I was born and raised in The Bronx. That probably has at least as much to bear upon my personality and approach to treatment as any of my subsequent professional training experiences.
Upon graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, I attended State University College of New York at New Paltz, where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I graduated Cum Laude and received the Outstanding Seniors Award for academic performance and research participation. I next obtained a master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis from Southern Illinois University, and graduated with a 4.0 average and was invited to the Phi Kappa Phi national scholastic organization.
The following year I took a position at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and was encharged with coordinating the new Behavioral Medicine Department at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center.
After one year I moved back east and attended Binghamton University to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology. I then completed a one year clinical internship at the Long Beach California Veterans Administration at the Psychology Service, Department of Medicine and Surgery. I was awarded the doctorate in 1990 and received my New York state license in 1991.
During my internship year I was invited to join a private practice. After several years there, two colleagues and myself left to co-found Oakdale Psychology Associates, a multidisciplinary private behavioral health consortium servicing the mental health needs of New York’s Southern Tier. We operated in Johnson City, New York until the flood in 2011 and then moved to our current location in Endicott.
For many years I have served as a reviewer for the American Journal of Psychiatry where I helped to determine the suitability of submitted research articles for publication. For close to twenty years I have been Adjunct Associate Professor and Clinical Field Supervisor at Binghamton University. I have taught classes, sat on doctoral dissertation committees and most importantly, I supervise graduate level trainees in their clinical training.
In addition to my academic training, I have achieved the Eagle Scout award, a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and Scuba Diving Certification. Perhaps of greatest importance and relevance, I am married and a father of four!
