Our Team
Karissa Mercado, LMHC
Therapist
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Karissa (she/her/hers) is a dedicated and experienced therapist whose previous experience focused on the specialized care of people struggling with eating disorders, substance abuse, trauma, anxiety, and mood disorders. She has experience in facilitating individual, family and group therapy sessions for adolescents and adults in one of the nation’s top residential eating disorder treatment facilities, where she also coordinated multidisciplinary care teams. Karissa also served as Senior Clinical Therapist for an intensive in-home program dedicated to providing Family Based Treatment for adolescents with Anorexia.
Karissa focuses on a holistic approach to therapy, and continually challenges herself with learning new and innovative ways to approach treatment. She focuses on seeing the person, not the illness, and works to create an environment where individuals are comfortable and led to healing.
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**Karissa will have availability for new clients beginning March 2, 2022. To avoid being placed on a wait list, please contact us now to reserve your time with Karissa. **
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Lisa Benson, LMSW
Therapist
Lisa is a warm, authentic, and creative therapist who operates from a trauma-informed, relational perspective. She is deeply committed to working from an anti-oppressive, HAES-informed framework and has experience implementing eating disorder treatment in community-based settings with clients from diverse backgrounds, of all ages, with an eclectic treatment approach. This included developing an eating disorder group curriculum and providing meal support for clients who had not previously had access to specialized care. In work with patients in larger bodies, she has advocated for support in diagnosis, treatment and collaborative care addressing ignored or undiagnosed disordered eating.
Lisa specializes in treating trauma and assists her clients in developing mindful-self-compassion. She treats each client from a holistic standpoint and uses somatic awareness to help anchor you to the present moment.
She provides nonjudgmental support in addressing whatever you might be going through. Lisa is a warm, empathetic and authentic person, and she would be honored to be a part of your growth and healing.
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Lisa's pronouns are she/her/hers. Lisa meets with clients both in person and online.
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Hannah Smith, LMSW
Therapist
Hannah (she/her/hers) is an intuitive, knowledgable therapist with experience treating teens and young adults with eating disorders in IOP and Partial Hospitalization settings. She specializes in body image, Binge Eating Disorder, Bulimia, Anorexia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and trauma. Her previous work has also included counseling survivors of interpersonal and community violence, and offering home outreach therapy for children and families impacted by intergenerational trauma.
Hannah’s approach to therapy is eclectic, and she encourages the inclusion of your preferred method of healing (whatever that may be!). She is adept at modalities such as Psychodynamic, Liberation-Based Healing, Creative Arts Therapy, Play Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She strives to deeply understand the ways in which systems of oppression influence an individual’s mental health, relationships, point of view, and the way they experience their body.
Hannah aims to provide care that is always social justice and trauma informed, and provides a safe, non-judgemental and accepting therapeutic environment.
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Hannah currently meets with her clients both in person and online.
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Bernadette Kowalchuk, LMFT
Therapist
Bernadette is a caring, experienced therapist with extensive experience treating women and adolescents with eating disorders, depression, self harm, anxiety, trauma, and problems with self esteem and body image. She previously worked for over seven years at one of the top Partial Hospitalization/Intensive Outpatient eating disorder centers in the country.
She collaborates with each client and his or her family to develop a multi dimensional treatment plan that addresses each individual’s unique situation. She utilizes evidence-based interventions including CBT, DBT, and Renfrew’s Unified Treatment Model. She is also able to provide counseling from a Christian perspective for those who may find this to be a helpful element to their recovery.
Bernadette is currently working with clients via telehealth and can work with residents of New York and New Jersey.
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Sher Zadok, BS
Recovery CoachÂ
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Sher is a wellness professional with extensive experience in mental health and eating disorders. As an advocate for these fields she hopes to empower others to live in a way that is free of bias, guilt, and shame. In addition to working one on one with individuals she is passionate about educating communities and loved ones in order to increase awareness, support, and provide tools for early intervention. Sher embraces the Health At Every Size approach and is dedicated to inclucivity and respect for those she helps.
Sher is also a trauma informed yoga practitioner who has been practicing yoga for over a decade. As she developed her practice, she realized the importance of spreading the lessons she learned with others to help them heal their mind-body relationship. Sher worked as a fashion designer in New York, but left the industry to pursue a career in healthcare. Sher completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training with Yoga Alliance, and sequences her practice with the goal of providing lasting joy and instilling confidence
Christine Knorr, LCSW CEDS
Clinical Director
Christine is a therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist who founded Christine Knorr Psychotherapy Associates on the belief that those affected by eating disorders, trauma, and mood and anxiety disorders deserve competent, evidence-based care from providers with true expertise. She fosters an environment where each person is free to be their authentic self, without judgement, and believes that people begin to heal when they feel seen, heard, and respected. She has very carefully assembled a team of caring, professional, wonderful therapists who are experts at treating eating disorders and who have extensive experience working with women, young adults, and teens. She has prioritized hiring therapists who are knowledgeable, energetic, and who can deeply tune in and relate well with teens and young adults in particular.
Christine has extensive experience treating adults, teens, and children with eating disorders in outpatient, IOP, and Partial Hospitalization levels of care. Her prior experience includes providing intensive therapy to teens with dual diagnosis (substance abuse and mood/anxiety disorders) and behavioral problems as well as counseling pre-teens in a school-based setting. Christine is the co-founder and chairperson of the Rockland County Eating Disorders Task Force and is the former director of a community-based eating disorder treatment program. In addition, she was formerly the team leader for an eating disorders Partial Hospitalization program, where she trained and supervised other clinicians. Christine is an adjunct professor at Dominican College and regularly speaks at schools, professional conferences, and awareness events.
Christine supports the team at Christine Knorr Psychotherapy Associates by providing clinical oversight, disseminating research, and providing opportunities for each team member to provide the best possible care to our clients. Christine also handles business matters such as speaking individually with every potential client to ensure that they are matched with the therapist who is the best fit for their particular needs.
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Robin Levine
Client Experience Representative
Robin’s focus is on providing excellent, prompt and friendly customer service to our clients. She can help you to schedule your first appointment, answer any questions you may have about our practice, help you resolve issues with your insurance, assist you with filling out your paperwork, and answer any questions related to billing. She has a knack for quick problem-solving and her warm and friendly personality makes her very easy to talk to.
Robin comes to us with years of experience providing administrative support in the mental health field. In her spare time, Robin volunteers to bring therapy dogs to Hospice, libraries, and nursing homes.