Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Lab Members
Sarah Fryd is a fifth-year student in the School-Clinical program at Ferkauf Graduate School. She completed her Masters of Science degree in School Psychology at Ferkauf, as well.
Sarah is interested in studying procrastination and its relationship with self-efficacy and motivation.
Leah is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Combined School-Clinical Child Psychology Program at Ferkauf. She has received specialized training in a range of therapeutic modalities including dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and exposure-based interventions for anxiety disorders.
Leah’s clinical interests include transdiagnostic treatments for mood and anxiety disorders in adolescents and young adults. Her research focuses on role conflicts in clinical supervision and the impact of recent conscience clause legislation.
Miriam Weinberg is a fourth-year student in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Program at Ferkauf. As an undergraduate student, she attended Barnard College, where she double majored in Psychology and English, with a concentration in Writing.
Miriam is interested in how religion impacts the psychological well being of religious individuals. She is specifically interested in how religion impacts cultural norms and individuals’ variance from those norms.
Risa Yeamans is a fifth-year student in the School-Child Clinical Psychology Program at Ferkauf. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from CUNY Queens College in 2012, and her Master’s degree in School Psychology from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in 2014.
Risa is interested in understanding the effects of stigma of mental illness, particularly as it relates to religion and marriage. Specifically, Risa is examining how the stigma of mental illness plays a role within different Jewish denominations and the marriage process in Orthodox Judaism.
Rebecca Hillman is a fourth-year student in the School-Clinical Child Psychology PsyD program at Ferkauf. Rebecca received her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Colgate University, and she completed a Master's of Science in School Psychology at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University.
Rebecca is interested in researching students with learning disabilities. Specifically, she is interested in the twice exceptional population, or those students who are both gifted and also maintain a learning disability diagnosis.
Marc Guttman is a fifth-year student in the School-Clinical Child Psychology PsyD program at Ferkauf. Marc received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from CUNY Queens college, and he completed a Master’s of Science in School Psychology at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University.
Marc’s research is focusing on the graduate level training process for psychologists. He specifically is interested in looking at outcomes of different psychology disciplines and degrees in relation to graduate school internship training.
Rebecca Sperling is a fourth-year student in the Combined Clinical-School Psychology Program at Ferkauf. In 2012 Rebecca received her Bachelors degree from Yeshiva University where she majored in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience and minored in studio art.
In General, she is interested in factors that maintain stigmas surrounding mental health treatment in Orthodox Jewish communities.
Abraham Givner, Ph.D.
Dr. Abraham Givner is the Ferkauf-Silverstein Professor of School Psychology, the Program Director and Director of Clincial Training of the Combined School-Clinical Child Psychology Program. He is a licensed psychologist in New York, a Certified School Psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. He is on the Advisory Committee to New York City Department of Education’s Psychologist-in-Training Program.
He is a founding member and the treasurer for the Consortium of Combined-Integrated Doctoral Programs in Psychology. He leads the New York New Jersey Association of Directors of Training
Faculty and Lab Members
Samantha Nish is a third-year student in the School-Clinical Child Psychology PsyD program at Ferkauf. Samantha received her Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology.
In general, Samantha is interested in personality and motivational factors that are associated with cyberbullying.
Margo Bernstein is a second-year student in the Combined Clinical-School Psychology Program at Ferkauf. In 2013, Margo received her Bachelors degree from Brandeis University, where she majored in Psychology and American Studies.
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Margo is interested in the study of learning disabilities. More specifically, she is interested in the social and emotional implications of nonverbal learning disabilities in children.
Tali Frankfort is a second-year student in the School-Clinical Child Psychology Program at Ferkauf. Tali received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Michigan State University in 2014, and her Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in 2016.
Tali is interested in researching students with learning disabilities. Specifically, she is interested in the nonverbal learning disability population.
Tamar Blumenthal is a second-year student in the School-Clinical Child Psychology PsyD program at Ferkauf. In 2014, Tamar received her Bachelors degree from Barnard College Columbia University where she majored in History. Tamar later completed a post-baccalaureate in Psychology.
In General, she is interested in the approach and social attitudes surrounding mental health in Orthodox Jewish communities. Specifically, she is interested in examining the level of recognition, accommodation, and support within this community.