Igda earned a doctoral degree from Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, specializing in working with children. She completed her clinical internship at Lincoln Hospital, where she trained in the psychiatric emergency room, child development center, and child outpatient clinic. Her postdoctoral training and academic research focused on cultural influences on mental health and well-being.

Igda’s career has allowed her to train in a variety of settings, with a focus on making mental health care more accessible to individuals and families. She was an associate professor of pediatrics at Montefiore Medical Center and worked in a school-based health center providing individual and family therapy to elementary-school-aged children and their caretakers. She also worked as the director of a charity community-based outpatient mental health department, supervising psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric prescribers. Using attachment theory as a basis, Igda is trained in TF-CBT (trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy), EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), motivational interviewing, and family systems.

Igda’s approach is to support patients in deepening their understanding of how they face various situations, identifying patterns that have interfered with their joy, and exploring alternate ways to react to and approach challenging situations. Pulling from a strengths-based approach, she aims to diversify coping skills to amplify confidence and hope in daily life. It is her firm belief that when individuals feel safe, understood, and confident to communicate their needs, family systems can thrive. Families are often under so much pressure, and it can be easy to lose sight of their strengths. Working together, Igda helps families clarify and communicate their values, reduce stressors, and improve everyone's well-being.

Igda Martinez, PsyD