CUCARD Staff and Affiliates

Anne Marie Albano, PhD, ABPP
CUCARD Founder

Anne Marie Albano is Professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University and Founder of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders and Clinical Site Director of New York Presbyterian Hospital's Youth Anxiety Center. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Albano is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, a Beck Institute Scholar, and is Board Certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. Dr. Albano received the Herbert Pardes Faculty Fellowship (2017-2020) at Columbia University Medical Center, was the recipient of the 2015 ABCT Award for Outstanding Contributions by an Individual for Clinical Activities, and in 2008 the Rosenberry Award for service to children, adolescents and families from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Dr. Albano is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, a Past President of the Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology of the American Psychological Association and also past-president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). She is past editor of Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, past Associate Editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and founding editor of the journal "Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health". She has published more than 200 articles and chapters and is the co-author of several cognitive behavioral treatment manuals and of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children, all published by Oxford University Press.

As a researcher, Dr. Albano served as a Principal Investigator of a 6-site, National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored study entitled "Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Treatment Study" (CAMS) and the Extended Long Term Follow Up of CAMS (CAMELS) and also was a PI for the Treatments for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Both trials examined the relative efficacy of CBT, medication, combination treatment, and pill placebo in youth. Her book with Leslie Pepper, Helping Your Anxious Child: Free Your Child from Fears and Worries and Create a Joyful Family Life, was a 2014 ABCT Self-Help Book Award winner and 2014 Self-Help Book Award winner from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. In 2015, a new ABCT award was established in Dr. Albano's name by a family to encourage the proliferation of evidence-based treatment, the Anne Marie Albano Early Career Award for Excellence in the Integration of Science and Practice.

Dr. Albano is on Twitter:  @AnneMarieAlbano

Clinic website: anxietytreatmentnyc.org

Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, MD
Division Director

Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, MD, is the Mortimer D. Sackler, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center; Director of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), and Columbia University; and Co-Director of both the NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship for Translational Research in Child Psychiatric Disorders and the Whitaker Scholar Program in Developmental Neuropsychiatry at NYSPI/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who uses molecular and translational neuroscience research tools in the pursuit of new treatments for autism spectrum disorder and pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. He trained in human molecular genetics in the laboratory of Edwin H. Cook at the University of Chicago. Following his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, he expanded his research experience with a postdoctoral research fellowship in molecular neuroscience with Randy Blakely and Jim Sutcliffe at Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia in 2014, Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele was director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, where he was also an associate professor and medical director for the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele's laboratory at Columbia University and NYSPI focuses on the serotonin and glutamate systems in genetic mouse models with abnormal social or repetitive/compulsive-like behavior. His clinical/translational research program at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Center for Autism and the Developing Brain studies potential treatments for autism spectrum disorder and related genetic syndromes. His long-term goal is to be able to develop novel approaches in the molecular laboratory that can then be tested in children. Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele's work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2017 Blanche Ittelson Award for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association. He is dedicated to helping train and develop the next generation of child psychiatrists and scientists who can generate improved understanding of childhood neuropsychiatric disorders and deliver new treatments to the clinic.

Laura Mufson, PhD
Division Associate Director

Laura Mufson, PhD, is a Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), associate director of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and co-director of the Office of Clinical Psychology at CUMC. She is also director of Clinical Psychology and unit chief of the Children's Day Unit at New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). She is director of Training for the Child Track of the APA-Accredited Predoctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology and a faculty member of the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry's NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.

Dr. Mufson is the developer of the adolescent adaptation of interpersonal psychotherapy for depression (IPT-A) and is the leading expert on its use with depressed adolescents. She is coauthor of the prevention model (IPT-AST) and the model for preadolescent depression (FB-IPT). She is the author of numerous publications on adolescent depression, temperament, psychopathology, and risk factors for psychopathology, as well as articles and book chapters on the treatment of adolescent depression and interpersonal psychotherapy. Dr. Mufson conducts training workshops on IPT-A throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Scandinavia.

Dr. Mufson's primary research interest is in the evaluation of the efficacy and effectiveness of empirically supported psychotherapies, as well as the identification of which treatments work best for whom. In addition, she is interested in the use of technology to change clinician behavior and improve adherence to effective treatment tools. She is a principal investigator, co-investigator, and/or consultant with colleagues on numerous grants studying adaptations of IPT-A to be delivered in schools, primary care clinics, and community clinics serving minority populations. Her areas of expertise include the evaluation of empirically supported intervention outcomes in clinical trials conducted in research and community settings, the implementation of treatments in the community, and models for training community clinicians in empirically supported psychotherapies. In addition, her studies have looked at the mediators and moderators of treatment response, including stress response measured by salivary cortisol levels, levels of interpersonal conflict, and comorbid disorders.

