THRIVING CENTER OF PSYCH - Key Persons

Dr. Aaron Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in providing psychotherapy to adults and their families. He has provided treatment and conducted evaluations for individuals in clinical settings from private practices, to hospitals, to community health centers. Dr. Aaron Smith has a true passion for working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and values cultural awareness in a therapeutic setting. He empowers individuals to enhance their lives through the application of evidence-based therapeutic models and relational support. In order to assist clients in working toward their optimal self, Dr. Aaron Smith utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and interpersonal difficulties.

Dr. Alina Shaw

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Alina Shaw is a licensed clinical psychologist who received her doctoral training at Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID. She has experience providing individual, couples, and group therapy to adults of diverse backgrounds, as well as conducting psychological evaluations in various clinical settings. She specializes in working with adults with depression, anxiety, a history of trauma and adversity, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance use, and personality disorders. She can also provide support and assist with skill-building in the areas of stress management, interpersonal difficulties, self-esteem, and empowerment. Dr. Shaw uses a trauma-informed and fundamentally cognitive-behavioral therapy approach in working with clients to enhance self-awareness and tap into each individual's intrinsic motivation to be the person they wish to be. She also employs dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) techniques to help clients set boundaries and grow their toolbox of coping skills. Above all, she focuses on providing a warm, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive environment as the foundation for trust and growth.

Dr. Bruce Pace

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Bruce Pace, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in working with adults, children, couples, and families with a variety of backgrounds. He uses a Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) approach and is an expert in treating Anxiety, Stress, Relationship Problems, Depression, ADHD, and ODD. Dr. Pace practices the approach that deep introspection, and emotionally-focused, talk driven-sessions can be very beneficial in regard to therapy, however, nothing compares to the real behavioral changes his clients make outside of the office. Dr. Pace is also trained in the Gottman method for couples and believes that conflict between partners is inevitable and that improving the frequency and quality of positive interactions is vital to the long-term stability of the relationship.

Dr. Denise Mercurio-Riley

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist
New York Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Denise Mercurio-Riley is a New York Licensed Clinical Psychologist who earned her graduate degrees (M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling and Ph.D. Counseling Psychology) at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has worked extensively with adult clients in both medical settings and private practice and specializes in treating a variety of presenting concerns including chronic pain or chronic illness, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress management. Evidence-based treatments include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness-based practices.

Dr. Doug Polster

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Doug Polster is a performance psychologist specializing in the enhancement of brain and body health through positive cognitive and behavioral change. He completed his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University, where he played on and captained the varsity men's basketball team. He then attended Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL where he earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in sports and health. He completed his clinical internship in health psychology at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL where he focused on helping individuals achieve a successful recovery from illness and injury. Following graduation, he completed a two-year advanced post-doctoral fellowship in sports neuropsychology at the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program. Dr. Polster is known for his work on mind-body wellness and performance. He has developed programs designed to maximize human performance by helping his clients to develop healthy habits and a stronger mindset using his three A's of peak performance: Awareness, Accountability, and Action. His programs utilize multiple evidence-based strategies including stress management/breathing training, mindfulness, cognitive training, and biofeedback, all of which are designed to assist an individual with leveraging their core strengths in order to reach their peak potential. Dr. Polster has implemented his programs with peak performers across multiple industries, including healthcare, entertainment, media, sales, and start-ups, as well as with professional and Division 1 athletes.

Dr. Jaleesa Freitas

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Jaleesa Freitas is a licensed psychologist who specializes in Clinical/Forensic Psychology. Dr. Freitas received her Ph.D. in 2017 from Alliant International University in California. She has worked with clients who have struggled with a wide range of mental health-related symptoms and stressors within the prison as well as in community settings. More specifically, Dr. Freitas has worked with clients who have struggled with anxiety, anger management, depression, relationship-related issues, stress management, substance abuse, and self-confidence. Dr. Freitas has addressed these types of issues with individuals during one-on-one therapy sessions as well as within the context of a group setting. She has worked with treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Dr. Freitas also has experience in the area of psychological testing and evaluation.

Dr. Julia Kidwell

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Julia Kidwell is a licensed psychologist who received her Ph.D. from Iowa State University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical School with a special emphasis on the early detection and treatment of severe and persistent mental illness. She has worked in clinical settings including residential treatment, community mental health, university counseling, and private practice. She has authored a number of publications and also teaches graduate psychology courses. Dr. Kidwell's areas of expertise and clinical interest include mood disorders, adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma recovery, resiliency, forgiveness of self and others, identity, and self-esteem. She is trained in CBT, ACT, DBT, and EMDR, among other methods.

