Laila Abdel-Salam, PhD

Laila Abdel-Salam, PhD (she/her), is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Faculty Practice at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Abdel-Salam specializes in psychotherapy for adults and emerging adults who have experienced trauma, mood disorders, and personality disorders. She also has had extensive training in multicultural and relational psychotherapy, which she implements with all her patients.

Dr. Abdel-Salam believes that integrating various treatment approaches to best fit each individual's needs is essential. She is extensively trained in psychodynamic, relational, Dialectical Behavioral (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral (DBT) treatment modalities. Dr. Abdel-Salam believes in the importance of exploring how past relationships and early experiences, including cultural factors and family dynamics, influence one's understanding – and subsequently reactions – of oneself and the world. She aims to work with individuals to obtain their most actualized and integrated sense of self.

Dr. Abdel-Salam completed her master's and doctoral degree at Columbia University. She completed her predoctoral internship at Harvard Medical School, where she received focused psychodynamic and trauma training within the Victims of Violence (VoV) clinic co-founded by Dr. Judith Hermann. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Abdel-Salam has worked in various settings within New York, including college counseling centers, community centers, and outpatient and inpatient hospital settings.