Anna R. Edwards, Ph.D.
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Dr. Edwards is committed to providing cutting edge cognitive behavioral 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. Dr. Edwards devotes a considerable portion of her time to training new generations of psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners in best cognitive behavioral 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 Medical College and serves as 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 Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Georgiana C. PAOLILLO, LMHC
INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Georgiana Paolillo specializes in empirically supported treatments for OCD and related disorders, and provides virtual individual and group therapy. She has worked with Dr. Edwards to develop the Intensive Outpatient Program and OCD Group programming at NYAT. Georgiana also supervises and mentors trainees and new professionals working toward licensure at the practice.
Georgiana earned her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University, and completed her clinical internship at The Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in New York, New York, under Dr. Steve Phillipson. She completed her post-graduate hours at NYAT under the supervision of Dr. Anna Edwards.
Before attending graduate school, Georgiana worked in various other fields including scriptwriting, production and hospitality. She learned first hand that it’s never too late to make the choice to take a risk.
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 and his work here.
LARA RIFKIN Ph.d.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Rifkin is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety and OCD in children, adolescents and adults. Dr. Rifkin’s training has specialized on treating child anxiety with cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure and response prevention. Dr. Rifkin earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Temple University where she was mentored by Dr. Philip Kendall, the developer of the most widely studied and disseminated treatment for child anxiety, Coping Cat. Dr. Rifkin has trained junior clinicians in this treatment and has served as a school consultant for child anxiety. Dr. Rifkin also offers parent training and has been trained in parent-child interaction therapy.
Dr. Rifkin is passionate about providing evidence-based care and her research has focused on how to improve treatment outcome for anxiety disorders with a specific interest in the construct of intolerance of uncertainty. Dr. Rifkin completed her pre-doctoral internship at McLean Hospital/ Harvard Medical School where she trained at McLean’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Institutes for adults and children (OCDI and OCDI Jr.) and the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP).
Allison David, LCSW
CLINICIAN
Allison David is a Senior Clinician at New York Anxiety Treatment. She is an experienced Exposure Therapist who specializes in working with patients suffering from OCD and OCD-related disorders. Allison facilitates treatment groups, provides individual treatment, staffs the intensive outpatient program and supervises trainees at New York Anxiety Treatment. She completed her graduate degree at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Work and her clinical internship at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
ALISON HARTMAN, PH.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW & CLINICIAN
Dr. Hartman is a postdoctoral fellow and clinician 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.
Before joining NYAT, Dr. Hartman earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Drexel University. Her dissertation research focused 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.
Rebecca Berg, ma
CLINICAL EXTERN
Rebecca is a clinical extern at New York Anxiety Treatment and a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University. She earned her BA from the University of Richmond, where she conducted research in both psychology and political science. Rebecca’s current research examines diagnostic crossover across eating disorders. Through a collaborative approach, Rebecca provides evidence-based treatment for individuals facing a multitude of mental health and personal challenges. Rebecca is passionate about enabling her clients to cultivate increased self-compassion, resilience, and overall well-being.
MADELINE GARTENBERG, ma
CLINICAL EXTERN
Maddy is a clinical extern at New York Anxiety Treatment and a third-year doctoral candidate at the Long Island University, Brooklyn Clinical Psychology PhD program. She previously graduated from the University of Rochester, where she earned her BA in Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences. Maddy has examined attachment style and telehealth as potential predictors of change in depression among veterans receiving a time-limited dynamic treatment. Maddy’s approach to psychotherapy is grounded in compassion, warmth and curiosity, with particular attention to the power of the therapeutic alliance. She is excited to be delivering evidence-based treatment and joining the NYAT team.
NICOLE MAK
GRADUATE INTERN
Nicole Mak is a Mental Health Counseling student pursuing her degree at Northwestern University. She earned her BA in East Asian Studies at Oberlin College and served as the Operations Manager & Executive Assistant at the Ackerman Institute for the Family prior to pursuing her graduate degree. In addition to interning at NYAT, Nicole is currently completing literary research on hoarding disorder at SF Compassion. She is passionate about utilizing evidence-based approaches to treat anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, and hoarding disorder. Nicole brings a systemic and multiculturally conscious approach to her practice.
VICTORIA ROMAN
CLINICAL CARE COORDINATOR
Victoria Roman is the Clinical Care Coordinator 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.