About us

About us

Our Leadership:
Shaina Siber-Sanderowitz, LCSW (she/her)
Owner
Clinical & Continuing Education Director

Our story

Shaina founded AFFIRM Mental Health in 2022 with the mission is to empower mental health professionals and institutions to deliver high-quality clinical care. Shaina earned her Masters of Social Work and Bachelors of Social Work from New York University. She’s spent her career in clinical and leadership roles focused on serving underserved populations and addressing systemic issues.

Before establishing AFFIRM Mental Health, she served as the Director of Psychiatry Services, Moses Division, at Montefiore Medical Center (MMC), having both clinical and administrative oversight of multiple ambulatory and hospital-based psychiatry services. She was at the helm of the development of innovative program and quality improvements initiatives, developed new clinical interventions and structured new curricula, emphasizing Structural Humility, Evidence-Based therapies, and LGBTQ+ Affirming Care. She is faculty associate at Arizona State University's graduate social work program and continues to lecture for MMC's Psychiatry Residency Training Program and Psychology Internship Program on Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Structural Competency.

She continues to run a private practice and offer consulting to community mental health program, behavioral health start-ups and non-profit organizations.

Our expertise

My Expertise: Trauma-Informed Care: I am deeply passionate about trauma-focused work, aiding individuals in healing from their past and fostering resilience for the future. Addressing Systemic Challenges:

I am dedicated to dismantling barriers in mental health care, particularly for underserved populations, through advocacy for systemic change. LGBTQ+ Affirming Care: I possess extensive experience in providing gender-affirming care and creating safe spaces for individuals to live authentically in my clinical practice and through training, supervision, and consultation. Mindfulness-Based Approaches:

My therapeutic toolkit includes Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy to guide clients in navigating guilt, shame, self-criticism, and professional burnout.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT): I offer IPT, an effective approach for improving relationships, managing role transitions, and addressing grief and loss.