Dr. Kara Kaatz

Job Titles:

Clinical Psychologist at Thriving Center of Psychology
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Kara Kaatz is a licensed clinical psychologist at Thriving Center of Psychology. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, relationships, identity, life transitions, adjustment, self-compassion, empowerment, trauma, grief, attachment, substance misuse, and depression. Given her background in health psychology, she also has extensive experience working with individuals with chronic health concerns. She has worked in a range of clinical settings, including community mental health, university counseling, residential treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance misuse, primary care behavioral health, and psychiatric hospital services. She works with individuals ages 12 and up. Dr. Kaatz utilizes evidenced based approaches, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and mindfulness, to ensure her clients have the best chance at successfully achieving their goals. She provides a supportive and empathetic environment where individuals feel secure and valued. She works collaboratively with individuals on developing goals for therapy and believes in creating tangible steps forward so that her clients can see progress. Dr. Kaatz helps individuals to identify strengths as well as unhelpful beliefs that keep them from living their version of a meaningful life. She highlights identity, relationships, and interpersonal patterns to foster meaningful self-understanding and awareness. She also explores patterns that individuals find problematic and hinder meaningful and supportive relationships. Dr. Kaatz obtained her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Dakota and completed her predoctoral health psychology internship at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Maxwell Rappoport

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Maxwell Rappoport is a licensed clinical psychologist with a unique background combining general clinical psychological practice with performance psychology and human optimization. Whether your aims are to achieve peak performance, improve your relationships, garner a deeper sense of self-understanding, surmount tangible/specific problems, or simply explore and uncover blind spots, Dr. Rappoport can offer support in those endeavors while helping to usher in lasting change and resilience. He achieves this by utilizing a cognitive-behavioral approach combined with mindfulness and strength-based, goal-oriented interventions. Dr. Rappoport entered the mental health field and psychology for one main reason: to be of service. He understands that each person who seeks our services is complex and nuanced, and therefore he tailors his approach to meet the specific needs of each client. He has an earnest interest to learn about those he works with and comprehending the nature of their goals. Dr. Rappoport completed his graduate work at Palo Alto University in the San Francisco Bay Area and has engaged in treating patients in a variety of settings including community mental health clinics, hospital units, VA facilities, and college counseling centers.

Dr. Mia Robben

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Mia Robben is a Licensed Counseling Psychologist who completed her doctoral training at the University of Denver in Denver, CO. Her APA accredited internship was at the University of California Santa Cruz Counseling Center and her post-doctoral training was completed at the George Washington University Counseling Center. She is a licensed psychologist in both the District of Columbia and in North Carolina. She has served a wide range of clientele from children to older adults. Her experience at university counseling centers and military medical centers has given her an expertise of working with young adults and assisting them in managing the transitions that often occur in young adulthood. Over the years she has worked with a broad variety of presenting issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, managing stress, trauma, chronic illness, eating and body issues, substance issues, couples work, and multicultural identity issues. Dr. Robben takes an integrative approach of applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy within the theoretical framework of understanding individuals through a Family Systems, Interpersonal, and Humanistic lens. She works to provide a safe therapeutic environment where the collaborative therapeutic relationship can be established and which facilitates the growth that is desired by the client. When appropriate, she is able to provide evidence-based treatment modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Exposure Therapy (ET), and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE).

Dr. Nick Fernandez

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Nick Fernandez is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in providing psychotherapy to individuals and couples in NYC. He is known for taking an active and collaborative approach to help his clients identify and work through current issues, develop a confident and resilient sense of self, cultivate meaningful relationships, and build healthy and fulfilling lives. His clinical practice includes working with individuals seeking treatment for anxiety symptoms, relational issues, career-related issues, and performance coaching for professionals and athletes. He also has expertise in working with individuals on specific phobias, such as fear of flying, as well as those with obsessive and compulsive tendencies. His clinical approach is specific to each client and utilizes evidence-based and empirically supported interventions. He has received extensive clinical training and supervision in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP), and prolonged exposure (PE) therapy. Much of Dr. Fernandez's success has come from using Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) with specific phobias. He has provided clinical treatments and conducted research in various settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, schools, college counseling centers, and private practice. Dr. Fernandez holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from LIU-Brooklyn, master's degree in psychology from New York University, and bachelor's degree in psychology from Wake Forest University. He is licensed to practice psychology in the state of New York and is registered as a telehealth provider in the state of Florida.

Elizabeth Hernandez

Job Titles:

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Elizabeth Levin

Job Titles:

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Elizabeth Winter

Job Titles:

Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Winter (she/hers pronouns) is a clinical psychologist with a background in treatment, assessment, and research. She currently specializes in anxiety and neurodevelopmental disorders including (but, not limited to) ADHD, Autism Spectrum, OCD, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia. She excels at solving tricky clinical questions to identify what is causing certain problems or keeping someone from making progress in treatment. Dr. Winter is passionate about non-judgmental approaches and therapeutic alliance and understands that talking to a provider about vulnerable and personal things is anxiety provoking! She understands that marginalized individuals including Women, LGBTQIA, and BIPOC folks are not often given the same consideration as others and strives to provide a safe space for these communities. Dr. Winter provides individual treatment for teens and adults (13 and older) using evidence-based practices such as mindfulness-based CBT; DBT skills; assertive communication and conflict resolution; anger management; skills training for ADHD; self-regulation and energy management for neurodivergent nervous systems. She also utilizes motivational interviewing and interpersonal approaches as necessary and appropriate. She earned her undergraduate degree and a Master of Arts in experimental psychology at California State University Northridge. She attended Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC Canada where she earned a PhD in clinical Psychology with a forensic specialization.