Jennifer Byrnes, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Byrnes is a founding member and partner at CCDBT where she serves as the Director of Training and the Director of Research. Dr. Byrnes also serves as the Director of the Corporate Mindfulness Training program at CCDBT. A member of the original DBT team at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Dr. Byrnes has experience running DBT skills groups for both adolescents and adults, as well as providing individual DBT therapy. Research conducted at CCDBT under the leadership of Dr. Byrnes has focused on demonstrating the effectiveness of DBT in decreasing depression and suicidal ideation among adolescent participants. Research has also examined individual factors predicting successful treatment completion in DBT as well as familial factors that impact positive change among the adolescents and their families who received treatment at CCDBT. Dr. Byrnes currently sits on the board of the Behavioral Health Research Consortium (BHRCH), a private institutional review board based out of Seattle, for psychological researchers who conduct research independently of a university or hospital. Dr. Byrnes received training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli in 2011 and has been running MBSR groups at CCDBT ever since. In addition, Dr. Byrnes has conducted trainings in Mindfulness practice in a variety of private settings outside of CCDBT. Dr. Byrnes received her BA from Tufts University and her Ph.D. from St. John’s University where she also received a certificate in Family Therapy.
Meredith Allgood, Psy.D., Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Allgood completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) at Xavier University. Before starting her work with CCDBT, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Cincinnati Veteran’s Hospital in the substance abuse residential programs and chronic pain clinic. She has worked with adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has experience treating a range of issues including emotional and behavioral dysregulation, personality disorders, bipolar disorder, psychosis, chronic pain, substance use, trauma, depression, suicidality, and self-injury. She has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as well as other Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Ms. Allgood currently provides individual CBT and DBT, and co-leads DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults.
Amanda Ashe, MHC-LP
Ms. Ashe completed her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Adelphi University. Before joining CCDBT, she completed her training at the Bridges to Adelphi Program in Garden City, where she provided transitional counseling support to young adults with neurodiverse diagnoses. Ms. Ashe has experience in working with those from a wide array of backgrounds and needs in both individual and group settings. She has worked with young adults with various presentations, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders, social and executive functioning difficulties, and those with emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Ms. Ashe has received comprehensive training in a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, and Trauma Informed Therapies.
Aaron D. Drucker, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Drucker has been a member of the DBT team since 2001. He attended various training by Behavioraltech, LLC. Dr. Drucker was a staff psychologist at the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, at Schneider Children’s Hospital for the past seven years providing treatment for adults, children, adolescents and their families. In addition, Dr. Drucker was the consulting psychologist for the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic and the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at Schneider Children’s Hospital during his tenure. Dr. Drucker received his M.A. and Ed.M from Teacher’s College, Columbia University in 1995 and his Psy.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology- Alameda in 2000.
Mary Elsharouny, Psy.D., Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Elsharouny completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Long Island University – Post. Before joining CCDBT, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA) in Westchester, where she provided trauma-informed care and conducted comprehensive assessments for young individuals who had diagnoses related to developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder, in addition to severe emotional and behavioral difficulties. Dr. Elsharouny has had experiences working with and providing culturally competent care to children and families from diverse backgrounds in individual and group settings. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults with various presentations, including mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, social problems, and family dysfunction. Dr. Elsharouny has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), as well as various Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatments, including exposure therapy for anxiety and OCD, Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), and Parent Management Training (PMT) for childhood behavior problems. Dr. Elsharouny is especially interested in working to build confidence and resilience in youth who struggle with anxiety. At CCDBT, Dr. Elsharouny currently provides individual CBT and DBT, and co-leads DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults.
Angela Flanagan, M.S.
Ms. Flanagan received her Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Long Island University – Post (LIU Post) and is currently completing her doctoral training in clinical psychology at LIU Post’s PsyD program. Before joining CCDBT, she completed her doctoral externship at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood, New York, where she provided CBT and DBT-informed care and conducted comprehensive assessments as well as intake interviews for individuals who had diagnoses related to severe and persistent mental illness, in addition to profound emotional and behavioral difficulties. Ms. Flanagan has an abundance of experience working with and providing culturally competent care to individuals from diverse backgrounds in both individual and group settings. She has worked with adolescents and adults with various presenting issues, including mood, anxiety, and personality disorders, psychosis, learning disabilities, social problems, family dysfunction, and trauma. Ms. Flanagan has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), as well as various Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatments, including exposure therapy, behavioral activation, and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).
