About
Educational Background
Dr. Lauren Bochicchio, Ph.D., LCSW is a clinician scientist. She received her Master’s Degree and Doctor of Philosophy at Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW). While in her master’s program, Dr. Bochicchio participated in the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Training Program under the supervision of Dr. André Ivanoff, president of Behavioral Tech. Lauren received her intensive training in DBT while in this program and has additionally received training and supervision in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, DBT for Families and Couples, DBT for substance use disorders (DBT SUDS), and DBT-PE. Lauren is also experienced in CBT for ADHD, CBT-E for eating disorders, and AFFIRM for LGBTQ2+ individuals.
Throughout her doctoral program, Lauren dedicated her studies to reducing mental health disparities in the LGBTQ2+ community and identifying best practices for the treatment of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Her dissertation project entitled, “Home Away from Home'': Affirmative Care Practices Among Leading LGBTQ+ Organizations Serving Youth, identifies recommendations for LGBTQ2+ youth affirmative care.
Research
In addition to her clinical work, Lauren is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the City University of New York, College of Staten Island. Her research has been funded through the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in addition to Columbia University School of Nursing. Lauren's current research is centered on understanding the role of adverse childhood experiences in the development of alcohol misuse and related problems in sexual minority women.
Licensure
I am licensed in CA, CO, CT, FL, MA, MO, MS, NJ, NY, OH, PA, and WA. I offer in person services in Montclair, NJ and teletherapy in all other parts of New Jersey and all other states (CA, CO, CT, FL, MA, MO, MS, NJ, NY, OH, PA, and WA).
Clinical Practice Experience
As an individual therapist and skills trainer, I am dedicated to providing evidence-based treatment to individuals diagnosed with a wide range of mental health conditions. This includes clients with personality disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stress-related disorders (including post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD), mood disorders, and substance use disorders.
Prior to shifting into private practice, I worked across diverse treatment settings including inpatient detoxification, residential treatment, and partial hospitalization programs. I’ve also served in a variety of roles (e.g., Clinical Director, Case Manager, Individual Therapist, Group Leader). Across these contexts, I have remained committed to delivering empirically supported interventions, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), prolonged exposure therapy (for the treatment of PTSD), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). I have also gained experience in tailoring evidence-based treatments such as DBT to affirm clients’ LGBTQ+ identities by incorporating psychoeducation on minority stress and its origins, and helping clients challenge thoughts rooted in internalized stigma.
In my role as Clinical Director at Behavioral Psych Studio, I gained formative experience as a supervisor to both clinical and administrative staff, including Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate student interns and Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW) associate-level therapists. In this position, I provided individual supervision to both interns and associates and delivered staff-wide clinical trainings on topics such as transgender-affirmative cognitive behavioral therapy and prolonged exposure. Additionally, as part of the Studio’s clinical evaluation process, I reviewed video recordings of clinician sessions and assessed their fidelity to the treatment model.
Finally, in my efforts to further expand my clinical knowledge and skills, I have continued to pursue advanced, post-graduate training. Over the past decade, I have completed training in DBT Prolonged Exposure, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and foundational training on incorporating principles of antiracism into DBT practice. Moving forward, I intend to continue prioritizing my own professional learning to ensure that I provide the highest quality of care to my clients and continue to strengthen my capacity to supervise and mentor other clinicians.
Outside of work, Lauren can be found with her two dogs Poppy, a spunky dachshund-chihuahua mix, and Lola, a naughty chihuahua miniature pinscher, that she is way too obsessed with. Poppy and Lola enjoy long walks on the beach and dancing for their favorite treats (PB-Nanas), and Lauren enjoys giving Poppy and Lola ever-more ridiculous nicknames (popsicles; chickens etc).