66 Harned Road
Commack, NY 11725
631.543.8577
631.543.8573 (fax)
Who We Are
Mercedes Altshul, LCSW-R, obtained her Master's degree in social work from Stony Brook University and also holds an M.S. in special education from Long Island University. Her post-graduate training includes certification in Advanced Clinical Practice from New York University, membership in the Continuing Education Recognition Program (through the National Association of Social Workers), and on-going clinical supervision. She has presented a number of scholarly and research papers on topics including Attachment Theory, Parenting, and the Child in Therapy. Although she sees patients of all ages, most of her clinical work is with children and adolescents, using a highly flexible approach to therapy and accommodating to the specific needs of each patient.
Judith Charnet, Ph.D., received her doctorate in psychology at Union Institute and her M.Ed. in counseling at SUNY, Buffalo. Her experience includes working with a broad range of patients and patient populations: seniors in nursing homes, to develop coping strategies and improve daily living skills; students, to assist with academic, social, and personal issues; and couples and families (i.e., adults, children and adolescents), to manage the array of issues and disorders they face. She is on the faculty of the Center for Group Studies, in Manhattan, and trained at the Philadelphia School of Psychoanalysis. Her orientation is Modern Psychoanalytic; she enjoys the "unfolding" process observed in individuals as they build ego strength and begin to use more adaptive approaches to meet life's challenges. She believes that responding directly to patients, and connecting with them during a session, is essential to producing a favorable therapeutic outcome.Linda Ganzenmuller, Psy.D., received her doctorate in
Psychology at Hofstra University. She has experience working in schools with grades K-12, providing therapy and counseling for students with various disorders and those experiencing trauma and bereavement. Her experience also includes administering psychological and psychoeducational evaluations. She served as an adjunct professor in the School Psychology Program at Queens College. She has research interests in two diverse areas: memory training for the elderly and educational/extra-curricular enrichment for gifted children. Her treatment approach integrates cognitive behavioral training with family systems and psychodynamic therapy.Steven Gordon, LCSW-R, received his Master's degree in social work
from Stony Brook University. He has experience as a senior social worker at a trauma focused behavioral health center, supervises graduate students in their practice, and recently served as the clinical supervisor at a community mental health clinic. He continues in on-going clinical supervision and professional education. His specialty is child and adolescent therapy, with an emphasis on projective play, constructive communication, and using the therapeutic rapport as a healing tool. He emphasizes a treatment approach that encourages patients to verbalize feelings, impulses, and desires in a constructive and therapeutic manner.
Christine Machlica, LCSW-R, obtained her Master's degree in social work from Adelphi University and is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers. She has extensive post-graduate training in family therapy, anxiety disorders and modern psychoanalysis, and receives on-going clinical supervision. She treats patients with various anxiety disorders, depression, and mood disorders, and has specific training in the areas of incest and sexual assault, PTSD, and family therapy. Her approach is psychodynamic, with a focus on modern analytic techniques.
Fred Russo, LCSW-R, obtained his Master's degree in social work from Barry College. His post-graduate training includes courses, workshops and conferences in modern psychoanalysis, as well as continuing clinical supervision. He works particularly well with elderly patients and has been involved with long term care for over ten years. While his primary orientation is psychoanalytic, he uses a cognitive or behavioral approach when more appropriate.
