Irina Mindlis

I specialize in the treatment of issues related to chronic and life-limiting illness in adults, as well as issues related to aging and adjustment to life transitions in mid- and older adulthood. I also have experience working with mood disorders and trauma, and supporting clients through grief and bereavement, migration and navigating family difficulties in a new culture, and sleep disorders.

As an integrative therapist, I find that adapting evidence-based treatments in a way that takes into account specific needs and culture is essential to treatment. Evidence based approaches I use in my practice include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), CBT for insomnia (CBT-I), cognitive processing therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (CPT), and motivational interviewing. I also provide psychological evaluations for bariatric surgery.

ABOUT ME

I am a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and New Jersey, with a special interest in adjusting to medical illness and aging. A clinical health psychologist by training, I received my Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York after completing a pre-doctoral Clinical Psychology Internship at Mount Sinai Services/Elmhurst (2023).

I have specific expertise in helping adults adjust to chronic illness, including heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions, cancer and cancer survivorship, palliative and end-of-life care, diabetes, asthma, and GI/gastrointestinal disease, through my pre-doctoral externships and internship at Northwell Health/Long Island Jewish in Manhasset, Queens Hospital, and Elmhurst Hospital.

My research has focused on aging adults’ adjustment to life with multiple chronic illnesses, including improving quality of life, reducing depressive symptoms, illness self-management, and patient-provider communication. In addition to my role as a therapist, I am also a faculty member at Rutgers University's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, in the Parker Health Group Division of Geriatrics. I am a member of the Gerontological Society of America and the Society for Behavioral Medicine, and an editorial board member for the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Professional Education

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (Health Psychology & Clinical Science Training Area)

M.P.H. in Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

B.Sc. Psychology, Universidad de Palermo (Argentina)

Psychology Training

- Post-doctoral Fellow, Weill Cornell Medicine, T32 in Behavioral Geriatrics, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, New York, NY

- Psychology Intern, Mount Sinai Services/Elmhurst Hospital, New York, NY (Adult Track)

- Psychology Extern, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY (Primary Care, Heart Failure)

- Psychology Extern, Queens Hospital, Jamaica, NY (Cancer Center, Testing)

- Psychology Extern, Roberto Clemente Center, New York, NY

- Psychology Practica, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY (Inflammatory Bowel Disease program)

Credentials/Board Certification

- Licensed Clinical Psychologist, NY

- Licensed Clinical Psychologist, NJ

Honors and Awards

- Butler-Williams Scholar, National Institute on Aging, 2024

- AGING Initiative Multiple Chronic Conditions Scholar, Health Care Systems Research Network and Older Americans Independence Centers, 2024

- Emerging Student Leader Award, American Psychological Association (APA) Div. 38 (Society for Health Psychology), 2020

- Best Master of Public Health Thesis, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2015

- International Peace Scholarship, P.E.O. Foundation, 2014

- Global Health Fellowship, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2014

- Emory Global Health Case Competition Innovation Award, Emory University, 2014

Representative publications

Multimorbidity in the Aging Population. In T.A. Revenson & A.F. Abraído-Lanza (Eds.), APA Handbook of Health Psychology, vol. 3. (2025)

Feasibility and Acceptability of Ecological Momentary Assessments in Depressed Older Adults with Multimorbidity. Journal of Applied Gerontology. (2025)

Primary Care Provider Perspectives on Depression Management in Older Adults with Multimorbidity. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. (2025)

Adaptation of a sleep hygiene intervention for individuals with poor sleep and their companions: Results of a randomized controlled pilot trial. Translational Behavioral Medicine. (2024)

The promise of ecological momentary assessment to improve depression management for older adults in primary care. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. (2024)

Above and beyond number of illnesses: A two-sample replication of current approaches to depressive symptoms in multimorbidity. Clinical Gerontologist. (2024)

Multimorbidity and depressive symptoms in older adults: A contextual approach. The Gerontologist. (2023)

"Your cancer is no longer cancer”: Psychological reactions to reclassification information and communication preferences. PEC Innovation. (2023)

Comorbidity burden and depressive symptoms among older adults with asthma. Journal of Asthma. (2023)

The crisis psychotherapy treatment of a cancer survivor presenting with suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Psychotherapy. (2021)

Contact

Phone: 347.788.9467

Email: drmindlis@gmail.com

Website: www.irinamindlis.com

Appointment Scheduling: www.irinamindlis.com or call 347.788.9467

Insurances Accepted: Out of network, Aetna, Quest Behavioral Health, Anthem, Horizon BlueCross and BlueShield.