Dr. Michael Friedman is a clinical psychologist and Co-Founder of the Behavioral Science Institute. He specializes in evidence-based treatments for OCD and anxiety disorders (social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias) and is an experienced trainer, supervisor, and clinician. He has particular expertise in parent-based interventions for disruptive behavior disorders, ADHD, and early childhood anxiety, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), PCIT-CALM, and SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions). He is also extensively trained in comprehensive assessment of complex diagnostic presentations, ensuring accurate case formulation and targeted treatment. Drawing on this foundation, Dr. Friedman works closely with each patient to design a personalized, goal-focused treatment plan that maximizes outcomes and delivers meaningful change. Dr. Friedman’s approach is grounded in advanced training and close mentorship from field leaders in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and early childhood interventions. Trained in PCIT and PCIT-SM by Dr. Steve Kurtz, a world expert in early childhood disorders and parent-based interventions, Dr. Friedman is a certified PCIT therapist and trainer, and a candidate to become a Certified Regional Trainer in PCIT. He received specialized training in diagnostic assessment and evidence-based treatments for anxiety and related disorders at the Rutgers Youth Anxiety and Depression Clinic (YAD-C) under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Chu. He furthered his training under the supervision of Dr. Alec Miller in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a comprehensive treatment approach to broader emotion regulation challenges. Dr. Friedman has delivered talks for clinicians, trainees, and community partners at institutions including Rutgers University, ABCT, PCIT International, and others. His research interests include using intensive treatment options to accelerate and enhance treatment gains, and developing ways to improve the quality of mental healthcare by integrating evidence based interventions and technology, a topic he is particularly passionate about. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University and completed his bachelor’s degree in Talmudic Law at Ner Israel Rabbinical College. Prior to his career in psychology, Dr. Friedman taught high school and college-age students. He is an active member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

Dr. Amanda Ferriola is the Director of Clinical Training at BSI. Dr. Ferriola is a licensed psychologist (New Jersey) and trained school psychologist. She provides a safe space for children, adolescents and families to address presenting concerns in order to live meaningful, values-driven lives. She specializes in treating behavior disorders, anxiety and related disorders, Tourette’s Syndrome, trichotillomania and habit disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, behavioral health concerns (including sleep training, feeding/picky eating, and toileting difficulties) and school related concerns (including test anxiety, school refusal, consultation related to special education, and social skills). Dr. Ferriola has extensive experience with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Habit Reversal Training (HRT), behavior modification, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Parent Management Training (PMT). She is one of few therapists in New Jersey certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM), and Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). She is also certified as a Within Agency Trainer (WATer) Through PCIT International. In addition to providing individual, family, and group services at BSI, Dr. Ferriola is the Director of the Tourettes Syndrome Specialty Clinic housed under the Center for Psychological Services at Rutgers University. Additionally, she co-founded the PrEP Program, an executive functioning coaching program for middle and high school students. In a previous role, Dr. Ferriola worked in a Primary Care Behavioral Health setting as a Pediatric Psychologist. She worked closely with pediatricians and specialists to provide integrated care to patients and families. As a supervising psychologist, she trained and supported emerging professionals in an effort to make evidenced-based care more accessible to families. Additionally, she has worked in school and hospital settings as a member of multidisciplinary teams to conduct assessments, provide consultation and treatment, and ensure all needs are being met. Her previous experiences have fostered a passion and commitment to provide evidenced-based, client-centered, compassionate, culturally competent, and collaborative care to children, adolescents, and families. Dr. Ferriola graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Seton Hall University. She graduated with her masters degree and doctorate in school psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. She received the Robert Weitz Award for her dedication and willingness to work in the interest of professional psychology and the people it serves.

Moshe Selengut, PsyD is a postdoctoral psychology fellow at the Behavioral Science Institute, where he works with children, adolescents, and parents across a range of emotional and behavioral concerns. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Excelsior University and completed both his M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Immaculata University. His APA-accredited predoctoral internship took place at the Behavioral Wellness Center at Girard, where he provided care for individuals facing severe mental illness alongside substance use disorders. Moshe has trained in diverse clinical settings, including a brain trauma rehabilitation facility, an adolescent IOP/PHP program, pediatric medical settings, and school-based counseling services. He has received in-depth training in evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), as well as school-based counseling, classroom management, and caregiver support. In addition, Moshe offers specialized treatment approaches including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM), and Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). His clinical experience includes diagnostic, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological assessments for both children and adults. He has worked with clients facing a broad spectrum of challenges—such as anxiety, OCD, depression, emotional dysregulation, attentional issues, suicidality, and family or peer relationship difficulties. In addition to his work with children and adolescents, Moshe is especially passionate about supporting parents in developing effective ways to manage and support their child’s social, emotional, and/or behavioral difficulties. Moshe approaches his clients with a warm, collaborative, and genuine style, with sensitivity to cultural, contextual, and identity-related factors. His research interests include paternal attachments and the impact of attachment styles on childhood anxiety.

