Meet the staff at The Center for Eating Disorders.
Harry A. Brandt, M.D.
Director, Center for Eating Disorders
“Our central focus is on eating disorders,” says Dr. Harry A. Brandt. “Our professional staff and unit is specifically designed to help a patient with an eating disorder recover, regardless of severity or complexity."
Throughout his career, Dr. Brandt has regularly focused his vast psychiatric experience on eating disorders, having previously directed the Eating Disorders Unit at the National Institutes of Health, and the Center for Eating Disorders at both Mercy and St. Joseph Medical Centers.
“I think what makes our program unique,” Dr. Brandt says, “is the fact that over the years we’ve gathered people from multiple disciplines. They‘ve been able to develop treatments that draw from many areas, including psychiatric care, cognitive behavioral therapy, nutrition, activity therapy and body image treatment.”
In addition to his duties at the Center for Eating Disorders, Dr. Brandt takes on a variety of speaking engagements and nationally recognized research projects. Participating in the difficult process of healing patients, however, remains Dr. Brandt’s true passion.
Steven Crawford, M.D.
Associate Director, Center for Eating Disorders
Dr. Steven Crawford is uniquely qualified for his role at the Center, where he has filled leadership roles for 15 years. Throughout his entire career, his focus has been on providing the best care to patients with serious eating disorders.
When he’s not treating eating disorders, he’s teaching other physicians about them and engaging in groundbreaking research. He serves on the faculty of University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he teaches medical students and trainees how to identify eating disorders. He also serves as a lead investigator in federally funded research grants.
Dr. Crawford’s experience with eating disorders stretches all over Baltimore, from Sinai to Mercy Hospitals, University of Maryland Medicine to St. Joseph Medical Center. He sees his specific role at the Center for Eating Disorders as “helping to knit the whole eating disorder program together so that every patient who comes in has a master treatment plan which maps out that individual’s goals.”
Teamwork is crucial. “It’s important that we all speak the same language to patients, so they can begin to move forward on their own.”
Psychiatrists
Tracy Kuniega-Pietrzak, M.D.
Psychiatrist, Center for Eating Disorders
Dr. Tracy Kuniega-Pietrzak, M.D. attended the University of Maryland Medical School from 1997-2001. She completed a residency in adult psychiatry at Brown University in Providence, RI, and stayed and Brown for her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, where she was chief resident. At Brown she developed an interest in both eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and participated in the POTS II research study for OCD. She is board-certified in adult psychiatry and has been with the Center for Eating Disorders since August 1, 2006.
Maciej Chodynicki
Psychiatrist, Center for Eating Disorders
Dr. Chodynicki graduated from medical school in Bialystok, Poland. He completed his internship in medicine at the Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia and his residency in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Also at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Chodynicki completed fellowships in pain treatment/ psychiatric epidemiology and in adolescent substance abuse. He is board certified in General Psychiatry. He joined the team at the Center for Eating Disorders in July, 2005.
Laura Gaffney, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Dr. Laura Gaffney graduated from University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1995. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland in 1999 after which she did a one year fellowship in eating disorders at the Center for Eating Disorders. She is board certified in General Psychiatry. She has been with the Center for Eating Disorders since 1999 and currently does psychopharmacology and psychotherapy for outpatients with eating disorders.
Jany Rose, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Dr.Jany Rose, M.D. obtained her medical degree from St. George’s University in 2001. She completed the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt residency program in psychiatry in 2005 and continued with her post-graduate training by completing a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine in the George Washington University/Inova Fairfax Hospital program in 2006. Dr. Rose is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with certification in psychiatry and has been with the Center for Eating Disorders since September, 2006.
Jill Midthune, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Dr. Jill B. Midthune graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Goucher College in 1985. She graduated from the University of Maryland Medical School in 1989, and completed her psychiatry residency there in 1993. Dr. Midthune is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with certification in psychiatry. Dr. Midthune completed a two-year fellowship in eating disorders at Mercy Medical Center, and has worked with the Center for Eating Disorders in various roles since then. She currently oversees and coordinates one of the two Intensive Outpatient Programs.
Sharon Warren, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Dr. Sharon Warren is a board certified psychiatrist. Dr. Warren served in various positions in community and public psychiatry that peaked an interest in women’s health issues. This interest led her to pursue a fellowship in eating disorders, which she completed in December, 2005. Since that time she works in the outpatient department of the Center for Eating Disorders and coordinates one of the two Intensive Outpatient Programs. She has a special interest in compulsive overeating disorders. Dr. Warren has been with the Center since 2004.
Psychologists
Kim Anderson, Ph.D.
