in overcoming these barriers. We discussed cultural competence role in therapy and what steps to take to ensure providers are sensitive to cultural differences in their practices. In conclusion, change is possible when we continue to have these critical conversations and create spaces where mental health is essential to overall well-being, no matter where we come from.

For consultation or to learn more about Dr. Okosi, pleasefollow the link below.

Check your benefits!
https://mentaya.com/checkbenefits/GROWTHWORK
Book a call with me!
https://calendly.com/drmokosi/15min
Mercedes J. Okosi, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
302 5th Ave, 8FL
New York, NY 10001
(646) 822.4624
www.growthworkpsych.org
drmokosi@gmail.com