Education and Background
Dr. Petak graduated Summa Cum Laude from Barnard College, Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. At Barnard, she was elected to the highly selective Phi Beta Kappa Society, the prestigious academic honor society in recognition of the depth and breadth of her academic work. Dr. Petak proceeded to earn a Master’s Degree and then her PhD in clinical psychology from the Derner Institute at Adelphi University.
Throughout her graduate training, she worked in a psychiatric emergency room, an acute inpatient unit treating the most severe forms of mental illness, various outpatient clinics, as well as a substance abuse treatment program helping people navigate the stages of recovery. While working towards her licensure, Dr. Petak worked in a forensic setting treating the psychological needs of federal offenders.
More recently, she has worked in a nursing home treating a geriatric population as well as a group practice helping injured workers to cope with their chronic pain and concomitant psychological needs.
