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Justina Dillon, PhD
Justina Dillon is a clinical psychologist specializing in evidence-based treatment for addiction, trauma, and eating disorders. She obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, and has provided psychotherapy to adults, adolescents, and children in inpatient, outpatient, and intensive day program settings as well as in schools and community clinics. In her clinical practice, she draws from psychodynamic psychotherapy, mindfulness techniques, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Her research interests include trauma narrativization and intergenerational transmission of historical trauma, with a focus on Stalinist deportations to Siberia and the Arctic.
Jocelyn Fraum, PsyD
Dr. Jocelyn Fraum is a clinical psychologist committed to evidence-based practice with advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She provides present-focused, collaborative, and research-based treatment for adults, adolescents, couples, and families. Dr. Fraum has provided individual and group therapy in diverse settings ranging from a residential addiction program for veterans, a psychiatric hospital, and a college counseling center. She subsequently completed her predoctoral internship at the CMC. Dr. Fraum helps clients monitor and alter a wide range of compulsive behavior, including substance abuse, binge eating, gambling, and compulsive sex by learning to track behavior closely, learn patterns, and develop coping strategies. She also teaches mindfulness strategies, helping clients become aware of their thoughts and feelings which precede destructive behavior. Dr. Fraum employs CRAFT, DBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Relapse Prevention, and CBT for Insomnia and co-leads groups in CMC’s Intensive Outpatient program.
Rachel Proujansky, PsyD
Dr. Proujansky is a clinical psychologist with comprehensive training in and dedication to using empirically supported treatments. Her approach draws from her experience in implementing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches. Dr. Proujansky is also trained in Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD. She also served as a therapist on an NIH-funded study examining the use of LGB-affirmative CBT for substance use and compulsive sexual behavior in sexual minority men. Dr. Proujansky completed her internship at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West Hospitals, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in DBT with adolescents, adults, and family members at the Center for Cognitive and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, where she worked with adolescents and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, emotion dysregulation, and addictive and compulsive behaviors.
Marc Shuldiner, PsyD
Dr. Shuldiner is a clinical psychologist committed to the use of empirically supported interventions. He utilizes an integrative approach, drawing from his experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, family systems, and insight-oriented approaches. Dr. Shuldiner received specialized training in Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and CBT for Social Anxiety and Selective Mutism at the Child Mind Institute. He completed his pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at Nassau University Medical Center, where he worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Sharon Chien, PsyD
Sharon Chien, PsyD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) in Manhattan. Dr. Chien has used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to understand and treat patients at inpatient, partial hospitalization, outpatient, and integrated health care facilities. Prior to joining CMC, Dr. Chien assessed and treated children and adults at Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, Hartgrove Hospital, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Services, and Pillars at Community Nurse. Her research interests include better understanding how individuals interpret and respond to their environments, as well as how these perceptions impact goal-oriented behaviors.
Leslie Daly, PhD
Leslie Daly is a clinical psychologist with training in psychodynamic psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. She has a background in creative arts therapy and has taught yoga and mindfulness for over 15 years. She has worked in addiction treatment at Bellevue Hospital Center and in psychiatry at NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell, trained at Beth Israel Hospital, Gouverneur Hospital, and The Institute for Psychoanalytic Therapy and Research (IPTAR), and completed her pre-doctoral internship at Kings County Hospital Center. Her research interests include the impact of yoga, mindfulness, and body awareness on emotion regulation and well being.
Rebecca Barber, PhD
Dr. Barber is a clinical psychologist who received advanced training in substance use disorders at the Addiction Institute of New York. Dr. Barber also has specialized training in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Barber has experience working in the inpatient milieu and outpatient services and has worked extensively with individuals, couples and families. Her work integrates aspects of CBT, psychodynamic techniques and contemplative psychotherapy.
Kelly Bertand, PhD
Dr. Bertrand specializes in the treatment of trauma, addiction, mood and anxiety disorders. She has worked at Bellevue Hospital with patients in acute crisis and also in the intensive outpatient program for the treatment of personality disorders. Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Bertrand worked at the Manhattan VA Medical Center with veterans diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related conditions. She is a supervising psychologist at the Psychological Service Center at Long Island University and faculty at the International Masterson Institute. In addition to her work at CMC, Dr. Bertrand is a registered provider for Give an Hour, a non-profit organization that provides free mental health services to U.S. military personnel affected by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Debaki Chakrabarti, PhD
Dr. Chakrabarti is a clinical psychologist with a background in various modalities of therapy including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, relational psychodynamic therapy, and Structural Family Therapy. Dr. Chakrabarti has conducted therapy with diverse populations and has integrated mindfulness and motivational techniques in both English and Bengali. Dr. Chakrabarti received her internship training at the Center for Motivation and Change and had previously externed at Gouverneur Hospital, The Addiction Institute of New York, and the Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services. At CMC, she currently conducts individual therapy, CRAFT, and co-leads several groups.
