Meet Dr. Ashley Pierson

I am a clinical psychologist licensed in CT and NY, located in Brooklyn, NY, and intensively trained with expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), as well as treatment for PTSD and trauma-related disorders.

I rely on research-supported interventions that have demonstrated success with helping people improve specific areas of functioning, such as reducing depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, borderline personality disorder symptoms, and impulsive, dangerous behaviors including addiction, self-harm, and suicidal behavior.

I primarily treat individuals who lead demanding, complex lives amidst a quiet sense of inner suffering. Many of my clients have been published best-selling authors, renowned academics, and creative professionals in music, theater, and technology. Yet internally, they have felt a chronic sense of emptiness and disconnected from their most important relationships. Treatment equips clients with the tools needed to accept emotional pain, eliminate harmful ways of coping, and engage in life with greater purpose and meaning. My approach is open, direct, and compassionate. I view therapy as an authentic, collaborative relationship between two equals.

In addition to therapy, I routinely conduct forensic psychiatric evaluations as an independent examiner for the NY state criminal court systems. Common referral questions for these evaluations center on the assessment of risk for violence, including risk of perpetrating sexual violence, as well as psychopathy assessment. Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time at the pottery wheel, attending concerts, and exploring small towns around the coastal Northeast.

Professional Background

I have a PhD in clinical psychology with a specialization in forensic psychology from Fordham University. I completed my predoctoral internship at the Hudson Valley Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System, where I received intensive training in the assessment and treatment of PTSD and trauma-related disorders. My doctorate training was highly focused on the study, assessment, and treatment of personality disorders, forensic psychology, and assessment of risk for violence perpetrated against self or others. I completed my clinical doctorate training with renowned experts from Yale University and worked in a wide range of settings including: inpatient psychiatric units, residential treatment programs, intensive outpatient programs, outpatient community-based mental health clinics, maximum-security inpatient forensic psychiatric units, family court, and private practice settings. I am intensively trained in several evidence-based treatments, including: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE), as well as DBT-PE.

I was formerly an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, interim director of DBT services for Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, and primary advisor for Yale University's pre-doctoral DBT internship program. I have taught, trained, and supervised multiple students in the theory and practice of DBT, including social work interns, psychology practicum students, pre-doctoral psychology interns, medical school students, and psychiatry residents. At Yale, I redesigned a DBT intensive outpatient program (IOP), the referral and screening process for YNHH DBT services, and guided the expansion of outpatient DBT, yielding significant increases to hospital revenue and patient access.