Mitchell Schare 
Professor of Psychology | Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY, UNITED STATES
Professor of Psychology and Director of the Phobia & Trauma Clinic
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Biography
Dr. Mitchell Schare, holds the rank of Professor of Psychology and directs Hofstra's Phobia & Trauma Clinic, a training and research facility staffed by PhD candidates in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Schare completed his doctorate in Clinical Psychology with specializations in anxiety disorders treatment, substance abuse behaviors, and sexual dysfunction therapy at the State University of New York Binghamton in 1985 following an internship at the Brown University Medical School Consortium in Providence, R.I.
He is a board certified behavior therapist by the American Board of Cognitive & Behavioral Psychology and the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a scientist-practitioner who has been with the university since 1986.
Dr. Schare is an expert in the areas of anxiety disorder treatment and addictions. Regarding anxiety disorders, Dr. Schare mentors doctoral students and researches in the specialty area of exposure therapy for the treatment of phobias and traumatic reactions such as PTSD. His exposure studies include imaginal, in-vivo, and the most technologically advanced computer assisted procedures of virtual reality exposure therapy. (See www.Hofstra.edu/phobia for more information on the Phobia & Trauma Clinic and a listing of associated research.) Additionally Dr. Schare maintains research involving the substances recognized as the most prevalent in our daily lives: nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. More specifically he is interested in the role of expectation in the initiation and maintenance of substance use, the use of motivational techniques to bring about cigarette use cessation and the interface between caffeine consumption and disordered eating patterns.
He has published more than 30 articles and chapters in scientific journals and books and has presented more than 125 professional papers and workshops both nationally and internationally, maintaining regular contacts with colleagues in Greece, Russia, Taiwan, Romania and India.
Industry Expertise (2)
Mental Health Care
Health and Wellness
Areas of Expertise (6)
Emotional Aftermath of Traumatic Events
Anxiety Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Psychology
Substance Abuse Disorders
Virtual Reality Exposure to treat PTSD, Fear of Flying, Public Speaking, and Other Phobias
Education (3)
SUNY Binghamton: PhD 1985
SUNY Binghamton: MA 1982
SUNY Stony Brook University: BA 1978
Affiliations (4)
- Association for Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies
- American Psychological Association
- New York State Psychological Association
- Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology
Links (1)
Media Appearances (8)
Coronavirus: Life in Isolation
WSHU radio
2020-03-17
Guidance from the CDC says to stay home and avoid public gatherings. That could spell tough times and hardship for people isolated at home. Dr. Schare and other experts discuss how residents will push through until restrictions are lifted,
Keeping Airport Anxiety in Check
Fios 1 News online
2019-01-16
Dr. Mitchell Schare, professor of psychology and director of the Phobia and Trauma Clinic at the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center, was interviewed by FIOS1 News about anxiety at the airport, which may have been amplified since TSA workers are among the government employees impacted by the federal government shutdown. Dr. Schare advises travelers to plan on delays and build extra time at the airport into their schedules to ease their stress.
How Shaq Used Exposure Therapy to Successfully Beat His Fear of Sharks
Inverse.com online
2018-07-30
Dr. Mitchell Schare, professor of psychology and director of the Phobia and Trauma Clinic at the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center, was interviewed by Inverse.com about how exposure therapy may have helped Shaquille O’Neal prepare for "Shaq Does Shark Week." The former NBA star admitted that he was fearful of entering shark-infested waters for his TV special.
Clinic At Hofstra University Helps Patients Overcome Fear Of Flying
WCBS-TV tv
2015-11-13
About 20 million Americans have a fear of flying, but a clinic at Hofstra University is using virtual reality to help people overcome those fears. The advanced computer system at Hofstra’s Phobia and Trauma Clinic immerses the phobic patient into real-life flying situations — an approach Dr. Mitchell Schare says has proven success.
Fear of flying meets virtual reality in new treatment
Newsday print
2015-04-01
Afraid of flying? It’s a very real thing for some people, especially when an air disaster is in the news. For those whose anxiety runs so high they can’t get themselves on a plane, even for a big family occasion or business trip, there is help. Hofstra University’s Phobia and Trauma Clinic has an advanced virtual reality computer system designed to immerse the phobic patient in real-life flying situations, from simply walking around the airport to getting on the plane, takeoff and landing, and even simulated turbulence.
Experts: How to Deal with the Newtown Tragedy
Newsday print
2012-12-18
Many parents preoccupied with helping their kids cope with the murders in Connecticut are simultaneously trying to deal with their own anxieties over the tragedy. Long Island experts are offering strategies for mothers and fathers grappling with fears for their children's safety in the wake of yet another mass shooting: Don't change your "normal." Have your children attend school, even if you want to keep them home. "If we avoid situations out of anxiety, it will get worse and worse," says Mitchell Schare, a Hofstra University professor of psychology who runs a phobia and trauma clinic there. "Your child needs to go to school and you need to go to work." If you give in to your anxiety now, you will become a slave to the new pattern, he says.
Sandy Will Affect Holiday Shopping
Newsday print
2012-11-15
Dr. Schare discussed the traumatic impact of Super Storm Sandy and how that might be reflected in the holiday retail season: "It's a tough time because there have been so many losses for people. Financially, it will be difficult for people and that will cause stress. "People who have lost should not put extra stress on themselves. They have lost houses and businesses, etc., and they should not feel obligated to have to buy something for everybody and put themselves in a position of greater financial need than they already are."
Flight Simulator Helps Cure Fear of Flying
WNBC-TV tv
2009-04-07
At Hofstra University’s virtual reality lab, a computer program that replicates the entire airport experience, the sights, the sounds and the fear, is now being used to help people who are afraid of flying. (Published Tuesday, Apr 7, 2009)
