Tamare P. Piersaint, PsyD

Current Title & Duties

Dr. Tamare Piersaint

Associate Professor, PsyD Program

External Practicum & DBT Coordinator 

Miami Campus

At Albizu, Dr. Piersaint also proudly serves as the Co-Principle Investigator of the CONTINUUM Research, a HRSA funded research focusing on Perinatal Mental Health Disparities, the CONTINUUM Research Training Director, the ASPHN Health Equity Internship Program Faculty Proctor, External Practicum and DBT Coordinator. Her service to the university includes supporting student dissertations and research, as well as serving on a number of university councils.

Biography

Dr. Tamare P. Piersaint is a core faculty member in the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program as an Associate Professor. Dr. Piersaint’s doctorate is in Counseling Psychology from Carlow University (APA Accredited) in Pittsburgh, PA. During her time at Carlow, she was awarded a fully funded year fellowship, which allowed for leadership training where she served as an undergraduate university advisor to students minoring in psychology, served as the Pennsylvania Psychology Association Graduate Student President, as well as an adjunct instructor, a position she maintained until her inaugural year as full-time faculty.

As part of her clinical doctoral training, Dr. Piersaint completed her doctoral internship at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic (WPIC) of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pittsburgh. PA. As a clinical doctoral intern, she trained at the Services for Teens at Risk (STAR) center, the nation’s first center for adolescents struggling with suicide, training at the ADHD Across the Lifespan clinic for children and adults, as well as the specialized Autism clinic-Merck Clinic.

After completing her degree at Carlow, Dr. Piersaint completed her Post-doctorate Fellowship at WPIC, where she served as the Clinical Program Director of the inpatient Child & Adolescent units. In her role at WPIC, she trained a multidisciplinary staff on implementing a trauma-informed inpatient unit using the lens of evidence-based treatments such as Alternative for Families Cognitive Behavior Therapy (AF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) and Motivational and Person-Centered approaches. She served on various councils in her role, intending to decrease hospital restraints and seclusions, improve the patient and family experience, and highlight the need to adopt evidence-based approaches to meet the needs of the diverse client population served at WPIC.

Upon completing her postdoc, Dr. Piersaint transitioned to full-time academe, where she served as a Clinical Child Psychologist Assistant Professor at the California University of Pennsylvania (CALU), now known as Pennsylvania Western University, California Campus (Penn West), an institution part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). At Penn West, Dr. Piersaint earned her Tenure; she served as core full-time faculty in the Psychology, Counseling, and Art Therapy Department (PsyCAT), teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. At Penn West, Dr. Piersaint served in various elected leadership roles. Part of Dr. Piersaint’s service to the university includes serving as the only junior Faculty Member on the multi-university Integration Program Array Committee, a faculty on the University-Wide Curriculum Committee, faculty on the Covid Re-opening Committee, service on multiple university faculty and staff Search Committees, mentor and advisor on numerous student research, service as junior faculty on the university chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Facilities (APSCUF) Executive Committee.

Outside of academia, Dr. Piersaint has over a decade and a half of experience serving individuals in her community. In Western Pennsylvania, she served on the Immigrant and Advisory Board for Allegheny County and as an Advisory Board Member for the Allegheny County Minority Emergency Preparedness Task Force. She was the Founder and Director of L’Union Fait La Force – Haiti in Pittsburgh. She served as a founding member on the Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative, advocating for Linguistically and Culturally appropriate Mental Health services for individuals residing in Western Pennsylvania. Her contributions in the various service roles in Pittsburgh led her to propose and present “Psychoeducation for Immigrants and Refugees,” a holistic approach to serving immigrants and refugees. Her scholarly work led to the creation of Immigrant Services and Connections (ISAC) under the Jewish Family and Community Services umbrella.

Dr. Piersaint’s clinical experience includes founding in 2015 and owning Serenity for Youth & Families, LLC and Serenity for Youth Publishing, where her focus is to serve individuals with needs surrounding mental illness and counseling support. She has decades of experience serving children and families clinically as a clinical researcher, program coordinator, and content expert. Dr. Piersaint has been invited to present trainings and symposiums nationally and internationally on topics such as Women’s Health, Depression in communities of color, Mental Health in underserved communities, Coping with Grief, addressing Suicidal Thoughts & Behaviors, Social Determinants of Health & Diverse populations, Motivational Interviewing & Stages of change, to name a few.

In addition to her doctorate degree, Dr. Piersaint is a nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC); she is a Qualified Supervisor in Florida for Mental Health Counseling (QS-MHC), she has a postgraduate certificate in Healthcare Administration and Management, is clinically trained in providing clinical treatment to children and families under the lens of AF-CBT, is a Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist and holds multiple clinical state licenses to name a few. Dr. Piersaint’s research experience includes addressing Chronic Mental Illness, Emotion Regulation, Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health, Program Development, Women’s Health, Socioeconomic Status (SES), and Mental Health. Dr. Piersaint is the recipient of the New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence award, a recipient of the Pittsburgh Young Gifted & Black award, a recipient of the Pittsburgh Circle of Courage award, a recipient of the City of Lauderhill Proclamation acknowledging World Teen Mental Wellness Day, and has been the recipient of several financial awards such as the Behavior Tech (founded by Dr. Marsha Linehan). She is humbled and grateful for the opportunities she has been afforded.