E. Blake Zakarin, PhD
Clinical Director, Manhattan

Dr. E. Blake Zakarin is an Assistant Professor of Psychology (in Psychiatry) within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University and Associate Clinical Director at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Dr. Zakarin graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Psychology and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Catholic University. She completed a pre-doctoral internship in Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where she went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship.

Dr. Zakarin specializes in cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety and related disorders. She serves as a senior clinician in the Launching Emerging Adults Program (LEAP), with expertise in working with young adults with anxiety and their families. Through her extensive training in multidisciplinary medical settings, Dr. Zakarin has also developed expertise and interest in evidence-based interventions for anxiety management and improved functioning in the context of sleep difficulties, somatic symptoms and medical presentations. She provides individual, group and family therapy, parent-training, and school consultations.

Dr. Zakarin has provided clinical services in a number of treatment facilities, including the Eating Disorders Research Unit at Columbia University Medical Center, the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Program and Sleep Medicine Clinic at Children's National Medical Center, the Kellar Center's Attention and Learning Disorders Service within the Inova Health System of Virginia, and the Psychiatric Institute of Washington.

Dr. Zakarin's research is focused on understanding and treating factors that contribute to anxiety and mood symptoms from a developmental psychopathology perspective, including examining the role of parenting, sleep-wake processes, eating behaviors, and chronic pain. She has given presentations related to this research at professional conferences, including the Society for Research on Child Development and the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Dr. Zakarin is also a member of several professional societies, including the American Psychological Association and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Sarah Frankel, PhD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Sarah Frankel, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology (in Psychiatry) within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University and a licensed clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD).

Dr. Frankel graduated magna cum laude with her B.A. from Amherst College, where she majored in psychology. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University and completed a predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Frankel also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the CARES Institute of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. She then went on to complete a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Frankel specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children, adolescents, and young adults coping with mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Frankel has particular expertise in treating individuals and families who have experienced trauma, and has trained with the developers of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). She also specializes in the treatment of depression in adolescents and young adults. Dr. Frankel provides individual and group therapy, and works closely with parents, providing interventions for supporting children's coping and managing behavioral challenges.

Dr. Frankel's research focuses on adapting cognitive behavioral interventions for children and adolescents based on their individual cognitive, social and emotional development. Her work has been published in journals such as the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology and Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. She has also presented at national conferences, such as the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Society for Research on Child Development.

Dr. Frankel is particularly passionate about training other clinicians to effectively use cognitive behavioral therapy with their clients. To this end, Dr. Frankel has provided trainings focused on using CBT in particular settings, including outpatient community mental health clinics, school-based services, and inpatient hospitals. In addition, she has provided supervision to clinicians at various stages of career development.

Lauren Hoffman, PsyD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Lauren Hoffman, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Hoffman received her B.A. with honors in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. Dr. Hoffman completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the NYU Child Study Center and Bellevue Hospital Center, where she worked in outpatient, emergency department, partial hospital, and inpatient settings.

Dr. Hoffman specializes in providing cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depressive disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. She also has clinical expertise in family and school-based interventions for youth with disruptive behavior disorders, as well as extensive clinical training in dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescent emotion dysregulation and nonsuicidal self-injury. Dr. Hoffman's research has examined parent-child agreement on treatment goals, the relationship between bullying and emotional distress, and the development of novel assessments and interventions for bullied youth. Her current research interests also include the use of novel technology, such as virtual reality, to improve access to care for youth and young adults with anxiety. Dr. Hoffman has presented her work at national conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Steve Mazza, PhD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Steve Mazza, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Mazza received his BS with honors in elementary education from Skidmore College. He received his MA in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Hofstra University. Dr. Mazza completed his predoctoral clinical internship at the NYU Child Study Center and Bellevue Hospital Center, where he worked in outpatient, inpatient, and emergency department settings. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at CUCARD, where he specialized in outpatient care for anxiety disorders from early childhood through emerging adulthood. Dr. Mazza is the developer and coordinator of the Anxiety & Behavioral Challenges (ABC) Early Childhood Program at CUCARD. The ABC program utilizes cutting-edge clinical science to improve parent-child interactions and reduce anxiety and oppositional behavior in early childhood.

