Media & Press
The go-to expert on trauma, mass violence, and terrorism
Board-certified psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and 9/11 first responder Dr. Nina Cerfolio provides psychologically grounded commentary for journalists, producers, and researchers covering breaking news and long-form coverage of crisis and violence.
Twenty-five years of frontline expertise
From treating first responders after 9/11 to advising on the psychology of mass shooters, Dr. Cerfolio brings clinical depth and calm, camera-ready clarity to some of the most urgent conversations in the news cycle. She is a trusted voice for breaking news, in-depth features, and academic and policy discussions on trauma, gun violence, and terrorism.
Recent speaking engagements & interviews
I’ve Studied Hundreds of Mass Shooters
A father is about to be sentenced for a shooting carried out by his son. There’s a lesson for all of us in this tragedy.
Read the full article →
No Teacher Left Behind
Dr. Nina Cerfolio speaks on the unique, compounding trauma teachers face as "secondary first responders" to school shootings who simultaneously experience and absorb the trauma of those in their care.
Read the full article →
ChooSELove Movement | Understanding violence, healing, and prevention
Dr. Cerfolio joins the podcast founded by Scarlett Lewis to discuss the psychological roots of school violence and pathways to prevention.
Listen to the episode →
IPhA 2026 | Voices from the dark: what school shooters can teach us about prevention
Presented at the International Psychohistorical Association's 49th annual conference.
Watch the presentation
Browse by Topic
Explore commentary by area of expertise
Dr. Cerfolio's media work spans three focus areas. Each has its own dedicated page of coverage, interviews, and publications.
Available for interviews & speaking
For breaking news commentary, features, panels, or academic and policy discussions, reach out directly. Dr. Cerfolio responds personally to all press inquiries.
Television, radio, and podcast interviews
Expert commentary on breaking news and ongoing coverage
Speaking engagements and panels
Academic, policy, and professional discussions.
More from Dr. Nina Cerfolio
Business Talk Radio
8-minute interview where Dr. Cerfolio discusses findings from her research on trauma and violence.
Rich Valdes America at Night
Board certified psychiatrist Dr. Nina Cerfolio explains the physical and mental toll civilians experience when they are trapped in a war zone.
Online press & older media
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OpEd in The Detroit News, Oxford trial exposes risks of ignoring mental illness in children (Jan. 30, 2024)
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Quoted in The NY Post:TikTok ruined my kid’s life — now I’m suing it with 5,000 other parents (Jan. 18, 2024)
“The phenomenon of ‘TikTok brain’ results from watching personalized videos by using an algorithm designed to accurately predict which content is preferred to engage with,” Dr. Nina Cerfolio, a nationally recognized psychiatrist and trauma expert, explained to The Post. “There is an increase in dopamine within the brain’s reward center when using TikTok with the brain becoming addicted to ongoing dopamine secretion.” Cerfolio said that this often “encourages teens to continue to use the site in order to feel ‘good’ having secured their entry into the herd.”
“This ‘good’ feeling paradoxically damages their belief in their own uniqueness and originality,” she added.
The average American will unlock their smartphone at least 150 times a day, Cerfolio said — and it got to the point where Edwards’ daughter was simply addicted to TikTok.
“Many of us have become so dependent and addicted to our phones that we have forgotten how to function without them,” Cerfolio said. “The world is no longer your oyster, it is your screen.”
Cerfolio explained that screen addiction is even more hindering for “teens whose brains are still developing” and they’re “even more susceptible to the addictive behavior encouraged by TikTok practices.”
However, Cerfolio cautioned not to “throw out the baby with the bathwater,” saying that there are some TikTok trends that can be beneficial to our mental health — such as silent walking, which “allows you to unplug from the strain of daily life and tune in to being more present.”
“There is much useful information on meditation and wellness on TikTok,” she explained. “That being said, you must be alert that a lot of information is not checked for accuracy and may provide false information.”
“Chosen by a Whale," The Spirit of Change, (December 25, 2023)—Excerpt from Psychoanalytic and Spiritual Perspectives on Terrorism: Desire for Destruction (Routledge, 2023)
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OpEd in The Daily Beast, The Only True Revenge for Terrorism Is Achieving Peace (Nov. 26, 2023
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OpeEd - Re “Parkland Gunman Is Sentenced to Life in Prison” (front page, Oct. 14 2022)
The New York Times / Read Full Article
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L.A. Affairs: I didn’t know how to love. Then I came eye to eye with a majestic gray whale
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"I don't have words," Osmanov said. "I have too much emotion." "I love to do any sports because it brings me back to normal life," Mezhiev said. "After two years of e-mailing, calling and five or six failures with their exit visas, they're finally here," said Dr. Nina Cerfolio.
