Dr. Kristine McKiernan

Dr. Kristine McKiernan is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified School Psychologist with experience providing psychological care across outpatient, inpatient, and school-based settings. She completed her doctoral externship at Northwell Health, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, within the Adolescent Inpatient Unit (1 West) at Zucker Hillside Hospital. She has also worked in outpatient counseling and multiple public school environments, including school-based internships where she collaborated as part of a DBT treatment team. This diverse clinical background informs a developmentally informed, systems-oriented approach to care. Dr. McKiernan specializes in working with adolescents experiencing suicidal ideation, self-injurious behaviors, depression, anxiety, and school refusal. She also works with adults and parents, particularly in supporting families navigating complex emotional and behavioral challenges. Her work with parents emphasizes psychoeducation, skill development, and strengthening effective strategies for responding to emotional dysregulation, avoidance, and safety concerns. Her therapeutic approach is grounded in evidence-based practice, with an emphasis on cognitive behavioral therapies. She incorporates CBT, DBT-informed interventions, and principles informed by advanced training through the Albert Ellis Institute. Treatment is structured, collaborative, and goal-oriented, with a focus on emotion regulation, cognitive restructuring, behavioral change, and safety-focused care. While her work is clinically rigorous, Dr. McKiernan strives to create a supportive and approachable therapeutic environment. As a parent of two children and an animal lover, she brings warmth, perspective, and appreciation for the complexity of family life and the unique comfort that relationships—human and animal—can provide.