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 (1994-2000), who initiated the accreditation of the Post-degree Certificate Program, and Dr. David B. Seaburn (1998-2000) who, in 1998, initiated the establishment of the graduate program in marriage and family therapy. Dr. Pieter Le Roux was the Director of the Family Therapy Training Program from 2000 until June, 2012.   As of July, 2012, Dr. Jenny Speice and Dr. Carol Podgorski have taken on the Directorship of the Program.  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. Dr. McDaniel and her colleagues, Jeri Hepworth and William Doherty, are recognized for establishing the field of Medical Family Therapy with their 1992 seminal text.

Olivia Chiang, Psy.D. Clinical Senior Instructor, Department of Psychiatry Clinical Psychologist, Rochester General Pediatric Associates Major Interests: bereavement, medical family therapy, pediatric primary care
Aubree M. Guiffre, Ph.D. Clinical Senior Instructor, Department of Psychiatry Clinical Psychologist, Rochester General Pediatric Associates Major Interests: primary care psychology, medical family therapy, grief, training medical providers.
Barbara Gawinski, Ph.D., LMFT Associate Director of Behavioral Health Services, Highland Family Medicine Associate Professor of Family Medicine & Psychiatry Major Interests: behavioral health, training and supervision, global health and immigrant and refugee care.
Susan H. McDaniel, Ph.D., 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.
Jessica Moore, Ph.D. Sr. Instructor, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics Major Interests: pediatric family, psychology, medical family therapy, chronic illness, developmental and behavioral needs, parenting, advocacy.   Teaching, clinical work, and research interests focus on collaboration and integrated care.
Anthony Pisani, Ph.D., LMFT Associate Professor in Psychiatry Major Interests: youth suicide prevention, school-based prevention, youth-parent connectedness, clinical responses to suicide risk.
Carol Podgorski, Ph.D., MPH, LMFT Co-Director, Family Therapy Training Program Associate Professor of Psychiatry Major Interests: family therapy in dementia and long term care, academic-community partnerships, and evidence-informed program development.
Ellen Poleshuck, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology Major Interests: women’s health, interventions and services research, depression and pain comorbidity, intimate partner violence.
Tziporah Rosenberg, Ph.D., LMFT Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Family Medicine Clinical Director, Family Therapy Services Major Interests: medial 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, Ph.D., LMFT Co-Director, Family Therapy Training Program Associate Professor of Psychiatry Major Interests: families and health, particularly related to genetic concerns and infertility/fertility treatments; grief and loss; ethics and professional practice.
Michelle Swanger-Gagne, Ph.D., NCSP Senior Instructor in Psychiatry Clinical Psychologist, 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, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology Major Interests: mind/body issues, spirituality and psychotherapy, family issues in the workplace, training and supervision.

Additional Onsite Clinical Supervisors

 

Erin Gerig, MS, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapy Clinician with Strong Behavioral Health at Strong Family Therapy Services; Clinical Supervisor Family Therapy Training Program.  
Major Interests: medical family therapy, grief and loss, marital therapy, family therapy with adolescents, clinical supervision.

Kim Linde, MS, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapy Clinician with Strong Behavioral Health at Strong Family Therapy Service; Clinical Supervisor Family Therapy Training Program.
Major Interests:  marital/couples therapy, family reunification, medical family therapy, grief and loss, infertility, clinical supervision.





 

Kristin Koberstein, MA, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapy Clinician with Strong Behavioral Health at Highland Family Medicine; AAMFT Supervisor in Training. 
Major Interests: medical family therapy, clinical supervision, collaboration between primary care and mental health, refugee care, and postpartum adjustment for families.

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