Julie Jarvis, PhD
Dr. Julie Jarvis is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing for nearly 20 years in the treatment of addictions and related mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Jarvis obtained her PhD in clinical psychology from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, and went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in Addictions Psychology from Mt Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Jarvis has worked in a variety of treatment settings, including outpatient, intensive outpatient, and long term residential care with both adults and adolescents, self-referred and mandated. She has extensive training and experience working with individuals, families and groups using evidenced based models of treatment including Relapse Prevention/Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and CRAFT.
Kathryn (K.C.) Conely, PhD
Dr. Conley is a psychologist whose work is informed by cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic perspectives. Dr. Conley’s predoctoral internship at the VA New Jersey Health Care System provided her with specialized training through the Substance Abuse Outpatient program. She also completed rotations in psychological assessment, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Outpatient Program, and geropsychology. As a postdoctoral fellow at Pace University’s Counseling Center, Dr. Conley offered individual psychotherapy and co-led a group for students with concerns about the substance use of loved ones and an interpersonal process group. Some of her previous experience includes working motivationally with adolescents to achieve their weight loss goals, with college students to change their substance use behaviors, and work with college student-athletes. Additionally, Dr. Conley has experience as a clinician in clinical trials of medications intended for the treatment of various substance use problems. She served as an adjunct instructor for an upper-level undergraduate course on stress and coping at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Conley earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Emory University, her master’s degree in psychology from Teachers College Columbia University, and her doctorate in psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Siobhan Donnelly, PsyD
Dr. Donnelly is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in evidenced-based treatment modalities including, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and short-term and long-term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. She has experience working in psychiatric emergency rooms, inpatient and outpatient settings, mobile crisis teams, addiction treatment facilities, and correctional settings providing brief and long-term individual, couples, and group psychotherapy. Dr. Donnelly has specialized training in crisis intervention as well as suicide and risk assessment. She has worked extensively with individuals and families that are in crisis, pose an imminent risk to themselves or others, have complex histories of trauma and abuse, substance dependence, behavioral problems, and severe emotional disturbances. Dr. Donnelly utilizes CBT, DBT, mindfulness-based, and psychodynamic interventions in her approach to treating addictions and co-occurring disorders.
Nicole Heitler, PsyD
Dr. Heitler is a psychologist who has training in cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety and in Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia. Dr. Heitler has several years of experience working as a clinician and research assistant at New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University’s Substance Treatment and Research Services (STARS) as well as providing relapse prevention and motivational enhancement therapies at their Buprenorphine Program. Prior to joining CMC, Dr. Heitler was a clinician and supervisor at a community mental health center, where she specialized in developmental disabilities and teaching social and interpersonal skills.
Pamela Jones, PhD
Dr. Jones is an experienced Clinical psychologist who has worked with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, mood and personality disorders, infertility and PTSD integrating psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness and stress reduction techniques. Dr. Jones has worked on staff at New York University’s Program in Reproductive Surgery and Assisted Reproductive Technology working with individuals and couples. She trained in inpatient and outpatient units at Payne Whitney of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Gravie Square Hospital treating individuals with severe personality, cognitive, eating and substance abuse problems. She is currently training to obtain a certificate in psychoanalysis at NYU’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Her research interests have focused on infant and adult attachment and the role early relational schemes influence adult cognitive and interpersonal functioning. She is a clinical supervisor for Pace University’s clinical psychology doctoral program.
She is also serves as a board member of the New York board of Peer Health Exchange (PHE) a non-for profit-organization which focuses on training college volunteers to provide essential health education to high school students in public schools that lack funding for health education.
Laura Shapiro, PhD
Dr. Shapiro is a clinical psychologist with advanced training in psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), with a focus on treating trauma, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Additionally, she has specialized training in evidenced-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Shapiro has trained at Bellevue Hospital Center, Jacobi Medical Center, and the Metropolitan Center for Mental Health, providing individual and group psychotherapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families in inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment settings. Additionally, Dr. Shapiro completed clinical training on an inpatient detox unit and provided short-term psychotherapy with adults with substance abuse and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. She is interested in the impact of childhood and adult-onset trauma on substance abuse, emotion regulation difficulties, and interpersonal problems.
Lisa Singer, PsyD
Dr. Singer is a psychologist who has specialized training in Mindfulness based therapies, Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Psychodynamic Therapies. Prior to joining CMC, Dr. Singer was the Training Coordinator at the Wellness and Counseling Center at City College and continues to enjoy teaching and supervising. She has worked extensively on the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders in a variety of clinical settings.
