Dr. Charlotte Heleniak is a clinical psychologist, and a research scientist. She continues to collaborate at Columbia University where she uses developmental neuroscience methods to examine her research questions. Dr. Heleniak received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, and her Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington, then ranked #1 among US clinical psychology programs. She completed her post-doctoral training at Columbia University and the Child Mind Institute.

Her research focuses on how early experiences impact emotions, behaviors, and the brain across childhood and adolescence. Dr. Heleniak’s work has earned her the Top Scholar Award from the University of Washington, the Frank W. Putnam Trauma Research Scholar Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Wellbeing, a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, and most recently the Sparks Early Career Award from the American Psychological Foundation.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Heleniak is highly skilled in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, young adults and their parents with a range of mental health symptoms, and enjoys providing clinical consultation and training to Columbia University graduate students in these areas. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), trauma-focused CBT, behavioral parent training (BPT), and mindfulness-based therapies, all supported by robust research evidence.