Sandra Serrano, LCSW-R, BCD

Sandra Serrano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credentialed in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with over 26 years of experience in the field of social work and mental health. She currently serves as the Social Work Department Chair for the City School District of the City of White Plains, where she leads monthly departmental meetings, develops professional training initiatives, and partners with the Psychology Department to design collaborative workshops for staff. Alongside this leadership role, she continues to work directly with students as a School Social Worker within an alternative high school setting, providing both individual and group counseling to adolescents while guiding families through special education and 504 processes. Ms. Serrano earned her Master of Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University in 2000 and is currently furthering her expertise through a Doctor of Social Work program at Simmons University, with completion expected in 2028. For over two decades, she also built and led Innovative Counseling PLLC, a private clinical practice serving adolescents, adults, and families across Westchester County, drawing on an integrative approach that blends psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, family systems work, and dialectical behavior therapy. Her passion for the profession extends into academia as well, having served as an adjunct professor at both Fordham University's School of Social Work and Westchester Community College, where she mentored the next generation of social work and human services students. Beyond her clinical and educational work, Ms. Serrano is deeply engaged in her community, having been honored with a mayoral proclamation from the City of Peekskill for more than 20 years of dedicated service. She holds active memberships with the American Board of Clinical Social Workers and the National Association of Social Workers, and remains involved in volunteer and philanthropic efforts through her longstanding affiliation with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Guided by a philosophy centered on empathy, advocacy, and empowerment, Ms. Serrano's career reflects a sustained commitment to helping individuals and families navigate life's challenges with dignity and resilience.