The Disclosure Lab (DISC)

Led by fourth year doctoral student Shana Dickstein, The Disclosure Lab (aka the DISC LAB by the cool kids) investigates the nature and consequences of disclosure (or lack thereof) between therapists and patients in session. Specifically, the group is working on designing a study which will explore how various aspects of a therapist’s identity are disclosed (or not) in session and how a patient perceives these disclosures within the context of their own treatment. 

DISC Lab Members

Hannah Ades is a first-year in the Clinical Psychology masters program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Hannah grew up going to school in two places: New York during the year, and Uruguay during the summer. She graduated from Harvard University in 2018, where she concentrated in Psychology with a secondary in Theater, Dance & Media (and was co-captain of the boxing team!) After Harvard, and before coming to TC, Hannah was the Assistant Director of Production at an advertising agency in Soho. Her research interests include patterns of therapeutic disclosure among ethnically and racially minoritized individuals, suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents, and the association between mindfulness and romantic satisfaction.

Devon Peterkin is a first-year master's student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She was born and raised in San Diego before moving to the East Coast to pursue the next steps in her education and career. Devon received a B.A. in Psychology from Princeton University and double minored in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. Prior to joining the DISC LAB, she worked in the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Beth Israel researching acute suicidal mental states. Among other topics, Devon is interested in psychotherapeutic processes, disclosure and nondisclosure between therapists and clients, and trauma and resiliency.

Leo is a second year student in the Clinical Psychology MA program. He received his BA in Biology from Brown University and plans to earn a doctorate en route to becoming a practicing clinical psychologist. Leo is studying to become a clinician and his research interests lie in areas of clinical practice, especially those dealing with personality and client-therapist interactions. In his free time, he likes to play the guitar and explore museums around NYC.

Nancy Zhu is a first-year master’s student in the clinical psychology M.A. program at TC. Before studying at TC, she received her Master of Social Work degree from the Columbia School of Social work and her bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She had worked as a psychotherapist, LMSW at a private practice for a year and a half. She used the integrative therapeutic approaches of CBT, DBT, ACT, and motivational interviewing to provide therapy to her clients with diagnoses of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, adjustment disorder, ADHD, and PTSD. Aside from her work at Dr.Farber’s lab, she has worked as a peer support volunteer and the department director at an NGO since 2018. Her research interests include how self-disclosure from therapists and clients plays a role in therapy sessions and she hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical psychology.