PhD in clinical psychology from the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University

Pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Albany Medical Center

Katie C. Lewis, PhD, is the director of research and medical staff member at the Austen Riggs Center. Her research focuses on examining personality processes in adults diagnosed with complex psychopathology as they relate to suicidal and self-destructive behaviors. Her research has been supported by the Robert Wallerstein Fellowship in Psychoanalytic Research (San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis), a Young Investigator Grant through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant through the NIMH, and the APF/Division 39 Marsha McCary Grant for Psychoanalytic Research.

She has published and presented on a wide range of topics including suicide and self-harming behaviors, personality psychopathology and assessment, and the ethics of confidentiality in clinical writing. Dr. Lewis is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and Massachusetts and operates a small private psychotherapy practice in addition to her work at Austen Riggs.

Professional Affiliations/Organizational Memberships

Former graduate student representative on the Ethics Board of Division 39

Former Fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association (ApsaA)

Former Fellow, Psychoanalytic Research Training Program, Yale University School of Medicine

Founding member of the College of Research Fellows at APsaA

Board of the Society for Personality Assessment Representative at Large (2023-2026)

Fellowship Committee member, American Psychoanalytic Association

Consulting editor and special section editor (Clinical Applications and Case Studies) for the 

American Association of Suicidology Professional Poster Award (2019)

PPRS Stuart Hauser Memorial Poster Award (2014)

Long Island University's Dissertation Award (2014)

Suicide, personality disorders, ecological momentary assessment, psychic pain, personality assessment

Leadership

Erikson Institute Staff

Katie Lewis, PhD

Director of Research

MLIS from Long Island University-The Palmer School

Alison Lotto, MA, MLIS, is the manager of the Erikson Institute library, archives, and operations at Austen Riggs.

Ms. Lotto was formerly employed by One River Grants in Troy, NY as a researcher and grant writer. Among the places she has worked as an archivist/librarian include: the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Grolier Club, and as an electronic records administrator for Lincoln County, Nebraska.

Alison Lotto, MA, MLIS, is the manager of the Erikson Institute, library, archives, and operations at the Austen Riggs Center.

Alison Lotto, MA, MLIS

Manager of the Erikson Institute Library, Archives, and Operations

Michael McCarthy is the Lavender Door Manager

ceramics instructor in the Activities Program at the Austen Riggs Center.

Activities Staff

Michael McCarthy

Lavender Door Manager/Ceramics Instructor

. Their goal is to research and share local stories that have been lost, buried, or ignored.

Students taking part in the course visited Riggs this spring and interviewed Director of Research 

; Manager of the Erikson Institute Library, Archives, and Operations 

; and Lavender Door Manager/Ceramics Instructor 

The video the students produced is below:

Austen Riggs Center

External Resources

Students from the Salisbury School interviewed Riggs staff as part of a video project on America's mental health crisis.

From Asylum to Answer: The Solution to America's Mental Health Crisis?

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