Dr. Cynthia A. Spanier
Dr. Cynthia A. Spanier is a health educator, psychologist and health coach based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with extensive experience in clinical psychology, behavioral medicine, and neuropsychology. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, completed an APA-approved internship in clinical psychology at Brown University, and a NIMH postdoctoral fellowship in oncology and behavioral medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Spanier has provided psychological and neuropsychological assessment, individual and family therapy, and consultation in hospital, outpatient, long-term care, and private practice settings, addressing a broad range of adult mental health and behavioral health concerns. Her clinical and research work has focused on depression, bipolar disorder, cancer-related distress and quality of life, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, trauma and PTSD, and the integration of interpersonal psychotherapy and behavioral medicine approaches.
An active contributor to the field, she has published in peer-reviewed journals, authored book chapters on maintenance interpersonal psychotherapy as a preventive treatment for depression, and presented nationally and internationally on topics including mood disorders, breast cancer survivorship, trauma, stress, and the role of diet, inflammation, and lifestyle in mental health and aging. She has also completed extensive continuing education and certification in areas such as geriatric psychiatry, trauma treatment (including EMDR- and CBT-based approaches), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and integrative, nutrition-informed care.