Meet Dr. Mikayla Girelli

I am a licensed clinical psychologist in New York, and I am passionate about providing warm, collaborative, and individualized care. My approach is flexible and tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. I draw from trauma-informed, strength-based practices to help clients deepen self-awareness, build self-compassion, and move toward meaningful growth. I enjoy helping individuals make sense of past experiences in order to create more fulfilling pathways forward.

I have worked in a variety of clinical settings, including schools, community mental health centers, private practice and family advocacy programs. I also have specialized training in multiple trauma-informed modalities. Consistent with my passion for empowering individuals, I have created a child-focused activity book and adolescent group therapy curriculum aimed at fostering posttraumatic growth to help individual’s recover from and find meaning following traumatic experiences.

I earned my doctorate from the Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology at the University of Hartford and completed my internship at the Child Guidance Center in Stamford, Connecticut, followed by postdoctoral training at Impact Psychological Services.

Unleashing Your Superpowers: An Activity Book to Foster Posttraumatic Growth

As part of my doctoral research, I created Unleashing Your Superpowers: An Activity Book to Foster Posttraumatic Growth, a children’s activity book designed to help kids ages 8–12 build the skills that support healing and growth after difficult or stressful experiences. Drawing on evidence-based components of posttraumatic growth, the book guides children—alongside a supportive caregiver—through interactive activities focused on emotional expression and regulation, coping strategies, support-building, relationship strengthening, gratitude, and deliberate reflection. Unlike other resilience- or mindset-focused workbooks, this resource integrates all of the core elements shown to promote posttraumatic growth and is designed to be easily used at home, in therapy, or in classroom settings. Its goal is to help children develop confidence, perspective, and a growth-oriented mindset that can foster both recovery and meaningful personal development, whether they are navigating a traumatic experience or simply building emotional skills for the future.