Sandra Pimentel, PhD is Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Associate Director of Psychology Training, and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She launched and is Director of the Anxiety and Mood Program (AMP), a specialty training program in the Child Outpatient Psychiatry Department, and co-Director of the Becoming an Emerging Adult at Montefiore (BEAM) Program.
From 2007 through 2015, Dr. Pimentel held the position of Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center, where she served as Senior Psychologist and Associate Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders. At CUCARD, Dr. Pimentel coordinated the externship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs, focused on the clinic's program development, and managed day-to-day operations of this specialty clinic for anxiety. Previously, she was a T32 Postdoctoral Training Fellow at New York State Psychiatric Institute (2004-2007) where she focused her research efforts on dissemination of evidence-based treatments.
Dr. Pimentel specializes in cognitive behavioral treatments (CBT) for children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety, mood, and behavioral difficulties. She provides comprehensive assessments and consultations and individual, group and family therapy.
She is committed to teaching and advanced training, education, and mentorship are at the core of Dr. Pimentel's professional interests. Her research interests have focused on the dissemination of evidenced-based interventions for child and adolescent disorders and the evaluation of the most effective strategies for training and transporting treatments to school and community settings. Throughout each year, she delivers multiple professional training workshops on CBT for anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior disorders in youth, as well as workshops for parents and community organizations. Dr. Pimentel served as a CBT consultant for community- and school-based clinicians throughout New York State and for the New York State Office of Mental Health's statewide clinician training initiative. She was named a New York State Office of Mental Health Policy Scholar.
Dr. Pimentel is actively involved in professional organizations, including the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies where she has served as the Coordinator of Convention and Education Issues, Chair of the Continuing Education Committee, Chair of the Public Education and Media Dissemination Committee, and Representative-at-Large. She is currently serving on the Board as Secretary-Treasurer. She also volunteers for community-based programs, and is involved in multiple community engagement initiatives in the Bronx.