Michael Awad
PhD Student, Teacher's College, Columbia University
Michael Awad is a completing his Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned dual master’s degrees in mental health counseling and professional counseling from Seton Hall University. He has experience working with diverse populations across the lifespan at every level of behavioral health care, including inpatient psychotherapy at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, neuropsychological assessment at the Cognitive and Research Center of NJ, intensive outpatient psychotherapy at Overlook Medical Center, community mental health at the Dean Hope Center, behavioral medicine at Morristown Medical Center, addictions counseling at the NJ Department of Veterans Affairs, and integrated health care through the Health Resources and Services Administration Graduate Psychology Education Program. He currently works as a school counselor at Prep for Prep, New York City’s oldest leadership and academic development program for students of color. Michael has done extensive advocacy work at the national level related to behavioral health equity as a two-time public policy fellow of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. His doctoral research focuses on cultural issues in psychology. Specific projects include validating culturally-sensitive assessment tools for understanding masculinity in multicultural populations, developing a strategic framework for disarming microaggressions as lab leader to Dr. Derald Wing Sue’s research team, and conducting participatory action evaluations with under-resourced community agencies employing effective behavioral health interventions not specified in the literature. He is currently developing and piloting a peer health program through the Raising Educational Achievement Coalition of Harlem at two secondary schools.
Working Group Affiliation