Activities Staff

Administrative Staff

Finance

Human Resources

Information Technology (IT)

Development

Communications

Admissions Staff

Clinical Social Workers

Erikson Institute Distinguished Faculty

Erikson Institute Staff

Faculty

Leadership

Nursing Staff

Online Intensive Outpatient Program

Therapeutic Community Staff

Therapy Staff

Fellows

Psychology

Ruth Guttormsen, RN, is a staff nurse at the Austen Riggs Center.

Ruth Guttormsen, RN

Staff Nurse

MD from the American University of Beirut

Residency training in psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic 

Fellowship in psychoanalytic studies at the Austen Riggs Center

Samar Habl, MD, is the director of admissions and associate medical director at the Austen Riggs Center. Dr. Habl is a certified board psychiatrist, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and a team leader Austen Riggs.

Consulted at various leadership development programs in different business schools

The study of groups and social systems as it pertains to organizational life and the application of group relation theories to leadership development.

Samar Habl, MD

Director of Admissions and Associate Medical Director

Jacquelyn Harden, PsyD, is the Director of IOP Training and a psychologist in the 

 for College Students and Emerging Adults in Massachusetts at the Austen Riggs Center.

Jacquelyn Harden, PsyD

Director of IOP Training/Online IOP Psychologist 

Gary Harrington is the system administrator at the Austen Riggs Center. He supports the clinical mission by assuring documentation software is operational and secure. With the rest of the IT team, he address a variety of hardware needs and troubleshoots problems as needed. In addition, he provides orientation and education to new staff.

Mr. Harrington has worked at Riggs since 1981; first in nursing, then in performance improvement, and finally in IT. His various roles have given him the unique opportunity to become familiar with the institution from different perspectives, both clinical and non-clinical.

Outside of Riggs, Mr. Harrington is involved with the Western Mass Medical Reserve Corps (radio communications and participation in disaster response as needed).

System Administrator

Ashley Hassinger, PsyD, is a postdoctoral Fellow in psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalytic studies who provides psychotherapy and psychological testing at the Austen Riggs Center. 

Ashley Hassinger, PsyD

Fellow in Psychology

Mark Hayden is the research assistant at the Austen Riggs Center.

Mark Hayden

Research Assistant

BA in psychology and education from Bard College at Simon’s Rock

Summer Heller is the Executive Assistant to the Medical Director/CEO and the Erikson Institute Program Assistant.

She previously worked as an intern to the Dean of Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. In this role she was responsible for institutional data keeping, updating the school's communications processed, and serving as a liaison between students and administration.

Summer Heller

Executive Assistant to the Medical Director/CEO & Erikson Institute Program Assistant

Undergraduate degree from Brown University

MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Medical internship at St. Vincent’s Hospital

Psychiatric residency at New York Hospital’s Payne Whitney Clinic

Nicholas A. Holliday, MD, is a staff psychiatrist at Riggs.

Dr, Holliday fulfilled a four-year service commitment with the Army as a general medical officer, which included tours in Germany and Brooklyn, and deployment to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope.

Nicholas A. Holliday, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Anna Horton is a mental health specialist at the Austen Riggs Center.

Anna Horton

Mental Health Specialist

Peter Hummel, MA, is the Therapeutic Community Center group and activities coordinator and a senior program manager at the Austen Riggs Center.

Peter Hummel, MA

Therapeutic Community Center Group and Activities Coordinator/Senior Program Manager

Yelena Ivlieva, MA, is a mental health specialist at the Austen Riggs Center.

Yelena Ivlieva is a mental health specialist at the Austen Riggs Center.

Yelena Ivlieva

Margaret Jackson, LICSW, is a clinical social worker at the Austen Riggs Center.

Clinical Social Worker Margaret Jackson, LICSW

Margaret Jackson, LICSW

Clinical Social Worker

Meet the Austen Riggs staff of therapists, nurses, administrators, and other healthcare professionals who work as a team on behalf of our patients. 

Staff Directory of Therapists and Teams | Austen Riggs

For more information on our residential treatment programs, or answers to any questions, please feel free to contact us. 

Meet Our Team

Ruth Guttormsen, RN

Samar Habl, MD

Jacquelyn Harden , PsyD

Gary Harrington

Ashley Hassinger, PsyD

Mark Hayden

Summer Heller

Nicholas A. Holliday, MD

Anna Horton

Peter Hummel, MA

Yelena Ivlieva, MA

Margaret Jackson, LICSW

Contact Us for More

For more information on our residential treatment programs, or answers to any questions, please feel free to contact us.

© 2025 The Austen Riggs Center

Privacy Policy

Follow us: