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Staff Members

The clinical psychologists and psychotherapists at AICT provide the highest quality cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression, anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, personality disorders, child and adolescent problems and family and marital problems.

Current Staff:

* Denotes Licensure in New York State

Robert L. Leahy (B.A., M.S., Ph.D., Yale University), Director, completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical School under the direction of Dr. Aaron Beck, the founder of cognitive therapy. Dr. Leahy is the Past-President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Past-President of the International Association of Cognitive Psychotherapy, Past-President of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy (NYC), and Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at Weill-Cornell University Medical School. Dr. Leahy is the Honorary Life-time President, New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association and a Distinguished Founding Fellow, Diplomate, of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He has received the Aaron T. Beck award for outstanding contributions in cognitive therapy.

He was Associate Editor of The Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy (serving as Editor 1998-2003). Dr. Leahy is now Associate Editor of The International Journal of Cognitive Therapy. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill. Dr. Leahy serves on a number of scientific committees for international conferences on cognitive behavioral therapy and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader at conferences and universities throughout the world. For a listing of professional presentations click here.

He is author and editor of 21 books, including Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders (with Holland), Overcoming Resistance in Cognitive Therapy, Bipolar Disorder: A Cognitive Therapy Approach (with Newman, Beck, Reilly-Harrington, & Gyulai), Cognitive Therapy Techniques, Roadblocks in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Psychological Treatments of Bipolar Disorder (ed. with Johnson), Contemporary Cognitive Therapy, The Therapeutic Relationship in the Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapies (ed. with Gilbert) and The Worry Cure which received critical praise from the New York Times and has been selected by Self Magazine as one of the top eight self-help books of all time. His book The Worry Cure has been translated into nine languages and is a selection of the Book of the Month Club, Literary Guild and numerous other book clubs. Eleven of his clinical books have been book club selections. His two recent popular audience books are Anxiety-Free: Unravel Your Fears before They Unravel You and Beat the Blues Before They Beat You: How to Overcome Depression.

Dr. Leahy's recent clinical books include Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapy: A Practitioner's Guide (with Tirch and Napolitano), Treatment Plans and Interventions for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Second Edition (with Holland and McGinn), and Treatment Plans and Interventions for Bulimia and Binge-Eating Disorder (with Zweig). He is the general editor of a series of books to be published by Guilford Press--Treatment Plans and Interventions for Evidence-Based Psychotherapy. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are used throughout the world in training cognitive behavioral therapists

He has been featured in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Forbes, Fortune, Newsweek, Psychology Today, Washington Post, Redbook, Shape, First for Women, Women's Health, Self Magazine, USA Today Magazine and many other magazines and newspapers worldwide and he has appeared on national and local radio and on television (20/20, Good Morning America, and The Early Show).

For information on media coverage of Dr. Leahy's work please click here. To hear a podcast by Dr. Leahy on worry, click here. To read Dr. Leahy's Anxiety Blog on Psychology Today, click here. He is currently working on several books for clinicians on anxiety, depression, emotional processing, and personality disorders and he is completing a new popular audience book on depression.

Laura Oliff, Ph.D., Associate Director of Institute (Ph.D., New School for Social Research) has over twenty-five years of clinical experience with individuals, couples and families. Her work has focused on the treatment of bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders including OCD, marital conflict, eating disorders, adult ADD and issues such as infertility, health anxiety and phase of life transitions. Her research has focused on women's self-esteem, assertion, rejection-sensitivity and over compliance in relationships. She has conducted several staff-training workshops for the Queens Children’s Psychiatric Hospital and the JCC on the diagnosis and cognitive behavioral treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and parent training. She has also appeared as a panelist on eating disorders and body image issues for Metro-Learning Center TV. Over the years, she has supervised numerous psychology interns and post-doctoral candidates. Most recently, her interest has been in the area of divorce counseling and relationship enhancement. She is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

Dennis D. Tirch PhD, Associate Director of Institute, Director of Clinical Services and Director of the OCD Treatment Program, (PhD, Fairleigh Dickinson University) is a New York State licensed psychologist and a Diplomate and Fellow of The Academy of Cognitive Therapy.  Dr. Tirch is also the Founder and Director of The Center for Mindfulness and Compassion Focused CBT (http://www.mindfulcompassion.com), in Nyack and Monroe, NY. Dr. Tirch currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College.  He has previously served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Albert Einstein Medical School, and as an instructor to psychiatric residents at New York Medical College. Dr. Tirch regularly conducts mindfulness and CBT training workshops for healthcare professionals in the New York area. 

