Anna R. Edwards, Ph.D.
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Dr. Edwards is committed to providing cutting edge treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders. Specializing in anxiety disorders and OCD throughout her career and training, Dr. Edwards constantly seeks ways to improve treatment outcomes and increase treatment access for those suffering. She devotes a considerable portion of her time to training new generations of psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners in best practices for treating anxiety disorders, OCD and related disorders.
Dr. Edwards has been involved in various treatment outcome trials as a therapist and a researcher and has published her work in peer-reviewed journals and presented it at national conferences. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine and is Past President of the New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association. She completed her education at Temple University (Ph.D.) and Duke University (B.A.) and her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital.
ALLISON David, Lcsw
LEAD INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT CLINICIAN
Allison David serves as a Senior Clinician at NYAT and leads the treatment team of our Intensive Outpatient Program. She brings a wealth of expertise and experience in evidence-based treatment for
anxiety disorders, with a specialized focus on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related conditions. As an experienced Exposure Therapist, Allison is dedicated to helping her patients build skills, resilience, and motivation.
Allison has a specialized interest in the intersection of mental health and chronic pain. Trained in Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), she provides compassionate care and innovative strategies to address the complex relationship between psychological and physical
well-being.
Allison facilitates treatment groups, provides individual therapy, and supervises trainees at New York Anxiety Treatment.
Allison completed her graduate degree at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Work and her clinical internship at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Sexual Assault and Victim Intervention Department.
ALISON HARTMAN, PH.D.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Hartman is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and insomnia disorders in adults. She utilizes cognitive behavioral and acceptance-based approaches to help clients reach their treatment goals. Dr. Hartman has a particular interest in women’s mental health across the reproductive span and has received specialized training in the provision of evidence-based treatments for anxiety and other disorders surrounding infertility, pregnancy, the postpartum period, perinatal loss, and menopause.
Dr. Hartman earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Drexel University. Her dissertation research focused on how the experience of infertility is related to anxiety, sleep, and mood disorders. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, where she trained at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA). Dr. Hartman received rigorous training in exposure-based treatments at CTSA, resulting in qualifications as a Certified Exposure and Response Prevention Therapist and a Certified Prolonged Exposure Therapist. Dr. Hartman further developed her expertise in evidence-based treatment of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders as a Postdoctoral Fellow at New York Anxiety Treatment.
ERIK NOOK, PH.D.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Erik Nook is a licensed clinical psychologist at New York Anxiety Treatment. He is also an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Princeton University, where he directs the Logic of Emotion Laboratory.
Erik has expertise in treating adult depressive, anxiety, and personality disorders. He primarily uses a CBT approach, although he integrates other empirically-supported treatments (e.g., DBT, mindfulness-based techniques) when indicated. Academically, Dr. Nook's scholarship focuses on how language shapes emotion across development. In particular, his research investigates how people use words to represent and regulate their emotions, how children and teenagers learn about emotions, how emotions go awry in psychopathology, and how these processes are manifested in the brain.
Before joining the clinic, Dr. Nook completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and his PhD at Harvard University. He also completed his predoctoral clinical internship at Weill Cornell Medical College and a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. You can read more about him here.
Olivia sahlmaN, pSY.d.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Olivia is a postdoctoral fellow and clinician at NYAT specializing in the treatment of OCD, depression, and anxiety related disorders. Before joining NYAT, Olivia earned her PsyD in clinical psychology from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University and her BA from Emory University. Her dissertation research examined sadness induction for the greater purpose of depression prevention and clinical application of sadness exposure. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at New York Health & Hospitals Kings County in Brooklyn, where she conducted individual psychotherapy with a diverse population, and facilitated numerous specialized groups. She has received intensive training in both CBT and DBT and has experience in multiple intensive outpatient settings. Oliva is passionate about delivering evidence-based treatment and approaches therapy through a warm and open-minded outlook.
ELISABETH MISTUR, PH.D
POSTDOCTORL FELLOW
Dr. Elisabeth Mistur (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow specializing in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders. She primarily uses a CBT approach, and also draws on her training in ACT, mindfulness and meditation practices, and psychodynamic psychotherapy when indicated. Dr. Mistur has experience conducting therapy with children, adolescents, and adults. She is currently conducting research on the accceptability and effectiveness of NYAT’s intensive outpatient program for OCD and anxiety disorders.
Before joining the clinic, Dr. Mistur completed her undergraduate degree at Cornell University and her PhD in clinical psychology at Columbia University. Her dissertation focused on supporting spiritual individuation in college students, and specifically, examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a spiritual-mind-body intervention, Awakened Awareness for Adolescents and Emerging Adults (AA-A), for LGBTQIA+ college students. She completed her predoctoral internship at JCCA Foster Home Services, where she conducted trauma-informed psychotherapy and psychological assessments for youth in foster care.
REBECCA BERG, PSY.D.
Rebecca is a postdoctoral fellow and clinician at NYAT specializing in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders. She primarily uses an exposure and response prevention (ERP) framework, while incorporating acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and compassion-based practices to provide individualized, patient-centered care. Before beginning her postdoctoral year, Rebecca earned her PsyD in clinical psychology from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University and her BA from the University of Richmond. Her academic research explored patterns of change in eating disorder symptoms, reflecting her broader interest in understanding and treating compulsive and harmful behavior patterns. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Sharp Healthcare in San Diego, CA, where she gained generalized inpatient experience in a hospital setting as well as specialized expertise in intensive outpatient programs with a focus on the treatment of trauma and substance use. She is delighted to be back with the NYAT team, where she previously worked as a student therapist.
GABRIEL MOTECHIN, PSY.D.
Gabriel is a postdoctoral fellow at NYAT specializing in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders. Before joining NYAT, Gabriel completed his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University, Post Campus. His dissertation research used qualitative methodology to explore the unique experiences of bisexual men from the Orthodox Jewish community. He completed his predoctoral internship at New York City Health and Hospitals, Kings County where he provided individual and group therapy to a diverse population in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Gabriel is committed to fostering a therapeutic space that is respectful of clients’ cultural identities while delivering evidence-based care.
LESLIE REGAN, MA
DOCTORAL INTERN
Leslie is a doctoral intern at New York Anxiety Treatment and a fifth-year doctoral candidate at Kean University. She previously graduated from Lehigh University, where she earned her BA in Psychology. Leslie specializes in treatment for anxiety disorders, depression, and OCD. She uses techniques from cognitive-behavioral, acceptance and commitment, and compassion-focused therapies. Leslie’s current research focuses on a novel compassion-focused acceptance and commitment (CF-ACT) approach to treating OCD. Leslie is passionate about empowering clients to meet their goals and approach challenges with self-compassion. She is very excited to be a part of the NYAT team!
ABIGAIL SZKUTAK, MS
CLINICAL EXTERN
Abby (she/her) is a clinical extern at New York Anxiety Treatment and a fourth-year clinical psychology PhD student at Teachers College, Columbia University, where her main program of research centers around leveraging measurements of the brain and the body to better understand and treat emotion dysregulation in adults. Before starting her PhD, Abby earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross and later worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for OCD and Related Disorders. Abby is passionate about providing evidence-based treatment in a way that is personalized to clients’ individual needs, goals, and values.
VICTORIA ROMAN
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Victoria Roman is the Operations Manager at New York Anxiety Treatment. Victoria has joined NYAT with 10 years of experience as a Patient Care Coordinator and Site Supervisor at One Source Homecare Specialty Pharmacy. She attended Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance. With her background in healthcare administration, strong work ethic, excellent communication skills, and commitment to exceptional patient care, Victoria provides support to all within the practice.