Jacqueline Fretwell, Psy.D., Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Fretwell completed her Doctorate in School-Community Psychology (Psy.D.) at Hofstra University. Before starting her work with CCDBT, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at Mount Sinai South Nassau in the Mental Health Counseling Center. She worked in both partial hospitalization and outpatient settings conducting intakes, facilitating individual therapy, and leading groups. She has experience working with individuals across the lifespan presenting with a range of difficulties including emotional dysregulation, personality disorders, bipolar, depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, suicidality, and self-injury. She has received training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) approaches. Dr. Fretwell has considerable experience conducting psychological assessments and has worked in various settings working with children, adolescents, and adults including community based mental health clinics and school-based settings.
Arielle Hershkovich-Elgavi, M.A.
Mrs. Hershkovich-Elgavi is currently pursuing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Montclair State University. Prior to starting at CCDBT, Mrs. Hershkovich-Elgavi worked with demographically and clinically diverse individuals across the lifespan presenting with a wide range of psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, PTSD, trauma, ADHD, and OCD. Mrs. Hershkovich-Elgavi has received training in multiple evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression, anxiety, and suicidality, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) for suicidal and self-injurious behavior as well as interpersonal conflicts, family systems therapy, and exposure therapy for compulsions, phobias, and other anxiety disorders. Mrs. Hershkovich-Elgavi has trained at New York Presbyterian Hospital where she provided CBT and DBT to adults. She has experience as a DBT skills group leader for adolescents in an inpatient setting, and for adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Mrs. Hershkovich-Elgavi also received training from Montefiore Medical Center conducting neuropsychological evaluations for individuals across the lifespan presenting with a wide range of neurological disorders.
Angela Juliano, L.M.S.W., Licensed Social Worker
Ms. Juliano received her Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work. Prior to working at CCDBT, Ms. Juliano worked at a nonprofit that monitored individuals that have been diagnosed as Seriously Mentally Ill at Rikers Island who participated in treatment as an alternative to incarceration or for re-entry services. Ms. Juliano has comprehensive training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), exposure therapy for OCD, family therapy, trauma therapy, and is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as provided by Behavioral Tech, LLC. Ms. Juliano has experience treating adolescents, adults, and families in a range of difficulties including those related to mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety, and trauma. Currently, she provides individual DBT and CBT, and co-leads DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults.
Miriam Korbman, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Korbman received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University – Post. She completed her pre-doctoral internship in the outpatient Mental Health Department at Andrus in Yonkers where she worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Korbman has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy from Behavioral Tech LLC. She has also been trained in multiple Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) approaches, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and PCIT-SM for child behavior problems and selective mutism, Organizational Skills Training (OST) for youth ADHD and executive functioning concerns, and exposure therapy for anxiety disorders and OCD. Prior to starting at CCDBT, Dr. Korbman worked with children, adolescents, and young adults with a range of struggles, including depression, suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and oppositional and behavior-related disorders. Dr. Korbman is especially interested in working with anxious youth, and in providing DBT and trauma treatments for adolescents and young adults. At CCDBT, Dr. Korbman provides individual CBT and DBT and co-leads DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults at the Lake Success office.
Alessandra Macchia, M.S.
Ms. Macchia is completing her doctorate from Hofstra University’s School-Community PsyD program. She was a part of various clinics at Hofstra University including the Institute for Family Forensic Psychology as well as the Diagnostic and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders clinic. Within these clinics Ms. Macchia treated a variety of different ages and a range of struggles including anxiety, ADHD, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, depression, mood disorders, personality disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, borderline personality disorder and trauma. Ms. Macchia has experience running social skills groups for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Ms. Macchia has received training in various Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatments including (CBT), exposure therapy for anxiety and OCD, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), family therapy and parent training for childhood and adolescent behavior management. She has extensive experience conducting psychological assessments and has worked in a variety of settings including community clinics and school-based settings.
