Dr. Irada Yunusova’s appreciation for connecting with individuals whose identities and experiences differed from her own arose from an early age, when she first immigrated to the United States, and has been continuously reinforced throughout her upbringing and clinical experiences. Her interest in psychology, specifically, arose during secondary school and was further cultivated during her education at Rutgers University. While pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Economics, with a minor in Russian language, Dr. Yunusova contributed to the psychological research community through Rutgers’ Cognitive and Social Psychology Laboratories. From her early education, Dr. Yunusova most valued the clinical training she received in treatment settings, including a mental health private practice and a school for children with emotional and behavioral challenges.
Dr. Yunusova's commitment to supporting individuals’ emotional well-being led her to pursue her Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University. Her graduate studies were marked by a comprehensive training regimen in a variety of therapeutic interventions, including psychodynamic psychotherapy, Relational Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Accelerated-Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). Her ability to conceptualize clients’ current areas of suffering and satisfaction within the context of their life histories, cultural backgrounds, and values allowed her to provide treatments tailored to their needs and goals. Dr. Yunusova also explored the underlying agent of change in trauma-focused treatments through her dissertation, The Role of Exposure in Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy: A Case Study.
Her clinical acumen was honed through diverse and challenging roles. First, at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Dr. Yunusova provided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including relaxation training and exposure and response prevention, to clients seeking care for anxiety disorders and OCD. Her ability to provide evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy was cultivated at the Foster Care Counseling Project, where she provided care to children and parents with exposure to abuse, neglect, and attachment disruptions. Next, at the International Rescue Committee, Dr. Yunusova provided integrative, trauma-informed care to refugees with histories of violence, attachment-disruptions, discrimination, and oppression prior to and following resettlement. Additionally, at the Manhattan and Bronx Veterans Affairs, Dr. Yunusova supported veterans who were seeking relief from depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD related to combat exposure, military sexual trauma, early childhood trauma, and exposure to institutional and race-based trauma. Although her training involved gaining proficiency with structured treatments, such as CBT for insomnia, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure therapy, the care she offered was flexible and tailored to meet veterans’ individual needs and preferences.
Following completion of her graduate training, Dr. Yunusova continued to demonstrate her exceptional clinical abilities at Montefiore Medical Center's Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Department, providing holistic, client-centered care to address various concerns related to trauma, dissociation, anxiety, mood, sleep, and eating habits. During her time at Montefiore and, subsequently, as a clinical psychologist at Soho Integrative EMDR, Dr. Yunusova pursued further training in working with trauma, shame, dissociation, relational EMDR, DBT, and working with parts of self. Dr. Yunusova’s career is a testament to her commitment to providing evidence-based care that honors individual differences and fosters healing.
Dr. Yunusova works to co-create a warm and curious space in which she can help clients explore their identities, histories, suffering, and strengths. She upholds the principle of EMDR theory that every individual inherently possesses the capacity to heal. Collaboratively with her clients, Dr. Yunusova focuses on conceptualizing the experiences contributing to their current challenges, including identifying unresolved or 'frozen' memories. This process is integral to formulating a treatment plan that is respectful and supportive of the clients' needs, strengths, values, and objectives.
Dr. Yunusova believes safety and trust is a prerequisite for effective treatment. Therefore, her therapeutic approach encompasses cultivating a secure attachment relationship through mirroring, attunement, and validation. Since trauma is stored in both the mind and body, Dr. Yunusova values care that is “bottom-up” and focuses on how recent events and memories are experienced somatically in the body (for instance, shoulders hunched, tension in the throat). Through non-judgmental exploration and curiosity of clients’ emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations, she strives to show clients that their experiences matter, are understandable, and are deserving of compassion. Trauma often hinders clients from developing a cohesive sense of self and can lead to dissociative symptoms. Dr. Yunusova utilizes grounding and pendulation techniques to increase clients’ sense of connection with the present moment. Additionally, working with a client’s parts of self can foster an increased sense of cooperation, compassion, and cohesion amongst their internal parts of self. Additionally, Dr. Yunusova’s training in CBT and DBT enables her to interweave skills that enhance a client’s ability to gently approach and tolerate difficult emotions and situations. She utilizes her presence and capitalizes on clients’ sources of support to ensure they know that although there have been many experiences that they have endured by themselves, this time they are not alone.
Dr. Yunusova’s approach to therapy extends beyond trauma treatment. She offers specialized care for depression, anxiety, OCD, insomnia, chronic pain, and interpersonal issues, drawing upon her extensive training in EMDR, CBT, ACT, DBT, Relational Therapy, and EFT. She fosters an environment in which clients’ become more aware of the interconnection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Dr. Yunusova strives to model that emotions are valid and an invaluable source of information, rather than the enemy. Potential avenues for change are then jointly explored. With greater awareness and coping skills, clients can learn to navigate challenging life circumstances, shift their behavior patterns to live in line with their values, and attain symptom relief. Dr. Yunusova skillfully integrates evidence-based interventions, including behavioral activation for depression, exposure therapy for anxiety and OCD, and CBT for chronic pain and insomnia. For couples and individuals struggling with relationship problems, she offers Emotion-Focused Therapy to address a range of concerns, from emotional connection and intimacy, to dealing with life adjustments, parenting challenges, trauma, depression, and anxiety. In all aspects of her practice, Dr. Yunusova's goal is to empower clients to heal and align their lives with their values, welcoming their emotions, beliefs, sensations, and insights with an open and curious approach.
Formal Education
Other Specialized Trainings
