Activities Staff

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Erikson Institute Distinguished Faculty

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Therapeutic Community Staff

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Fellows

Psychology

Theresa Brosnan is a therapeutic community staff member and program manager at the Austen Riggs Center.

Therapeutic Community Staff Member/Program Manager

Predoctoral internship at Utah State Hospital

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalytic Studies at the Austen Riggs Center

Heather Churchill, PhD, is the associate director of the Therapeutic Community Program, the director of health and wellness, and a staff psychologist who provides psychotherapy and psychological testing at the Austen Riggs Center.

During her graduate training, she was a teaching assistant for several classes, including History and Systems of Psychology, as well as Cognitive and Projective Assessment. Also during her graduate training, she completed the New York Society Fellowship program, as well as the Couple and Family Fellowship program at the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis. During her internship at Utah State Hospital, she received intensive training in dialectical behavioral therapy and provided individual, group, and family therapy, as well as psychological assessments.

Churchill is a certified group relations consultant with the AK Rice Institute and former president of the Center for the Study of Groups and Social Systems, a non-profit whose mission is to further the understanding of groups dynamics and social systems.

University Fellowship Award for academic and scholarly achievement from George Washington University

The overlap between psychodynamic psychotherapy and other psychotherapies, such as dialectical behavioral therapy, as well as how integrating components of a psychodynamic approach may improve the quality of care in non-dynamic intensive treatment milieus.

Director of Health and Wellness/Associate Director of the Therapeutic Community Program

Janet Cremins, RN, is a therapeutic community staff member at the Austen Riggs Center.

 Therapeutic Community Staff

MA in clinical psychology from the University of Denver

PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Denver

Internship in adult clinical psychology at Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital

Two year-long fellowships at Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital in adolescent and family treatment and psychological assessment

Donna Elmendorf, PhD, is the director of the Therapeutic Community Program and the Activities Program at the Austen Riggs Center. Dr. Elmendorf also serves as a psychotherapist and a psychotherapy supervisor in the Center's Adult Psychoanalytic Training Program and Fellowship in Hospital-Based Psychotherapy. She provides group consultation and supervision and leads the Center's consultation service. She also leads the Human Development Initiative, bringing developmentally informed, relationship-based interventions to our local Berkshire community.

Dr. Elmendorf’s work as an organizational and group relations consultant supports her efforts to better understand the social dynamics of psychological disturbance within the Therapeutic Community at Austen Riggs. Prior to coming to Riggs, her experience at the Adolescent and Family Treatment Center at McLean Hospital as well as her work at the counseling center at Bard College at Simon’s Rock deepened her understanding of the developmental transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Dr. Elmendorf is actively involved in the Berkshire community, having served on the board of several local and state organizations involved with mental health, education, and environmental conservation. She is working with several colleagues to develop an understanding of how tuning into emotional experience and sharing such experience in relation to the task of a group or organization is an often overlooked and underappreciated aspect of leadership.

Professional Affiliations/Organizational Memberships

International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO)

Center for the Study of Groups and Social Systems (CSGSS)

American Residential Treatment Association (ARTA)

Chair of the Leadership Committee of the American Residential Treatment Association (ARTA)

Certified Consultant, A.K. Rice Institute

Co-founder and Faculty, Leading from Experience

Anna Freud Educational Achievement Award from the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) (2017)

John Leopold Weil and Geraldine Rickard Weil Memorial Charitable Foundation, Inc. grant recipient (2017, 2018, 2019) in support of Human Development Initiative

Symptomatic behavior as interpersonal communication, competence and regression in group dynamics, and social cognition in young children.

Donna Elmendorf, PhD, is the director of the Therapeutic Community Program at the Austen Riggs Center.

Donna Elmendorf, PhD

Director of Therapeutic Community Program

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

Therapeutic Community Center Group and Activities Coordinator/Program Manager

Cornelia Kalisher is a program manager in the Therapeutic Community Program at the Austen Riggs Center.

Program Manager/Therapeutic Community Staff Member

Mitra Kukic-Potrebic is a mental health specialist at the Austen Riggs Center. 

Mental Health Specialist  

Gary Osborne, MFA, MAT, is a substance use counselor at the Austen Riggs Center.

He has previous experience with family coaching.

Training Certificate from the Anthroposophical Psychology Association

Anthroposophical Psychology Association member

Substance Use Counselor

As part of the therapeutic community Nick Pohl, MSW, supports the patient community and leads groups. His interest in the outdoors lends itself nicely to hosting various outings that engage the many natural treasures within Berkshire County.

Before coming to Riggs, Mr. Pohl served as dean of students at John Dewey Academy where he oversaw all residential matters for their adolescent, community-based therapeutic program including working with the students to develop community living standards, and leading groups and activities. Prior to his time at John Dewey Academy, Mr. Pohl served as the director of career development at Concordia College, and executive director of Housatonic Youth Services Bureau.

Mr. Pohl has a wide variety of interests outside of work, including, climbing, hiking, and travel.

Assistant Program Manager/Therapeutic Community Staff Member

Dylan Quinn is a Therapeutic Community staff member at the Austen Riggs Center.

Therapeutic Community Staff Member

Arti Roots Ross is a Therapeutic Community staff member at the Austen Riggs Center.

Brenda St. Pierre serves in the Therapeutic Community Program as the centerwide community coordinator and as IRP-G and IRP-N program manager.

Centerwide Community Coordinator/IRP-G and IRP-N Program Manager

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

Therapeutic Community Staff

Theresa Brosnan

Heather Churchill, PsyD

Janet Cremins, RN

Donna M. Elmendorf, PhD

Peter Hummel, MA

Cornelia Kalischer, LSW

Mitra Kukic-Potrebic

Gary Osborne, MFA, MAT

Nick Pohl, MSW

Dylan Quinn

Arti Roots Ross

Brenda St. Pierre

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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