TCCF - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Board Certified Psychiatrist

Alexander Westphal, M.D. is a general, child and adolescent and forensic psychiatrist. He completed medical school at Brown University, and all of his residency and fellowship training at Yale.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Job Titles:

• Associate Clinical Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine
• Medical Director of the Prospects Extended Day Treatment Program at the Mid - Fairfield Community Care Center

Andrew S. Lustbader, M.D., FAAP is a triple-board certified physician in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, and Pediatrics, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. After graduating from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Lustbader trained at the Yale University School of Medicine and completed residency training in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. He has been a practicing physician in Connecticut since 1991. Dr. Lustbader is an Associate Clinical Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine. He also serves on the clinical faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at Yale-New Haven Hospital. For over two decades, Dr. Lustbader has founded and directed a multidisciplinary mental health private practice group in Westport, Connecticut - The Therapeutic Center for Children and Families - dedicated to helping people of all ages develop resiliency, promote social- emotional development, and improve the quality of and find meaning in their lives. Dr. Lustbader has expertise in evaluating and treating children, adolescents, adults, and families, who have emotional, relational, parenting, and psychiatric issues. Some of his areas of specialty include anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, ASD, school avoidance, emotional dysregulation, bipolar disorder, and Covid-related mental health issues, using different forms of psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology when needed. He collaborates with other mental health, school-based, and primary care providers, and is currently the psychiatric consultant to the Greenwich school system. Dr. Lustbader is also the Medical Director of the Prospects Extended Day Treatment Program at the Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. The Clinic assists children with mental health issues - without regard for financial need - with prevention programs, emergency assessments, and pre/post hospital intensive programs, as well as many other forms of therapy. As one of the Directors of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at the Yale Child Study Center, Dr. Lustbader supervised a multidisciplinary team of child and adolescent psychiatrists, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners in training, in the science and practice of comprehensive evaluation, and non-pharmacological and pharmacological forms of mental health treatment. He currently supervises child psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners. Dr. Lustbader has given many seminars to mental health, school-based, and primary care providers, as well as community-based organizations regarding psychopharmacology, psychiatric evaluation and treatment, treatment of physical and psychiatric chronic illnesses (including anxiety and trauma, depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD), parenting and divorce issues, suicide prevention, and mental health issues related to Covid. In addition, he provides executive coaching for the leaders of major corporations. Dr. Lustbader serves on the board of trustees of the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, one of the foremost psychiatric hospitals in the country. He is also one of the founding members of a local, value-based, private high school in Connecticut. He serves as a member of a national psychiatric think tank, the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP), and is a member of the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Dr. Lustbader has received a national award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in honor of his collaborative efforts to increase children's access to quality mental health care. He serves on the Healthcare Access and Economics Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). The committee is dedicated to improving the quality of health care for American children - with a special emphasis on alleviating the crises in children's mental health care delivery. In addition, at the request of the Office of the Child Advocate in the state of Connecticut, in January of 2010, he chaired a task force of pediatricians and mental health providers which released a Blueprint for a Mental Health System in CT that would provide quality mental health care for all children in need. In 2013, the Joint Leadership Task Force was instrumental in helping pass some of the childrens mental health legislation as a result of the crisis in Newtown. One of those initiatives was the creation of the ACCESS Mental Health program, which extends immediate assistance to pediatricians and other primary care providers who have mental health concerns about their patients. He serves as the Associate Director of the Yale Hub of clinicians who provide ready clinical support to these primary care providers for the families in their practices who have mental health needs.