Director of Psychology
Dr. Kim Anderson is a licensed clinical psychologist who has focused on the treatment of individuals with eating disorders since 1989. She has published numerous scientific articles on eating disorders, trauma and associated problems. She has developed and directed the cognitive behavioral therapy program at the Center, which has been adapted to inpatient, outpatient and intensive outpatient settings. Dr. Anderson provides individual and group therapy and supervising developing psychologists, and lectures on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. She has been with the Center since 1989.
Sarah Hubbard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Sarah Hubbard is a clinical psychologist in the outpatient department at the Center for Eating Disorders. She specializes in individual psychotherapy of adolescents and adults with eating disorders, and utilizes cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, and psychodynamic approaches. She has been very involved in research at the Center, managing the National Institute of Mental Health-funded genetic research study of anorexia nervosa in families. In addition, Dr. Hubbard supervises the post-doctoral fellows who work on the inpatient unit. Dr. Hubbard has been with the Center since 2000.
David Roth, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. David Roth is a clinical psychologist in the outpatient department at the Center for Eating Disorders. He has dedicated his career to the treatment and research of eating disorders, and has presented over 500 lectures and published over 20 articles and chapters on the subject. He coordinates the Center’s compulsive overeaters program, and provides individual and group psychotherapy. Dr. Roth also trains developing psychiatrists as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at both Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland. He has been with the Center since 1997.
Jennifer Moran, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Jennifer Moran is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been working in the field of eating disorders as an educator, consultant, supervisor, and therapist since 1997. Dr. Moran provides individual, couples and family therapy to all age groups in the outpatient department at the Center for Eating Disorders. She also conducts group therapy for adolescents. Dr. Moran has a special interest in incorporating mindfulness practices into the recovery process.
Kristin Mangum, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Kristin Mangum is a licensed clinical psychologist working in the outpatient department at the Center for Eating Disorders. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2004, and completed specialized post-doctoral training at the Center for Eating Disorders inpatient and partial hospitalization programs at Sheppard Pratt Hospital. She combines cognitive behavioral and interpersonal treatment approaches in her individual therapy.
Irene Rovira, Ph.D.
Psychologist II
Dr. Irene Rovira joined the Center for Eating Disorders in September 2006 where she provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy. She comes to the Center with experience working with children, adolescents, adults, elderly, couples and families coping with a variety of psychiatric disorders as a provider at a private group practice in Long Island. She also has experience working with child and adolescent victims of trauma and abuse at the Child Protection and Development Center at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City. Dr. Rovira received her BA from St. John’s University, her MA from Teacher’s College at Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University; all in New York. She is providing family therapy as part of a treatment outcome study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Licensed Clinical Social Workers & Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors
Dina Wientge, LCSW-C
Sr. Social Worker
Dina Wientge has been a part of the Center for Eating Disorders staff since 1998. Ms. Wientge trained at Johns Hopkins University focusing on women’s health issues. She specializes in providing clinical services for patients with substance abuse issues. As senior social worker at the Center for Eating Disorders, she provides clinical supervision and trains the family therapy staff. As a field instructor, she has trained students from the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Alabama. Ms. Wientge is a State of Maryland Board-approved supervisor.
Sarah Blake, MSW, LCSW
Social Worker and Outreach Coordinator
Sarah Blake obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland and her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Over the past ten years, Ms. Blake has worked with eating disorders in a variety of settings, providing individual, family and group therapy. For the past two years, she has worked as a community outreach and admissions coordinator in addition to providing outpatient therapy for the Center for Eating Disorders. Ms. Blake has recently assumed the role of the Center for Eating Disorder’s study manager for two large multi-site studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, The Genetics of Anorexia and Family Therapy and Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Adolescents.
Sofia Crowe, LCSW-C
Social Worker
Ms. Crowe provides family and group therapy in the inpatient and partial hospitalization programs at the Center for Eating Disorders. She joined the Center in February 2005 after working with substance abuse patients in residential and outpatient settings.
Andrew Harris, LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Center for Eating Disorders
Before joining the Center for Eating Disorders in August 2005, Andrew Harris worked for the Maryland Correctional System. Currently he is a family therapist on the unit and facilitates a specialty group for patients with dual diagnoses.
Melissa Spinella, LGSW
Social Worker, Center for Eating Disorders
Melissa Spinella joined the Center for Eating Disorders in 2006. Her previous experiences in counseling included work on an acute inpatient unit and services for victims of the September 11th crisis.
Linda Roberts, LCSW-C
Social Worker
Linda Roberts has over ten years’ experience in individual, family, and couples counseling. Prior to joining the Center for Eating Disorders in August 2005, Ms. Roberts worked in private practice and for various counseling agencies.
Kathy Webster, LCSW-C
Social Worker
Kathy Webster has over ten years’ experience providing treatment to children and families in various hospital settings. She joined the Center for Eating Disorders in January 2005 with a special interest in working with athletes with eating disorders to develop healthy sports management habits.
