Halper IRA S MD

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Ira S. Halper, M.D. is a Board certified psychiatrist who specializes in both cognitive therapy and psychopharmacology.

Dr. Halper received his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.D. from Northwestern University Medical School. After an internship at Michael Reese Hospital, his psychiatric residency was at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Following his residency, Dr. Halper joined the faculty of the University of Illinois and became the Assistant Director of its Psychiatry Clinic.

After several years Dr. Halper moved to Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center to become the psychiatric consultant to its Chronic Hemodialysis Program and to expand his private practice. There he had extensive clinical experience in the field of psychosomatic medicine. When Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center reactivated Rush Medical College, Dr. Halper joined its faculty. He currently is a Senior Attending Psychiatrist and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center, the new name for Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. Dr. Halper's contributions to the Department of Psychiatry at Rush include serving as its Director of Continuing Medical Education and coordinating its quality assurance activities.

After more than a decade of practicing general psychiatry, Dr. Halper established the Cognitive Therapy Center in the Department of Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center to offer the model of cognitive therapy developed by Aaron T. Beck, M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania for the treatment of depression. Subsequently, Dr. Halper added additional cognitive behavioral protocols to meet the needs of patients suffering from anxiety disorders and other disorders. Dr. Halper has had more than 25 years of experience in the use of cognitive and behavioral therapies and was a pioneer in the combined use of cognitive therapy and pharmacologic treatment.

Dr. Halper's wide interests include the effect of religious ideas and values on psychological functioning. His membership in professional societies includes the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Dr. Halper is a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a certified member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

The treatments offered by Dr. Halper and the Cognitive Therapy Center include cognitive therapy, psychopharmacology, behavior therapy, and marital therapy. The disorders treated by Dr. Halper and the Cognitive Therapy Center include depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, trichotillomania and skin picking.