Behavioral Health of New York (BHNY) is a private practice of PhD-level psychologists and couples therapists. We treat anxiety, depression, relationship issues, OCD, ADHD (adult and child), and childhood trauma. Each clinician has expertise in a specific therapy method: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, interpersonal therapy, couples therapy, and more. We also provide psychological testing for ADHD, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, memory and cognitive impairment, and accommodations on standardized exams (LSAT, GMAT, GRE, etc.).
Our Team
Mitchell S. Levy, Ph.D.
Dr. Levy is a licensed psychologist and the founder and director of Behavioral Health of New York. He attended University of Pennsylvania, Claremont Graduate School, and Fordham University. He has professional memberships with the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) and the New York City Cognitive Behavior Therapy Association.
While at University of Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to work in research with Dr. Robert Derubeis and Dr. Aaron Beck, the founder of cognitive therapy. I saw how powerful and effective CBT was for anxiety and depression. This experience inspired me to pursue my doctorate in psychology so I could use CBT to help people live more freely and live the life they deserve.
After many years in solo practice, I wanted to offer CBT treatment to a larger number of clients than I could serve alone. I also found that while most clients achieved significant progress with CBT, some were better served by other methods given their unique problems and issues. I created Behavioral Health of New York (BHNY), a private practice group, to offer a variety of therapy approaches to best serve each client. Each practitioner has been carefully selected for their skill in a specific therapy method. They've also been selected for their experience with certain demographics and issues (e.g., young adults with relationship issues, older folks in life stage transition, clients with childhood trauma, and other areas of focus). Having a variety of therapy methods and clinicians with specific areas of expertise allows BHNY to provide an optimal fit between client and practitioner, which is crucial for successful treatment.
Stephen Puliafico, Ph.D.
Dr. Puliafico is a licensed clinical psychologist and received his PhD from Hofstra University with specific training in CBT, ACT, and exposure response prevention (ERP). Dr. Puliafico treats anxiety, depression, relationship issues, OCD, phobias, PTSD, and other behavioral and emotional conditions. He also specializes in virtual reality therapy for fear of flying and public speaking and has applied this technology for the treatment of OCD.
I find it incredibly rewarding and satisfying to help people overcome anxiety, depression, and interpersonal issues with the latest evidenced based treatments of CBT, ACT, and ERP. I’ll work collaboratively with you so together, we can move you forward. I structure sessions based on your values and your life goals, so our sessions are productive.
In cases where longstanding thought patterns are difficult to change, I teach the skill of ‘acceptance’ of certain thoughts or changing your relationship to your thoughts. This allows you to live more freely, face your fears, and achieve what you want from life. I’ve had much success in incorporating acceptance-based principles in helping people with social anxiety, relationship issues, and OCD. I’m passionate about my work, and there’s nothing more rewarding than helping people make behavioral changes that allow them to live their lives with more meaning and joy.
If you find yourself constantly caught up in a cycle of overthinking & overachieving, seeking balance and centeredness in your life, I am here to help. Through therapy, we will explore strategies to calm the racing thoughts, ease the pressure of constant doing, and rediscover a sense of harmony within yourself. While we may not possess the ability to directly control our thoughts & feelings, we do hold the power to consciously choose our responses to these internal experiences. Together, we can navigate the challenges you face, while embracing laughter, acceptance, and an authentic connection that promotes growth & well-being.
I specialize in treating OCD, anxiety, & perfectionism. I enjoy helping young adults navigate professional, social, & romantic challenges. Therapy should be tailored, not one-size-fits-all. That's why I adopt an integrative approach, drawing from the rich foundations of acceptance & commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapies for a comprehensive approach.
Whether you're well-versed in therapy or just starting out, my aim is to enhance your life and be a valuable support. I bring a compassionate curiosity, a sense of humor, and conversational style.
Ashmi Tiwari, Psy.D.
Dr. Tiwari is a licensed psychologist in New York and New Jersey. She is an adjunct professor in the Psy.D. program in Clinical and School Psychology at Pace University.
Dr. Tiwari is very warm, genuine, and personable, allowing clients to feel very comfortable and open in session. She helps clients manage thoughts and behaviors to help them move forward with their values and goals in life. She treats adults, adolescents, and children with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD utilizing CBT, ACT, and mindfulness techniques.
Dr. Tiwari is trained as a clinical and school psychologist. Her experience with psychological assessments and child therapy in schools allows her to best advocate for a child's needs. She often partners with parents and school personnel in the process of creating an optimal learning environment for a child’s growth and development.
Dr. Zhu provides CBT, ACT, and mindfulness to adults and adolescents. He is very active in session, offering structure and tools to manage generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, and OCD. Dr. Zhu treats OCD with the latest evidenced-based techniques, including ERP. His warmth, compassion, and empathy are invaluable traits to clients. Dr. Zhu has experience working with a diverse range of clients and is very sensitive to multicultural issues.