Julia B. Marks, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Marks is a founding Partner of CCDBT and serves as the Managing Director of CCDBT Manhattan. Dr. Marks is the head of the CCDBT Family Therapy Program. Dr. Marks has 17 years of clinical experience working with adolescents, adults, families, and couples, and she has expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Family Therapy, Couples Therapy, and Insight-Oriented Psychotherapies. Dr. Marks received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology, after completing a B.A. in Psychology and Classics at Swarthmore College. Dr. Marks has a background in social work with adopted and foster children. Additionally, she worked as a special education teacher for teenagers with learning and emotional issues. Dr. Marks was a staff psychologist within the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Schneider Children’s Hospital where she specialized in psychotherapy with adolescents and families. She has been practicing Dialectical Behavior Therapy since 2002.
Riley McDanal, M.A.
Ms. McDanal is pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Stony Brook University. Before joining CCDBT, she provided therapy and assessment services at Stony Brook University’s Krasner Psychological Center. Ms. McDanal has worked with adults, children, adolescents, parents, and couples. She has experience treating a range of challenges, including depressed mood, anxiety, panic, specific phobias, inattention, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflict. She has worked with clients who hold diverse gender, sexual, racial, and cultural identities, as well as with clients who identify as neurodiverse. Ms. McDanal incorporates a range of theoretical approaches in her services, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT), Parent Management Training (PMT), and the Unified Protocol (UP).
Elizabeth Moses, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Moses is a Senior Staff Psychologist at CCDBT and serves as the head of trauma supervision for CCDBT’s trauma treatment program. Dr. Moses has received extensive training in treatments for PTSD, Complex PTSD and traumatic exposure, including Prolonged Exposure Therapy (DBT-PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). She has experience integrating trauma treatment with patients in the Dialectical Behavior Therapy program. In addition, Dr. Moses has received training in evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and completed an intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offered by Behavioral Tech, LLC. She received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology in 2016. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. She currently provides individual and family therapy, and co-leads DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults.
Adam C. Payne, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Payne is a DBT – Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician. Dr. Payne provides DBT Intensive Trainings for Behavioral Tech Institute, LLC. Within his role as a Behavioral Tech Trainer, he has provided DBT training to clinicians across the nation and internationally. Dr. Payne has served as a Clinical Supervisor for the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics (BRTC) at the University of Washington in Seattle, the clinical research center led by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP. Dr. Payne was the Program Chair for the ISITDBT Conference for 2012 and 2013. Dr. Payne served as the Clinical Coordinator of the DBT Program at NSLIJ Schneider Children’s Hospital for seven years prior to starting the CCDBT with his colleagues. Dr. Payne currently provides individual DBT and CBT as well as serving as a DBT Skills Group Leader at CCDBT. Dr. Payne received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1996.
Sylvia Ryszewska, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Ryszewska received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Kings County Hospital (KCH), where she worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families in the Outpatient Department, Inpatient Service, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, and Intensive Crisis Track Program. Dr. Ryszewska has experience treating a range of difficulties, including severe emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She has extensive experience conducting psychological assessments and has worked in a variety of settings: community clinics, psychiatric hospitals, private practice, and school-based settings. Dr. Ryszewska has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), as well as various Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatments, including exposure therapy for anxiety and OCD, Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), and Parent Management Training (PMT) for childhood behavior problems. At CCDBT, Dr. Ryszewska currently provides individual CBT and DBT, and co-leads DBT skills groups for adolescents and adults.
Mitch Young, L.C.S.W., Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Mr. Young has more than 30 years of experience providing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to children, adolescents and adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He joined the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program at NSLIJ Schneider Children’s Hospital upon its inception in 1999. Since then he has been both an individual therapist and skills group leader and has attended many DBT-oriented trainings. Mr. Young has given many presentations in the community and helped to orient trainees to DBT at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Mr. Young worked for 4 years as a therapist at the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Schneider Children’s Hospital and then for 5 years on the Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit at Schneider Children’s Hospital. For the 10 years prior to starting the CCDBT with his partners, Mr. Young was also in private practice on the south shore of Long Island. Mr. Young received his Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1991 from Florida State University.