Dr. Hunter is a clinical psychologist and an advocate for the rights of people diagnosed with mental disorders. She believes in a trauma-informed, humanistic, approach to understanding problems in living. Her interests include challenging negative attitudes towards individuals experiencing emotional distress, psychosocial perspectives on psychosis, and increasing awareness of the effects of oppression and trauma.
Although specializing in trauma, dissociation and psychosis, Dr. Hunter views all problems in living as existing within the context of one’s life and on a continuum of suffering. She has trained in community mental health, state hospital, residential, juvenile justice, and college counseling settings. She has additional training in DBT, Internal Family Systems, trauma sensitive yoga, and other trauma-informed practices. Certifications include: Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART), Trauma Art Narrative Therapy, and American Red Cross Training in Disaster Mental Health Services.
Her work has led to interviews for internet news and radio, invited book chapters, and several collaborative efforts to reform mental health care in the US. She has been featured in National Geographic, BBC News, CNN, TalkSpace, and Parents magazine, among others. Articles have appeared on Truthout, AlterNet, Dissident Voice, Mad in America, and in several scientific journals. Dr. Hunter has presented in a broad range of settings throughout the US and internationally.
Dr. Hunter is on the board of directors for the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy. Previously, she was on the board for the Hearing Voices Network – USA. She is an Associate Editor for the peer-reviewed journal Ethical Human Psychology & Psychiatry, and has been a guest editor for Asylum Magazine. Previous positions include co-chair of the mentoring subcommittee for the American Psychological Association’s Trauma Division and chair of the experts-by-experience committee for the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis. Additionally, Dr. Hunter has been an adjunct professor for both undergraduate and graduate psychology students at Long Island University and New York University.
Prior to studying to become a clinical psychologist, Dr. Hunter was a fledgling actor immersed in improv comedy and made a living for a decade as a personal trainer. These experiences highly influence both her perspective on humanity and mental health, as well as her approach to clinical work. She realized long before entering her studies the importance of relationships and the profound healing effects of humor, comradery, and physical activity. In addition, she realized in working with “the worried well” the continuum on which emotional suffering resides and the extensive suffering that exists due to our current cultural society.
Dr. Hunter received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, her master’s degree from New York University, and her doctorate degree from Long Island University – Post. She currently resides in the New York City metropolitan area. For clinical services please click here to view her profile on Psychology Today