In addition, Dr. Zhu provides full battery Neuropsychological Evaluations for assessing ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Autism, and Memory & Cognitive Impairment. He has performed many Neuropsychological Evaluations in several outpatient clinics, schools, and at the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit of Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.
It’s my great honor to work with you and to walk along with you on your path toward healing. In therapy sessions, I collaborate with clients to work through their stressors and move toward their goals. In Neuropsychological Assessments, I work with clients to understand their current concerns – to provide diagnostic clarity for treatment planning or for gaining accommodations in various settings such as school or work.
Nicole Pensak, Ph.D.
Dr. Pensak is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York, New Jersey, and over 40 states under PSYPACT, with training in evidence-based therapy, CBT, and ERP. She treats adults and adolescents with many conditions including anxiety, OCD, depression, relationship issues, and coping with illness. Dr. Pensak is certified in postpartum mental health and treats new mothers experiencing postpartum anxiety, depression, and many issues that arise with being a new mom. She is the author of "RATTLED, How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain." She also serves on the Expert Review Board for Parents magazine.
If you're not functioning at your best or are unsure where to start, we'll work together on how therapy can help. As a clinician, I work collaboratively with you to help you reach your treatment goals. You deserve to live to your full potential and reduce mental health roadblocks.
My goal is to help you reduce your symptoms of anxiety, depression, postpartum, OCD, and trauma. I tailor treatment to your unique needs, and when appropriate can utilize evidence-based therapy such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). If you're a new mom experiencing postpartum or any of the psychological or emotional issues that arise with new motherhood I'm here to help.
Benjamin Hamburger, Psy.D.
Dr. Hamburger is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in CBT,neuropsychological evaluation, psychological testing, and couples therapy. He treats conditions including ADHD, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. He’s one of the few NYC psychologists who provides behavior therapy for both adults and children with ADHD and autism. Dr. Hamburger attended Yeshiva University and completed a postdoc fellowship in neuropsychological testing and psychoeducational evaluation.
If you struggle with ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, or memory problems, I’m here to support you. I provide neuropsychological evaluations for extra time on standardized tests such as LSAT, ACT, and GMAT. These evaluations also help obtain workplace modifications and special accommodations for school classrooms. Many clients come for testing to obtain a clear diagnosis which helps them and their medical doctors with medication decisions.
My training in neuropsychology gives me an understanding of cognitive function, or how we process information. How our minds process information affects how we perceive ourselves and others in the world. This is particularly helpful for CBT, which is based on one’s perceptions of the self, the world, and the future—factors that drive emotions and behavior. It’s also useful for couples therapy, where conflict and communication problems arise due to misperceptions or misunderstandings of each other. Providing effective, evidenced-based therapy for individuals and couples I treat has helped many achieve significant progress in their lives.
Lorne Schussel, Ph.D.
Dr. Schussel is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University Teachers College. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and is a licensed psychologist in New York State.
Dr. Schussel provides individual therapy for adults, adolescents, and children. He specializes in mindfulness, trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), and psychodynamic therapy. He treats anxiety, depression, relationship issues, OCD, PTSD, and behavioral problems. Dr. Schussel helps facilitate confidence, self-awareness, and positive change. He developed a psychological healing practice known as “The Best Self Visualization Method” which has been cited in The New York Times, ABC-online, and HuffPost. The method has been used in the curriculum for mental health and resilience at Zucker Hillside Hospital (Northwell Health) and the Long Beach School District. Dr. Schussel has presented to corporate leaders in Indonesia as part of a mental health initiative for the COVID-19 crisis and lectured to psychiatry residents at Mount Sinai Hospital, Glendale Adventist Hospital, and the University of Southern California.
Larissa Rancier, Psy.D.
Dr. Larissa Rancier is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of NY. She obtained her Psy.D. from the APA accredited program at Albizu University in Puerto Rico and has been trained in CBT, DBT, ACT and mindfulness. Dr. Rancier enjoys working with a diverse population using evidence-based interventions for a wide range of conditions including anxiety and depression, personality disorders, PTSD, trauma, and relationship issues.
Dr. Rancier is a culturally sensitive therapist and considers how diversity and cultural factors impact her client’s mental health. She believes in the importance of providing clients tools and skills while also allowing space to process past experiences that could impact the client’s current day to day functioning.
I know first-hand how important culture and diversity factors play a crucial role in our life experiences. I believe in the importance of understanding my client’s unique experiences and work collaboratively to help determine their treatment goals and the best plan to achieve them.
Andrew Sickles, Psy.D.
Dr. Andrew Sickles is a licensed psychologist with extensive training in CBT, DBT and ERP(Exposure Response Prevention). He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy and his PsyD in clinical psychology at Ferkauf Graduate School (Yeshiva University). Dr. Sickles also has an M.S. In School Psychology.
Dr. Sickles treats adults and adolescents and with OCD, ADHD, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and adjustment difficulties. He incorporates relational and psychodynamic principles with evidence-based methods of treatment. His therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental, while occasionally using humor to illustrate understanding and develop strong bonds with his patients.
