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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.
Bindu Khanna, MD
Bindu Khanna, MD provides careful diagnostic evaluation and treatment at ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center. She is a board certified child, adolescent & adult psychiatrist. She received her training in Psychiatry at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. She then specialized in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).
Dr. Khanna has been in practice since 1998. She was an attending child psychiatrist at Hackensack University Medical Center for several years, where she provided her clinical expertise at the Institute for Child Development and the Institute for Behavioral Health. Dr. Khanna is currently an attending child psychiatrist at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson.
Dr. Khanna is a member of the American Psychiatric Association. She specializes in the treatment of childhood mood disorders and behavior problems, and has a special interest in helping children with developmental disorders with their behavior difficulties.
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.
Allison Kanarek, LCSW
Allison Kanarek is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who provides individual and family therapy. Allison has a diverse array of experiences helping children and adolescents, including her work on an inpatient children's psychiatric unit, where she provided children ages 5-17 with crisis intervention and treatment, as well as her experience working in a high school setting, where she provided individual and group therapy to students dealing with various life stressors and family issues. She has valuable experience treating children, adolescents, and their families, who are dealing with a variety of issues including ADHD, depression, anxiety, physical/sexual abuse, grief/loss, and other behavioral/emotional problems.
Allison recieved her BS in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and her Masters of Social Work from New York University. She brings her experiences from working in a hospital setting, school, and mental health agency to the Center.
Debra Diaz, LCSW
Debra Diaz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Certified School Social Worker with 8 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families. She has provided direct services in the form of individual psychotherapy, brief group psychotherapy, and crisis counseling.
Debra received her Masters in Social Work (MSW) from New York University. Her specialty areas of practice include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Childhood Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Behavior Disorders, and Developmental Disorders. Prior to joining the ADHD, Mood & Behavior Center, Debra worked at the George Washington School in New Jersey through Youth Consultation Services where she provided individualized and group treatments for special education students to improve socialization skills, foster more appropriate behavior and responses, and promote self-awareness and personal competency.
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.
Debbie Grossman
Debbie came to Achieve Learning Center in the summer of 2006 and brought
more than 15 years of teaching experience with her.
Debbie graduated from The American University in Washington, DC in 1975
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. A native of Paterson,
Debbie began her teaching career in Paterson in 1975.
After raising her family, Debbie resumed her teaching career in 2000 at Paterson, School No. 18. She received her certificate for teaching students with learning disabilities from William Paterson University in 2006. Debbie has been teaching students with learning disabilities at School No. 18. since September 2006.
Judi Spector, RD
Judi brings over 25 years of professional experience
helping others to achieve their weight and nutrition goals. Judi provides
personalized nutritional counseling to children, adolescents, and families,
and designs and conducts dynamic group sessions and seminars on a variety
of current health and nutrition-related topics.
Judi is a Registered Dietitian who received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland. Her extensive work experience includes clinical pediatric dietitian at Children's Specialized Hospital for more than 15 years and nutrition consultant for several medical practices, cooking schools and fitness centers. Judi has appeared on local cable TV and radio, has written numerous nutrition articles for newspapers and other publications, and is a frequent lecturer to corporations and consumer groups.
Judi's creative and fun approach to teaching healthful diet changes will help children and young adults gain new insight to their nutritional well-being while instilling lifelong good eating habits.
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Center Locations in Union, Bergen and Morris Counties
547 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ 07090
127 Union Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
210 Malapardis Road, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927
(908) 654-0400 (Westfield)
(201) 444-1070 (Ridgewood)
(973) 605-5000 (Cedar Knolls)