Nydia Garcia Preto*, LCSW, ACSW

Photo of Nydia Garcia Preto

Clinical Director, Multicultural Family Institute

Nydia Garcia Preto, MSW, L.C.S.W. is the Clinical Director at the Multicultural Family Institute in Highland Pk., NJ where she is on the Faculty and directs a clinic that offers clinical services on a sliding fee scale to people in the community. She also has a Private Practice. Ms. Garcia Preto has been a Visiting Professor at the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work, and was the Director of the Adolescent Day Hospital, at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She received her Masters in Social Work from Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work in 1971 and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Rider College in 1967.

A noted family therapist, author, teacher, and lecturer, she has published in textbooks and journals and presented nationally on Puerto Rican and Latino families, Latinas, ethnic intermarriage, and families with adolescents. Ms. Garcia Preto was presented with the Frantz Fanon, M.D. Award by the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health in recognition of her work with families with adolescents, and especially Puerto Rican and Latino families. She also is a highly respected trainer in the area of Cultural Competence, and has conducted training for trainers and for staff at many settings, including schools, institutions of higher learning, social service agencies, hospitals, and mental health centers. Another area of expertise is Team Building for organizations.

With her colleagues at the Multicultural Family Institute, a non-profit educational institution, dedicated to training, training, research, consultation and service to families and community institutions. The network of this Institute have developed many training programs on culture including a Culture Conference dedicated to promoting networking and understanding of multiculturalism in clinical work. This unique conference has drawn a national following of trainers, clinicians, and researchers who have participated in these conferences. Over the last decade this group has evolved together a network of most outstanding, committed and creative therapists and teachers who have helped evolve thinking about issues including Culture, Class, Race, and Gender; Resilience, Hope and Healing, Spirituality and Transformation, Violence, Children; Addictions; Cultural and Family Legacies, and Truth and Reconciliation in the Aftermath of September 11.

Education

  • Rutgers University School of Social Work — MSW — 1971
  • Rider College, Trenton, New Jersey — Sociology — BA — 1967
  • University of Maryland — Munich, Germany — Sociology — AA — 1964

Experience

  • 1992 - Present Clinical Director and Faculty
    Multicultural Family Institute
    328 Denison St.
    Highland Pk., N.J., 08817
  • 1985-1992 Director
    Adolescent Day Hospital - U.M.D.N.J.
    Community Mental Health Center at Piscataway
  • 1985-1992 Faculty
    Family Training Program
    Community Mental Health Center of U.M.D.N.J.
    Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  • 1984-1985 Director of Mediation Services
    U.M.D.N.J.
    Community Mental Health Center at Piscataway
  • 1979-1985 Assistant Director of Family Training
    Department of Psychiatry
    Rutgers Medical School & Community Mental Health Center
  • 1979-1984 Family Therapy Supervisor & Consultant in Department of Youth Services
    Community Mental Health Center of Piscataway
  • 1979-Present Private Practice
    Therapy with individuals, couples and families
  • 1977-1979 Mental Health Clinician II, Adolescent Unit, Team Leader
    • Clinical Responsibilities: Individual, Group and Family
    • Therapy Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervised Mental
    • Health Clinician III, Mental Health Specialists, Nurses, and Social Work Students
    • Administrative: Coordination of treatment and policy making
  • 1976-Present Field Instructor
    Rutgers University - School of Social Work

Postgraduate Training

  • 1974 Behavior Modification Training Program: New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute, Skillman, N. J.
  • 1975-1978 Family Therapy Training with Monica McGoldrick, MSW, Director of Family Training, Department of Psychiatry Rutgers Medical School and Community Mental Health Center of Piscataway
  • 1978-1979 Group Psychotherapy Training with Jay Fidler, M.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Community Mental Health Center of Piscataway
  • 1979-1981 Structural Family Therapy with Harry Aponte, ACSW University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Community Mental Health Center of Piscataway
  • 1980-1981 Milan Approach to Systemic Therapy with Luigi Boscolo, M.D. and Gianfranco Cecchin, M.D., Milano, Italy

