Areas of Expertise: Trauma, Refugee Psychology, International Psychology, Health Psychology
Sandra Zakowski, Ph.D. Professor
Dr. Sandra G. Zakowski is a professor in clinical psychology and a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. She obtained her Ph.D. in medical psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and subsequently completed a clinical respecialization at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She has been teaching for over 25 years, and prior to joining the Illinois School of Professional Psychology was a faculty member at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. In addition, she worked as mental health program director for Heartland Alliance in Northern Iraq and helped develop a master’s program in clinical psychology at Koya University where she also taught. Dr. Zakowski’s clinical and academic interests focus on trauma, refugee psychology and international psychology. She is particularly interested in cross-cultural applications of trauma treatment and in the psychological consequences of human rights abuses. She worked as a therapist at the Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture for about seven years. She also serves as pro bono consultant for international organizations including Physicians for Human Rights, Advocates Abroad (Greece), and the SEED Foundation (Iraq). She provides pro bono forensic psychological evaluations for asylum cases and conducts clinical consultations and training workshops internationally on topics related to trauma, the psychological consequences of forced migration, and health psychology. Her current research investigates psychological trauma related to genocide, political persecution, and gender- based violence, and she has an interest in the ethics of international psychological research. She is a member of the Scientists on Call program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has contributed scientific consultations for international organizations documenting human rights abuses. Prior to completing her clinical respecialization, her work was primarily focused on health psychology research, and she published studies in the areas of psychoneuroimmunology, psycho-oncology, and the psychobiological effects of chronic and acute stress.
Powered by FlippingBook