Dr. Mitch Abrams
Dr. Mitch Abrams currently works in New York and New Jersey as both a forensic psychologist and a sports psychologist. He finished LIU Post’s PsyD program in clinical psychology in 1999, when he defended his dissertation entitled: The Effects of an Anger Management Package on Male Athletes. Dr. Abrams worked in Coney Island Hospital’s Psychiatric Inpatient Program in Brooklyn, as well as in Northern State Prison in Newark. Currently he is the Clinical Administrator for the Rutgers/University Correctional Healthcare, and is in charge of the psychological services for five out of thirteen state prisons. Dr. Abrams also works at Rutgers University, as he coordinates the forensic track of their pre-doctoral psychology internship. He also functions as a clinical assistant professor in the Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in the psychiatry department. He has also previously taught in our program and at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Dr. Abrams also began working with athletes twenty years ago, when he developed the only anger management program specifically for athletes. He uses anger management in order to aid athletes in reaching their peak both on and off the field. Athletes from youth sports to the college professional levels has been trained by, and involved with, Dr. Abrams’ programming. Specifically, he specializes in dating violence prevention, anger management and trauma, and mental health issues specifically related to sports. He currently runs Learned Excellence for Athletes, his own sports psychology consulting company based out of New Jersey.
When asked how his time at our program has affected his career, Dr. Abrams responded:
“I went from internship directly into a Senior Psychologist position and then shortly thereafter started working in Northern State Prison where I was promoted in six months and have been overseeing mental health services in NJ's Prison System for the past fifteen years. My training at Post gave me the skills necessary to be in Psychology Leadership positions quickly. Most significant was Dr. Feindler's mentorship, Dr. Ruffins' professional development and teaching about systems, and Dr. Rathus' integration of research into practice and urging me to get trained in DBT before it was as well established as it is now. I still quote my professors regularly and use my training as the benchmark for what I look for in young psychologists entering the field. When I consider all of the other options I had, coming to Post was probably the single most important decision I made that took me on the professional path to get where I am now.”