Activities Staff

Administrative Staff

Finance

Human Resources

Information Technology (IT)

Development

Dietary

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

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

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

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

David Jordan is the director of dietary at the Austen Riggs Center. He has nearly 30 years of experience working in the hospitality industry, guest services, and guest relations.

Outside of Riggs, David is a member of the Berkshire County Football Officials Association and has served as a celebrity chef for“Feed Our Neighbors” Fundraisers.

Professional Affiliations/Organizational Memberships

Board of Advisors member, Taconic High School Culinary Arts Program

National Restaurant Association (NRA) ServSafe and Allergen Awareness

Dave Jordan

Director of Dietary/Executive Chef

BA in computer science (with a concentration in software development and a minor in cybersecurity) from Marist College

Nick Judson is the Security and Support Analyst at the Austen Riggs Center.

Prior to working at Riggs, Judson completed an internship with the Walt Disney Company where he built upon his customer service skills while working as a Disney College Program cast member at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Upon returning from this internship, Judson worked on contract in the Help Desk for the Schenectady City School District. Here, he kept a knowledge base up to date and answered help desk inquiries for a district of 17 schools providing onsite support.

Outside of Riggs, Judson enjoys art, photography (especially film), and hiking, often with his two-year-old Husky-mix named Gus.

Nick Judson

 Security and Support Analyst

Barbara Keegan is the Medical Office Building receptionist. 

Mrs. Keegan has extensive administrative and human resources experience, most recently at ServiceNet, a human services agency in Northampton, MA.

Barbara Keegan is the Medical Office Building receptionist at the Austen Riggs Center.

Barbara Keegan

Medical Office Building Receptionist

MS in counseling psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy from California Lutheran University

PsyD in clinical psychology from California Lutheran University

Fellowship in Infant-Parent Mental Health at the University of Massachusetts Boston

Dan Knauss, PsyD, ABPP, is the director of training, a staff psychologist, and vice-chair of the Institutional Review Board at the Austen Riggs Center. 

He holds interests in infant mental health, epistemic trust in systems of care, and mentalization informed approaches to treatment. Dr. Knauss is board certified in psychoanalysis and is active in organizations promoting psychoanalytic thinking and approaches to treatment. He serves on the boards of the Accreditation Council for Psychoanalytic Education, Inc., the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology, and as a Member at Large on the board for The Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology, Division 39, of the American Psychological Association. 

In addition, he serves on the Editorial Board for 

 and formerly served on the Editorial Board of the 

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association

. He is passionate about psychoanalytic education and supervision.

Board Certified by the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis

Member at large on the Board of The Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology (SPPP), Division 39, The American Psychological Association

Mentalization-informed approaches to treatment, infant and early-childhood mental health, and working with expectant parents.

Daniel Knauss, PsyD, APBB

Director of Training/Staff Psychologist/Grand Rounds Coordinator

Courtney Littlefield is an executive assistant at the Austen Riggs Center.

Courtney Littlefield

Executive Assistant

Kaylin McCarthy is a kitchen helper at the Austen Riggs Center.

Kaylin McCarthy

Kitchen Helper

Thomas Mierzejewski is a cook at the Austen Riggs Center.

Thomas Mierzejewski

Cook

MD from University of Miami School of Medicine

Residency through the Cambridge Hospital/Austen Riggs Center Combined Residency Program

David Mintz, MD, is a staff psychiatrist who joined the Austen Riggs Center in 1996. He presently serves as the director of psychiatric education, the associate director of training, and as a team leader. He also is principal investigator for the research initiative in Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology and author of the book 

Psychodynamic Psychopharmacology: Caring for the Treatment-Resistant Patient

 (2022, American Psychiatric Association Publishing). Dr. Mintz also coordinates the Elective in Psychodynamic Psychiatry at the Austen Riggs Center.

American Psychiatric Association, former leader of the Psychotherapy Caucus

American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry, Psychoanalytic Fellow and elected Trustee

Medical Student Education Committee member of the American Psychoanalytic Association

Teichner Scholar at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Psychiatry Residency Program

Psychological aspects of taking and prescribing medications, psychodynamic aspects of medical education, professionalism, and clinical care of psychiatric patients with treatment-refractory conditions.

David Mintz, MD

Director of Psychiatric Education/Associate Director of Training/Team Leader

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

Administrative Staff

Samar Habl, MD

Gary Harrington

Mark Hayden

Summer Heller

David Jordan

Nick Judson

Barbara Keegan

Daniel Knauss, PsyD, ABPP

Courtney Littlefield

Kaylin McCarthy

Thomas Mierzejewski

David Mintz, MD

Contact Us for More

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

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