Laura Oliff, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Training (Ph.D., New School for Social Research) has over eighteen years of clinical experience with individuals, couples and families focused on the treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, marital conflict, and women's issues. She has also worked extensively with children and families. Her research has focused on women's self-esteem, assertion, rejection-sensitivity and over compliance. Dr. Oliff has additional experience in child and adolescent assessment.  She has conducted staff-training workshops on Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and has appeared as a panelist on eating disorders and body image issues for Metro-Learning Center TV.  She is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

Dennis D. Tirch PhD, Director of Education, (PhD, Fairleigh Dickinson University). Throughout his clinical experience, Dr. Tirch has specialized in the treatment of depression, mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, addictions, stress management, and relationship problems. His internship and post-doctoral residency took place at the Veterans' Affairs Medical Center in Bedford, MA., where he served as the Assistant Director of the Bedford Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Center, co-authored articles based on research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, and developed the “Continual Awareness” mindfulness-meditation based group therapy for trauma survivors. He has co-authored several journal articles and book chapters concerning CBT principles, and has presented research in the USA and Europe. As an educator, Dr. Tirch serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor and Clinical Supervisor at Albert Einstein Medical School, an instructor to psychiatric residents at New York Medical College, and regularly conducts CBT training seminars for healthcare professionals. He has also delivered a week long intensive training in CBT to psychiatrists at the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center in China. Dr. Tirch is currently co-authoring a book on emotion regulation, involving his research interest in the integration of CBT with various meditation techniques. Dr. Tirch is a NY State licensed psychologist, Certified Cognitive Therapist and Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Though primarily based at AICT in Manhattan, Dr. Tirch also operates a cognitive psychotherapy practice in Monroe, New York in Orange County which can be found at www.newyorkcognitivetherapy.com

Lisa A. Napolitano, J.D., Ph.D., Director of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program, graduated from Barnard College and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at Fordham University.  Prior to entering the field of psychology she graduated cum laude from the Cardozo School of law, and worked as an attorney in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. Dr. Napolitano completed a pre-doctoral internship at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Center, and a post-doctoral fellowship at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy (AICT). She is certified in cognitive therapy and intensively trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Dr. Napolitano has extensive clinical experience with the treatment of emotion regulation problems, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and relationship issues. She is actively involved in the training and supervision of professionals in cognitive therapy. Dr. Napolitano is an Adjunct Clinical Instructor and Clinical Supervisor at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, and Co-Director of CBT in China for the Beijing Suicide Prevention Project. Her primary clinical and research interest concerns the relationship of personality to thinking styles. Her research has been presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy. Dr. Napolitano is currently co-authoring a book on emotion regulation. Dr. Napolitano is a fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

Danielle A. Kaplan, Ph.D., Senior Supervising Clinician, (B.A. Cornell University, M.A., Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was the recipient of the Pogue University Fellowship and the Martin S. Wallach Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology.  She has taught cognitive-behavioral therapy at Northwestern University and the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University.  In addition, Dr. Kaplan has presented numerous workshops and trainings on CBT in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Peru.  Dr. Kaplan’s areas of interest include depression, anxiety, relationship issues, family violence, immigration and acculturation, and gender issues.  She is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and was previously the director of the DBT group program at Illinois Masonic Behavioral Health Center in Chicago.  Currently, Dr. Kaplan is the director of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy training at Bellevue Hospital.  She is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is a Medicare provider for the New York City region.

Rene D. Zweig, Ph.D. (B.A., University of Michigan; Ph.D., Rutgers University) is the Director of the Eating Disorders and Weight Management Program . She completed a pre-doctoral internship at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Zweig is a Certified Cognitive Therapist with specialized training in the treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image, relationship difficulties, and substance abuse. She developed the Keep It Off! weight management group incorporating cognitive, behavioral, acceptance, and emotion regulation techniques. Dr. Zweig presented and received awards for her research at the meetings of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy and the Research Society on Alcoholism. She co-authored a chapter in Treating Substance Abuse: Theory and Technique (Second Edition), and she is currently co-authoring a book on eating disorders. Dr. Zweig has given clinician training workshops at the Institute and invited presentations at the Mt Sinai School of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital, Yale University, and Oxford University. Dr. Zweig has been interviewed extensively for her expertise in cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Articles Featuring Dr. Rene Zweig

