Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Irada Yunusova specializes in treating trauma, depression, anxiety, OCD, insomnia, chronic pain, and interpersonal concerns. She fosters opportunities to heal from past traumatic experiences at the interpersonal, cognitive, and somatic levels. The principles-based, culturally-sensitive care she provides interweaves elements of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Relational Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. She prioritizes working collaboratively with clients to develop treatments that are tailored to their strengths, values, and needs. She provides care in both individual and couples formats.
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Dr. Irada Yunusova is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a primary specialization in treating PTSD, and secondary specializations in treating depression, anxiety, OCD, insomnia, and chronic pain.
Dr. Yunusova’s appreciation for relating to and understanding individuals with identities and life experiences different from her own likely arose from her immigration to the United States at age five and has continuously been reinforced throughout her upbringing and clinical training. She first became interested in psychology during secondary school, and subsequently pursued a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Economics, with a minor in Russian Language, at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. At this time, she facilitated research endeavors in Cognitive Psychology and Social Psychology Laboratories, and attained exposure to clinical interventions while working at a private practice and at a school for children with emotional and behavioral challenges.
Dr. Yunusova’s passion for supporting others’ emotional well-being led her to pursue her Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She received training in psychosocial assessment and various therapy interventions, including psychodynamic psychotherapy, Relational Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Accelerated-Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP).
In her first year of graduate school, while working at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Dr. Yunusova provided CBT, including Exposure and Response Prevention and relaxation training, to adolescents and adults with anxiety disorders and OCD. During her second year, at the Foster Care Counseling Project, she provided evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy to children with histories of abuse and neglect and their families. Next, as an extern at the International Rescue Committee, Dr. Yunusova provided integrative, trauma-informed care to refugees and asylees who had exposure to violence, attachment disruptions, discrimination, and oppression prior and subsequently to resettlement. In her penultimate and ultimate years of graduate training, Dr. Yunusova provided integrative and evidence-based trauma treatments to veterans at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs and the Bronx Veterans Affairs. Such work entailed exploration of identity and values, increasing engagement in meaningful activities, addressing chronic pain and sleep disturbance concerns, and facilitating trauma processing to address PTSD symptoms related to combat, childhood trauma, racism-based trauma, and/or military sexual trauma. Dr. Yunusova also explored the underlying agent of change in trauma-focused treatments through her dissertation, The Role of Exposure in Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy: A Case Study.
Following completion of her graduate training, Dr. Yunusova worked as a Limited Permit Psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center: Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Department (AOPD). Through this role, she provided strengths-based, trauma-informed, integrative treatments addressing mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, interpersonal relationship challenges, self-harm, disordered eating, insomnia, chronic pain, and management of symptoms related to schizophrenia.
Dr. Yunusova has consistently found clinical psychology to be a vehicle for connection, growth, and healing. She seeks to provide holistic, client-centered care.
Dr. Yunusova strives to develop a warm, safe environment from which to compassionately and curiously understand clients’ identities, histories, sources of suffering, and sources of strength. Consistent with EMDR theory, Dr. Yunusova believes all individuals possess an innate capacity to heal. In collaboration with clients, Dr. Yunusova (1) develops a conceptualization of the experiences that have led to the development and maintenance of clients’ current suffering (including identifying “stuck” or “frozen memories"), and (2) determines a treatment plan that honors clients’ needs, strengths, values, and goals.
Dr. Yunusova specializes in providing trauma-focused therapy. She initially received training and supported clients utilizing cognitive behavioral therapies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including: Trauma-Focused CBT, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Narrative Exposure Therapy. Over time, Dr. Yunusova came to recognize that trauma impacts individuals’ sense of safety and self at both the conscious and unconscious level. She believes therapy must access both levels. In part, she does so by (1) cultivating a secure attachment relationship involving mirroring, attunement, and validation, (2) increasing awareness and acceptance of physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions, and (3) jointly approaching avoided and, at times, unconscious experiences.
Dr. Yunusova’s commitment to supporting recovery from trauma at multiple levels led her to seek out training in EMDR, a truly integrative, client-centered treatment. EMDR has been proven to alleviate symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, OCD, and various other manifestations of distress related to early experiences. Dr. Yunusova utilizes EMDR techniques to access clients’ natural self-healing capacities in order to process “stuck” or “frozen” memories, ultimately leading to improved mood, self-worth, relationship satisfaction, and sense of agency.
Dr. Yunusova also offers specialized treatment to address depression, anxiety, OCD, insomnia, chronic pain, and relationship concerns. Her therapeutic approach is informed by her training in EMDR, CBT, ACT, DBT, Relational Therapy, and EFT. Mindfulness and EFT techniques foster clients’ awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and urges. DBT and ACT principles guide Dr. Yunusova’s efforts to (1) explore and shift clients’ relationship to their thoughts and emotions, and (2) support clients in living in line with their values. When appropriate, Dr. Yunusova interweaves evidence-based interventions into treatments, including: behavioral activation for depression, exposure therapy for anxiety and OCD, CBT for Chronic Pain, CBT for insomnia, EMDR and DBT skills. Additionally, Dr. Yunusova offers Emotion-Focused Therapy to couples to address concerns related to emotional connection, intimacy, life adjustments, parenting, infidelity, trauma, depression, and anxiety.
Dr. Yunusova strives to facilitate healing and support clients in living in line with their values. She welcomes clients’ emotions, beliefs, sensations, and insights with openness and curiosity.
