Andrew Tatarsky (born August 11, 1955) is an American
psychologist and the founder and director of the Center for Optimal Living. He teaches in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
as the Professor of Professional Practice for the Harm Reduction Psychotherapy Certificate Program at the
New School for Social Research. Tatarsky is known for developing Integrative Harm Reduction Therapy (IHRP), a treatment for the spectrum of
substance use disorders and other high-risk behaviors.
Education
Tatarsky attended the
City College of New York, where he graduated with Research Honors in psychology,
summa cum laude in 1977. At the
City College of New York he was elected member of the
Phi Beta Kappa Society and received the Bernard A. Ackerman Research Award. He received his Ph.D. in
clinical psychology from the
City College of the City University of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, City ...
in 1986. He is currently a candidate at the Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis,
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
; New York, N.Y.
Career
Early in his career, Tatarsky served as the Clinical Director and Senior Psychotherapist at The DiMele Center for Psychotherapy, where he directed a cocaine consultation service. Simultaneously, in his private practice Tatarsky began to work with psychotherapy clients who were actively using substances, finding his clients to be staying in treatment and improving. These experiences served as the foundation for his criticism of the
abstinence based model for substance use treatment, the limitation of the
disease model of addiction
The disease model of addiction describes an addiction as a disease with biological, neurological, genetic, and environmental sources of origin. The traditional medical model of disease requires only that an abnormal condition be present that cause ...
, and his development of Harm Reduction Psychotherapy.
Later in his career Tatarsky would become a founding member and past-president of the Division on Addiction of New York State Psychological Association. And a founding board member of the Association for Harm Reduction Therapy. He is a member of the board of
Moderation Management
Moderation Management (MM) is a secular non-profit organization providing peer-run support groups for anyone who would like to reduce their alcohol consumption. MM was founded in 1994 to create an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous and similar ...
Network, Inc. And has served as a clinical advisor to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Tatarsky is currently a consultant in the Advanced Specialization in Couple and Family Therapy at the Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
The Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis Website
Retrieved 10 July 2015
Works
*Tatarsky, A. (Ed.). (2007). Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: A New Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Users. Northvale, N.J., Aronson.
*Tatarsky, A. (2010). Developing your healthiest relationship to marijuana: A harm reduction approach. In: Holland, J. The Pot Book. A Comprehensive Look at the Risks and Benefits of Cannabis. Rochester, VT, Inner Traditions.
*Tatarsky, A. & Marlatt, G.A. (2010). State of the Art in Harm Reduction Psychotherapy: An Emerging Treatment for Substance Misuse. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, Vol. 66 (10), pp. 117–122.
See also
* Alan Marlatt
*Harm reduction
Harm reduction, or harm minimization, refers to a range of public health policies designed to lessen the negative social and/or physical consequences associated with various human behaviors, both legal and illegal. Harm reduction is used to d ...
References
External links
Andrew Tatarsky
The Center for Optimal Living
Harm Reduction Certificate Program
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tatarsky, Andrew
The New School faculty
City College of New York alumni
American clinical psychologists
American substance abuse counselors
1955 births
Living people
Writers on addiction