October 20, 2026 from 9:00 am–12:00 pm ET | Live Online, Live In Person
Location:
Weill Cornell Medical College
1300 York Avenue
Uris Auditorium
New York, NY 10065
About the Event
Young adulthood (ages 18–29) represents a critical developmental window marked by heightened vulnerability to the onset and exacerbation of mental health disorders, alongside increased engagement with community-based and campus mental health services. This symposium is designed for clinicians working in community settings and college counseling centers, offering an integrative, evidence-informed exploration of key issues affecting young adult populations. Presentations will focus on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—and maladaptive perfectionism, highlighting current diagnostic considerations, functional impairment and effective treatment strategies, including cognitive-behavioral and exposure-based approaches. Presentations will also address the unique mental health needs of LGBTQ+ young adults, minority stress frameworks and culturally responsive interventions. In addition, the symposium will provide an overview of trauma-informed care tailored to young adults, including practical strategies for recognizing trauma exposure, integrating trauma-sensitive approaches into clinical practice and promoting resilience in diverse settings. A dedicated session will outline pathways to inpatient psychiatric admission, including criteria for hospitalization, coordination of care, and transitions between outpatient and acute services, with an emphasis on continuity and patient-centered planning.
Sponsored by the Academy for Behavioral Health and Continuing Education
CE Credit: 2.75 CE credit hours available for FREE to Psychologists (NY state and APA-accepted states), Social Workers (NY state only), and Mental Health Counselors (NY state only). See CE requirements and information below.
CME Credit: Weill Cornell Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Weill Cornell Medical College designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Instructional Level: This event is intended for Psychologists, Social Workers and Mental Health Counselors at all levels (introductory, intermediate and advanced). This content is also appropriate for MDs.
Register here:
https://www.eeds.com/live/397456
Please note that registration will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the day before the event (October 19).
Symposium Agenda
8:45 am: Sign-in
9:00-9:05 am: Opening Remarks
9:05-9:50 am: Trauma and Adversity in Emerging Adults: Presentations and Clinical Implications - Judith Cukor, Ph.D.
9:50-10:35 am: Mental Health Concerns and Treatment Considerations for Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adult Patients - Stephanie Cherestal, Ph.D., and David López Molina, Ph.D.
10:35-10:50 am: Break
10:50-11:35 am: Assessment and Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Young Adulthood - Rebekah Joy Mennies, Ph.D.
11:35-11:55 am: Panel Discussion
11:55 am-12:00 pm: Closing Remarks
Speakers
Stephanie Cherestal, Ph.D.
Dr. Stephanie Cherestal is Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and Attending Psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health (NYP WBH). Dr. Cherestal earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University and completed her predoctoral training through her clinical internship with NYU/Bellevue Hospital Center. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Cherestal specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for adults and adolescents with anxiety, mood and personality disorders. As Clinical Director of the NYP WBH's Outpatient Adult and Adolescent DBT programs, she provides individual and group DBT treatment to patients and conducts supervision and training to trainees in DBT. Dr. Cherestal also serves as Director of Health Justice in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, a role that largely surrounds developing and implementing strategies to expand access to evidence-based psychotherapies and providing teaching surrounding the practice of cultural humility with culturally diverse patient populations. Dr. Cherestal’s research interests include exploring and evaluating strategies for increasing dissemination of and access to evidence-based psychotherapies, particularly to underserved patient communities.
Judith Cukor, Ph.D.
Dr. Judith Cukor is Associate Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she has served as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years. She worked and published extensively in the field of posttraumatic stress, working with first responders, military and civilians since 9/11. Her roles included consultant to the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian, a contractor with the army and air force to provide training in specialized treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, and director of the Finest Care program delivering mental health treatment to the NYPD. She became interested in the application of post-trauma strategies to stress and challenges along the continuum and speaks on the topics of stress and resilience to diverse audiences including legal and financial institutions, first responders, academic institutions and medical centers. She is currently Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the Weill Cornell Graduate School for Medical Studies and a Clinical Director of CopeGME, the program for house staff mental health.
Rebekah Mennies, Ph.D.
Dr. Rebekah Mennies is Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry in the Pediatric OCD, Anxiety and Tic Disorders (POCAT) Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has expertise in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders in children, adolescents and young adults ranging from outpatient to partial hospitalization levels of care. She received her Ph.D. at Temple University, where she gained experience conducting exposure-based interventions in the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic. Through her doctoral internship at Duke University, she gained further experience in conducting exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders in youth. She completed a specialized postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric OCD at Weill Cornell Medicine.