Therapy is an important step to reach comfort with the uncomfortable. I am deeply committed to working with others to progress through difficult situations. I look forward to working with you to gain an understanding of the emotional challenges in front of you and collaborate to explore ways to mitigate these challenges. We are often unsure of exactly what we are struggling with or why we feel overwhelmed by our emotional responses - I am here to work with you on how to proceed and to live the life you truly deserve.
Andrew Gentile, Ph.D.
Dr. Andrew Gentile earned his PhD in clinical psychology from Hofstra University and completed his predoctoral residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. He also completed a two-year research fellowship at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where his research centered on developing Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interventions for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, reaching an international patient population.
Dr. Gentile provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for adults, addressing a variety of clinical concerns including anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, and body dysmorphic disorder. He also has experience working with clients with emotional dysregulation. Dr. Gentile has extensive training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for a variety of diagnostic presentations helping clients go beyond symptom reduction toward building more fulfilling, meaningful lives based on personal values.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and stuck? You may have been trying different ways to feel better and move forward but find progress is still very challenging. Approaching emotional problems can be quite different than the way we solve problems in the external world, and a different skill set is often needed. Let’s work together to find a new way of approaching your current challenges, with compassion and understanding to help you move forward.
I understand the path leading you to this moment may not have been easy. My commitment is to create a safe space where we can collaborate and leverage your unique strengths to bolster your resilience, discover purpose, and foster a life that aligns with your intrinsic values.
Leigh Rust, Psy.D.
Dr. Leigh Rust is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of New York. He received his doctorate from Fairleigh Dickenson University.
He specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapyfor Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Disorders, and Autism. Dr. Rust treats adults, adolescents, and children and applies principles of behavior therapy for those with ADHD and Executive Functioning challenges.
Dr. Rust is acutely aware of the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of adolescents. He is known to be a favorite among middle school and high school kids due to his fun-loving personality and pop-culture knowledge. Dr. Rust loves all types of music, movies, sports teams, and understands the latest video games. Most young clients feel very comfortable and enjoy working with Dr. Rust which allows for a great connection, creating an optimal environment for therapy.
In addition to Behavioral Health of NY, Dr. Rust practices as a School Psychologist on Long Island. Dr. Rust has helped numerous families navigate the school system for accommodations with his in-depth knowledge of psycho-educational evaluations, individualized education plans, and 504 plans.
Kelly Gwin, LMHC
Kelly is a licensed mental health counselor in New York State. He holds certificates in Marriage & Family Therapy and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.
Kelly’s specialty is couples therapy. He’s one of our most experienced therapists. bringing many years of practice and wisdom to sessions. He has advanced training in couples therapy and emotionally focused therapy (EFT). His sessions are highly structured, allowing couples to get at the heart of their issues efficiently. Couples learn new ways of communication to facilitate resolution of conflict and come to a deeper understanding of each other.
In individual therapy, Kelly works very well with male clients. He naturally builds rapport with men, which is especially helpful for men entering couples therapy for the first time.
Jon Rosen, Psy.D.
Dr. Rosen is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist in the state of New York. He received his PhD from Fairleigh Dickinson University and earned his Masters in School Psychology from St. John’s University. He serves as an adjunct clinical supervisor at Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology and is also a guest lecturer at colleges and universities across the tri-state area.
Dr. Rosen specializes in CBT and evidenced-based techniques in the treatment of anxiety, depression,OCD, ADHD, phobias, and emotional regulation. Dr. Rosen's warmth, support, and compassion allow clients to feel comfortable and open in session. He teaches cognitive and behavioral skills that foster healthy changes in thought patterns and behaviors. Dr. Rosen's sessions are structured and goal-oriented, giving clients the tools to become their best self.
In addition to being a licensed psychologist, Dr. Rosen is also a certified school psychologist, providing him further expertise when treating children and adolescents. His experience working in schools gives him insight into the social-emotional issues that impact school performance as well as barriers that could impact a child’s learning. This allows Dr. Rosen to help kids reach their full potential. Dr. Rosen also teaches parents the skills that are being worked on in therapy so they can be the best advocate for their child's needs.
Suzie Choi, LMHC, Ed.M.
Suzie was trained at Columbia University and is a licensed mental health counselor in New York State. She works with a diverse range of clients and is sensitive to multicultural issues.
Suzie is known for her compassion and empathy while delivering CBT in session. She treats anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and trauma. She has training in EMDRand TF-CBT, both of which are evidence-based treatments for trauma. Suzie also treats couples and has training in the Gottman Method and EFT.
Dr. Donnelly is a supervisor to doctoral candidates in the PsyD Program at Pace University and teaches advanced CBT. She’s also a peer supervisor in ACT and a trained mindfulness instructor.
Henry Zhu, Ph.D.
Andrew Gentile, Ph.D.
