James Venza, Ph.D.
Associate Executive Director
The Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children

.Dr. James Venza serves as the associate executive director of The Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children. Dr. Venza combines both his leadership and clinical expertise in the role of assisting the executive director with strategic planning, policy development and implementation of the Lourie Center's operations, programs and initiatives.

Dr. Venza joined the Lourie Center in 2003 to complete his postdoctoral training in the Therapeutic Nursery and Parent-Child Clinical Services programs. In 2004, Dr. Venza became director of the Therapeutic Nursery Program (TNP), a mental health and early childhood education program that provides integrated educational and therapeutic support for preschool children exhibiting emotional and behavioral disturbances. Dr. Venza has extensive experience and training with children, adolescents and families from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic populations, often dealing with trauma, abuse, crisis management and a wide range of mental health issues. Dr. Venza has presented at local and national conferences on topics such as attachment theory, child placement consultation, social-emotional development of children and families and therapeutic interventions for social, emotional, and behavioral disturbances in children.

Dr. Venza earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and history from the University of Notre Dame, and a doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Long Island University's Brooklyn campus.