Dr. Mazza has appeared on SiriusXM's "Doctor Radio" and has written articles published in Camping Magazine and the Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. He is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

Lily Schwartz, PhD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Lily Schwartz, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD). Dr. Schwartz received her B.A. in psychology from Northwestern University. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Schwartz completed a predoctoral internship at Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital where she worked with children and adolescents in outpatient, inpatient, and partial hospital settings. Dr. Schwartz also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwell Health-Zucker Hillside Hospital.

Dr. Schwartz specializes in cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, mood, and disruptive behavior disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. She has extensive clinical training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for adolescents with emotion dysregulation and nonsuicidal self-injury. Dr. Schwartz is also trained in other evidence-based treatments including Parent Management Training (PMT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She provides individual, group, and family therapy, parent-training, and school consultations.

Alyssa Bernstein, LMSW
Senior Clinician

Alyssa Bernstein, LMSW is a licensed social worker at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD). She received her BA in Sociology and Psychology as well as her Masters in Social Work at the University of Georgia. Alyssa was selected to for the Intellectual Capital Partnership Program where she completed her internship at the Central State Psychiatric Hospital in Milledgeville, GA. Alyssa has worked in a variety of community-based settings providing clinically informed and culturally relevant individual and group programming across New York City. Alyssa specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and related disorders. She has a specific interest in working with children, adolescents and their families through an evidence-based, culturally sensitive treatment approach.

Alyssa is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Rebeca Grossman, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Rebecca Grossman, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at CUCARD Manhattan. Dr. Grossman received her B.A. from Brandeis University and completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Miami. Prior to joining CUCARD, Dr. Grossman completed her APA-accredited predoctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Grossman specializes in behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and third-wave evidence-based treatments for children and adolescents. She is a certified therapist and trainer in the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents (UP-C and UP-A), an evidenced-based treatment for youth that can be flexibly adapted across a variety of disorders and symptoms, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trauma/stressor-related disorders. She is also certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and has experience treating disruptive behavior in children, as well as assessment and treatment of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Grossman's research has focused on decreasing barriers to evidence-based treatment through consumer-directed strategies that aim to increase caregivers' and teachers' understanding of emotional disorders and their treatment. She has worked in several school-based settings providing both direct services to children and consultation to teachers and teaching coaches. Dr. Grossman has presented at a variety of professional conferences and published chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals and books. She has also given a number of community presentations to parents and teachers.

Olenka S. Olesnycky, MS
Clinical Psychology Extern

Olenka S. Olesnycky, M.A. is a clinical psychology extern at CUCARD Manhattan. Olenka is currently a 3rd year doctoral student in Hofstra University's Clinical Psychology PhD Program, where she is receiving supervision and training in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of children to adults with the range of anxiety and mood disorders. Her clinical interests include utilizing evidence-based psychological treatments in child, adolescent and emerging adult populations with anxiety and mood disorders. Olenka's research focuses on the consumer side of dissemination and implementation, and is exploring how to increase treatment seeking behavior to ultimately increase access to and receipt of evidence based psychological treatment. Olenka received her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology during the first year of her PhD program in 2018. Prior to pursuing her doctoral training, Olenka worked as a research assistant at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. She received her B.S. from Northeastern University in 2016 where she majored in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Jessica Prizer, MS
Clinical Psychology Extern

Jessica Prizer, M.S., is a clinical psychology extern at CUCARD Manhattan. She received her BA with honors in psychology from Bucknell University and is currently a fourth-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at St. John's University. Jessica has received training in providing various evidence-based treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), organizational skills training (OST) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She has experience providing treatment to children, adolescents, and young adults with a range of anxiety, mood, and developmental disorders. Jessica has provided individual and group therapy in both clinical and school settings. She also has experience conducting comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults presenting with various mental health and learning disorders. Prior to attending graduate school, Jessica worked as a staff associate at the Child Mind Institute. Her doctoral research aims to examine teachers' understanding of mental health disorders and their role in the identification process in school-aged populations.

Devon Seelig, MA
Program Coordinator

Devon Seelig, MA, earned her BA in Psychology at the University of Vermont and completed her Master's degree in Psychology and Education with a concentration in Spirituality and Mind-Body Practices from Teacher's College, Columbia University. Currently, Devon is the Program Coordinator at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) in Manhattan. In this role, she oversees intake services and helps connect patients to the services that best fit their needs.

