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Meet Our Professional Staff
Our professional staff includes board certified child psychiatrists, adult psychiatrists, an advanced nurse practitioner, psychotherapists, learning consultants, organizational consultants and nutritionists.
Merritt Hubsher, MD
Merritt Hubsher, MD is the medical director of ADHD, Mood & Behavior
Center. He is a Board Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult psychiatrist,
and specializes in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADD, ADHD) as well as all child and adolescent emotional, behavioral,
social and academic disorders. He possesses an expertise in treatment
of childhood mood disorders, such as Childhood Depression, Childhood
Bipolar Disorder and Anxiety and OCD Disorders, behavior disorders such
as Oppositional Defiant Disorder, as well as Pervasive Developmental
Disorders, such as Asperger's Disorder and Autism, and Eating Disorders.
Dr. Hubsher received his medical degree from SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in New York. He received his residency training in Psychiatry at New York University Medical Center, where he also completed his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Hubsher has been in practice since 1987, promoting effective treatment for children, adolescents and adults.
Dr. Hubsher has appeared on television and radio, has been quoted in numerous newspaper articles, and lectures all over the State of New Jersey to school teachers, guidance counselors, therapists and parent groups, as well as other psychiatrists, teaching the hallmarks of childhood mental health, behavioral and academic conditions, in order to increase awareness, and thereby help children to receive the help from which they can so greatly benefit.
Molly Bochenek, LCSW
Molly Bochenek is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She joined the
ADHD, Mood, and Behavior Center in 2005. Prior to moving to NJ, Molly
was the Assistant Director of the Student Counseling Center for a college.
She spent 7 years there providing counseling to students dealing with
a variety of issues including sexual assault, ADHD, time management,
relationship issues, depression, anxiety, bipolar, women's issues, body
image, grief/loss, and substance abuse. Molly brings her experience from
the college counseling center along with her experience from working
in a children's hospital, family service center, dialysis center, and
residential treatment center.
Mike Shugrue, LCSW
Michael Shugrue is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) at the ADHD,
Mood and Behavior Center, where he specializes in treating children,
adolescents, and their families. Michael joined the center in 2005 and
provides individual, group, and family therapy. He is also a regular
speaker at conferences and events addressing parents and educational
audiences on a wide range of topics from dealing with ADHD to fostering
self-esteem in special needs children.
Michael received his Masters of Social Work (MSW) from Columbia University in New York. Prior to joining the ADHD, Mood and Behavior Center, Michael spent 3 years at the Institute for Behavioral Health Services at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey. From 2000 to 2002, Michael worked at and helped develop "Project Destiny", a unique and highly successful Oakland, California-based full service, 'wrap-around' program. There, Michael both provided counseling and supportive services to high risk families in economically challenged neighborhoods as well as participated in the development, direction and team management of the burgeoning, grant supported 'wrap around' program. In addition to direct client work, Michael also has extensive experience working with juvenile justice, educational, and hospital/health service systems.
Suzanne Dowd, LCSW, BCD
Suzanne
Dowd is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Diplomat
with 19 years of experience counseling children, adolescents, adults
and families in both private practice and school settings.
Suzanne joined the ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center in 2003. Her specialty areas of practice include mood & anxiety disorders; ADHD; stress management; grief counseling; marital & step family issues & parenting skills.
Cara Friedman, LCSW
Cara Friedman is a Licensed Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychotherapist as well as a Behavior Consultant at the ADHD, Mood, and Behavior Center. She provides individual and family therapy as well as Social Skills Groups for grade school children.
She has over ten years of experience working in the public school system,
counseling students with a variety of disorders including, but not limited
to, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder,
Anxiety Disorder, and the Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cara has participated
in Child Study Teams, supervised crisis rooms, and is a Certified Instructor
in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention. This has allowed her to train school
districts in the Crisis Development/ Behavior Model, which enables staff
to address behavior that may escalate into disruptive or even violent
incidents.
She assists families in understanding their Rights to Special Education
by attending Individual Education Plan (IEP) Meetings as well as 504
Meetings. She advocates for all children and adolescents to have the
necessary resources to be successful at school as well as being happy
and healthy individuals.
Roni Zarbiv, LCSW
Roni Zarbiv, LCSW, has extensive clinical experience
in the field of wellness promotion and mental health. His areas of expertise
include crisis intervention and stabilization, substance use disorders,
and developmental / intellectual disabilities.
