Susan Trachtenberg Paula, Ph.D. is a New York State licensed psychologist with extensive experience in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She works with clients of all ages, from very young children to adults, as well as with couples and families. Dr. Paula specializes in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Borderline Personality Disorder, and emotional dysregulation in children and adults. She also treats and specializes in mood and anxiety disorders, childhood and adult ADHD, and in helping parents develop effective strategies for managing difficult behavior in their children. Dr. Paula received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Rochester, and her Ph.D. in psychology from Indiana University, where she received a university fellowship and NIMH Research Traineeship. Dr. Paula completed her psychology internship at the University of California at Irvine Medical Center and Clinica del Nino, in Orange County, CA. In her 30 years as a psychologist, Dr. Paula has directed day treatment programs for children and youth with disruptive behavior disorders, ADHD, and PTSD, a program providing treatment and support to those impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and participated in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, promoting evidence-based treatments for PTSD in children and adolescents. She has also been training and supervising other therapists in the United States, Europe, and Japan
in CBT and evidence-based treatments for PTSD for over 20 years. Dr. Paula has authored journal articles and book chapters on child sexual abuse, aggressive behavior in children, cognitive-behavioral play therapy, and anxiety disorders, and helped develop the National Center for PTSD’s web-based training on STAIR (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation), an evidence-based treatment model for PTSD.