November 2010 Solution Focused Brief Therapy Training Conference
May/June 2010 CUNY – Motivational Interviewing , Two Day Intensive, Jonathan Fader, PhD
May 2009 LEHMAN COLLEGE- Solution Focused Brief Therapy
January/February 2009 CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK- QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Program
August 2008 OMEGA INSTITUE- Professional Training in Mindfulness and Mind-Body Therapy for Health Care for Professionals, John Welwood, Ph.D.
January 2008 SHIVINANDA ASHRAM- Mediation and Mindfulness for Health Care Professionals, Paul Epstein, ND.
September 2006 NY STATE- DBT Training, The Bridge of Central MA, Inc
Brian Sherman, PhD
Dr. Sherman is a clinical psychologist with specialized training in relational psychodynamic psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a focus on treating anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and substance abuse. Dr. Sherman has experience working with diverse populations in individual and group formats integrating treatment approaches to meet patient needs. Prior to joining CMC Dr. Sherman completed clinical training at North Central Bronx Hospital, Jacobi Medical Center, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute on inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services treating patients experiencing acute crises as well as chronic conditions. Dr. Sherman has also worked on several NIH-funded research studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University’s Teachers College. His research interests include the association between temperament and psychopathology, and the effects of family environment on adolescent mental health.
Amy Sugarman, PhD
Dr. Sugarman is a psychologist who received advanced training in substance use disorders at the Addiction Institute of New York (formerly known as Smithers). Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Sugarman was a clinician at New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University’s, Substance Treatment and Research Services (STARS) where her work focused on integrating cognitive-behavioral and motivational enhancement therapies. Dr. Sugarman has additional specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Borderline Personality Disorder.
Neta Tal, PhD
Dr. Tal obtained her clinical training at The City University of New York (CUNY), where she provided long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy to adults and children for four years. During this time, she also completed a year-long externship at CMC, where she was trained in Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Following this, she did her clinical internship at the New Jersey VA hospital, where she obtained additional experience treating individual with substance use disorders and co-occurring PTSD. Most recently, Dr. Tal completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Columbia University Counseling and Psychological Services Center, where she worked with a broad range of undergraduate and graduate students and co-led a harm reduction group for students. Dr. Tal works collaboratively with her patients to help guide them to a deeper understanding of their personal history, to the kind of life they desire, and to obtain the skills they need to achieve it. She is fluent in Hebrew.
Mike Tamburino, PhD
Dr. Tamburino is a clinical psychologist with specialized training in relational psychodynamic psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He has experience working with child, adolescent, and adult patients in both outpatient and inpatient settings, including providing community based treatment for persons with dual substance use and psychiatric disorders. Prior to joining CMC, Dr. Tamburino was a consultation-liaison psychologist at Jacobi Medical Center where he provided brief psychotherapy to patients on medical units and supervised clinical psychology interns. He completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at North Central Bronx Hospital with additional training at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, Nassau University Medical Center, and Pathways to Housing, Inc.
Jami Wolf, PsyD
Dr. Wolf is a psychologist who has experience working in the inpatient milieu and outpatient services, providing cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamically informed psychotherapy to individuals and groups across the lifespan. Dr. Wolf has specialized training and experience helping individuals who struggle with severe and persistent mental illness, self-harming and suicidal behaviors, life crises, and personality disorders. Dr. Wolf also incorporates mindfulness-based interventions and a focus on wellness in her approach to treating individuals with addictive and psychiatric disorders.
Brooke Schuster Monaco, PhD
Dr. Monaco is a clinical psychologist with advanced training in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and family therapy. Dr. Monaco received her PhD at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego. Her dissertation research focused on the dissemination of evidence-based treatments for PTSD, including Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE). Dr. Monaco completed her predoctoral internship at Alvarado Parkway Institute in La Mesa, CA, which included providing therapy to individuals with substance use and psychiatric problems in an intensive outpatient program and providing PE to individuals with PTSD. She has led SMART Recovery meetings and was the President and Treasurer for the San Diego Regional Advisory Board for SMART Recovery. Dr. Monaco also has experience working in the Substance Dependence Research Group at the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University administering and adapting structured clinical interviews for DSM-5 criteria. Dr. Monaco also worked as a Clinical Interviewer with the San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System assessing PTSD in active duty Marines before and after their deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Her professional interests include working with adolescents and adults with substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders.
At CMC, all of our clinical staff members are doctorate level psychologists. While the philosophy of CMC is to use evidence-based treatments, which often means cognitive-behaviorally based treatments, we strive to employ a well-rounded staff with many different and unique specialities. To read more about any of our staff members, please click on their name to the left.
Our intake therapists go to great lengths to try and match up new client with a therapist that will be a good “fit.” To that end, your input is very valuable to this process! If there is a staff member who you think you would like to work with, we encourage you to bring this up when you begin your intake process. At the same time, we can not guarantee any particular therapists has availability, or that they will, in fact, be the best fit for any particular case.