Dr. Tirch has co-authored several journal articles and book chapters over the last 15 years.  He is the author of the 4 forthcoming books involving mindfulness, compassion and cognitive behavioral therapy, including the self-help book “The Compassionate Mind Guide To Overcoming Anxiety” and  “Emotion Regulation:  A Practitioner’s Guide” with Dr. Robert Leahy and Dr. Lisa Napolitano.  Dr. Tirch maintains an active research program with Dr. Leahy that concerns the roles of mindfulness, acceptance and compassion in emotion regulation. Dr. Tirch has regularly presented research and workshops concerning mindfulness, acceptance and behavior therapy in the USA and Europe, and has also conducted a week-long training for psychiatrists in Beijing.  During that time Dr. Tirch served as the Director of CBT Training in China for the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center.  

Dr. Tirch serves on the advisory board of the Union Institute and University Center for Mindfulness and Clinical Meditation.  He is a member of The Advisory Board and Editorial Board of The Society for Clinical Mindfulness and Meditation.  Dr. Tirch is a founding member and serves as Co-President of the New York City Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.  He is a founding member of the New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Organization, and serves as its Board Member-At-Large and Chairman of the Technology Committee.  Beyond this local involvement in the CBT community, Dr. Tirch is a member of the program committee and Mindfulness Special Interest Group for the Association For Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  Dr. Tirch is a founding participant in an ACT peer consultation group for New York City and Environs (ACTNYCE).

Jenny L. Taitz, Psy.D., Director of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program, Clinician, graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Dr. Taitz completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. She completed a pre-doctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine where she specialized in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for co-morbid substance use and personality disorders and Behavioral Health. Dr. Taitz enjoys teaching her patients tangible tools to get unstuck based on scientific research within a nonjudgmental, supportive environment. As an intensively trained DBT clinician, Dr. Taitz incorporates mindfulness, acceptance, and motivational enhancement with traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition to treating a diverse range of problems such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, eating disorders, panic disorder, specific phobias, social phobia and borderline personality disorder, she also provides psychotherapy to patients with medical problems. Dr. Taitz has compassion and understanding for young adults struggling in academic settings with perfectionism, procrastination, inattention, anxiety, eating disorders, assertion, avoidance, and substance use. In addition, Dr. Taitz has expertise in helping individuals navigate life transitions, career changes, and aging. Her research has focused on the efficacy of a self-administered mindfulness intervention and mechanisms of change in mindfulness treatments. Dr. Taitz is a founding board member of the New York City Association for Contextual Behavior Science. She maintains membership in the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the Association for Contextual and Behavior Science, serves as an adjunct clinical supervisor in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Yeshiva University, and contributes to the Urban Mindfulness blog. Dr. Taitz is the author of a forthcoming popular audience book on managing emotions for people who struggle with emotional eating. To Learn more about Dr. Taitz visit her website.

Melissa D. Horowitz, PsyD, Director of Eating Disorders and Weight Management Program, Clinician, received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her PsyD in clinical psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants of Westchester in White Plains and her pre-doctoral internship at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center in Hawaii. Dr. Horowitz received advanced training in cognitive behavior therapy at Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research, the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania, and the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy (AICT). Dr. Horowitz specializes in working with adolescents, adults and couples. She has extensive experience in the treatment of mood disorders, anxiety, chronic illness, eating disorders, weight management, obesity, school/career issues, and relationship/marital conflict. She has also been intensively trained in dialectical behavior therapy to treat multi-problem behavior including self-injury and borderline personality disorder. Dr. Horowitz has conducted research examining the relationship between social problem solving, physical functioning, and depression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients, and contributed to research examining quality of life factors in ALS patients.  Dr. Horowitz is an adjunct professor at Iona College in New Rochelle, and previously served as a supervising psychologist at Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn.

Laura Reigada, PhD, Clinician is a New York State licensed psychologist who is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She completed a two-year NIMH postdoctoral clinical research fellowship at the Institute for Anxiety and Mood Disorders, at the NYU Child Study Center, within the NYU School of Medicine. Dr Reigada continued her education by becoming a NIH Child, Intervention, Prevention and Services fellow. Currently she has grant funding to develop and test an integrative cognitive-behavioral intervention that jointly addresses anxiety and physical complaints within the context of pediatric chronic illness. Based on her research, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America named her the first Goldman Scholar in Pediatric Research. Dr. Reigada has extensive clinical experience working with children and adults on anxiety, mood disorders, parenting, school avoidance, functional pain (including irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal pain) and chronic illness. She serves on the medical advisory committee for the Greater New York Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Furthermore, she is a founding member, and past president, of the New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Organization.