Previously, Devon worked as a graduate research assistant for a private practice specializing in the treatment of substance use disorders and compulsive behaviors. She was also the study evaluator for a research study that investigated the processes of psychological mindedness and mindfulness in depressed patients who have received cognitive behavioral therapy.

Alaina Feliciano
Medical Secretary

Alaina Feliciano is the Medical Secretary of Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety Related Disorders (CUCARD); overseeing day to day tasks in clinic services. Alaina has extensive experience in the medical clinics of Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) during the past three years. Prior to arriving, she was a receptionist at CUMC Radiology Department along with assisting multiple entities such as the Neurological Institute, CAPNA, and Endocrinology. Alaina received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology minoring in Childhood Education. She is passionate about providing efficient and attentive care services. Alaina runs CUCARD front office working closely with the Practice Managers.

Jacqueline Graham
Practice Manager

Jacqueline Graham is the practice manager at CUCARD Manhattan, overseeing the daily operations of the clinic. Prior to joining CUCARD, Jacqueline was the practice assistant to the chairman of otolaryngology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Jacqueline received her bachelor's degree in child and family development and has over fifteen years of experience in medical and billing fields. Jacqueline brings both knowledge and professionalism to her work and strives to provide excellent customer service.

Anthony Puliafico, PhD
CUCARD Westchester Director

Anthony Puliafico, Ph.D. is an associate professor of medical psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University. He serves director of CUCARD Westchester, and outpatient clinic in Tarrytown, NY specializing in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. Dr. Puliafico also directs CUCARD Westchester's Anxiety Day Program, which provides daily treatment programming for adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and school refusal. Dr. Puliafico is an expert in the assessment and cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety, mood, and externalizing disorders. His clinical work and research have focused on the treatment of pediatric OCD, school refusal, and adapting treatments for young children with anxiety.

Dr. Puliafico received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Temple University. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and regularly lectures on the treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders. Dr. Puliafico is the co-author of "The OCD Workbook for Kids" and is a co-developer of the CALM Program for young children with anxiety.

Adriana Rego, MD
Anxiety Day Program Medical Director

Dr. Adriana Rego is a board-certified child & adolescent and adult psychiatrist as well as a child, adolescent and adult psychoanalyst. She serves as the Medical Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders-Westchester Anxiety Day Program. She is an assistant professor of psychiatry in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and adjunct assistant professor at NYU Child Study Center. She is a staff psychiatrist at the New York Presbyterian School Based Health Center. On the undergraduate level, Dr. Rego lectures about gender identity development and sexuality in children and adolescents. Her clinical areas of special interest include anxiety, mood disorders and PTSD.

Rachel Ginsberg, PhD
CUCARD Westchester Asst. Director

Dr. Rachel Ginsberg serves as the Assistant Director at Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders - Westchester (CUCARD Westchester), and as the Assistant Quality Director of the Department of Psychiatry Faculty Practice Organization.

She is an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and specializes in the evaluation and treatment of adolescents and adults with mood, anxiety, and related disorders. She graduated with her Ph.D. from Hofstra University, and completed her predoctoral internship at North-Shore LIJ Medical Center (Northwell Health). She worked as an extern in research and clinical positions at NYSPI, within the Pediatric Anxiety and Mood Research Clinic (PAMRC), and the Columbia University/NYSPI Anxiety Disorders Clinic, where she conducted diagnostic assessments and specialized in providing treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders.

Dr. Ginsberg has expertise in working with women with perinatal issues (such as postpartum anxiety, OCD, and depression), and continues to specialize in women's health. She is trained in Gottman Method couples therapy and has additional background in providing treatment for first-episode mental illness in young adults. Dr. Ginsberg implements evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and has worked in a variety of settings, including pediatric and adult clinics, as well as partial hospital and inpatient hospital settings. Her research interests include finding novel and creative ways to maximize treatment for anxiety and depressive disorders.

Nicholas Crimarco, PhD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Nicholas Crimarco, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University. He also serves as the Training Director and a staff psychologist in the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety Related Disorders (CUCARD) Westchester. Dr. Crimarco specializes in the assessment and cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety, mood and disruptive behavior disorders across the lifespan. His research interests include the treatment and characterization of obsessive-compulsive disorder and the effects of head injury on athletes. Dr. Crimarco's dissertation was an investigation of the relationship between subconcussive head trauma and neurocognitive functioning for NCAA Division I athletes.

