Dr. Andrew Curreri has built a strong career in academic and clinical psychology, motivated by a curiosity toward the range of experiences that can shape a person’s development and influence their personality, behavior, and health. After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Boston University, he spent three years conducting research at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare System. During this time, he worked on a range of projects, including studies of exposure therapy for PTSD and focus groups with LGBTQ individuals who had experienced discrimination-related trauma. His passion for supporting trauma survivors motivated him to pursue a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology at Boston University.
During his doctoral program, Dr. Curreri developed a transdiagnostic approach to his clinical work, which means he connects with each client as a whole person, looking beyond the diagnosis or diagnoses with which they’ve been labeled. His doctoral training involved working in a range of settings, including the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University, the Depression Clinical Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Center for Returning Veterans at VA Boston. He has specialized in treating clients who struggle with worry or rumination, excessive anxiety in important life areas, compulsive habits, and using alcohol to cope with negative emotions.
During his predoctoral internship at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and his postdoctoral fellowship at the Parsons Research Center for Psychedelic Healing, Dr. Curreri deepened his expertise in treating trauma and PTSD. He was trained extensively in cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE) to support veterans who had experienced combat as well as physical and sexual trauma. He also received training in psychedelic-assisted therapy and worked closely with clinical trial participants to evaluate their progress in MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapies.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Curreri has been extensively involved in scientific and academic collaborations. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and academic handbooks and he has led training workshops in transdiagnostic, person-centered therapy for licensed clinicians and graduate students. More recently, he has contributed to developing research protocols for MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapies for PTSD and intergenerational trauma. For his doctoral dissertation, he compared a CBT-based technique and an ACT-based technique for helping people reduce overthinking and investigated whether targeting overthinking effectively reduced other symptoms of anxiety and depression. Dr. Curreri's academic work demonstrates his dedication not just to high quality clinical care, but to understanding how therapy works and how it can be tailored to each client.
Dr. Curreri believes that many of the problems that bring people to therapy–whether it’s an unwanted habit, a tendency to avoid things, or an unrelenting inner critic–are rooted in early life experiences that have undermined a person’s sense of safety or confidence. The memories of these experiences can be thought of as “frozen,” or unresolved, and can shape a person’s sense of themselves, their relationships with others, and their place in the world. In therapy, Dr. Curreri supports clients in managing the challenges of the present while making space to process difficult memories from the past–all in service of building a future that is aligned with their values and goals. This is the foundation upon which EMDR is built, which helps people reclaim inner peace by reprocessing unresolved memories in a safe and supportive environment, enabling them to make lasting positive changes in their daily lives. Dr. Curreri works with each client to understand the problem bringing them to therapy and identify any unresolved experiences that may be contributing to their symptoms. From there, he uses a range of techniques to support reprocessing past experiences and strengthening coping skills.
Some of the modalities that Dr. Curreri draws from in therapy include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which involves learning skills to counter negative thoughts and unhelpful behaviors; exposure therapy, which helps clients reduce anxiety by gradually facing situations they usually avoid; and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which uses mindfulness-based techniques to shift a client’s relationship with their thoughts and feelings. Applied together, in the context of an attuned and open therapeutic relationship, these techniques can help foster deep healing and tremendous personal growth.
Formal Education
Other Specialized Trainings