Mia Sage, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Fellow, Clinician,received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University where she previously received her M.A. in Psychology in Education. Dr. Sage has been trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness meditation, and acceptance-based therapies. She completed her pre-doctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine, where she specialized in working with individuals suffering from psychotic symptoms, anxiety and mood disorders, and co-morbid substance use disorders. At Yale, Dr. Sage also specialized in working with family members of individuals with severe mental illness. Previously, she was a clinician at Columbia’s Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services, where she provided both neuropsychological assessments and individual therapy to adults. Dr. Sage has held research positions at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Mclean Hospital of Harvard Medical School and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, which included extensive training in psychodiagnostic assessment and group CBT. She has experience in treating relationship conflict, mood, general anxiety, social anxiety, panic, posttraumatic stress, sleep and personality disorders. Dr. Sage’s clinical interests focus on the integration of CBT with mindfulness-based approaches. Dr. Sage is a Psychologist in Training.

Nikki Rubin, Psy.D., Post-doctoral Fellow, Clinician, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. She completed her predoctoral internship at UMDNJ-Newark where she implemented third wave behavioral psychotherapies with male inmates at a state prison, as well as provided evidence-based treatments to adults in a medical school hospital. Dr. Rubin received extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) for patients with a wide range of severe disorders at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her research has focused on socioculturally adapting cognitive behavioral therapies for diverse populations (e.g. CBT for depressed men; DBT for Spanish-speaking Latino patients), with her interests expanding into the areas of self-compassion and Relational Frame Theory (RFT). Dr. Rubin’s clinical interests include implementing both traditional and third wave (i.e. mindfulness and acceptance-based) cognitive behavioral therapies with diverse adult populations and providing psychotherapy in Spanish. She is also a founding member of the NYC chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (NYC-ACBS). Dr. Rubin is a psychologist in training at AICT.

Tara Deliberto, M.A., Extern, earned her B.S. from Boston University. After graduation, she managed the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Research at Harvard University, headed by Matthew Nock, Ph.D. In collaboration with Dr. Nock, she published several book chapters focusing on personality disorders, anxiety, and self-injurious behaviors in addition to several scientific articles. Ms. Deliberto’s research mainly centers on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), the psychophysiology of non-suicidal self-injury, implicit associations with suicide, and correlates of non-suicidal self-injury. She has given presentations at several national conferences on these topics and her research was cited in TIME Magazine in December of 2008. Currently, Ms. Deliberto is a third year clinical psychology doctoral candidate at Hofstra University, where she also obtained her M.A. Since starting her doctoral degree, she has treated anxiety and depression with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Ms. Deliberto is a psychologist in training at AICT.

Kimberly Glazier, M.A., Extern, graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in clinical psychology and received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently a doctoral student in the clinical psychology with health emphasis PhD program at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. Kimberly has received specialized training in the treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She worked as a counselor in the OCD unit at McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA and also as a research assistant at the New York State Psychiatric Institute with the OCD research team. Kimberly also received specialized training in the treatment for substance use disorders when working as a counselor at Inter-Care, Outpatient Addiction Treatment Services, New York, NY. Kimberly is a psychologist in training at AICT.

Laura Bernstein, M.A., Extern, graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Psychology. She received her M.A. from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, where she is currently in her third year of doctoral training. Prior to entering graduate school, Laura worked at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts for two years where she received intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. At McLean, Laura worked with adolescents and young adults suffering from various clinical issues including non-suicidal self-injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance abuse, and borderline personality disorder. Upon entering graduate school, Laura continued her training in cognitive and behavioral interventions, psychological assessment, and clinical interviewing. Additionally, Laura has held a clinical externship position at SUNY Purchase College Counseling Center, where she worked with college students managing adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, post traumatic stress disorder and depression. Throughout her clinical training, Laura has been trained in clinical assessment, individual, and group psychotherapies. She is currently conducting research that examines the mental health consequences of concealing a stigmatized identity. Furthermore, Laura recently co-authored a publication that examined developmental stressors unique to gay men that confer risk for the development of social anxiety disorder in adulthood. Laura is a Psychologist in training at AICT.