Dr. Crimarco received his B.A. in psychology and his M.S. in mental health counseling with distinction from Pace University. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Hofstra University. His clinical psychology internship was completed at the University of Michigan where he served as a clinician at the Mary A. Rackham Institute Psychological Clinic and the University Center for the Child and Family. Dr. Crimarco completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Northwell Health Behavioral Health College Partnership. He is certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) by PCIT international and has received specialized training in several empirically supported treatments including: Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD (EX/RP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Parent Training, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Interpersonal and Social Rhythms Therapy (IPSRT).

Allison Winik, PhD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Allison Winik, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University. She serves as a licensed clinical psychologist at CUCARD Westchester. Dr. Winik received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and completed a predoctoral internship at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. Dr. Winik also completed an APA-Accredited post-doctoral fellowship at Northwell Health/Zucker Hillside Hospital, during which she treated children, adolescents, and young adults across outpatient, inpatient, and partial hospital settings. Dr. Winik specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, mood, and disruptive behavior disorders in children, adolescents and young adults. She is certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and is trained in numerous evidence-based treatments, including exposure and response prevention (EX/RP), Parent Management Training (PMT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Courtney DeAngelis, PsyD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Courtney DeAngelis, Psy.D. received her doctorate in clinical psychology from La Salle University. Her dissertation developed and piloted a psychoeducational group workshop targeting sport performance anxiety, and explored youth athletes' satisfaction with the group. Dr. DeAngelis completed her predoctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and her postdoctoral fellowship at CUCARD-Westchester. She is currently an Instructor of Psychology (in Psychiatry) within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University. She serves as a licensed clinical psychologist at CUCARD- Westchester.

Dr. DeAngelis specializes in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety and related disorders, OCD, disruptive behavior, posttraumatic stress, and school refusal. Dr. DeAngelis has trained within a variety of settings, including a private college preparatory school, an outpatient clinic within a children's hospital, a private practice, an academic medical center, and several community mental health clinics. Across these contexts, she has gained extensive experience collaborating and consulting with schools, other disciplines, and outside professionals to address children's emotional and behavioral issues. She has also provided supervision to doctoral students at various stages of their training. Throughout her career, Dr. DeAngelis has received specialized training in the provision of evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (EX/RP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). Dr. DeAngelis has more recently received specialized training in the treatment of complicated grief. She is accepting patients of all ages who may be experiencing traumatic stress and/or grief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anna Allman, PhD
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Anna Allmann, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology (in Psychiatry) within the division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University and a licensed psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD).

Dr. Allmann graduated summa cum laude with her BA from the University of Missouri, where she majored in psychology. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Stony Brook University with a particular interest in the development, trajectory, and effective treatment of anxiety and mood disorders over the lifespan. She completed a predoctoral internship at the Northport Veteran's Affairs Medical Center followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School's OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents, where she developed expertise working with treatment refractory OCD, PTSD, and related disorders. As an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Stony Brook University, she continued to specialize in treating OCD and its common co-occurring disorders in children, adolescents, and adults.

Dr. Allmann utilizes evidence based treatments such as exposure and response prevention (ERP), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). She also has a passion for supervising other clinicians, psychology trainees, and medical residents, and has provided various trainings to that end. Her research interests include the reciprocal relationships and interactions between parents and children, specifically how child psychopathology and temperament impact, and are impacted by parenting and parental traits. She is also interested in possible mediators of these relationships including parental marital functioning, early childhood adversity and stress, and life events. Her publications appear in peer reviewed journals and psychology texts.

Ellis Marksohn, LMSW
Staff Social Worker

Ellis Marksohn, LMSW, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatric Social Work within the division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University. He serves as a staff clinician at Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) - Westchester. He specializes in providing treatment for disruptive behaviors and anxiety disorders with children, adolescents, and families. Ellis strives to combine data-driven approaches with an emphasis on a warm relationship and his passion for creativity. He has trained in a variety of settings, including hospitals, therapeutic schools, residential treatment facilities, private practices, and trauma-informed foster homes. Within these differing environments, Ellis has gained experience collaborating with schools, state systems, and across disciplines to address the social and emotional needs of children. Ellis also interned at NYSPI's Children's Day Unit (CDU), where he administered a pilot intervention for parents of children with OCD and school refusal behavior. He has specialized training in several evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (ITP-A), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Ellis received his MSW (with honors) from New York University's Silver School of Social Work and his BFA (with honors) from Rhode Island School of Design.

