Newswise — Nationally renowned psychologist and anxiety specialist Thea Gallagher, PsyD, has joined the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health as assistant professor and digital mental health, outcomes, and wellness coordinator.
Gallagher previously held several positions at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, including assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, clinic director and clinical psychologist at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety and clinical director of COBALT, a digital wellness platform for employees at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Dr. Gallagher is a highly respected psychologist, educator, researcher and communicator whose expertise will help advance the goals of the institution and add to the collective talents of our already distinguished faculty,” says Charles R. Marmar, MD, the Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Psychiatry and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Gallagher to NYU Langone and eagerly look ahead to witnessing her continued success in implementing digital wellness strategies for employees on top of providing the highest quality mental health care for patients.”
Gallagher specializes in prolonged exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), exposure and response prevention for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and cognitive-behavioral treatments for other mental health illnesses such as social anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, generalized anxiety, eating disorders, insomnia, and depression.
“I focus on evidence-based psychotherapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, as most of what is known about mental health indicates that there is a strong connection between our thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and environment,” says Gallagher.
In addition to her clinical work, Gallagher serves as the digital mental health, outcomes, and wellness coordinator for Psychiatry. In this role, she will further enhance mental health support and resources for NYU Langone’s health care workers through digital content, particularly during this critical time when so many healthcare workers have suffered various levels of burnout due to the strains of the COVID pande
“The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare professionals and frontline workers will be felt for many years to come. We need to provide our employees with effective tools to take care of themselves but in a way that seamlessly integrates in their daily lives,” explains Gallagher. “Providing curated mental health and wellness content can help reduce the friction and stigma in accessing mental health care, and provide timely and targeted support and treatment.”
About Dr. Gallagher
After obtaining her PsyD in clinical psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Gallagher completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the faculty where she has worked for the past seven years. During her time at the University of Pennsylvania, Gallagher also taught and supervised medical residents, receiving the Martin P. Szuba Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching and Research in 2021 for her focus on translating research concepts and findings into clinically useful teaching.
Over the course of her career, Gallagher has presented at several national and international conferences, participated in various speaking engagements on wellness, mental health, and anxiety-related disorders, and led dozens of cognitive behavioral therapy trainings. She is an active in research and has authored and coauthored numerous journal publications, review articles, and book chapters.
Gallagher is regularly featured in national and local media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and HuffPost, as a trusted resource on mental health related topics. She also hosts a mental health-focused podcast, Mind in View.
“I’m honored to join such an incredible and accomplished group of clinicians and researchers at NYU Langone, where we are committed to both the research and clinical care of mental health treatment and therapies to better the lives of patients and our community,” says Gallagher.
Gallagher’s office is at NYU Langone Psychiatry Associates, located at One Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
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