Alexis Santiago-Autar

Alexis Santiago-Autar is the Clinical Director for the Counseling Center Group of New York. She has 15 years of experience providing clinical services to children and families. Alexis’ approach to treatment is creating a non-judgmental and validating environment that promotes cognitive and behavioral change.

Alexis has been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) through Behavioral Tech. Additionally, she has been trained in the DBT modification for children (DBT-C), also through Behavioral Tech. While well versed in DBT practice, Alexis is also trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Prolonged Exposure. She has extensive experience working with children and adults who have experienced trauma. Having worked in the child welfare field for over 10 years, Alexis has worked with various types of traumas. This includes sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and child sex trafficking and exploitation. She has also integrated DBT practice into five child welfare programs. Prior to her work in the child welfare field, Alexis provided addiction counseling to adolescents and adults.

Alexis graduated from Union College with a BS in Neuroscience and received her
Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University. Alexis also fulfills a role as an adjunct professor at both Fordham University and SUNY Stony Brook teaching clinical classes to Master’s level students. These classes include CBT, Trauma, Suicide Assessment and Prevention, and Child and Adolescent Development. In addition to her teaching role at both schools, she is a trainer at Fordham and Stony Brook. Alexis trains other licensed professionals on various diagnoses and treatment modalities. She also consults for a not-for-profit agency that provides treatment for children and adolescents who have experienced sex trafficking and exploitation.