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CLAUDIA NIEMTZOFF, MA. LPC

Master’s in Psychology

Bilingual English-Spanish

 

More than twenty years of experience in different countries, combining psychodynamic background with other therapeutic approaches, providing clinical psychotherapy to individuals, couples and families. Coordinator, supervisor, trainer and program manager of  mental health  and psycho-educational programs. Ms. Niemtzoff has developed successful workshops combining different elements according to the needs of the workshop topics.

Areas of expertise: anxiety, depression, parenting, stress management, PTSD, domestic violence, sexual abuse, post-partum depression, cross-cultural stress, crisis intervention, co-dependency.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Private Practice Online and face to face- Expatriate Population                           2013 - Present

Provided psychotherapy for the expatriate population of Kinshasa, DRCongo. Population served worked for United Nations, USAID, Save the Children, British, German, American Embassies, etc.

Worked focused on specific issues related to living abroad in dangerous countries: war trauma, culture shock, rape, sexual harassment, physical and psychological strain, cross-cultural relationships, raising children abroad, elder parents in home countries, interracial adoption.

Provided therapy in person (in DRC and Virginia, US) and on-line by Skype.

Clients are based in countries like: Haiti, Afghanistan, Uganda, Congo DRC, Central African Republic, Sri Lanka, etc.  

 

Private practice – Washington, DC, USA                                                                        2007- Present 

Psychodynamic therapist specialized in treating cases of depression, anxiety, acculturation issues, relationship issues, trauma related stress, anger management and crisis intervention. Provides treatment to the professional and multicultural population of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Multidisciplinary intervention with psychiatrists and other specialists. 

 

OpenMinds, LLC – Northern Virgina, USA                                                                  2007 - Present

Founder of an organization created for delivering mental health services supporting low-income immigrant population. Manages a team of multi-cultural mental health professionals specialized in parenting, post-partum depression, domestic violence and post-traumatic stress disorder. Developed and delivered different mental health and psycho-educational programs.

Services provided

• Mental health support to the parents with psycho-educational and support groups, workshops, and home-based psychotherapy services to core mental health issues: post-partum depression, attachment, parenting skills, domestic violence, and access facilitation to community social services.

• Parenting classes geared to the Hispanic community, classes are provided in Spanish and include culturally sensitive models of parenting, discipline, behavioral systems, skill training.

• Psycho-educational Intervention Program developed: “Two Homes for Our Children”: Co-parenting classes for court-ordered divorced parents.

• Professional training and clinical supervision for community programs establishing a liaison among available agencies.

OpenMinds is a contractor for: Healthy Families America, Early Head Start, Department of Human Services of Arlington County.VA, Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence (MD), and Voices Vs Violence (MD).

 

Mental Health Immigration Evaluations - Arlington, VA USA                                         2007 - Present

Mental health evaluations provided for political asylum, extreme hardship, deportation cases, and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) applicants. Applicants are of Latin American and African origin.

 

Center for Multicultural Human Services – Northern Virginia, USA                              2003 – 2007

A non-profit organization that provides mental health services for multicultural population.

• Treatment provided included domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, co-dependence, individual, couple and family therapy, home based services, intakes, EAP services, parenting classes, referral line.

• Sept 2003 - Sept2004: Administrative management of the Home Based Program

• Program Coordinator/Lead Clinician of providing in-home brief psychotherapy to the parents involved in Alexandria and Arlington Early Head Start and Healthy Families Programs. Treatment provided included post-partum depression, domestic violence, phase of life problems related to the newborn. Target Population: low income, immigrants, African and Hispanics.

• Coordinator of Workshops/Support Groups for new mothers and pregnant women

• Clinical supervision and training for Family Support Workers of Healthy Families Program.

 

Private practice – Buenos Aires, Argentina                                                                    1987 - 2003

Population mainly consisted of individuals, couples and families seeking counseling for depression, anxiety, stress, and relationship issues. 

 

Mental Health Center No 3– Buenos Aires, Argentina                                                 1988 - 1997  

The Mental Health Center No 3 “Florentino Ameghino” is a nationally recognized public center for the attention of underprivileged urban low income population.

• Treatment provided included crisis intervention, partial hospitalization program, groups, family, couples and individual therapy. A multidisciplinary approach included medication management, case management, and coordination for medical services and eating disorders clinic. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Co-coordinator of the Emergency team that involved the screening and intake of walk-ins or crisis of well-known clients of the center.

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

University of Buenos Aires, School of Psychology                                                        1988 - 1989

Teaching Assistant. Department of Educational Psychology.                                      

Curriculum included child development and education tools for special needs population. Cooperative work with the Pichon- Riviere Social Psychology School.

 

PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

• Building Healthy Relationships – Domestic violence awareness for female staff (November 2014 – Finca Microfinance Bank - Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo)

• Home Based Mental Health Services (October 28, 2010. George Mason University – Department of Global and Community Health)

• Stress Management (November 17,2009: Voices Versus Violence)

• Building Healthy Relationships. (October 20, 2009: Inter-American Development Bank. Washington DC)

• Building Healthy Relationships. (March 12, 2009: World Bank. Washington DC)

• Stress management, compassion fatigue and burnout. (October 16, 2008: Healthy Families Fairfax staff. Fairfax, VA)

• Suicidality (April 24,2008: Healthy Families and Early Head Start staff, Arlington VA)

• Domestic Violence in American and Hispanic population.Possible interventions. (April 10, 2008: Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence, Denton, MD)

• Domestic Violence (January 8,2008: Arlington Parent Education Network)

• Postpartum Depression (November 28, 2007: Healthy Families and Early Head Start Arlington and Alexandria)

• In-home Mental Health Services for Healthy Families Alexandria Program- ClinicalInterventions (January 8, 2007: Women for Giving of Alexandria)

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (April 2006: Northern Virginia Family Services - Healthy Families Program)

• Post-partum depression. (August 2005: Northern Virginia Family Services - Healthy Families Program)

• Intake: clinical and administrative process. Training provided for Interns.(October 2004: Center for Multicultural Human Services)

• Home Based Administration (March 2004: Center for Multicultural Human Services)

• Psychology update on Psychosomatics for Physicians (December 1998. Centro de Investigaciones Dermatologicas. Buenos Aires, Argentina).

 

CERTIFICATIONS

• Licensed in Psychology in Argentina

• Licensed Professional Counselor in the United States (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia)

• Certified Life Coach at Life Coach Training Institute (Ca, USA)

 

AWARDS

• “OUTSTANDING TEAM PLAYER”. CMHS - Peer Recognition Award

• “OUTSTANDING INITIATIVE”. CMHS – Management Award

 

EDUCATION

1987: Master’s in Psychology

University of Buenos Aires, School of Psychology.

Graduated Magna Cum Laude.

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LANGUAGES

Fully bilingual  Spanish - Engish