Eating Disorder Treatment Professionals in New York

Melissa Gerson, LMSW

Co-Founder and Clinical Director, Columbus Park Collaborative

Melissa graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University.  She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work at New York University and completed NYU Psychoanalytic Institute’s post-graduate program in psychodynamic psychotherapy.  Melissa was trained at the Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders. She also received intensive individual training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and participated in the Eating Disorders, Compulsions and Addictions Educational Program at the William Alanson White Institute. Melissa served as the primary mental health consultant for La Palestra Center for Preventative Medicine in NYC for several years while completing over three hundred hours of practice supervision, under the guidance of several of the most respected and accomplished psychotherapists and eating disorder treatment specialists in the country. Melissa maintains a busy private practice, providing both group and individual treatment to adults and adolescents with eating disorders and body image concerns. Melissa has worked tirelessly as the co-founder and Clinical Director of Columbus Park Collaborative to further enhance the services she is able to provide to women with eating disorders.  Melissa is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, the National Eating Disorders Association, and the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

Rebecca Appleman, RD

Co-Founder and Nutrition Director, Columbus Park Collaborative

Rebecca graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Psychology from Connecticut College. She pursued her nutrition studies at the New York University Steinhardt School of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies and completed NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital’s rigorous Dietetic Internship, where she fulfilled a concentrated clinical rotation at Weill Cornell Westchester’s inpatient eating disorder treatment program. Upon completion of her Dietetic Internship, Rebecca served as the primary nutritionist for The Renfrew Center New York Day Treatment Program for eating disorders, directing the nutrition program for over two years. She simultaneously completed The Commission on Dietetic Registration’s intensive training and certification program in adult weight management. Thereafter, Rebecca joined Joy Bauer Nutrition as a weight management and eating disorder treatment specialist where she provided individual nutrition counseling to adolescent and adult women for several years, while earning over 200 hours of intensive individual clinical practice supervision. Rebecca maintains a successful private nutrition practice in which she provides individual counseling to adolescents and adults struggling with eating disordered behaviors and body image concerns. As co-founder and Nutrition Director of Columbus Park Collaborative, Rebecca has devoted herself to the development of programs and services designed to help women foster a respectful and healthful relationship with food and their bodies. Rebecca is an active member of the American Dietetic Association, the Greater New York Dietetic Association, and the National Eating Disorders Association.

Tara L. Brass, M.D.

Medical Director, Columbus Park Collaborative

Tara graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology from The University of Pennsylvania. She earned her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, completed her psychiatry residency at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, and fulfilled a fellowship in Psychoanalysis at New York Psychoanalytic Institute. Tara is a board certified psychiatrist who focuses her practice on the psychological and pharmacological treatment of patients with eating disorders as well as mood and anxiety disorders. She served as a psychiatrist and clinical instructor in the Psychiatric Emergency Department of The Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she conducted psychiatric assessments of emergency room patients, managed patient care, supervised residents and medical students in emergency psychiatry and was a frequent consultant for other medical specialties. During Tara's tenure at Mount Sinai, she received intensive training and supervision in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and participated in a full DBT protocol giving her expertise in both group and individual DBT treatment. Tara spent two years as a psychiatrist at The Renfrew Center of New York for eating disorder treatment, where she conducted psychiatric assessments and provided continuous medication management for patients. Tara maintains a private practice in Manhattan and Scarsdale, New York, in which she provides both individual psychotherapy and medication management, with a specialty in the treatment of eating disorders and mood and anxiety disorders. Tara is thrilled to be an integral part of the CPC community as the supervising psychiatrist and Medical Director. Tara is an active member of the American Psychiatric Association, The National Eating Disorders Association, The Academy of Eating Disorders, The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders and The International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals.

Anat Ben-Zvi, PhD

Psychologist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Anat graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English.  She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from Long Island University in Brooklyn, and completed her clinical internship at The New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she worked as an integral member of the treatment and research teams on the eating disorders unit of the Psychiatric Institute.  Anat also participated in an intensive year-long Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT) rotation that involved leading DBT skills training groups and working with individual patients to optimize their DBT training/practice.  At the National Institute for Psychotherapies, Anat received extensive supervision and training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.  A solid Psychodynamic foundation in conjunction with additional training and expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and DBT facilitates flexibility and fluidity in Anat's work with her clients.   Her integrative approach is further enhanced by 15 years of meditation and mindfulness practice in addition to extensive training in visual arts.  Anat is thrilled to join the team at Columbus Park Collaborative as a talented primary therapist.   In addition to her work at CPC Anat treats individual clients and facilitates therapeutic groups as an eating disorder treatment expert at New York University’s Counseling and Behavioral Health Center.  Anat is also an active member of the American Psychological Association, and American Group Psychotherapy Association.

Jessica Fishman, MS, RD, CDN

Nutritionist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Jessica graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology from New York University.   She continued her studies at NYU to pursue a Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with a concentration in clinical nutrition at the Steinhardt School of Education, Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health.  Jessica completed Long Island College Hospital’s Dietetic Internship, during which she provided nutrition education and counseling to children, adolescents, and adults.  After completing her Dietetic Internship, Jessica started her private nutrition practice at the New York Dermatology Group where she provided individual nutrition counseling to adolescent and adult women struggling with disordered eating and weight management.  During this time she also worked for Wellness Concepts, where she provided nutrition counseling to individuals and groups in corporate companies in New York.  Most recently, Jessica was the Chief Nutrition Editor at Waterfront Media and she has been quoted in national magazines including Glamour, Today’s Dietitian, Today’s Diet and Nutrition, and more.    Jessica is thrilled to be an integral part of the team at Columbus Park Collaborative and to continue her work assisting in the healing and empowerment of women through their nourishment.  Jessica is a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist in New York and an active member of the American Dietetic Association, the Greater New York Dietetic Association, the Nutrition Entrepreneurs Dietetic Practice Group, and the Dietitians in Business and Communications Dietetic Practice Group.