Helen Butleroff Leahy, RD, CDN, offers nutrition counseling specializing in weight management, eating disorders, Type II Diabetes, GERD, IBS and medical conditions requiring nutritional intervention. Ms. Butleroff Leahy is a Registered Dietitian by The Commission on Dietetic Registration and Certified Dietitian Nutritionist licensed by NYS. She is winner of the "Certificate of Achievement Award" and "Activ8 Kids Mini Grant" from the NYS Department of Health for her nutrition program targeting obesity in NYC public school children. In addition to her private practice, Ms. Butleroff-Leahy gives nutrition presentations for the outpatient Psychiatric Clinic of New York Presbyterian-Cornell Hospital, for state legislators, United Nations Health forums, law firms and has been employed by GHI for TV segments on portion control, dehydration and healthy lifestyle choices. She also runs "The Nutrition & Fitness Education Intiative" that has now reached 2100 NYC school children. Click Here to visit her Website

Poonam Melwani, B.A., Editorial Assistant graduated Cum Laude from Queens College with a B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology. At Queens College, she was a member of the Anthropology Society and conducted research on Hamadryas Baboons. She focused on the grooming behavior between male and female hamadryas baboons in order to understand the concept of "biological markets." Additionally, she was an avid participant in the field of psychology as a member of Psi Chi, an assistant to a developmental psychologist, and a volunteer at CHEST, Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training. Currently, she is a research assistant at AICT and is in the process of obtaining her Masters in Psychology (Concentration on Animal Behavior and Conservation) at Hunter College.

Kelly Reilly, Intake Coordinator, received her B.S. magna cum laude from New York University in May 2007, where she structured an interdisciplinary program that forged connections between Culture and Communication Studies, Psychology, and Politics. At NYU, she was afforded the opportunity to travel to the culturally-rich nation of Peru to research the mestizaje , or the influence of the mixing of races. Specifically, she used leisure style and amenities as lenses through which to view the values, ideals, and overall standard of living of three distinct Peruvian social classes: los serranos, los criollos, and los limeños. Additionally, she wrote her honors thesis on the positive impact Buddhist practices (specifically mindfulness [of breathing, posture, action, feelings, consciousness, and mental objects]) can have on social interactions and processes. Prior to working at AICT, Kelly volunteered for the Campaign for Mental Health Reform. She plans to attend graduate school in Clinical Psychology.

William Lamson, Intake Coordinator,is a is graduate of the M.A. Psychology program at NYU, where he worked with Dr. Kay Deux to compose his thesis on inducing stereotype threat in newly created groups. After graduation, he worked as a behavioral specialist at Wellspring, providing CBT and REBT to clients. William completed his BA, cum laude, at UF and worked with the Alachua Crisis Center as a certified crisis and suicide counselor. Currently he is completing an externship with the BODyLAB at NYU School of Medicine as a neuropsychological tester working to uncover the links between obesity and cognitive function. William plans to continue his education in a clinical PhD program in New York.

William C. Sanderson, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Hofstra University. His primary areas of research include anxiety disorders, depression, and cognitive behavior therapy. Dr. Sanderson’s clinical expertise is in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for patients with anxiety and depressive disorders, and he has been treating and conducting research on such patients since 1983. Dr. Sanderson is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and he has participated on numerous national committees, including the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders Workgroup, and was recently the Chair of the American Psychological Association Division of Clinical Psychology's Committee on Science and Practice (a Task Force aimed at identifying and promoting the practice of empirically supported psychological interventions). He has published seven books and over 80 articles and chapters, primarily in the areas of anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and CBT.

Maren Westphal, Ph.D., Visiting Fellow, received her B.A. (Honors) in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (With Distinction) from Columbia University. Dr. Westphal completed a pre-doctoral internship at St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Mood and Anxiety Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University (see www.columbiatrauma.org for information on her research). Westphal also teaches cognitive behavioral therapy as an adjunct professor in the clinical psychology (health emphasis) doctoral and masters in counseling programs at Yeshiva University. Dr. Westphal has been trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and family/couples therapy. Dr. Westphal specializes in treating adults coping with traumatic life events and stressful life transitions. She has co-authored journal articles and book chapters on emotion regulation and resilience to loss and trauma and presented her work at numerous national and international conferences. Dr. Westphal also has experience treating individuals with mood and personality disorders, relationship problems, and addictive behaviors, and supervises psychological evaluations of adults planning to undergo bariatric surgery for obesity. Dr. Westphal is fluent in English, German and Spanish and currently teaches a doctoral course on the interface between emotion, culture and cognition at Columbia University. Dr. Westphal draws on both her clinical experience treating patients from ethnically diverse backgrounds and her research on emotion and resilience to help individuals and couples identify strengths and challenges that may arise from cultural differences.

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