Organizations

  • 1997-1999 Vice President, American Family Therapy Academy
  • 1995-1997 Chairperson, Cultural Diversity Committee
  • 1995-1998 American Family Therapy Academy
  • 1994-Present Board Member, American Family Therapy Academy
  • 1991-1993 Chairperson, Membership Committee, American Family Therapy Association
  • 1980-Present American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy Approved Clinical Supervisor
  • 1988-1991 Board Member - American Orthopsychiatric Association
  • 1984-1985 Program Committee, American Orthopsychiatric Association; Member
  • 1971-Present N.A.S.W. Member

Languages

Spanish, Italian, and French

Publications

  • “Puerto Rican Families" in Ethnicity & Family Therapy, 3rd Edition. Eds. M. McGoldrick, J. Giordano & N. Garcia Preto ( 2005) Guilford Press, N.Y.
  • "Latinos Families: An Overview" in Ethnicity & Family Therapy 2nd Edition. Eds. M. McGoldrick, J. Giordano, & N. Garcia Preto (2005) Guilord Press, NY.
  • "Latinas in the United States: BRIDGING TWO WORLDS" in Re-Visioning Family Therapy, Monica McGoldrick, 1998, The Guilford Press, NY.
  • "Transformation of The Family System in Adolescence" The Changing Family Life Cycle: A Framework for Family Therapy, (3rd Edition), Eds. B. Carter & M. McGoldrick (2005) Allyn & Bacon, NY.
  • "Latino Families: An Overview" in Ethnicity & Family Therapy, 2nd Edition Eds. M. McGoldrick, J. Giordano, and J.K. Pearce (1996) Guilford Press, NY.
  • "Puerto Rican Families" in Ethnicity & Family Therapy, 2nd Ed. Eds. M. McGoldrick, J. Giordano, & J.K. Pearce (1996), Guilford Press, NY.
  • "On the Bridge" in Family Therapy Networker, July/August, 1994. "Family Therapy with Hispanic Women" in Women of Color: Integrating Ethnic and Gender Identities in Psychotherapy, Eds. L. Comas-Diaz, B. Greene (1993) Guilford Press, NY.
  • "Ethnicity & Family Therapy", with M. McGoldrick, P. Hines and E. Lee in Family Therapy, 2nd Ed. Brunner, Mazel, Alan Gurman, and David Kern (Eds.) 1991, NY.
  • "Intergenerational Relationships Across Cultures" with M. McGoldrick, et. al. (1992) families in Society, The Journal of Contemporary Human Services.
  • "Mourning in Different Cultures", with M. McGoldrick et. al. in Living Beyond Loss: Death and Family, 1991, Norton, NY.
  • "Ethnicity & Mothers", with M. McGoldrick, P. Hines, E. Lee et. al., (1990), Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 2(2), (I-70).
  • "Ethnicity & Women", with M. McGoldrick, P. Hines, and E. Lee in Women in Families: A Framework for Family Therapy (1989) Eds. C. Anderson, M. McGoldrick, and F. Walsh, New York: Guildford.
  • "Families with Adolescents", in Family Life Cycle: A Framework for Therapy, Carter & McGoldrick, Gardner, 1987, New York.
  • "Mourning Rituals: How Culture Shapes the Experience of Loss," with M. McGoldrick, P. Hines, and E. Lee, in Family Therapy Networker, December, 1986.
  • "The Adolescent Phase of the Family Life Cycle", with Norman Travis, in Adolescents and Family Therapy: A Handbook of Theroy and Practice, Eds. M. Pravder and S. Koman, Gardner, 1985, New York.
  • "Ethnic Intermarriage: Implications for Therapy" with M. McGoldrick, (1984), Family Process, 23(3) 347-362.
  • "Puerto Rican Families", Ethnicity and Family Therapy; Eds. M. McGoldrick, J.K. Pearce and J. Giordano, 1982, Guilford Press, New York.

Media Presentations

RADIO and TELEVISION: Appears frequently as expert therapist in New York City, Spanish speaking, radio station to answer call in questions from listeners about human behavior and family relationship issues.

Most recent TELEVISION appearance was on the CHRISTINA SHOW, a Spanish speaking talk show based in Florida, broadcast nationally. and throughout Latin America.

