Josefina Toso Salman, PhD

Josefina Toso Salman, PhD, is an associate psychologist in the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) service within the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. Dr. Toso is a native Spanish speaker, is fluent in both Spanish and English, and has facilitated therapy and behavior coaching in both languages. She has a specialized interest in the evaluation and treatment of children and families managing anxiety, trauma, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Dr. Toso has experience treating selective mutism, social anxiety, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adults. She has provided individual and group therapy, family therapy, and comprehensive neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations for individuals/families presenting with a wide range of other psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Toso has trained extensively in evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), trauma-focused CBT, exposure and response prevention (ERP), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She utilizes an integrative, humanistic, and person-centered approach to best meet the needs of the individual and their family, while working collaboratively with other supports in the client’s life to promote change that aligns with the client’s values and goals.

Dr. Toso’s research has focused on using neuropsychological assessments to improve clinical care. Her doctoral research in particular explored the impact of caregiver cognitive skills on treatment success in parent-child therapy in order to identify who is more or less likely to benefit from common evidence-based interventions. She is also interested in enhancing treatment engagement, feasibility, and acceptability by modifying protocols, and in particular, the creation of culturally-sensitive adaptations of evidence-based treatments. She is highly motivated to continue promoting the inclusion of culturally and ethnically diverse groups in mental health treatment and research. Dr. Toso is committed to providing exceptional, individualized, and comprehensive mental health care as she supports children, adolescents, and young adults and their families to overcome anxiety, depression and related challenges.

• Intern, Child and Adolescent Outpatient Department, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork Presbyterian-Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• Extern, Pediatric Neuropsychology Department, Center for Attention and Learning, Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health
• Extern, Anxiety Disorders Center, Child Mind Institute
• Extern/Student Clinician, Child and Parent Psychotherapy Services Clinic (CAPPS), Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center,  Hofstra University 

• PhD, Clinical Psychology, Hofstra University
• MA, Clinical Psychology, Hofstra University
• MA, Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Teachers College of Columbia University
• BA, Psychology, Philosophy of Law and Ethics, University of Rochester