Our Leadership Team

The Spirituality Mind Body Institute launches leaders of a more spiritually aware and supportive society. We welcome people from many professional corners, quite experienced and newer, who bring highly diverse spiritual and religious perspectives.

As a catalytic hub, SMBI generates new science, knowledge and innovation to guide impactful action. The Institute was founded by Dr. Lisa Miller based upon twenty years of scientific research, inner and relational practice, and teaching on spirituality in psychology.

Program Founder

Lisa Miller, Ph.D.

Founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI) & Spirituality Mind Body (SMB) Intensive M.A. Program and Professor of Psychology & Education, Clinical Psychology Program

Lisa Miller, Ph.D. is a national leader in the science of spirituality in wellbeing, mental health, development and flourishing. Dr. Miller brings two decades of funded research, practice and leadership into partnerships for a spiritually supportive society. She works closely with the US Military, US Dept of Health and Human Services, K-12 schools and higher education, environmental initiatives, and private and public organizations.

Dr. Miller solo edited the Oxford University Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality (2012, Second Edition forthcoming 2021) and has published over a hundred articles and chapters on spirituality in mental health, wellbeing and thriving. She has been Principal Investigator on several million dollars of grants drawing from foundations and NIMH.

Dr. Miller is Co-Founder and former Co-Editor-in-Chief of the American Psychological Association journal, Spirituality in Clinical Practice. She is Associate Editor for the Journal of Positive Psychology focusing on research integrating spirituality into positive psychology and former Associate Editor for the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Dr. Miller served as President of APA Society of Spirituality and Psychology and APA Council Representative.

Dr. Miller has been elected as a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and awarded the Virginia Sexton Mentoring Award. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with Distinction in Psychology from Yale University and earned her doctorate from University of Pennsylvania, where her mentor was Martin Seligman, Ph.D.

Academic Director

Dan Tomasulo, Ph.D., TEP, MFA, MAPP

Academic Director, SMB MA Degree Program

Dr Tomasulo is the Academic Director and core faculty member at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute (SMBI), Teachers College, Columbia University.

He coauthored the American Psychological Association’s first book on psychotherapy for people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities and has published over 20 articles on innovations in delivering mental health and wellbeing services. Dr. Tomasulo was the lead author for the first Diagnostic Manual - Intellectual Disability (DM-ID) identifying the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in people with intellectual disabilities.

Dr. Tomasulo has been elected to fellow of the American Society for Group Psychotherapy /Psychodrama and has served as board member for this organization as well as the National Association for Dually Diagnosed (NADD).

Dr. Tomasulo is the recipient of the Teachers College, Columbia University 2021 Teaching Award. He has been honored as one of the top ten online influencers on the issue of depression and was awarded the Avant-Garde Clinical Intervention award by the International Positive Psychology Association. Dr. Tomasulo has been a teaching fellow at Princeton University, and is a graduate of Yeshiva University and the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied under Martin Seligman, Ph.D.

Administrative Director

Helen Herman

Administrative Director

Helen Herman is the Administrative Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College Columbia University. A member of the SMBI leadership team, Helen works closely with the Academic Director of the SMBI graduate degree program as well as the Founder of the SMBI Institute at large, and operates as the overall manager of the Institute. She is responsible for the daily administration of the MA program, and interfaces with the many administrative dimensions of Teachers College. Helen interacts with faculty, visiting scholars, tech fellows, teaching assistants, and students, and contributes to the overall strategic planning of the Institute.

Helen is a seasoned professional with a successful record of organizing academic conferences and continuing education programs. She has been recognized for her ability to create and implement new programming that is innovative and which serves renowned professionals, nationally and internationally.

Prior to joining the SMBI team, Helen used her administrative acumen in the service of legal education, as the Director of Programs at the New York City Bar Association, as the Director of Public Programming and CLE at Fordham University School of Law, and and as the Executive Producer of the Forum on Law, Culture & Society.

Team

Headshot

Thomas Ford

Integrative Project Instructor

Tom Ford is the Integrative Project Coordinator for the Spirituality Mind Body Institute. He is also a current doctoral student in Dr. Lisa Miller’s Spirituality and Psychology Lab. He holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Teachers College Columbia University. He is passionate about spiritual topics and practices, and he is excited to serve the SMB community as IP Coordinator. Tom can be reached to address inquiries related to the SMB Integrative Project via her TC gmail: (tbf2109@tc.columbia.edu).

Jason Reid

Curriculum Support Coordinator

Jason Reid is the Curriculum Support Coordinator for the Spirituality Mind Body Practices Area of Focus. He also is currently a doctoral student in Dr. Lisa Miller's Spirituality and Psychology Lab. Jason is an alumnus of Teachers College, where he obtained his Master of Arts in Psychology in Education with a Area of Focus in Spirit Mind Body Practices.

Yoel Paredes

Academic Advisor & Education Technology Manager

Yoel Paredes is an alumnus of Teachers College, where he obtained his Master of Arts in Psychology. He also holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Care from Fordham University. He has worked as a Chaplain, youth pastor, and educator within Latino and Korean communities. Currently pursuing Psychoanalysis studies at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis (NPAP), Yoel has been involved in the SMB program since its early days, serving in roles ranging from Teaching Assistant to Assistant Director and IT department contributor. He is available to meet with any prospective, current, or former student to provide advisement for the SMB Area of Focus. Reach out to Yoel for assistance with student inquiries regarding course selection, graduation, and goal planning via his TC gmail: (yjp2107@tc.columbia.edu).