Dr. Liza Pincus is an experienced clinical director, trainer, supervisor, and clinician, focused on the broad dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In addition to her work at BSI, Dr. Pincus co-directs the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Clinic at Rutgers University (DBT-RU), where she trains, teaches, and supervises clinical psychology doctoral students to deliver adherent DBT. She frequently trains community providers and consults for schools and organizations on DBT and CBT methods. Dr. Pincus completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and her masters and doctoral degrees at the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. Dr. Pincus is a licensed clinical psychologist (New Jersey, New York, PSYPACT) and DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified Clinician™ whose clinical practice focuses on the treatment of emotion regulation difficulties and post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive, sleep, anxiety, mood, and personality disorders for clients ages 12 and above. Dr. Pincus previously served as the clinical director of the Adolescent DBT Program at the Montefiore Medical Center Moses Child Outpatient Psychiatry Division, a fully adherent DBT program serving teens and families in the Bronx, and the clinic where DBT was originally adapted for adolescents. In her roles as clinical director and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she directed the annual intensive foundational training in DBT for all psychology and psychiatry trainees, and frequently taught and supervised graduate students. She trained under the mentorship of Dr. Shireen Rizvi, an international expert in DBT research and training and a student of Dr. Marsha Linehan, the creator of DBT. She is also intensively trained in Exposure and Response Prevention Treatment (ERP) for OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for PTSD, the combined DBT-PE protocol, Radically-Open DBT (RO-DBT), and has worked at clinics specializing in DBT, health psychology, and anxiety, OCD, and PTSD treatment. Dr. Pincus has published several peer-reviewed journal articles on the dissemination and implementation of Prolonged Exposure for PTSD in community health clinics, through the Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She has also published book chapters and presented at professional conferences. She is an active member of the International Society for the Implementation and Teaching of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (ISITDBT) and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

Rachel Hoffman, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and New Jersey school psychologist at BSI. Dr. Hoffman provides individual, family, and group therapy to children, adolescents, young adults, and families. She is a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) clinician and has specialized training in PCIT for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM), allowing her to provide targeted support for young children with behavioral and anxiety-related challenges. Dr. Hoffman also treats anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and depression across the lifespan, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and selective mutism, using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Dr. Hoffman has trained in diverse clinical settings, including outpatient, school-based, and hospital programs. She has worked with underserved and minority high school students, medical students managing stress, and children, adolescents, and families in inpatient and outpatient programs, including Zucker Hillside Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian. She has received specialized training in the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders, OCD, and depression, as well as psychological assessment. Dr. Hoffman takes a warm, collaborative approach to therapy, meeting clients and families where they are and building strong connections to support meaningful growth and change. Her dissertation research focused on adaptations of a school-based trauma intervention. She earned her doctorate in school psychology from the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and completed her APA-accredited clinical internship at Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare.

Rebecca Stock, PsyD, is a postdoctoral fellow at BSI, where she provides individual, family, and group therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. She earned her doctorate and master’s degree in school psychology from St. John’s University and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women. Rebecca has specialized training in evidence-based treatments including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). She has experience working with individuals across the lifespan and from diverse cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. She has experience treating a range of disorders and concerns including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), ADHD, selective mutism, and emotion dysregulation. As part of her doctoral training, Rebecca completed her predoctoral internship at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants, where she delivered individual, family, and group therapy using CBT and DBT frameworks. She worked with children, adolescents, and adults presenting with a wide range of emotional and behavioral concerns and participated in comprehensive training and supervision in evidence-based practices. She also served as a school psychology extern in the Ardsley Union Free School District in Westchester, NY, where she provided counseling and conducted psychoeducational assessments for students in elementary through high school. Additionally, she worked at the St. John’s Center for Psychological Services, a community-based mental health clinic, where she delivered both therapy and evaluations for children and adolescents. Rebecca’s research has focused on the perception and measurement of clinical competency in CBT. She has also served as a teaching assistant in the Clinical Psychology Department at St. John’s University.