When she is not teaching or providing services, Dr. Piersaint enjoys spending time with her husband, their two children, and their family pet. Her self-care activities include traveling, exploring the diverse cuisine of South Florida, enjoying nature, and taking part in arts & crafts activities, which include reading, writing, photography, baking, crafting, and listening to music. Dr. Piersaint is a native of Haiti and is fluent in Haitian Creole.

Academics, Education, Certifications

Education:

2016                       Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology, Carlow University (APA Accredited)

2012                       Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Administration and Management, Salve Regina University (IACBE Accredited)

2009                       M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling, Salve Regina University (CACREP Accredited)

2005                       B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Women’s Studies, University of Rhode Island

*2019                     Teaching Online Certification Course – emphasis on knowledge of Quality Matters and best practices in Online Course Design and Pedagogy

2022                       Certificate of Completion, Teaching Online Master Class, Pennsylvania Western University

Select Certificates:

2010-2025            Certified Rehabilitation Counselor - Certification Number 00113263

Commission on Rehabilitation Counseling Certification

2023       Qualified Supervisor – for Mental Health Counselors

Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling

2022-2024            Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist – Certification Number 208810

Evergreen Certifications

2016-Present        Alternatives for Families – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (AF-CBT) Therapist

University of Pittsburgh – certified

2015-Present           Clinical Supervision Foundation Certification

SAMHSA-Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC)

2014-Present        RAP-P Group Facilitator Certification

The Resourceful Adolescent Parent Program (RAP-P)

2009-Present          Certified Allegheny County SOAR Trainer

SOAR SSI/SSDI Stepping Stones to Recovery - certified

Recent Publications

PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS/BOOKS

Piersaint, T. P., My Brown Girl Journal ™ - Inspirational Edition for Mature Women, Serenity for Youth Publishing, LLC (1) (2022),

https://www.serenityyouthpublishing.us/product-page/my-brown-girl-journal-inspirational-edition-for-mature-women

Piersaint, T.P., Cory’s Back, Serenity for Youth Publishing, LLC (2020)

Piersaint, T. P., My Brown Girl Journal ™, Serenity for Youth Publishing, LLC (1) 10

(2020), https://www.serenityyouthpublishing.us/

STUDENT SUPPORTED RESEARCH/DISSERTATION – Advisor/Committee Member

Piersaint, T., Destin, Y., *Shash, D., *Tima, P. (2021). Poto Mitan Finding the Strength Within: D.V. in

Haitian Homes [Oral Presentation]. Caribbean Conference of Psychology, Virtual.

https://canpanet.org/conferences/crcp2020plus/

*Kyles-Royster, S., Mulvey, G., & Piersaint, T. (2021). Counselor descriptions of culturally adapted

interventions used to treat africian American men with depression [Unpublished

dissertation]. Grand Canyon University.

*Lucas, A. (2021, April 12-14). Similarities between the standford prison experiment and police

brutality [Oral presentation]. Council on Undergraduate Research, Virtual. https://www.cur.org/what/events/students/ncur/2021/

*Kodric, T. (2020, March 26-28). Behaviorism: Toward a new form of psychology [Oral

presentation]. Council on Undergraduate Research, Virtual.

http://www.cur.org/what/events/students/ncur/2020/

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL PRESENTATIONS

2021       Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology – Virgin Islands (CRCP)

Symposium Lead & Presenter, Poto Mitan Finding the Strength Within: D.V. in Haitian Homes

2020       University of Pittsburgh Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program

Invited Presenter, Social Determinants of Health & Diverse Populations

2019       Association of Black Psychologist (ABPSI)

Workshop Presenter, Engaging Ethnically Diverse Clients: Incorporating MI & Stages of Change in Treatment - invited unable to attend.

2019       National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns (NAMRC)

Symposium Presenter, Engaging ethnically diverse clients: Incorporating MI & Stages of Change in treatment

2019       North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders Conference (NASSPD)

Poster Presentation, Pediatric Trauma & Borderline Personality Disorder

2016       Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology – Haiti (CRCP)

Presenter, Caribbean Mental Health Clubhouse

2015       International Society for Bipolar Disorders Convention - Canada (ISBD)

Poster Presenter at Annual ISBD Convention, Suicide and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder: Is Substance Use a Moderator for Suicide in Bipolar Spectrum Disorder?

2015       Pennsylvania Psychological Association Yearly Convention (PPA)

Panel Presenter at Annual PPA Convention, Student Leadership Development: Stepping Up to the Plate

2015       Pennsylvania Psychological Association Yearly Convention (PPA)

Panel Presenter at Annual PPA Convention, Ethics and the Student Clinician