Frances Warner
LCSW-C
Frances Warner earned her MSW from the University of Maryland in 1981. Since that time she has worked in a variety of psychiatric settings including adult outpatient and inpatient and child outpatient treatment. From 1989-1991 she received training in object relations therapy from the Washington School of Psychiatry. In 1992 she spent a year as a Clinical Associate at the Tavistock Centre in London, England. Currently she is an advanced candidate in psychoanalysis with the New York Freudian Society. She has been with the Center for Eating Disorders for the past 6 years, joining the full time staff in 2005.
Anne Hastie
LCSW-C, Outpatient Psychotherapist
Anne Hastie received her BA from Goucher College and her MSW from the Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning. She began her career at Sinai Hospital’s inpatient psychiatric unit and later moved to its outpatient clinic, working with patients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses. Anne was in private practice for five years before joining the Center for Eating Disorders in 1998. Her interest is in individual psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Mental Health Coordinators
Mindy Lais, M.A.
Coordinator, IOP Program
Mindy Lais provides intensive evidence-based group therapy as coordinator of the intensive outpatient program at the Center for Eating Disorders. Ms. Lais earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford in 2001. She began at the Center for Eating Disorders as a post-doctoral fellow working with the inpatient and partial hospitalization programs. Her areas of specialty include eating disorders and trauma.
Tina Cardamone, M.S.
Tina Cardamone received her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Loyola College in 2005. She completed a one-year externship at the Center for Eating Disorders in 2005 and subsequently began working full-time as a mental health counselor on the inpatient unit and partial hospitalization program. She is working toward her LCPC.
Admissions and Outreach Coordinators
Talya Nack, M.S.
Admissions Coordinator
Talya Nack received her Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola College in 2006. After completing a one-year externship at the Center for Eating Disorders inpatient and partial hospitalization programs in 2006, she began working full-time as a Community Outreach and Admissions Coordinator. She is currently working toward her LCPC.
Discharge Coordinator
Jennifer TrombettaDischarge Coordinator
Jennifer Trombetta joined the Center for Eating Disorders in July 2005. As Discharge Coordinator, Ms. Trombetta manages discharge planning, identifies appropriate community resources for discharged patients, and educates patients on relapse prevention.
Admissions Nurse
Paula Goldberg, R.N.Admissions Nurse
Paula Goldberg received her R.N. in 1977. She was a Senior Clinical Nurse at The Johns Hopkins Eating Disorder Unit for 15 years and Coordinator of the Johns Hopkins Movement Disorders Center for 5 years. Paula has been with the Center for Eating Disorders for 9 years, initially as the Community Outreach/Admissions Coordinator, and currently as the Admissions Nurse. She leads the Family Psychoeducation and Support Group and is active in nursing staff orientation and education. Additionally, Paula heads the Center for Eating Disorders Multicultural Task Force.
Nutritionists
Karen Phillips, RD, LDN
Nutritional Care Coordinator
Karen Phillips coordinates nutritional care for the inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. Ms. Phillips graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. She began working with patients with eating disorders at Sheppard Pratt in 1981. After a brief period designing national menus and food service systems with Manor HealthCare, Ms. Phillips returned to eating disorders by joining the Center in 1998. Ms. Phillips works with her staff to challenge eating disordered thought patterns and behaviors, to provide accurate nutritional information, to dispel common food myths, and to normalize meal planning for patients and their families.
Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, LDN
Nutritional Care Coordinator
Samantha Lewandowski brings a variety of areas of expertise in clinical nutrition and a strong background in wellness and health promotion to her position as Nutritional Care Coordinator of outpatient nutrition services. In addition to developing outpatient nutrition programming, she also sees patients for individual nutritional counseling.
Jill Seewagen, RD, LDN
Nutritionist
Jill Seewagen joined the Center for Eating Disorders in January 2005. Ms. Seewagen’s background in teaching has enriched the nutritional education component of the Center’s treatment for eating disorders.
Kim Drake, RD, LDN
Nutritionist
Kim Drake joined the Center for Eating Disorders in June 2005. Ms. Drake’s previous experience in menu design and development has contributed to the Center’s ability to challenge patients to normalize their eating habits.
Jennifer Chicca, RD, LDN
Nutritionist
Jennifer Chicca recently joined the Center for Eating Disorders after completing her dietetic internship. With her background in medical nutrition, Ms. Chicca guides patients towards an understanding of nutrition as an important component in health and well-being.
Adriane Cosby, MS, RD, LDN
Nutritionist
Adriane Cosby joined the Center for Eating Disorders with five years of experience in the field of nutrition. Her educational background also includes physical activity, family issues, and a specialty in pediatric nutrition.