Publicity appearance to represent Harriet Lerner's book , The Dance of Anger, the Spanish version.


Presentations:

Has presented on a wide variety of topics nationally, including:

  • 2005 “El ciclo De Vida Familiar: La Adolecencia”, Asociacion de Terapia de Parejas y Familia, Ponce, P.R.
  • 2005 “Crossing Cultural Bridges: Latinos in the U.S.A.”, UMDNJ, UBHC, Training Grant. Piscataway, N.J. 2005
  • 2005 Transforming Life’s Narratives: Genograms”, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • 1998 “Alcohol & Drug Abuse; During Adolescence-Contextualizing Interventions with Adolescents & Families”, NJ TaskForce on Women & Alcohol Conference
  • May, 1998 “Bridging Two Worlds: Latinas in The USA”, Family Institute of New Jersey: Culture Diversity Conference
  • March, 1998 Cultural Diversity: “Implications for working with Psychatric Patient”, Trenton Psychiatric Hospital
  • February, 1998 “The Loss of a Sibling”, Family Institute of New Jersey
  • November, 1997 “Lifelong Career Developing”, Middle Atlantic Career Counciling Association
  • March 1996 "Latino Culture", Livingston High School, Livingston, NJ
  • June, 1996 "Building Cultural Competence" Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, NY
  • April, 1995 "Cultural Issues in Family Therapy", Unity Day, Hunter College, NY
  • May, 1995 "Cultural Issues in Family Therapy" Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ
  • October, 1995 "Cultural Diversity: An Overview", N.J. Assoc. for Multi-Cultural Counseling, Rider College, NJ
  • June, 1994 "Social Oppression and Hispanics", Plenary, AFTA, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • November, 1993 "Working with Hispanic Women: Breaking the Stereotypes", Multicultural Perspectives in Working with Families Conference, Fordham University, NY
  • June, 1992 "Hispanic Gender Roles", Race, Class, Culture and Gender Conference, Family Institute of New Jersey, Metuchen, NJ
  • May, 1992 "Hispanic Woman", Women of Color: Work, Family and Mental Health, Institute of Orthopsychiatric Assoc., New York, NY
  • May, 1992 "An Overview of Cultural Differences", Dealing with Diversity, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
  • April, 1992 "Hispanic Families in Crisis: A Cultural and Ethnic View", Our Families in Crisis, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY
  • November, 1990 "Hispanic Women: Putting Down the Cross", 8th Annual Women in Context Conference, The Menninger Clinic, Topeka, Kansas
  • March, 1989 "Effective Treatment of Adolescents", Orthopsychiatric Association, NY
  • April, 1988 "Institute on Ethnicity", Orthopsychiatric Association, Washington, D.C.
  • March, 1988 "Ethnicity and Family Therapy", Family Networker Symposium, Washington, D.C.
  • October, 1987 "Institute on Ethnicity", Orthopsychiatric Association, Washington, D.C.
  • April, 1987 "Adolescent and Family Connection", Orthopsychiatric Association, Chicago, IL
  • April, 1985 "Alternative Families", Orthopsychiatric Association, New York, NY
  • October, 1984 "Ecostructural Family Therapy", National Conference of Catholic Charities, Bal Harbour, FL
  • November, 1984 "Ethnicity & Family Therapy", Essex County Mental Health Center, Cedar Grove, NJ
  • April, 1984 "Ethnic Intermarriage: Clinical Implications", Orthopsychiatric Association, Boston, MA
  • January, 1984 "Adolescent Treatment", The Wheeler Clinic, Inc., Plainville, CT
  • April, 1983 "Ethnicity & Family Therapy", Orthopsychiatric Association, Boston, MA
  • May, 1983 "Ethnicity & Family Therapy", Nationalities Service Center, Philadelphia, PA
  • May, 1983 "Family Therapy with the Hispanic Family", St. Mary's Community Mental Health Center, Hoboken, NJ
  • April, 1981 "Milan Approach to Systemic Therapy", with Gian Franco Cecchin, M.D., Orthopsychiatric Institute, San Francisco, CA