• Motivation Central: The New Success Story - Fitness Magazine
• You Can Do It! - Fitness Magazine
• Losing Weight: The Mind Game - O, the Oprah Magazine
• Mind Over Fatter - Women's Health
• FDA Study Puts Wrinkle in Botox - The New York Sun
• Panic Stations: I Thought I Would Die - The UK Telegraph
• Scary Skinny: The Dark Side of Childhood Fame - Good Morning America
• The Great Weight - Fitness Magazine
• Health Expert Q&A Column - LifetimeTV.com
  • Q&A 1: Sweet Relief?
  • Q&A 2: At a Loss
  • Q&A 3: Hit Snooze
  • Q&A 4: Trying to Conceive

Shireen Rizvi, Ph.D., Clinician, received her B.A. from Wesleyan University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Washington, under the mentorship of Dr. Marsha Linehan. She completed her predoctoral clinical internship and NIMH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD at the Boston VA Healthcare System. She is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research. At the New School, Dr. Rizvi teaches on evidence based treatments, clinical psychology, research methods, and abnormal psychology. In addition, Dr. Rizvi is a trainer in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with Behavioral Tech, LLC and provides trainings and workshops nationally and internationally. Dr. Rizvi has written and presented numerous theoretical and research papers on borderline personality disorder, DBT, and trauma. Her areas of research and clinical expertise include borderline personality disorder, the emotion of shame, treatment development for complex problems, trauma, and assessment and treatment of suicidal behaviors. Dr. Rizvi specializes in the treatment of emotion regulation problems, including borderline personality disorder, suicidal and self-harm behaviors, depression, and trauma-related problems.

Courtney Rennicke, Ph.D, Senior Staff Clinician, received her B.S. from Cornell University with a major in Human Development and Family Studies with Honors for her on-site research of the emotional and systemic impact of trauma on an intensive care burn unit. Dr. Rennicke completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. Her dissertation, part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation, focused on the search for meaning of the events of September 11th among adults who were in or around The World Trade Center and its impact on their well-being. Dr. Rennicke also completed her pre-doctoral internship at Columbia University Medical Center. She has worked with children, adolescents, families, and adults with experience in treating depressive, bipolar, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and personality disorders, as well as mental health issues secondary to medical conditions. Dr. Rennicke is trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and emotion-focused therapy. She has co-authored professional articles on trauma and resiliency during her doctoral program, as well as on bipolar disorder and creativity during her research assistantship at the Bipolar Disorders Clinic at Stanford University. This latter work was also presented at the annual conference of the American Psychiatric Association.

David Fazzari, Ph.D., Clinician, received his B.A. with honors from Boston University and his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. After graduating from Boston University, he developed clinical treatment plans, engaged in individual counseling, and facilitated crisis intervention with adults affected by severe and persistent mental illness, drug addiction, and homelessness. Mr. Fazzari has also served as a residential counselor with severely emotionally disturbed children and assisted in maintaining a therapeutic milieu for the residents. In addition, Mr. Fazzari has contributed to research at the University of California, Berkeley. There, he examined the relationship between the perception of emotion and ethnicity and its manifestations in human physiology. Currently he is conducting research at Columbia University where he is investigating the effect of social support, disclosure, and relationship-attachment patterns on coping ability among World Trade Center survivors. During his training at Columbia, he was a clinician at the Center for Educational and Psychological Services where he was trained in both cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic approaches to individual psychotherapy. In addition, he was the Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy from 2002-2003, the Assistant Editor for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Book Reviews from 2005-2006, and was on the editorial board of the Graduate Student Journal of Psychology from 2003-2004. He served as the assistant to the president of the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy from 2003 to 2006 and was a clinician at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy from 2004 to 2006. As a clinician, he received advanced training in cognitive behavior therapy for mood, anxiety, and personality disorders. Mr. Fazzari completed his internship at Weill Cornell Medical Center, Payne Whitney Clinic in June of 2007. At Payne Whitney, Mr. Fazzari obtained further training in cognitive therapy at the Cornell Cognitive Therapy Clinic. In addition, he completed rotations in the psychiatric emergency room, the Personality Disorders Institute, and the adolescent DBT program.

