Faculty

Cory K. Chen

Professor of Psychology

Certificate in Psychoanalysis, William Alanson White Institute – NYC, 2012Ph.D., University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, 2007M.A., University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, 2003; B.S., Duke University, NC, 2000

cory.chen@liu.edu

Description

Dr. Chen joined the Long Island University – Brooklyn, Psychology faculty as a tenured Professor in 2022.  Prior to joining the LIU Brooklyn faculty, Dr. Chen was a Clinical Professor in the New York University, Department of Psychiatry. He also served in multiple leadership roles over the course of nearly 20 years at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System – Manhattan Campus including Coordinator of the Family Caregiver Program, Director of the Pre-doctoral Psychology Externship Program, Co-Chief of Telepsychology, and Director of Research and Quality Improvement for the VISN2/NYH Clinical Resource Hub’s Psychology Section. Dr. Chen continues to co-direct the Psychotherapy Research and Development Program, a joint VA and LIU-Brooklyn Lab that he began in 2011.

Specialties

Depression, Trauma, Psychotherapy Process, Outcome, Non-Response Telepsychology

Over the past twenty years, Dr. Chen’s research has spanned a range of areas all focused on efforts to reach patients with mental health concerns who are not being reached by current approaches and systems. He has been PI or Site Director on projects that: identify factors predictive of treatment non-response for depression and PTSD, develop and test new interventions for non-responders, and assess the effectiveness of new technologies for the dissemination of evidence-based psychotherapies. He has been heavily involved in training and mentorship of psychotherapists through the VA’s predoctoral externship, internship and postdoctoral fellowship Programs, the NYU Psychiatry Residency Program, and LIU Brooklyn’s Department of Psychology. His research and clinical initiatives have been funded and supported by the American Psychological Association, National Institute of Health, VA Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care, VA Health Services Research, American Psychoanalytic Association, International Psychoanalytical Association, VA Office of Connected Care, and VA Office of Rural Health.

Publications

Select Journal Articles
Chen CK, Sloane PD, Barrick AL, & Zimmerman S. (2007). Assisted Living Policies Promoting Autonomy and their Relationship to Depression. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(2), 122-129.

Chen, C.K., Waters, H.S., Hartman, M., Zimmerman, S., Miklowitz, D.J. & Waters, E. (2013). The secure base script and the task of caring for elderly parents: Implications for attachment theory and clinical practice. Attachment and Human Development, 15(3), 332-348.

Denckla, C.A., Bailey, R., Jackson, C.,Tatarakis, J., Chen, C. (2015). A Novel Adaptation of Distress Tolerance Skills Training Among Military Veterans: Outcomes in Suicide Related Events. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 22, 450-457. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.04.001

Chen, C.K. (2016). Defiance, denial, and defining limits: Helping Family Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia Distinguish the Tap-out from the Cop-out. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. doi:10.1037/int0000017

Chen, CK., Ingenito, C., Kehn, M., & Nehrig, N. (2017). Implementing Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) in a VA Medical Center. Journal of Mental Health, 28(6), 613-620. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2017.1340602

Dognin, J. & Chen, C.K. (2018). The secret sorrows of men: Impact of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy on ‘masculine depression’ Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/02668734.2018.1458747

Nehrig, N. & Chen, C.K. (2018). How to address the needs of non-responders to REACH VA: A qualitative analysis. Aging and Mental Health. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1484885

Chen, C.K., Palfrey, A., Shreck, E., Silvestri, B., Wash, L.,  Nehrig, N., Baer, A., Schneider, J., Ashkenazi, S., Sherman, S., & Chodosh, J. (2019) Implementation of Telemental Health (TMH) psychological services for rural Veterans at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System. Psychological Services. doi: 10.1037/ser0000323

Chen, C.K., Nehrig, N., Abraham, K.S., Wang, B., Palfrey, A.P., & Baer, A.L. (2019). Predictors of symptom remission among family caregivers of individuals with dementia receiving REACH VA. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. doi: 10.1177/1533317519826241. 

Chen, C.K., Nehrig, N., Chou, L., McGowan, R., Guyton, A.F., Mustafiz, F. & Bailey, R. (2019). Patient interpersonal functioning and response to psychotherapy for depression. American Journal of Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20190005

Chen, C.K., Nehrig, N., Wash, L., & Wang, B. (2020) The impact of brief dynamic interpersonal therapy on Veteran depression and anxiety. Psychotherapy, 57(3), 464-468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pst0000282

Chen, C.K., Nehrig, N., Wash, L., Schneider, J.A., Ashkenazi, S., Cairo, E., Guyton, A., & Palfrey, A. (2020). When distance brings us closer: leveraging tele-psychotherapy to build deeper connection. Counseling Psychology Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2020.1779031

Busch, F., Milrod, B., Singer, M., & Chen, C.K. (2021) Trauma Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. New York: Oxford University Press.

Chen, C.K., Keefe, J.R. & Srinivasan, R. (2023). Recommendations for dynamic treatment of identity based trauma: Opening the “I” to reflection. American Journal of Psychotherapy.

Select Research and Quality Improvement Funding

Families and Caregiving (NIA/NIH) 10/04-5/06, PI ($31,756)

Family Caregiver Program (VA Geriatrics and Extended Care) 10/10-10/11, Director ($271,040)

Pilot Study of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for MDD in Veterans (American Psychoanalytic Association) 5/14-5/15, PI ($20,000)

Pilot Study of Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for MDD in Veterans (International Psychoanalytical Association) 5/14-5/15, PI ($12,500)

Family Caregiver Intervention (VA Health Services Research and Development) 10/11-10/16, PI ($1,004,956)

Importing PFPP to Veterans with PTSD at the Manhattan VA (Weill Cornell CTSC) 5/16-4/17, Site-PI ($20,000)

Family Telemental Health Intervention for Veterans with Dementia (VA Health Services Research and Development) 3/17-10/19 ($100,000)

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of PTSD-Specific Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for PTSD at the VA (American Psychoanalytic Association) 3/18-3/20, Co-PI ($30,000)

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of PTSD-Specific Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for PTSD at the VA (International Psychoanalytical Association) 3/18-3/20, Co-PI ($20,000)

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of PTSD-Specific Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for PTSD at the VA (Weill Cornell CTSC) 6/18-6/20, Co-PI ($50,000)

Telepsychotherapy Training Development Program (NYU PrMEIR) 7/20-6/21, PI ($5,000)

Mixed Methods investigation of high/low adoption of VVC for Mental Health during COVID-19 (VA Office of Connected Care) 10/20-9/21, Co-I ($200,000)
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of PTSD-Specific Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for PTSD at the VA (American Psychoanalytic Association) 6/21-6/22, Co-I ($30,000)

Healing Relationships impacted by trauma: A couples group therapy (American Psychological Foundation/American Psychological Association Division 49) 1/23-4/24, Co-I ($1000)

Prevention suicide in rural Veterans: Implementation of evidence-based telehealth mindfulness (VA Office of Rural Health), 10/20-present, Site PI ($1,808,599)

A female specific CBT group for Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care Settings (NIAAA), 2/21-1/26, Co-I ($2,633,861)

Rural Veterans with Depression and Parkinson’s Disease: A telehealth psychotherapy solution (VA Office of Rural Health), 10/21-present, Site-PI ($467,515)

Honors/Awards

Baughman Dissertation Research Award for Innovative Dissertation Research Project, UNC-CH, 2005

Professional Affiliations

Predoctoral Internship, at NYU/Bellevue Hospital Center

Certificate in Psychoanalysis - William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology

Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy

American Psychoanalytic Association

International Psychoanalytical Association

American Psychological Association