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., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
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.
Rebecca Aryeh, Psy.D., Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Aryeh earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University – Post. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rutgers Counseling, Alcohol & Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) in New Brunswick, NJ, where she delivered comprehensive psychological services to a diverse student body. With extensive experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings, Dr. Aryeh specializes in treating adolescents, young adults, and adults. She is thoroughly trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for anxiety and OCD. Additionally, Dr. Aryeh has been trained in family therapy and parent training, to enhance communication and relationships within families. Dr. Aryeh is skilled in treating a wide range of psychological issues, including mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, suicidality, self-harm, and family dysfunction. She has expertise in working with individuals struggling with emotional dysregulation, trauma, and relationship difficulties. Her therapeutic approach combines practical skill-building to manage overwhelming emotions with fostering self-understanding and personal growth. At CCDBT, Dr. Aryeh conducts individual CBT and DBT sessions, 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., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
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.
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.
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, Psy.D., Post Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Macchia completed 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.
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.
Anna Wilga, M.S. Ed., Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Ms. Wilga received her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Saint John’s University and holds a license in mental health counseling in the state of New York. She has received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), SBIRT, and marriage/family interventions. Prior to joining CCDBT, Ms. Wilga provided individual and group therapy to adolescents, adults, and geriatric individuals across the inpatient service at Zucker Hillside Hospital. At CCDBT, Ms. Wilga 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 graduated with his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida State University in 1991. During the early part of his career, Mr. Young worked in hospitals, gaining extensive experience in both medical and mental health settings. In 1999, Mr. Young helped create and run one of the first adolescent and family Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) programs in the country at Schneider Children’s Hospital. This pioneering work paved the way for Mr. Young and his partners to establish the Center for Cognitive & Dialectical Behavior Therapy (CCDBT) in 2006, where he co-leads both Adult and Adolescent & Family DBT Skills groups, and provides individual DBT and CBT therapy as well as family therapy. More recently, Mr. Young was trained to provide Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which can be extremely helpful in treating trauma and other difficult disorders.