The Daily News / Read Full Article
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As a result of my becoming ill, I also experienced a spiritual awakening, which consisted of an active awareness of transcendent aspects within myself that created a profound interconnectedness with something much larger than myself, be it God or the Cosmos, that was essential to my recovery. Through my spiritual growth, anthrax ironically provided a path, for both myself and my patients, to shift from submission (signified by the need to either acquiesce or rebel) to surrender (signified by being open to an expanded by the subjectivity of the other.) In this journey, we become able to uncover our authentic souls.
Cambridge Press, Loss, surrender and spiritual awakening, Palliative and Supportive Care / Read Full Article
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They thought I was just another lazy American, until I finished first in the Half.
National Geographic, There + Back / Read Full Article
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Feeling "meh"? Doctors say it could be an underdiagnosed disorder.
"Persistent depressive disorder basically consists of feeling sad or empty," said board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Nina Cerfolio. "It's not where people may be so impaired they can't get out of bed."
Cerfolio says the past couple of years have been difficult for many; personal struggles aside, there's been multiple wars across the world, inflation driving costs here at home, and the COVID pandemic -- all factors contributing to our mental health.
"I would say since the pandemic, we've had more incidents of persistent depressive disorder in our country," she said.
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The Gift of Hope: Tap Into Its Transformative Power
November 2025: See Dr. Cerfolio referenced in a recent article by Lybi Ma, How to Feel Less Bitter
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“Issues of Self-Esteem,” Fox Television, Good Morning New York, live interview with Larry Huff, July 23, 1996.
“Couples Fighting Fairly,” Fox Television, Good Morning New York, live interview with Sheryl Washington, September 4, 1996.
“Ground Zero Experience as Grief Counselor to Firemen, Policemen, and Family Members of the World Trade Center Disaster,” WNBC News, live interview with Jane Hanson and Glen Walker, September 13, 2001.
“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Survivors of World Trade Center Disaster,” WNBC News, interview with Dr. Max Gomez, September 17, 2001.
“Survivor Guilt in Survivors and Family Members of World Trade Center Disaster,” WNBC News, live interview with Dr. Ian Smith, September 20, 2001.
“Coping with Repeated Traumas,” (The World Trade Center Disaster, Anthrax, and the Crash of Flight 507), WNBC News, live interview with Jane Hanson and Maurice DuBois, November 13, 2001.
“Increased Incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Abuse as a Result of the World Trade Center Disaster,” WNBC News, live interview with Jane Hanson and Maurice DuBois, November 14, 2001.
Humanitarian work with emergency workers at Ground Zero featured in “The Yomiuri Shimbun”, the largest newspaper circulation in the world and is one of five national Japanese newspapers.
“Psychological Benefits of Exercise for the Physically Disabled, The Achilles Marathon,” CD 101.9, interview with Mark Farrow, March 31, 2002.
“How One Overcomes Phobias, The Fear Factor Series,” WNBC News, live interview with Jane Hanson and Maurice DuBois, April 29, 30, May 1, 2, 3, 2002.
Television Commentator for the Closing Ceremony on 9/11, WNBC News, live May 30, 2002.
“Eating Disorders,” WCBS News, February 10, 2004.
“Psychological Benefits of Educational Television,” Channel 13, March 8, 2004.
Quoted in: “Confessions of a pregnant hypochondriac,” Available at: epregnancy.com.
“Psychological Implications of Dr. Northrup's Mother-Daughter Relationships,” Channel 13, July, 2005.
Featured Triathlete, New York City Triathlon, Channel 4, July, 2005.
Featured Runner, 2006 Runner's Classic, CBS Sports Spectacular, Orlando Florida, November, 2006.
Featured Runner, 2006 Runner's Classic CBS Sports Spectacular Orlando, Florida
Featured Triathlete, New York City Triathlon Channel 4
How One Overcomes Phobias, The Fear Factor Series, NBC News
Psychological Benefits of Educational Television Channel 13
Psychological Implications of the Mother- Daughter Relationship Channel 13