Who We Are:

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Patricia C. Dowds, Ph.D.

is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of the Family Therapy Institute of Suffolk, and the past Executive Director of the Minuchin Center for the Family, N.Y.C. Through these agencies she has worked on developing programs to keep children out of the court system, increase the effectiveness of adolescent substance abuse programs, and to reduce conflict in divorce.

She is Adjunct Faculty for the Adelphi Derner Institute’s Post Graduate program, and a trainer for family therapists at several Long Island locations. Previously she was a Consultant to Suffolk County Dept of Health, visiting faculty at Nassau University Medical Center, and SUNY at Stony Brook where she taught working therapists, graduate students, medical students, and medical residents on family systems. She has co-authored many articles and a chapter on Case Management in Family Therapy Review (Lawrence Erlbaum 2005). She is a national trainer and workshop leader on family therapy and family treatment issues. She has certificates in Substance Abuse Treatment, Family Therapy, Family Therapy Supervision and Divorce Mediation. She has maintained an active clinical practice for over 35 years.

 Dr. Dowds was very active in state leadership. She has served as President of the Clinical Division of the New York State Psychological Association. She has held several other leadership positions, as well as being awarded the NYS Beacon Award. This award is presented to a psychologist whose leadership and/or advocacy activities established a guiding light for the profession of psychology.


Sample of Presentations and Courses:

  • Structural Couples Therapy, Adelphi Post-Graduate Program

  • Gender Influences in Couples Therapy, Adelphi Post-Graduate Program

  • “Pills or Parents…Parents or Pills, NYSPA”s Annual Convention, NYC, NY

  • “Structural Family Therapy: Revolution to Evolution” The Networker, Washington, D

  • “Adolescents in Trouble”, Missouri Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Spring Conference St. Louis, Missouri

  • “The Politics of Becoming Systemic”, AFTA-IFTA’s 26th Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

  • “Evaluating Adolescents in the Family Context” – Suffolk County Psychological Association, NY

  • “Working on Organizational Change in Substance Abuse Agencies” – AFTA’s 24th Annual Meeting, New York City, NY

  • “Working on Organizational Change in Substance Abuse Agencies” – 59th Annual AAMFT Conference, Nashville, TN

  • “Treating Substance Abuse in the Family” Issues in Children’s Mental Health Conference Series, The Mental Health Association of Suffolk County

CONTACT: Family Therapy Institute of Suffolk  631-361-3662