Job Titles:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Betsy Perry, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, experienced in working with children and families. Betsy received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University and her Masters degree in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University. She has worked extensively with younger children, aged 2 to 10 years old, in a variety of settings including home, school and outpatient clinics; and has provided clinical consultation to hundreds of preschools and elementary schools. Betsy uses both psychodynamic and behavioral interventions, working with parents and children to best meet the needs of the child and family. She has many years of training in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) which is a powerful, evidence-based intervention specifically for younger children. She is well versed in play therapy as well as more behavioral strategies. She has experience collaborating with schools to help determine best outcomes for children in the educational setting. Betsy offers an initial consultation to assess and determine the best course of treatment for a child. Ongoing treatment may utilize play therapy, CPP, parent guidance, family sessions, school consultations, and referrals. Betsy brings over 20 years of experience working with young children, and is passionate about helping families navigate the wonderful, although sometimes confusing and challenging, path of parenthood.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Job Titles:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Danielle Knox, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker experienced in working with children, families and young adults. She received a Bachelor of Science in May 2000 at State University of New York, University at Albany. She then went on and graduated with a Master's degree in Social Work from Fordham University in Manhattan, NY. She earned her Master's in Business in June 2017 from Southern CT State University. Ms. Knox has previously worked at Children's Village, an adolescent residential treatment facility in New York, adolescent/young adult outpatient substance abuse program, Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, NY, Yale New Haven Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program, mental health consultant for Yale University in the State of Connecticut Juvenile Detention centers and Yale New Haven Psychiatric Inpatient units. She has worked in the Yale New Haven Health System for 12 years. She has provided individual, family and group therapy for 16 years. She has experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Job Titles:

• Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

David A. Sasso, M.D., M.P.H., is a board-certified psychiatrist who has been a physician in Connecticut since 2004. Dr. Sasso serves as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and in the Child Study Center at Yale University School of Medicine. He has experience treating a wide range of child, adolescent, and adult psychiatric problems through both psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological approaches. His expertise includes treatment of anxiety and mood disorders, ADHD, and in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approaches to psychotherapy. Dr. Sasso received his medical and public health degrees from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. He completed his adult and child psychiatry training in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University and the Yale Child Study Center, respectively. He served as chief resident in both training programs and was named Distinguished Laughlin Fellow. Prior to his medical training, Dr. Sasso studied music composition at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and composed "The Trio of Minuet," a full-length opera performed by children, which was broadcast nationally on PBS stations. He has interests in the intersection of psychiatry, creativity, and the arts and humanities; using music in mental health and community settings, and how to sensitively approach psychiatric problems among performing artists. He has written and presented widely and consulted to local arts organizations on these topics. He is a Senior Fellow and Board Member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry and is the founding chair of the Committee on Arts and Humanities.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Job Titles:

• Business Manager
• Business Mgr

Jan Jepsen has been our business manager since 2010. Jan is a graduate of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. Prior to joining the Therapeutic Center for Children and Families, Jan spent 20 years working in the insurance industry. She has expertise in small business management, contract negotiation, accounting, and customer service.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Jessica Rak, APRN, is a board-certified Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in treatment of children and adolescents and provides psychiatric evaluations, psychotherapy and medication management. Jessica's experience spans across all levels of care, ranging from acute crisis stabilization to weekly psychotherapy, and she has worked in inpatient, outpatient and pediatric settings. Jessica has a grounding in psychodynamic framework and has enhanced her practice with evidence-based approaches, including intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) through Marsha Linehan Behavioral Tech, LLC, as well as training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Jessica emphasizes a collaborative approach with her patients and their families and is comfortable in providing individual and family therapies and parent guidance. Jessica believes that no one family is the same and therefore uses a multi-modal approach to ensure the specific needs of each child and family are met. She has experience in treating ADHD, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, trauma, high-functioning autism spectrum disorders, and psychotic disorders. Her areas of interest lie in helping teens and families understand and navigate intense emotions while building in healthy ways to cope with these emotions in a compassionate and accepting way. Jessica was the acting Associate Medical Director of the Prospects Extended Day Program at Mid-Fairfield Community Cares Center (MFCCC) for nearly ten years, an intensive program for children ages 6-12 yrs old, and provided the medication management for MFCCC's DBT program. Jessica also guest lectures at Yale University School of Nursing and has been a clinical preceptor for the Yale School of Nursing GEPN program. Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her Master's degree from Yale University.