Sharon Cohan, Ph.D., Clinician, graduated cum laude from Vassar College with a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies, and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. from the San Diego State University/University of California – San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Cohan received specialty training at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders prior to completing a pre-doctoral internship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Montefiore Medical Center, where she is currently a member of the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Her research and clinical training focused on empirically supported treatments for anxiety, traumatic stress, and related conditions. She has extensive training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy with children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Cohan has also published widely and she is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Virgnia A. Roswell Student Dissertation Award and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America Career Development Travel Award, which she received for her innovative research in the area of selective mutism. Dr. Cohan is active in several professional associations, including the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and Division 12 of the American Psychological Association. She is currently co-authoring papers on the treatment of selective mutism and cross-cultural applications of exposure treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Jenny Taitz, M.A., Clinician, graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University where she earned departmental Honor's in psychology for her research on altruism. Ms. Taitz is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Yeshiva University's Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Ms. Taitz served as a clinician at Bellevue Hospital treating inpatients in a program for mentally ill, substance abusing, homeless men. In addition to seeing patients individually, she has experience co-leading psychosocial groups including Anger and Feelings Management and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Ms. Taitz completed an externship at Metropolitan Correctional Center where she performed forensic evaluations for the Federal Court. In addition, Ms. Taitz is gaining advanced training in neuropsychological assessment at Columbia Presbyterian with Dr. Wilfred van Gorp, past president of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. Currently, she is conducting research with Dr. Tirch on the efficacy of a brief mindfulness intervention in a population of women who have recently had abortions. Ms. Taitz's clinical interests include anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, eating disorders, substance abuse, and relationship enhancement. Ms. Taitz is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
 

Megan Schaffer, M.A., Clinician, received her B.A. Summa Cum Laude from The College of William and Mary and has received an M.A. from John Jay College. She is completing a doctoral degree in Forensic Clinical Psychology at John Jay College/The Graduate Centre, CUNY. Ms. Schaffer has received training in cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She has served as an individual therapist and a skills group leader. Her research interests include high-lethality suicidal behavior, aggression, and depression. Ms. Schaffer currently teaches at John Jay College and is a registered yoga teacher.

Helen Butleroff Leahy, RD, CDN, offers nutrition counseling specializing in weight management, eating disorders, menopause, gerontology, and medical conditions requiring nutritional intervention for both Adults and children.

Credentials: Registered Dietitian by The Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the American Dietetic Association, graduated NY Presbyterian Hospitals of Cornell/Columbia dietetic internship, DPD verification from New York University Graduate school, two years employment at Mary Manning Walsh Rehabilitation/ Nursing Home as a dietitian and nutrition educator at five NYC public schools. Winner of the NYS Certificate of Achievement award from the NYC  Department of Health for her nutrition program targeting inner city school children. Click Here to visit her Website

Last year (2006) Ms. Butleroff-Leahy gave a nutrition presentation at the Council of State Governments Health Forum on Obesity for State Legislators and State Policymakers in Memphis, Tennessee sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In addition she spoke at The NYC Transit Wellness Event on "Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Prevention measures against diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease" in NYC. This year, Ms. Butleroff-Leahy gave three lectures on diabetes, weight loss and heart healthy diets for the outpatient Psychiatric Clinic of Cornell Hospital. Ms. Butleroff-Leahy presented at the United Nations Health-Fair at which she received a commendation. In addition, she presented at The Harlem Obesity Summit and five prominent NYC law firms. Her not-for-profit foundation, "The Nutrition and Fitness Education Initiative", has now reached over 1400 inner city public school children. In August of this year Ms. Butleroff-Leahy appeared on WCBS-TV presenting nutritional advice for pre-, during- and post-game athletic events, and in addition, nutritional tips for children during physical activity. She also will be featured in an article on Type-2 diabetes in the NY Post this September, and will be doing nutrition seminars at Byran Cave (Mayor Koch’s law firm).

• Nutrition Myths and Nutrition Tips by Ms. Helen Butleroff-Leahy
   

Poonam Melwani, B.A., Research Assistant