Cristie is a clinical researcher whose work focuses on the development, evaluation, and implementation of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies for trauma and related psychiatric conditions. As a co-investigator and therapist on the landmark FDA Phase 3 clinical trials investigating MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and as a clinical researcher at the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine within the Grossman School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, her work bridges translational research, clinical practice, and professional education. Her scholarly and clinical interests include psychedelic science, trauma, neurodiversity, consciousness studies, and the therapeutic integration of non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC).

In parallel with her research, Cristie maintains a private psychotherapy practice in New York City, where she works with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Her clinical approach integrates psychodynamic, humanistic, and evidence-based modalities while emphasizing the relationship between psychological science, meaning-making, resilience, and human development. She specializes in the treatment of ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, relational difficulties, self-esteem concerns, and existential distress. Across both her clinical and research endeavors, she is particularly interested in how innovative therapeutic approaches can facilitate lasting psychological change while honoring the complexity of individual lived experience.

Cristie earned three master’s degrees from Columbia University: two in psychological counseling with a bilingual focus, and one in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Her interdisciplinary scholarship explored Indigenous ceremonial traditions, urban shamanism, and cross-cultural perspectives on healing, spirituality, and consciousness, reflecting a longstanding interest in the relationship between culture, psychology, and human transformation. She is certified in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS; now Lykos/Resilient), where she served as a co-investigator and co-therapist on the FDA-approved Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. She continues to contribute to clinical research investigating psilocybin-assisted therapy and its therapeutic applications at NYU Langone.

In addition to her research and clinical practice, Cristie serves as a clinical supervisor, educator, trainer, and mentor to psychotherapists and interdisciplinary healthcare professionals. Her teaching emphasizes psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, clinical ethics, trauma-informed care, integration, and culturally responsive practice. She is committed to advancing the scientific understanding of psychedelic therapies while supporting the responsible translation of emerging evidence into ethical, evidence-informed clinical care.

A bicultural, bilingual, multiracial Latina born in Colón, Panama, and raised in Panama, Germany, and the United States, Cristie brings an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective to her scholarship, research, teaching, and clinical work. Her professional mission is to advance rigorous scientific inquiry while fostering compassionate, culturally responsive models of mental healthcare that expand access to innovative treatments and deepen our understanding of psychological healing and human flourishing.