Job Titles:

• Psychiatrist

Karen Siegel, M.D., is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who is passionate about helping children, adolescents and adults reach their full potential. She employs a collaborative, individualized, and patient-centered approach to address a wide range of conditions. She incorporates psychotherapy, medication, or both depending on each individual's needs and preference, and works with children and their families to develop personalized, effective, and sustainable treatment plans. She treats a spectrum of psychiatric problems including anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, OCD, and tic disorders, as well as addresses psychological issues such as identity, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, family dynamics, life transitions, and personal fulfillment. Dr. Siegel graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in history and then completed a postbaccalaureate premedical program at Columbia University. She received her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She completed internship training in pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine, general psychiatry residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medicine, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center where she served as chief fellow. Dr. Siegel is a clinical instructor at Yale Child Study Center. Dr. Siegel is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association. She is licensed to treat individuals in Connecticut and New York. Dr. Siegel offers both in-person and virtual sessions.

Job Titles:

• Practice Mgr

Lauren DeLuca, MED is our practice manager. She received her undergraduate degree at Southern Connecticut State University with a BS in liberal studies with a minor in psychology and public health. She received her master's degree in elementary education at the University of Bridgeport. Lauren has 11 years of experience working at Mid-Fairfield Community Care Center as their system administrator, electronic health record specialist and most recently as their office manager.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Job Titles:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Lynn Rider, LCSW, MDiv, is a Licensed Clinical Social worker who has worked with children and families for three decades, specializing in infant and early childhood mental health. She received her MSW from the University of Connecticut, her MDiv with a concentration in Social Ethics from Yale University, and her undergraduate degree from Carleton College in MN. Since interning at the Yale Child Study Center, she obtained specialized training in Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), and Perinatal Mood Disorders from Postpartum Support International (PSI). In addition to working with families in Child Guidance Clinics and with adults and adolescents in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), she worked as both a Clinical Supervisor and a Developmental Mental Health Clinician for Child First, a national, evidence-based, two-generation model that works with very challenged young children and families providing intensive, mental-health, home-visiting services. Anxiety or depression often shows up as difficult to manage or troubling behavior in young children. Lynn works closely with parents to make sense of their child's concerning behavior and help their child grow new ways of showing up each day. She meets with families in office, at home or in schools to strengthen children's ability to express and regulate emotions, tolerate uncertainty, frustration, or distress, and develop strong, sustaining connections that help them thrive.

Job Titles:

• Clinical Psychologist
• Assistant Clinical Professor

Mark Beitel, Ph.D, earned a bachelor's degree from the Psychology Honors Program at the University of Michigan, a master's degree from the New School for Social Research, and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Fordham University. He is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Beitel trained at Bellevue Hospital Center (Bilingual Treatment Service), St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, New York University Medical Center, Fordham University Counseling Center, and Northern Arizona University Counseling Center. He spent his postdoctoral training year in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Beitel began his professional career at Yale as a full-time member of the Psychiatry faculty and now serves part-time as an Assistant Clinical Professor. He also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. He has authored or coauthored more than 30 scientific articles on personality, psychotherapy, substance use, chronic pain, culture, and integrative medicine.

Job Titles:

• Staff Member

Job Titles:

• Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Stephanie Ehrman, Ph.D is a licensed clinical psychologist who earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Skidmore College (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa), where her thesis research was funded by the National Science Foundation. She earned both her master's degree and her doctorate in clinical psychology from Fordham University in New York. Her training included placements at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center, in addition to counseling undergraduate and graduate students at Fordham University and Northern Arizona University. Dr. Ehrman worked at the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County from 2003 to 2014 and directed the Prospects Extended Day Treatment (EDT) Program at the Center since 2004. During that time Dr. Ehrman provided clinical supervision, administrative oversight, intake and discharge planning, individual, family and group therapy, crisis intervention, and collaboration with DCF and other providers and agencies. Additionally, she participated in the development of EDT practice standards and clinical training programs at the state level. Dr. Ehrman was an adjunct professor of Psychology at the University of Bridgeport, where she taught undergraduate and graduate classes, including Personality and Human Development.