PTSD Research and Treatment Program

Programs for Military Veterans & Family Members

New York Presbyterian Military Family Wellness Center at Columbia Veterans Research Center (IRB #7218)

*Currently Recruiting Participants - Contact Neal Prasad (neal.prasad@nyspi.columbia.edu, 646-774-8042) or Chana Fisch (anna.fisch@nyspi.columbia.edu​, 646-774-8104) for more information. 

*For fastest response, email is the best way to contact our team.

Principal Investigator: Yuval Neria, PhD

 

Overview:

columbia_veteran_center_covid_mental_health_for_veterans_and_military_families

At the Columbia Veterans Research Center we are proud to offer evidence -based treatment through the NYP Military Family Wellness Center for post-traumatic stress, depression, and other mental health needs encountered by veterans and their families. Services will typically take place over 12 to 20 sessions. Our team will work with patients to determine the best course of treatment for them, which may include Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), group treatment, equine therapy, and other innovative treatment options.

 

This program is in partnership with the New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYP).

For more information, contact our Program Coordinators Neal Prasad or Chana Fisch or call (646) 774-8042.

Man O' War Equine-Assisted Therapy Program for PTSD (IRB #7218)

Principal Investigator: Yuval Neria, PhD

Overview:

Trauma-Focused Equine-Assisted Therapy (TF-EAT) is a unique, group treatment to help reduce symptoms of PTSD, particularly individuals who encounter difficulty in more traditional treatments. In TF-EAT, a mental health professional and an equine specialist work together to guide participants with PTSD through a series of structured activities with a horse. The present treatment protocol is an eight-week program for veterans with PTSD. Treatment groups consist of 4-6 veterans at a time. 90-minute EAT sessions will take place at the Bergen Equestrian Center in Leonia, New Jersey. We provide transportation to treatment sessions from CUIMC's campus. Participants will virtually complete five assessments throughout the program. Treatment does not include riding horses. For more information, contact Neal Prasad at (646) 774-8042 or visit the program's website.

Transcendental Meditation in Veterans with PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Trial (IRB #8172)

*Currently recruiting

Principal Investigator: Yuval Neria, PhD

Overview of the Study:

This study is part of a Phase 3 clinical multi-site trial that will recruit US veterans and first responders (active and retired) diagnosed with PTSD, where they will be randomized to receive either Transcendental Meditation (TM) or Present Centered Therapy (PCT). Relative to conventional PTSD treatments that aim to improve symptoms through mechanisms such as habituation to anxiety-provoking stimuli and desensitization to trauma-related memories, TM may decrease PTSD by balancing the nervous system. PCT is a focused time-limited treatment for PTSD that focuses on increasing adaptive responses to current life stressors and difficulties that are directly or indirectly related to trauma or PTSD symptoms. Veterans will be treated over a period of three months, through both remote and in-person delivery. Participants will also undergo two MRI scans, one at the beginning of the study and one at the end of the study. To see if you qualify, please visit the study website and complete the brief questionnaire.

Gaze-Contingent Music Reward Procedure In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (IRB#7960)

*Currently recruiting

Principal Investigators: Amit Lazarov, PhD & Yuval Neria, PhD

Overview of the Study:

This study is a double-blind trial that seeks to further examine a recently developed eye-tracking-based, gaze-contingent music reward therapy (GC-MRT) in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that appeared highly efficacious in a prior study. For more information, please contact Neal Prasad (neal.prasad@nyspi.columbia.edu, 646-774-8042).