Background
Serani was born in Bethpage, a suburb of Long Island in New New York
Serani was born in Bethpage, a suburb of Long Island in New New York
Upon her return, Serani directed her focus to the field of psychology and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Hofstra University in 1982.
She is an adjunct professor at Adelphi University. The oldest of three children, Serani experienced a debilitating depression as a teenager, attempting suicide at age nineteen. She took a medical leave of absence from college in order to recover.
Crediting psychotherapy as a life-saving experience for her, Serani obtained a Doctorate in Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1989, and a postdoctoral certificate in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy from the Derner Institute at Adelphi University in 2002.
Serani has spent the majority of her career using her personal experiences with depression to inform her clinical work and research. Serani has shared her personal and professional experiences with depression at the national conventions of the American Psychological Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness and The International Forum on Mood and Anxiety Disorders.
As a teenager Serani was treated for depression and cites it as the inspiration for her education and profession.