Richard G Hersh, MD

  • Special Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry
Profile Headshot

Overview

Dr. Hersh received his undergraduate BA degree in History from Stanford University and his MD degree from George Washington University. He completed his residency training in psychiatry at Northwestern University and earned a certificate in psychoanalytic training from the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research.

Dr. Hersh was an attending psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospitals while an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School before coming to Columbia University Medical Center where he was a psychiatrist on the inpatient service before serving for fifteen years as the Associate Director of the Department of Psychiatry's Intensive Outpatient Program.

Dr. Hersh has been trained in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) for treatment of personality disorders and has fulfilled the requirements for Teacher and Supervisor status for TFP. Dr. Hersh has also been trained in Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder (GPM) and has fulfilled the requirements of Official Trainer status for GPM. Dr. Hersh teaches both TFP and GPM in the Columbia Psychiatry residency curriculum.

Dr. Hersh serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD). He recently co-authored the textbook "Fundamentals of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy: Applications in Psychiatric and Medical Settings" published in 2017 by Springer.

Dr. Hersh was named Columbia University Psychiatry Residency Teacher of the Year in 2012 and received the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research Lionel Ovesey Award in 2012.

Dr. Hersh has been a supervisor in the Columbia Psychiatry Residency Psychopharmacology and Long-term Psychotherapy programs.

Academic Appointments

  • Special Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry

Gender

  • Male

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • MD, George Washington University School of Medicine
  • BA, History, Stanford University
  • Certificate in Psychoanalytic Training, Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research
  • Residency: Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Editorial Boards

  • Scientific Advisory Board of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD)

Honors & Awards

  • 2012: Columbia University Psychiatry Residency Teacher of the Year
  • 2012: Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research Lionel Ovesey Award

Research

Selected Publications

  1. Hersh, RG, Caligor E, Yeomans, FE. Fundamental of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy: Applications in Psychiatric and Medical Settings. Cham, Switzerland: Springer; 2017
  2. Hersh, R.: Using Transference-Focused Psychotherapy Principles in the Pharmacotherapy of Patients with Severe Personality Disorders. Psychodynamic Psychiatry 2015; 43 (2): 181 - 199
  3. Hersh, R.: The Assessment and Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder in the College and University Population. Journal of College Student Mental Health 2013;27:4: 304 - 322
  4. Hersh, R.: Confronting Myths and Stereotypes about Borderline Personality Disorder. Social Work and Mental Health 2008;6: 13 - 25
  5. Hersh, R. in Hoffman, P., Steiner-Grossman, P. (eds): Borderline Personality Disorder: Meeting the Challenges to Successful Treatment, Haworth Press, New York, NY, U.S.A., 2008
  6. LeQuesne E, Hersh R: LeQuesne E, Hersh R: Disclosure of a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, Journal of Psychiatric Practice 2004. Journal of Psychiatric Practice 2004;10: 170 -176