Expressive Art Therapists
Julia Andersen, MA, BC
Sr. Art Therapist and Coordinator of Expressive Therapies
Julia Andersen is Senior Expressive Arts Therapist at the Center for Eating Disorders. She developed the Center’s Body Image Assessment and treats body image disturbances using art therapy, dance movement therapy and stress reduction techniques. Julia is currently President of the Maryland Art Therapy Association and will be published in the forth-coming “Using Expressive Therapies to Treat Eating Disorders”, Stephanie L. Brooks /Charles Thomas publisher. Ms. Andersen received her masters in art therapy from George Washington University and has been with Center for Eating Disorders since 1995.
Sara T. Workeneh, ADTR, NCC
Lead Dance Movement Therapist, CED
As lead dance movement therapist at the Center for Eating Disorders, Sara Workeneh conducts individual assessments and groups in movement therapy, stress management, and movement education in the inpatient and intensive outpatient programs. Prior to joining the Center for Eating Disorders in June of 2005, Sara spent thirteen years working with substance abuse, trauma, and forensics patients at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Washington DC. As part of the Center’s outreach initiatives, Sara provides couples and adult workshops in body image awareness and communication through movement and witnessing at the Washington Metropolitan Area, leads bi-annual staff development for teachers in the expressive art's schools, and facilitates annual 'introduction to dance movement therapy' training for George Washington University graduate art therapy students. Sara’s background also includes grief counseling and life-review reconciliation.
Akhila Venkatachalam, MA, DTR
Movement Therapist
Akhila Venkatachalam conducts movement therapy, stress management groups, and body image assessments with intensive outpatients at the Center for Eating Disorders. She received her masters in creative arts therapy from Drexel University in Philadelphia after attending university in Tamil Nadu, India. Ms. Venkatachalam joined the Center for Eating Disorders in August 2006 and particularly enjoys working with children and adolescents and their families.
Megan Kelley, MA
Art Therapist
Megan Kelley is an art therapist for the intensive outpatient program at the Center for Eating Disorders. Megan received her training in art therapy from the George Washington University and holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Past experiences include art therapy in a school setting for emotionally disturbed and learning disordered children. She joined the Center in 2003 and currently uses group art therapy techniques, creative visualization, and stress management techniques to treat body image distortions in patients struggling with eating disorders. She will complete her ATR in December, 2006.
Amanda Bechtel, MS
Art Therapist
Amanda Bechtel joined the Center for Eating Disorders in 2006, having previously worked with eating disorder patients at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin. At the Center for Eating Disorders, she uses specialized body image treatment to correct distortions in adolescent patients. Ms. Bechtel is currently working towards her ATR.
Occupational Therapists
Kim Mair
Senior Occupational Therapist
Kim Mair joined the Eating Disorder staff as Coordinator of Occupational Therapy at Sheppard Pratt Hospital in 2006, bringing over 20 years of Occupational Therapy experience to that position. She studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed her training at the Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hosp in Chicago. Kim has established OT departments at four hospitals and served as head of the OT department at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. In addition, she has trained over 70 occupational therapists now functioning as occupational therapists across the U.S.
Amy Caslow
Occupational Therapist
Amy Caslow graduated with her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Elizabethtown College in 1989. Prior to working at the Center for Eating Disorders, Ms. Caslow worked in a variety of psychiatric settings treating people with depression and anxiety. Ms. Caslow has been instrumental in incorporating occupational therapy techniques into the inpatient and partial hospitalization programs at the Center for Eating Disorders.
Amy Ethridge
Occupational Therapist
Amy Ethridge graduated with her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Towson University in 2005. Prior to working at the Center for Eating Disorders, Ms. Ethridge worked in a girls’ campus residential treatment center addressing self-care and community occupations. Ms. Ethridge has developed specialty groups for the Center for Eating Disorders, including a grocery shopping trip.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Stephanie Melofsky, Psy.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Stephanie Melofsky completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Maryland/VA Maryland Health Care System ad received her doctorate from Loyola College in Maryland in 2005. She is currently a post-doctoral fellow on the inpatient unit at the Center for Eating Disorders.
Kristin Sagun, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Kristin Sagun is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Eating Disorders where she provides individual and group therapy for patients in the inpatient, partial, and intensive outpatient programs. Dr. Sagun received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Temple University in 2006, where she specialized in clinical and psychoeducational work with college students and other young adults. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at The Johns Hopkins University Counseling Center.
Lindsay Sinclair, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Lindsay Sinclair is a postdoctoral fellow in clinical psychology at the Center for Eating Disorders where she provides individual, group, and family therapy. Dr. Sinclair completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Miami VA Medical Center. While working towards her doctoral degree, Dr. Sinclair gained experience with patients with eating disorders at the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida. In addition to providing therapy at the center, she is also a research family therapist in the multisite family treatment study of anorexia nervosa which is currently being conducted at the Center.
