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Risa Levenson, Ph.D., CH. has been a Licensed Clinical Health Psychologist for over
25 years. She is the founder and Clinical Director of New Beginnings Psychology, LLC. Starting as a biofeedback clinician right out of college, Dr. Levenson has a solid foundation in the mind-body connection. She completed a hypnosis certification given by the National Guild of Hypnotists in 2015. Dr. Levenson has been coaching individuals to a more stress/pain free lifestyle for over 35 years. She uses hypnosis with individuals who experience physical pain, phobias, issues with weight loss, stopping smoking, etc. Hypnosis can also be used to improve motivation and coping with various medical conditions. Dr. Levenson also completed a certification in past-life regression. Dr. Levenson completed her Ph.D. in 1998 from Yeshiva University’s Health Psychology Program, where she had the opportunity to attend classes at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Ferkauf School of Psychology. Dr. Levenson completed her externships at Memorial Sloan Kettering and North Shore/LIJ Hospitals. She trained at Brunswick’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit.

Dr. Levenson completed her internship year at Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation.
After completing her degree, Dr. Levenson took additional training in helping individuals on the anxiety disorders spectrum. She specializes in working with individuals who experience panic, the worrier or overthinker and people who experience trauma. She also has various certifications in ADHD. Dr. Levenson has volunteered time working with cancer survivors through the American Cancer Society and is presently running groups for individuals who have Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome. Dr. Levenson has furthered her education into energy work and is a Reiki Practitioner and has completed year one at Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Dr. Levenson treats her clients as the unique and special people they are. She sees herself as an intuitive psychologist. In her free time, she enjoys helping a local wildlife organization. She is also a mom to a beautiful human and various four-leggeds, feathered babies and a cute axolotl.

Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Dr. Debra Cassidy, Psy.D.

Dr. Cassidy earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University. Her education provides Dr. Cassidy with an in-depth understanding of personality development, which is the basis of her approach to treatment.

Dr. Cassidy’s treatment approach provides a warm, supportive, and non-judgmental atmosphere. This creates a safe environment in which the client feels free to explore him/herself with the goal of self-understanding and change. Dr. Cassidy is interested in patterns of behavior, which she feels are often the result of unconscious beliefs, both accurate and inaccurate, that we develop about ourselves during our formative years. She holds a strong belief in the power of the therapeutic relationship in healing. Dr. Cassidy has provided therapeutic services to a diverse population including substance abuse, family therapy, couples therapy, forensics, addictive personality, trauma (both physical and emotional), childhood abuse, sexual abuse, abandonment, and grief. Dr. Cassidy has experience treating patients from the ages of 3 years old through 102 years old. Dr. Cassidy is interested in attachment as the basis for the healthy development of any relationship. As such, she is interested in helping pregnant women to adjust to the pending changes in their lives and mothers of infants and small children who may be struggling with their new role in life. Dr. Cassidy has an empathic understanding of the difficulty of change that life presents to everyone, regardless of age. Her guiding philosophy is one of acceptance, flexibility, and the belief that human beings are much stronger than they realize.

Dr. Debra L. Johnson, Psy.D.

Dr. Johnson been a school psychologist for the NYCDOE for10 years, working with children with special needs. She started her career as a teacher for D.75 with the NYCDOE in the 6:1:1 program. In the intervening years, Debra also worked with a private foster care agency where she remained for 15 years, until this past December. While there she specialized in working with children who were traumatized, ages 3 to 22. Debra also worked for an adult mental health program for 4 years (Institute of Community Living) after receiving her doctorate from Rutgers and before returning to the NYCDOE.

Dr. Linda Treichel, Psy.D.

Dr. Treichel is dedicated to providing treatment that is guided by a safe, attuned and curious engagement that is fundamentally directed by the needs of her clients. Her psychodynamic relational sensibility emphasizes the importance of early developmental influences, and focuses on the therapeutic relationship as a catalyst for change.

Dr. Treichel specializes in adult psychotherapy and has extensive experience working with a broad range of age groups and symptoms including anxiety, depression, relational conflict, trauma, as well as intersections of identity. She approaches therapy from a strength based and integrative approach using psychodynamic, existential, phenomenological and cognitive behavioral perspectives.

Prior to beginning her doctoral program, Dr. Treichel obtained training at the Child and Parent Guidance Center and worked as a family therapist at Spectrum Family Network providing intensive therapeutic services for children, adolescent, young adults and their families.

Dr. Treichel obtained her pre-doctoral training at the University of Denver Counseling Center, Bethesda Employee Assistance Program and Shiloh Home for Children. She completed her internship at National Jewish Medical Research Wellness Center and her post-doctoral training at the Fifth Avenue Center in New York City.

Dr. Treichel received her bachelors in Psychology from Rutgers University, a masters in Phenomenological Psychology from Duquense University and a second masters degree in Clinical Psychology from University of Denver. She obtained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Treichel's clinical and research interests include: the effects of attachment status on personality development and its implication on emotional regulation, emerging research in neuroscience, intersubjectivity, phenomenology, whole body wellness/stress management and tobacco cessation.

Dr. Michelle Stern, Psy.D.

Dr. Stern received her Doctorate in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She completed a neuropsychological internship at NYU Medical Center/Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. She is experienced in diagnosing and treating a wide range of emotional difficulties including dementia and geriatric issues, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, adjustment disorder, work-life balance, career issues, grief work, relationship concerns and personality disorders. She has an extensive background and has worked in a variety of setting including neuropsychology, law enforcement, inpatient psychiatric, general outpatient mental health, mental retardation/developmental disabilities, and geropsychology. With a warm, engaging, supportive, encouraging and accepting style, she works with adults of all ages to help them successfully navigate life transitions and overcome obstacles to reach their full potential. In order to provide the best outcome in therapy for each person, she uses an integrative approach to treatment including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic and solution-focused therapy. She believes that it is very important to take into consideration all aspects of a person when devising the most optimal treatment strategy.

Dr. Tara Lee, Ph. D

Dr. Lee approaches work with her clients as wellness-oriented, strengths-based and collaborative. She believes that you are the foremost authority on your life, your strengths and your growth edges. If we work together, we can identify and work on potential barriers to living a satisfying life. Dr. Lee draw much professional inspiration from “Humanistic” and “Cognitive Behavioral” approaches to therapy. She believe in balance, tending to the needs of the whole person, and cultivating a peaceful and meaningful life.

Our Therapy Animals

Our therapy animals are a staple of our lives and how we work to best help you. It's important to us that they get the credit they deserve for helping both us and you.

Counseling For All

Stages of Life

New Beginnings

About Me

Team