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

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

Fellowship in psychoanalytic studies at the Austen Riggs Center

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

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.

Professional Affiliations/Organizational Memberships

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

MSW from Smith College School for Social Work

PhD in Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work

Graduate certificate program in Advanced Clinical Supervision at Smith College.

Cathleen M. Morey, PhD, LICSW, is the director of clinical social work at the Austen Riggs Center. She provides direct patient care, family consultation and family therapy, clinical supervision, education and training, case consultation, and administrative management of clinical social work staff.

Dr. Morey has previous clinical social work experience working in a wide range of mental health settings, including an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a correctional facility and community mental health settings.

volunteer with International Social Work Solutions

 for several years. ISWS has sponsored Dr. Morey to participate in several social work projects with international partner organizations. She has developed and presented a 2-day virtual Trauma Training Program for staff of a humanitarian NGO in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has also partnered with a NYC non-profit agency to provide research consultation regarding data analysis of their work with under-resourced diabetic adults living in Uganda.

American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work

The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis

Adjunct faculty of the Smith College School for Social Work

Austen Riggs social work consultant to the Association of Social Work Boards for social work continuing education accreditation

Organizational dynamics, system enactments, telehealth interventions, diversity, equity and inclusion, interdisciplinary treatment team functioning

Cathleen M. Morey, PhD, LICSW, is the director of social work at the Austen Riggs Center.

Cathleen M. Morey, PhD, LICSW

Director of Clinical Social Work

Urszula Orczykowska is the business office accountant at the Austen Riggs Center.

Urszula Orczykowska

Business Office Accountant

PhD in clinical psychology from Derner Institute at Adelphi University

Postdoctoral fellowship in psychoanalytic studies at the Austen Riggs Center

Margaret Parish, PhD, is the director of patient care. A clinical psychologist, she provides and supervises psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and group consultation. She is interested in the unconscious dynamics of groups, families, communities, workplaces, and other social systems, and their impact on individual psychology.

A K Rice Institute certified group relations consultant

International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations

American Psychological Association (APA) divisions 39 (Psychoanalysis) 29 (Psychotherapy) and 49 (Group)

Center for the Study of Groups and Social Systems former board president and secretary

American Journal of Psychoanalysis editorial board

Margaret Parish, PhD, is the director of patient care at the Austen Riggs Center.

Margaret Parish, PhD

Director of Patient Care

Associate of Science (AS) in Computer Information Technologies (In Progress), Springfield Technical Community College

Alan Pholsook is an IT technician at the Austen Riggs. He is committed to supporting both patients and staff through reliable and responsive IT services and is here to learn, grow, and develop professionally while gaining valuable experience in a dynamic and meaningful environment.

Before joining Riggs, Pholsook worked at GoGeeks, a local computer repair shop, where he provided help desk support through a ticketing system. His work involved building and repairing computers, performing virus removals, and conducting software tune-ups.

Prior to GoGeeks, he spent four years at Big Y as a cashier and service clerk, where he developed strong customer service and communication skills by assisting customers daily.

Earlier in his career, Pholsook worked at Project Coach for four years, an after-school program, where he mentored elementary school students and collaborated with high school and college peers. This experience helped him build skills in patience, planning, teamwork, and leadership.

Pholsook is passionate about technology and enjoys using his skills to solve problems and support others in meaningful ways.

Alan Pholsook

IT Technician

Donna Plankey is the accounts receivable & insurance billing coordinator at the Austen Riggs Center.

Donna Plankey

Accounts Receivable & Insurance Billing Coordinator

BS in psychology from the University of Texas

PsyD in clinical psychology from George Washington University

Predoctoral internship at Pathways Community Health in Missouri

Fellowship in Psychoanalytic Studies at the Austen Riggs Center

Jeremy M. Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP, is the director of psychological testing, associate director of admissions, and a staff psychologist at the Austen Riggs Center. He is also the chair of the Erikson Scholar Search Committee.

He has written and presented on schizophrenia, paranoia, personality disorders, and psychological testing.

Psychotherapeutic treatment of individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders with a particular focus in understanding how targeting mentalization (i.e. how people think about self and other) can be an important focus for recovery. In addition, he has conducted psychological assessment research on personality disorders and psychosis

Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP, is the associate director of admissions and the director of psychological testing at the Austen Riggs Center.

Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP

Associate Director of Admissions/Director of Psychological Testing

BA in operations management from the University of Massachusetts

MS in project management from Boston University

Marketing and Communications at San Ignacio De Loyola University–Lima Peru

Nestor Riva, MSPM, PMP, CSL, is the director of facilities at the Austen Riggs Center and is responsible for directing the execution of critical capital projects. He provides leadership to the facilities department and oversees the functioning of all buildings and systems including maintenance, housekeeping, and contractors. Mr. Riva is appointed by the medical director/CEO as the safety manager of the Center. In addition, he is chair of the Environment of Care Committee and responsible for compliance with the Joint Commission, federal, state, local and other regulatory agencies.

Mr. Riva is a strategic operations and project management professional with many years of combined experience in facilities operations, project management, construction and leadership. He has expertise in multiple industries, and has led and managed multiple priorities and critical projects from inception to completion.

Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute

Construction Supervisor License (CSL) in the state of Massachusetts

Nester Riva, MSPM, PMP, CSL

Director of Facilities

Brittany Roy is the HR/payroll specialist at the Austen Riggs Center.

Prior to working at Austen Riggs, Ms. Roy was the payroll, benefits, and systems specialist at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Prior to working at Kripula, she was employed at Paydata processing and setting up payrolls.

Brittany Roy

HR/Payroll Specialist

Liz Sample is the social work administrative assistant at the Austen Riggs Center.

Sample has a decade of experience in working with at-risk communities, serving in support and outreach with adolescents, seniors, HIV communities of color, and those impacted by addiction and mental health challenges.

Ms. Sample (lizsample.com) shows her photography at The Spencertown Arts Center and at LabSpace in Columbia County, NY.

Photography, film studies, medieval history, and Symbolist art

Liz Sample

Social Work Administrative Assistant

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

Daniel Knauss, PsyD, ABPP

Courtney Littlefield

David Mintz, MD

Cathleen M. Morey, PhD, LICSW

Urszula Orczkowska

Margaret Parish, PhD, ABPP

Alan Pholsook

Donna Plankey

Jeremy Ridenour, PsyD, ABPP

Nestor Riva, MSPM, PMP, CSL

Brittany Roy

Liz Sample

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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