Erica Garagiola

Research & Editorial Assistant 

Erica Garagiola is the Research and Editorial Assistant at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. She is a recent graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University, where she earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Her thesis focused on the treatment response of acute suicidal mental states to psychopharmacological intervention during inpatient hospitalization. Erica received her B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University’s Honors College, with a minor in Anthropology.

Erica has served as a research assistant in several labs, including the Galynker Suicide Research and Prevention Lab at Mount Sinai and the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Studies at Columbia University, contributing to numerous research projects spanning suicide prevention and adolescent mental health. She has presented at national conferences and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications on topics ranging from suicide crisis syndrome to the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth.

Erica plans to pursue doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology, with a focus on suicide assessment and intervention.