Ekaterina Lensou, PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Families First Program was my first work place in the U.S. I provided in-home counseling and case management to families at risk of losing their children due to neglect or abuse. Families First is a prevention-oriented program with a goal of preserving families through education and the kinds of interventions that lead to eliminating child abuse and neglect. I continued working as a staff therapist at Catholic Social Services of Oakland and Northland Clinic, where I accrued valuable outpatient experience. I had a chance to work with individuals of different ages who presented problems of mental health, addiction, and social adaptation. I was fortunate to lead didactic and therapy groups with dually diagnosed clients. I also volunteered as a psychology consultant on to a Russian psychological services website. Not a while ago I became involved in a Disaster Relief program at the American Red Cross. Recent events of the Katrina Hurricane and events of massive terrorist act in Moscow in 2002 made me realize the acute need for mental health support and that at these times there are scarce resources available to people in need.

I first became acquainted with PsychAssets during Dr. Kliger’s cultural diversity class that I took as a part of my PhD training at the University of Detroit Mercy. It was there that I first learned about multi-culturalism and identity formation and its importance in our everyday life and in the clinical setting. I went through an exciting and an anxious time of a self-study project, where got acquainted with myself while sharing some of what I learned with my colleagues.

Dr. Kliger kindly offered me a practicum at her organization that combined clinical and organizational components of psychological practice. One of the main objectives of my practicum experience was to learn about the phenomenon of culture as an individual and organizational characteristic and to increase cultural sensitivity in my work and theoretical formulations.

Through my training and clinical experience I gained an opportunity to work with diverse populations. I learned to appreciate the multi-culturalism of the American society. Cultural diversity in clinical and interpersonal work is an important part of my personal and professional conceptualization. Being a foreigner, I am acutely aware of differences and similarities people have in their beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and lifestyles. I believe that my personal and professional history helped me to become more aware of multicultural nuances that affect therapeutic relationships, my clinical judgments, and formulations.

Dr. Ekaterina Lensou has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy. Prior to coming to the U.S., seven years ago, Dr. Lensou completed a Masters Degree in Psychology from the European Humanistic University in Minsk, Belarus. She then completed a BA in Psychology at St. Mary’s College, an MA in Clinical Psychology with specialization in Addiction Studies. Dr. Lensou completed her PhD internship at the University Psychiatric Clinic of Wayne State University. Her training included an emergency psychiatry rotation at the Detroit Receiving Hospital, a research rotation at the Early Psychosis Prevention Program, and a gerontology rotation at the Henry Ford Medical Center. Dr. Lensou is currently enrolled in the Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program at the Psychoanalytic Institute. Her primary research interest is in the area of cultural psychiatry research. Dr. Lensou’s dissertation addressed cross-cultural and cross disciplinary aspects of clinical judgment in a context of clinicians’ attitudes toward the mentally ill and tolerance of ambiguity. Dr. Lensou conducts individual psychotherapy and substance abuse treatment in English and Russian languages. She does psychological evaluation/assessment with children, adolescents, and adults.