Adrienne Glasser, LCSW

Psychodynamic and Dance Therapist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Adrienne graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in Psychology and received her Master’s degree in Social Work at New York University. Adrienne joined FEGS outpatient mental health clinic and provided individual counseling to victims of 9/11 along with mental health services for a variety of diagnoses.  Adrienne obtained extensive experience in the treatment of co-occurring disorders, specifically with eating disorders and chemical dependency, through her dedicated work at Phoenix House and The Freedom Institute. Adrienne received training in Psychodrama with Tian Dayton, PhD and plans to complete a certification in dance/movement therapy through the Dance Therapy Association in January 2009. Adrienne uses a combination of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies in her individual and group treatment of adolescents and adults and incorporates psychodrama and movement therapy as an adjunct to the work as well as on their own.  Adrienne is passionate about her work with eating disorders, chemical dependency, codependency, and trauma, which she treats in her private practice and is thrilled to bring her varied experience and training to Columbus Park Collaborative. Adrienne is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, American Dance Therapy Association and the National Eating Disorders Association.

Camilla E. Mager, Psy.D.

Psychologist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Camilla graduated from Brown University, earning her B.A. with honors in the discipline of Religious Studies.  She earned her Masters and her Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where her doctoral research focused on the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship.  Camilla began her training at Henry Ohlhoff Outpatient Programs, an intensive outpatient program for both substance abuse and eating disorders located in San Francisco, CA.  After returning to New York City, she completed a one year fellowship in intensive psychotherapy at the William Alanson White Institute.  Upon completing her doctorate, Camilla worked at Sarah Lawrence College’s Health Services where she ran the school’s eating disorder treatment program.  Camilla is trained in both DBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy from an interpersonal perspective.  In addition, she has a background in integral psychotherapy, an approach which integrates research and insight from neuroscience, mindfulness practice, Western and Eastern spiritual and religious traditions and alternative health practices to allow for a comprehensive approach to therapy. Camilla’s specialization in the psychology of women complements the work she does both in her private practice and at Columbus Park Collaborative.  She is an active member of the American Psychological Association and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

Julie Nathan, Ph.D.

Adjunct Psychologist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Julie Nathan, PhD graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Fordham University.  She was on faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York from 2000-2004 and served as Director of Montefiore's Psychological Testing Service from 2001-2004. She was Assistant Professor and Attending Psychologist at Montefiore's Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program where she conducted and supervised Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with teenagers and their families.  She maintains a private practice in Manhattan, treating both adults and adolescents struggling with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, relational issues, and self-destructive behavior.  Her therapeutic approach is solution focused and integrates traditional cognitive behavioral therapies with mind-body strategies such as mindfulness. She has intensive training in both DBT and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), administers learning disability evaluations for people with learning, attentional, or emotional difficulties, and presents workshops to schools, hospitals, and academic conferences on DBT and its application to adolescents. With such a wide breadth of experience in DBT, CBT, and MBCT, Julie is an invaluable member of Columbus Park Collaborative.

Karen Schwartz, LMSW

Yoga Therapist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Karen earned a B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University. Karen has spent twenty years helping her clients achieve better physical, mental and emotional health. As a licensed social worker, Karen spent ten of those years working therapeutically with children, adolescents and families. A former fitness instructor, personal trainer and dance teacher, Karen went on to complete her Yoga teaching certification from White Lotus Yoga Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA. She later completed White Lotus Yoga Foundation’s advanced yoga training, deepening her understanding of the concepts and techniques of Yoga practice, including breath work, meditation and listening to the subtler messages of the body's intelligence. Karen has studied a variety of Yoga styles and techniques of mind-body therapy, and has conducted original workshops on Yoga, breath, energy and mind-body awareness. She has brought her unique understanding of mind-body integration to working with depression and anxiety, lifestyle and weight management, and body image and self-esteem issues. Karen is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and is a frequent contributor to IAYT’s newsletter, Yoga Therapy in Practice, as well as Fit Yoga magazine. She is the director of her own Yoga instruction and therapy practice, OneSelf Yoga, NYC.

Danielle V. Shelov, PhD

Psychologist and Yoga Therapist, Columbus Park Collaborative

Danielle graduated with honors and a B.S. in Psychology from Union College and completed her doctoral training in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis on mental and physical health, at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Danielle also received her yoga training certification in Prana Yoga through the Open Center of Manhattan, in 2002.  Danielle has presented her doctoral research at various national conferences, which investigated the impact of yoga on chronic physical illness, mindfulness and empathy.  She completed her internship training at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, where she worked extensively with all levels of emotional illness, including inpatient treatment, day treatment, and child and adolescent outpatient therapy.  Danielle has been trained in Cognitive Behavioral, Psychodynamic and Family therapies and utilizes an integrated approach when dealing with specific patient populations.  Danielle brings to Columbus Park Collaborative an integration of the mind-body approach to the treatment of eating disorders, focusing on building an awareness of the relationship between emotional and physical health.  Danielle is an active member of the American Psychological Association and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.