At Adelphi, I felt at home. I was surrounded by a network of individuals who inspired me to be better and trust in my abilities.
Member of Adelphi University’s 10 Under 10
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine
Crista E. Maracic, PhD, has had a passion for psychology since high school. She has spent most of her academic and professional career expanding her knowledge and gaining the skills necessary to achieve her dream of becoming a clinical psychologist.
Despite the heavy coursework that awaited her in her chosen path, she received the encouragement to push forward by Adelphi professor Dr. Robert Bornstein. Maracic was inspired by Dr. Bornstein’s teaching style and clinical examples, which clearly conveyed the impact of psychological theory and practice. After graduation, she continued to collaborate with Dr. Bornstein on his grant-funded research. As Maracic pursued her doctoral degree, he became her mentor, a position which she still considers him to hold to this day.
Adelphi’s doctoral program provided Maracic with hands-on experiences as a research assistant, a graduate student therapist and a teaching assistant. Outside of Adelphi, she gained additional job training as a junior associate at a private neuropsychology practice and a psychology trainee at various hospital settings for military veterans and their families. As an intern at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, she rotated through various clinics, which allowed her to explore her interest in providing trauma-informed services to the veteran population.
Today, as clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Division of Addiction Psychiatry at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine, Maracic teaches students and practices psychotherapy for community members diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD). Joined by other colleagues at Stony Brook, she is working to improve the education and training of trauma-informed care, given its well-established relationship with SUDs.
The collaborative projects and diverse training that Maracic has participated in have helped her to develop an eclectic therapeutic style that has been beneficial for her patients. As a result of her success, she is eager to share not only her knowledge and experience but also the journey of internal growth toward self-confidence. She credits Adelphi for giving her the education, opportunities, relationships and support to achieve what she considers to be her greatest accomplishment: learning to trust herself. Consequently, her advice to current students is to “welcome change and be grateful to those who support you along the way.”