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.
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.
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.
Education Technology Manager & Integrative Project Instructor
Jill completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Creative Writing at The American University of Paris and pursued her Master of Arts at TC in Psychology in Education with an Area of Focus in Spirituality Mind Body Practices. An alumna of SMB, Jill has previously served as a Course Assistant (CA) for CCPX 4063: Analytical Psychology and contributed as a Research Assistant in the Spirituality and Psychology laboratory. Jill is a registered, integrative yoga teacher and is committed to decolonized wellness and community care. She has experience offering therapeutic yoga to healthcare practitioners, college students, and unhoused LGBTQ+ youth. Thrilled to be part of the SMB team, Jill is driven to enhance outreach and accessibility to the science of the spirit-mind-body connection within the SMB community. Jill can be reached to address inquiries related to the SMB Integrative Project via her TC gmail: (jdc2235@tc.columbia.edu).
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.
Academic Advisor
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).