HANOVER — Dr. Peter DeNigris has received the Distinguished Alumni Award in Clinical Psychology from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. Dr. DeNigris is a 1995 graduate of Whippany Park High School.
The award was presented on Saturday, October 4, during the graduate school’s 50th Anniversary Gala held at The Heldrich in New Brunswick.
Dr. DeNigris earned his Doctor of Psychology degree in Clinical Psychology in 2004 from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. He is the co-founder and co-owner of Somerset Psychological Group, a group private practice located in Martinsville. His general practice includes the evaluation and treatment of adolescents and adults.
Many of Dr. DeNigris’ clinical experiences involve working with adolescents and adults who have experienced trauma. His research includes developing and implementing a model for treating adolescents affected by trauma who were resistant to traditional modes of psychotherapy. The model, called “Community-Based Intervention for Trauma-Affected Adolescents,” was applied to adolescents who were directly affected by the terrorism at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Dr. DeNigris also worked for 12 years in the Emergency Trauma Department at Morristown Medical Center, where he remains active in traumatic response work.
Dr. DeNigris is a member of the medical staff at Morristown Medical Center. He has taught at the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and at Drew University, and he has supervised numerous students at Rutgers. In 2017, he received the Outstanding Clinic Supervisor Award from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
In 2021, Dr. DeNigris was elected president-elect of the New Jersey Psychological Association and began his term as president in 2022. He was named Psychologist of the Year in 2023 by the New Jersey Psychological Association. On July 1, Dr. DeNigris began his term on the Rutgers University Board of Trustees.
