Faculty

The Family Therapy Training Program was first established in 1983 under the leadership of Drs. M. Duncan Stanton and Judith Landau. Subsequent Directors were Dr. Susan H. McDaniel (1988-1994), who initiated the accreditation of the Post-degree Certificate Program; and Dr. David B. Seaburn (1994-2000) who, in 1998, initiated the establishment of the graduate program in marriage and family therapy. Dr. Pieter Le Roux has been the Director of the Family Therapy Training Program 2000-2012 The current Co-Directors, as of July 2012, are Dr. Jenny Speice and Dr. Carol Podgorski.

The faculty is recognized for developing Transitional Family Therapy, a model that blends transgenerational, ecosystemic and here and now approaches to the family, while utilizing family strengths and competence in therapy. All faculty are Clinical Members/Approved Supervisors of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).

Olivia Chiang, PsyD
Clinical Senior Instructor, Department of Psychiatry (Psychology)
Clinical Psychologist, Dept. of Pediatrics and Dept. of Psychiatry, Rochester General Hospital
Major Interests: bereavement, medical family therapy, pediatric primary care

Aubree M. Guiffre, PhD
Clinical Senior Instructor, Department of Psychiatry
Licensed Psychologist at Strong Family Therapy and Rochester General Pediatric Associates
Major Interests: primary care psychology, medical family therapy, grief, training medical providers

Barbara Gawinski, PhD, LMFT
Associate Director of Behavioral Health Services
Associate Professor of Family Medicine& Psychiatry
Major interests: behavioral health, training and supervision, global health and immigrant and refugee care.

Pieter Le Roux, D Litt et Phil, LMFT
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry
Primary Care Family Psychology Fellowship: Site Director for Pediatric Track.
Major interests: clinical supervision, narrative approaches and multicultural themes in family therapy, medical family therapy; and family and the workplace.

Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, LMFT
Dr. Laurie Sands Distinguished Professor of Families & Health
Director, Institute for the Family, Department of Psychiatry
Associate Chair, Department of Family Medicine
Major interests: medical family therapy, infertility and new reproductive technologies, genetic testing, somatization, and collaboration between primary care physicians and mental health providers.

Anthony Pisani, PhD, LMFT
Associate Professor - Department of Psychiatry, Family/Marriage (SMD) - Primary
Associate Professor - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)
Major interests:youth suicide prevention, school-based prevention, youth-parent connectedness, clinical responses to suicide risk,primary pediatric care and behavioral health.

Carol Podgorski, PhD, MPH, LMFT
Co-Director: Family Therapy Training Program
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Major interests: family therapy in academic-community partnerships, dementia, evidence-informed program development.

Ellen Poleshuck, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology) and Obstetrics/Gynecology
Major interests: women's health, interventions and services research, depression and pain comorbidity, intimate partner violence

Tziporah Rosenberg, PhD, LMFT
Clinic Director, Family Therapy Services
University of Rochester Medical Center
Major interests: Medical family therapy, models of collaborative and integrative healthcare, couple and family therapy training and education, outcome-based education and assessment, effects of illness and health on family relationships.

Jenny Speice, PhD, LMFT
Co-Director: Family Therapy Training Program,
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Major interests: families and health, infertility, genetics screening, collaboration between primary care providers and mental health practitioners, grief and loss.

Michelle Swanger-Gagne, PhD, NCSP
Senior Instructor in Psychiatry (Psychology)
Licensed Psychologist at Strong Family Therapy and Rochester General Behavioral Pediatrics Program
Major interests: Family-School Partnerships, Family engagement in children's education, models of collaborative care, school consultation, intervention implementation fidelity, family therapy with children and youth with behavioral concerns

William H. Watson, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology) and Neurology
Major interests: mind/body issues, spirituality and psychotherapy, family issues in the workplace, training and supervision.