Alyssa Ames-Sikora, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Alyssa Ames-Sikora, PhD, is a clinical postdoctoral fellow at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) - Westchester. She received her BA in psychology from Rutgers University, received her MA and PhD degrees in clinical psychology from Georgia State University, and completed her predoctoral internship at Children's National Medical Center. Dr. Ames-Sikora specializes in the assessment and treatment of internalizing disorders that affect youth and their families, as well as providing evidence-based assessment and interventions for other concerns, including autism spectrum disorder, adherence to medical regimens, coping with chronic illness, adjustment to new diagnoses, and behavioral challenges. Her research interests have centered on the effects of parental psychopathology, parent-child communication, emotion flexibility, emotion socialization, and the quality of interpersonal relationships. Dr. Ames-Sikora's dissertation investigated the effect of maternal depression on the flexibility of her emotionally expressive behaviors during interactions with her school-aged child.

Maria Rozon, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Maria Rozon, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD)-Westchester where she provides therapy for anxiety and related disorders, OCD, school refusal/avoidance, as well as mood and disruptive behavior disorders.

Dr. Rozon graduated summa cum laude with her BA from Queens College, where she majored in psychology. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a particular interest in the development, assessment, and effective treatment of child psychopathology. She completed several clinical practica throughout her training. She worked at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's Payne Whitney Clinic, providing evidence-based therapy to children and adolescents with anxiety, mood, and/or behavioral disorders and received specialized training in the behavioral treatment of tic disorders. She also trained in the adolescent inpatient unit at Northwell Health - Zucker Hillside Hospital providing dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to high-risk adolescents and their families. She completed a predoctoral internship at Mount Sinai - Elmhurst Hospital, treating economically disadvantaged and highly stressed pediatric populations across various levels of care, including outpatient, inpatient, and partial hospitalization, and provided short-term cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in a primary care setting.

Dr. Rozon specializes in cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, mood, and disruptive behavior disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. She is trained in numerous evidence-based treatments, including Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP), Parent Management Training (PMT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT).

Martin Florimon, MA
Clinical Psychology Extern

Martin Florimon, M.A., is a clinical psychology extern at CUCARD Westchester. He received a BA in psychology from College of the Holy Cross and a MA in mental health counseling and behavioral medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. He is currently a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Fairleigh Dickinson University's Clinical Psychology PhD Program and has received extensive training in cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy. Martin has experience providing individual and group therapy to children, adolescents, and adults in schools as well as community health clinics. He also has experience providing comprehensive psychodiagnostic assessments on a psychiatric inpatient unit to children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of clinical presentations. Martin's doctoral research focuses on examining drinking motivation and its relationship with alcohol related problems with a specific focus on trait impulsivity.

Juliet Schwarz, MS
Clinical Psychology Extern

Juliet Schwarz, M.S., is a clinical psychology extern at Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD)-Westchester. She received her B.A. in psychology and elementary education from Middlebury College and is currently a third-year graduate student at Yeshiva University Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology's Combined Clinical Child-School Psychology PsyD program. Through her previous training experiences, Juliet has provided individual and group therapy, conducted psychoeducational evaluations and received training and supervision on the implementation of evidence-based interventions including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for a range of anxiety and mood disorders. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked as a Staff Associate at the Child Mind Institute where she was trained in a Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) adaptation for Selective Mutism.

Diane Leach
Practice Manager

Diane Leach is the Practice Manager at CUCARD Westchester. Diane oversees all day-to-day and fiscal operations for CUCARD Westchester previously worked as the Administrative Coordinator for the Vice Chair of Clinical Services in Columbia's Department of Psychiatry. Before joining the Columbia team, Diane worked as the Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health. Diane brings her knowledge, efficiency and professionalism to the CUCARD Westchester with the goal of providing excellent customer service to all.

Debora Macarchuk, MPS
Anxiety Day Program Teacher

Debora Macarchuk, MPS, earned her BA in Marketing/Management from Siena College and completed her Masters in Elementary and Special Education from Manhattanville College. Currently, Debora is a teacher at The Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD) in Tarrytown, NY. As a member of the CUCARD team, Debora is responsible for providing academic support and serving as the liaison between CUCARD and the patient's school district. Debora collaborates with clinicians, guidance counselors, and parents to provide a team approach to supporting the patients in an academic setting.

Previously, Debora has worked for a non-profit human service agency and several school districts in both Westchester and Putnam County. In her role as both a general education teacher and special education teacher, she supported a wide range of students in multiple classroom settings including the Co-Teach Model, Resource Room, and Self-Contained Class. Debora also worked for MCI Telecommunications before making a career change to Education.