Roni's 25 years of clinical experience have enabled many of his patients, adults and teenagers alike, to move forward towards psychological wellness and recovery. His supportive approach motivates his patients to make necessary lifestyle changes, and incorporate recovery and wellness principles in their everyday life
His work with developmentally disabled individuals and their families centers on coping with disabilities, sexuality related issues, as well as substance abuse.
Roni's treatment approach includes crisis intervention, and individual and group counseling.
The Director of behavioral health services for a large agency in NYC, Roni presents lectures in professional conferences and is involved in staff training and program development. He is an avid advocate for the need to integrate services addressing the issue of substance abuse and developmental disabilities.
Roni has earned his BSW at Bar Ilan University in Israel and his MSW from Fordham University in NY.
Carrie Gelman, LCSW
Carrie Gelman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is also a certified school social worker. Carrie helps children, adolescents and adults overcome emotional and behavioral problems to achieve more satisfying lives. She has worked in a variety of settings including at schools, a psychiatric hospital and in crisis management. Her areas of expertise include behavior modification, self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Carrie has offered workshops to parents and the community on a variety of mental health topics.
Carrie uses a psychodynamic approach with clients to achieve effective solutions to their concerns and issues. She believes that therapy is a collaborative process in which both she and the client must work together for long-lasting results. Carrie believes in the importance of addressing individuals needs and strengths throughout the treatment process.
Martin Galla, LSW
Martin Galla is a Licensed Social Worker who provides individual, group and family therapy. Martin has a diverse range of experiences helping children and adolescents in both the clinical and school settings. He has experience working with children, adolescents and their families, dealing with a variety of issues such as ADHD, behavior problems, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, bipolar disorder and grief & loss. In his work as a school therapist, he provided individual and group therapy to students dealing with various life stressors and family issues. In conjunction with his work at the ADHD, Mood, and Behavior Center, Martin has counseled clients of all ages with various emotional, behavioral, social and academic difficulties in a Jewish agency in Brooklyn, as well. Martin received his BS in Psychology from Yeshiva University and his Masters of Social Work from Columbia University.
Harley Goodfriend, LDT-C
Harley Goodfriend, M.Ed is a certified Learning Disabilities-Teacher Consultant (LDT-C) specializing in the academic evaluation of children and adults for learning disabilities. Harley also provides academic tutoring to students, with and without learning disabilities, to improve proficiency in the areas of Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, Science, study skills and organizational skills.
Ms. Goodfriend has over ten years of collective experience in teaching, in both public and private learning disabilities and developmental disabilities schools, tutoring and providing educational evaluations. She has worked with high and low functioning populations including learning disabled, emotionally disabled and developmentally disabled. Harley's philosophy has always been that we are all individuals with different ways of learning. She continues to help students discover their own style of learning and apply it to their everyday lives.
Ms. Goodfriend was graduated with a Masters in Education and a certification as a Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant from Montclair State University, and received a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Kansas in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in students with disabilities. Harley is also trained in Orton-Gillingham and Wilson, two specialized Reading programs that teach phonics skills using multi-sensory techniques.
Christine Nucera, MAT, LDT-C.
Christine attended Rutgers College in New Brunswick, N.J. for four years
and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology in 1998.
She then went on to attend Montclair State University and graduated with
a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and certifications for Teacher
of the Handicapped and Elementary Education in 2001. Christine began
her career as a Special Education teacher and worked in a variety of
settings, such as a Resource Center teacher, Self-Contained Special Education
teacher, and an In-Class Support teacher in a regular education classroom.
She has experience working with a multitude of students with a variety
of disabilities, such as learning disabilities, attentional difficulties,
behavior issues, autism, multiple handicaps, etc. While working with
students with disabilities, Christine developed an interest in assessment
techniques. She decided to return to Montclair State University to pursue
her Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant certification in 2004. Currently,
Christine works as an L.D.T.-C. on a Child Study Team in a public school
district in northern New Jersey. She works with students ranging from
pre-school to high-school age. Christine has experience evaluating all
levels of students and providing appropriate recommendations for both
public and private school settings.
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210 Malapardis Road, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927
(973) 605-5000 (Cedar Knolls)