David Lopez Molina, Ph.D.
Dr. David Lopez Molina is Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Lopez Molina's research has focused on the impact that state-level legislation has on the mental health of sexual and gender minorities, focusing particularly on the role that state legislation has on the creation of discriminatory environments for LGBTQ+ communities. Clinically, Dr. Lopez Molina has focused on training with LGBTQ+ communities across different levels of care in the NYC metropolitan area.
Learning Objectives
- Identify and differentiate key clinical features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and maladaptive perfectionism in young adults and apply evidence-based treatment strategies in community and college counseling settings.
- Apply culturally responsive and identity-affirming approaches to address the unique mental health needs of LGBTQ+ young adults.
- Apply trauma-informed principles into assessment and intervention, recognizing the impact of trauma on young adult mental health.
- Identify pathways to inpatient psychiatric care, including recognizing criteria for hospitalization, facilitating effective care transitions and coordinating follow-up to ensure continuity of treatment across settings.
References
- Moussa-Tooks, A., Kuczynski, A., Gilbertson, L., & Kopelovich, S. L. (2025). Toward a new standard in Inpatient Psychiatry—Integration of clinical psychologists. JAMA Psychiatry, 82(12), 1167. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2958
- McDonald, S., Melkonian, M., Karin, E., Dear, B. F., Titov, N., & Wootton, B. M. (2023). Predictors of response to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a systematic review. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 51(4), 302–319. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1352465823000103
- Pachankis, J. E., Harkness, A., Jackson, S., & Safren, S. A. (2022). Transdiagnostic LGBTQ-Affirmative Cognitive-Behavioral therapy. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780197643303.001.0001
- Harkness, A., Soulliard, Z. A., Layland, E. K., Behari, K., Rogers, B. G., Bharat, B., Safren, S. A., & Pachankis, J. E. (2024). Implementing LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioral therapy: implementation strategies across five clinical trials. Implementation Science Communications, 5(1), 124. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-024-00657-x
Financial Disclosures
Drs. Cherestal, Cukor, Mennies and Molina have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose and DO NOT INTEND to discuss off-label or investigational use of products or services.
CE Certificate Requirements for Psychologists, Social Workers and Mental Health Counselors
2.75 CE credit hours to Psychologists, Social Workers, and Mental Health Counselors licensed in New York State, as well as Psychologists licensed in states that accept American Psychological Association (APA).
Live attendance is required to receive CE credit. Credit will be awarded to participants who register for CE credits during registration, attend the entire event, and sign in to EEDS using the code provided when you register for the workshop. If attending in-person you can confirm your attendance using the EEDS QR code that will be provided upon arrival. Participants are encouraged to complete the program evaluation to help improve future educational activities. Completion of the evaluation is voluntary and is not required to receive CE credit.
Partial credit will not be awarded.
Participants who do not meet the attendance requirements will not receive a CE certificate.
Please contact WCMpsychiatryCE@med.cornell.edu for additional CE information. Please also visit the WCM Psychiatry CE website: https://psychiatry.weill.cornell.edu/education-training/continuing-education.
CME Certificate Requirements for Physicians
CME credits will be awarded to participants who register for CME credits during registration, attend the live symposium and meet the requirements below.
We are using the EEDs platform to host the syposium and to issue CME credits. You will automatically create an EEDs account as part of the registration process. To receive your CME certificate for the workshop, you must sign into the workshop using the EEDs sign-in link provided in the registration confirmation email (this ensures that your attendance is recorded). Certificates will be available on the EEDs portal.
Weill Cornell Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Weill Cornell Medical College designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
WCMC is accessible for individuals with disabilities or special needs. Participants with special needs are requested to contact the Office of CME at 646-962-6931.
WCMC CME activities are intended to be evidence-based and free of commercial bias. If you have any concerns, please call the Office of Continuing Medical Education at 646-962-6931 to anonymously express them.
Accreditation Statements
Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Psychiatry, 525 E 68th St. New York, NY 10065, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0192.
Weill Cornell Medicine - Department of Psychiatry is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Weill Cornell Medicine - Department of Psychiatry maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Department of Social Work is recognized by New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0155.
Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Psychiatry is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0302.
Weill Cornell Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Weill Cornell Medical College designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
