Mandi White-Ajmani is the owner of a thriving, community-oriented psychology clinic in Brooklyn, NY. Before arriving at Suffolk in 2002, she was uncertain about her career prospects. Today, she credits the university with giving her clarity, direction, and skills essential to her success.

A few years after earning her undergraduate degree at Cornell University, Mandi was hired as an administrator by Suffolk’s Clinical Psychology PhD program. At the same time, she pursued an MBA in Organizational Behavior from the Sawyer Business School. Soon after finishing the MBA, she enrolled in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program, graduating in 2010.

Mandi remarks that “the research and clinical training that I received at Suffolk gave me the foundation to launch my practice.” Having an opportunity to learn from the late Professor Edith Kaplan sparked her interest in neuropsychology. Professors Elisabeth Sandberg and Krisanne Bursik were other faculty who were vital to Mandi. She also had high praise for her academic peers: “I learned a lot from being around incredibly smart and very driven students.” Additionally, she points out, “My Suffolk MBA gave me more confidence about how to become a successful business owner.”

Mandi’s doctoral training extended far beyond her coursework. For example, her practicum at the Walker Residential Treatment Program in Needham, MA, spurred her desire to work with children.

A neuropsychology practicum at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, MA was Mandi’s first experience at a public health facility, and she also completed an intensive training experience at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, MA. Later, she landed a predoctoral internship at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

After earning her Suffolk PhD, Mandi completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience research at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine. Her research focused on neuropsychological markers of aggression in schizophrenia. She went on to become an Assistant Research Professor at NYU, where she continued to investigate schizophrenia as well as family violence-related issues.

Following three years as a researcher, Mandi decided in 2013 to return to clinical work, where all her training and experience culminated in her new private practice, Small Brooklyn Psychology. For five years, it was a solo neuropsychological assessment practice. But then she decided to expand. The company now employs 14 people, including 12 clinicians and two in operations. Their services include neuropsychological testing and evidence-based therapy for young children, teens, and adults.

Though still involved as a clinician, Mandi’s role at the company now focuses primarily on management and an extensive program of community outreach. Mandi serves as the Mental Health Liaison to the 8,000-member Park Slope (Brooklyn) Parents organization—providing pro bono advice and free webinars. She also presents to schools, community leaders, and book clubs. One of her recent topics of interest has been “the Anxious Generation”—helping parents to “understand how children need more independence as they learn to cope with strife and adversity.” Her prime goal is to “disseminate good psychological information that is accessible to anyone, particularly those who might not be able to pay for our services.”

When Mandi reflects on the arc of her professional journey, she concludes, “I’m so grateful for the luck that brought me to Suffolk. Working as an administrator in the Clinical Psychology PhD program, getting to know its faculty and students, and finally, pursuing the doctorate, all of this brought me to what I’m doing now, which I absolutely love.”