About Me

Hi, I’m Dr. Cecily Portillo. A licensed clinical psychologist helping children, teens, and adults navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotion regulation. But more than that—I’m here to help you (or your child) feel like you can breathe again. The weight you’re carrying doesn’t have to be permanent.

I know that no two people are the same. That’s why my therapy is flexible, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based practices. I draw from: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE).

I’m a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™—specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a gold-standard treatment for: intense emotions, suicidal thoughts, self-injury, impulsive and high-risk behaviors. I currently offer adherent and comprehensive DBT to a select few individuals.

Before opening my private practice, I served as an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). There, I led a team of clinicians delivering DBT—providing training, supervision, and direct care to help families and young adults navigate complex emotional and behavioral challenges. That experience shaped my deep commitment to providing therapy that’s grounded in research, held to high standards, and supported by collaboration with other expert clinicians. Working in a leading academic medical center taught me the importance of integrity, accountability, and staying current with what truly helps people heal.

As a Latina psychologist, I bring a strong commitment to creating spaces where people from all backgrounds feel safe, seen, and respected. I mentor emerging psychologists through Hofstra University’s Equity, Social Justice, and Inclusion Initiative, and I volunteer on the DBT-LBC Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Whether you’ve felt overlooked, misunderstood, or unsure if therapy is “for you”—I want you to know that this is a place where your experience matters.

Training Experience

I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University, where I was trained in evidence-based treatments with a strong foundation in cognitive-behavioral approaches.

I completed my postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Cognitive and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (CCDBT), providing individual CBT and DBT, as well as co-leading DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults navigating emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, and self-harm.

For my pre-doctoral internship, I trained at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC), working with adolescents and adults with severe mental illness and complex trauma in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Throughout my training, I also gained experience in a range of clinical environments, including:

Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center, providing care to youth with serious emotional disturbances

Hofstra University’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic, specializing in adherent DBT

Northwell Health’s Behavioral Health College Partnership (BHCP), supporting college students experiencing acute psychiatric crises

These experiences shaped my ability to work flexibly and compassionately across a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges, from everyday stress to more complex and high-risk presentations.

Workshops & Certifications

DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Foundational Training. Behavioral Tech Training - Adam Payne, Ph.D. & Katie Dixon-Gordon, Ph.D.

Intensive Training in the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure Protocol for PTSD (DBT-PE) - Melanie Harned, Ph.D., ABPP & Annie McCall, LMHC

Online course in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Certification in Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS).

A Workshop on Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). Sabine Wilhelm, Ph.D.

Telehealth for Mental Health Professionals