• Welcome
  • Getting Started
  • Clinical Staff and Administrative Staff
  • Services Provided
  • Referral Guide by Age
  • Referral Guide by Service
  • Psychological and Educational Testing
  • Directions to Pennington Office
  • Directions to Princeton Office
  • Documentation for New Appointments
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Comprehensive Mental Health Services

Pennington, NJ
Princeton, NJ
609-737-7797

Your Custom Text Here

Comprehensive Mental Health Services

  • Welcome
  • Getting Started
  • Clinical Staff and Administrative Staff
  • Services Provided
  • Referral Guide by Age
  • Referral Guide by Service
  • Psychological and Educational Testing
  • Directions to Pennington Office
  • Directions to Princeton Office
  • Documentation for New Appointments
 
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Kevin Kavookjian, MD is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology and licensed in New Jersey and New York. He graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine and completed his adult psychiatric training at Stony Brook University Hospital where he also served as the Chief Resident.  Dr. Kavookjian’s professional experience is extensive and multifaceted. He practiced in Maine from 2008 until 2022. During that time, he was the Medical Director of Health Affiliates of Maine, a statewide mental health agency. He also served as the Medical Director at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston and as instructor of medical students both from Tufts University School of Medicine and the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Preceding that, he was the Chief of Psychiatry at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford. Dr. Kavookjian has practiced psychiatry in New Jersey since July of 2022. (His family relocated both for easier access to superior schools and for greater proximity to family.) From 2023 to 2025 he served as a consult liaison and emergency room psychiatrist at several Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals. Until 2024, Dr. Kavookjian has also provided outpatient treatment and supervised APNs for LifeStance through NJ Behavioral Health in Princeton Junction.  Dr. Kavookjian believes that an effective diagnosis and treatment plan require both professional expertise and collaborative relationships with patients and family members. Reflecting his extensive experience in a range of settings, Dr. Kavookjian’s areas of expertise include depression, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar 1 and 2, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, ADHD, binge eating disorder, borderline personality disorder, and premenstrual dysphoria.

Jonathan Woods, LCSW received his undergraduate  education at Dartmouth College and his MSW from  Hunter College. He is trained in the treatment of  adults, couples, children and adolescents. Areas of  special interest include depression, adolescent  turmoil and marital disenchantment. Mr. Woods has  been in clinical practice since 1979. 

Donald Fong, MD received his undergraduate degree  from Baylor University, graduating on the Dean's  Distinguished List. He received his MD from Texas  Tech School of Medicine and Interned at the  Portsmouth Naval Hospital. He was a Resident in  Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center.  He completed a fellowship in Child and Adolescent  Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was  Chief Resident. 

Joel Szkrybalo, PhD received his undergraduate  degree from the University of Michigan and his  doctorate in clinical psychology from New York  University. He has extensive experience providing  psychotherapy to children, teens, adults, and  families. His areas of interest include depression,  anxiety, autistic spectrum disorders in children and  teens, adoption and attachment issues, coping with  loss, and social skills training. Dr. Szkrybalo has  taught a variety of undergraduate psychology courses at Princeton University. He was awarded a  Congressional Fellowship by the American  Psychological Association and served as a mental  health policy advisor in the United States Senate. Prior to joining CMHS, Dr. Szkrybalo worked  at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, overseeing the  development of a national program to provide  improved care for US soldiers with traumatic brain  injuries. 

Peter Thomas, PhD received his undergraduate degree from Boston University and his doctorate from DePaul University. Dr. Thomas served two years as a Clinical Fellow in Psychology at Harvard Medical School where he received clinical training at Beth Israel Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Thomas specializes in helping adolescents,  young adults and their families navigate the  transition to adulthood, especially when executive  functioning, mood disorders or substance use  problems get in the way. Aside from working with  CMHS, Dr. Thomas is Vice President of Outpatient  Services for Penn Medicine Princeton House  Behavioral Health. He has been in clinical practice  since 1986.

Scott G. Gill, LCSW received his undergraduate  education at Rider University and his MSW from  Rutgers University. Mr. Gill is trained in the  treatment of adults, couples, children and  adolescents. He has experience in both academic and  clinical settings. For 15 years Mr. Gill was the  Director of Student Services at Rutgers Preparatory  School where he oversaw the counseling and health  departments. Mr. Gill is an accomplished athlete,  having played sports on high school teams and  college teams, and takes special interest in the  unique pressures confronted by student-athletes. 

Suneeta Sayyaparaju, MD is Board Certified in both  Child/Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry.  She was Chief Resident at Mount Sinai Hospital/Icahn School of Medicine where she  completed a fellowship in Child and Adolescent  Psychiatry. Previously, she completed her residency  at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital Adult  Psychiatry program, and she received her medical  degree from Sri Ramachandra Medical College.  Having been raised primarily in North Carolina,  having graduated from high school in New Jersey  and having lived overseas, Dr. Sayyaparaju brings a  broad perspective and a wide range of experiences to  her work. Areas of special interest include parent child relational issues and psychiatric conditions in school settings. 

Sarah Trillin, LCSW received her undergraduate  degree from Yale University and her MSW from  UCLA. She has experience working with children,  adolescents, adults, couples and families. In  addition to working in mental health agencies, Ms.  Trillin has worked in schools, hospitals and other  healthcare settings and has extensive experience  working with chronic pain and addiction issues. Ms.  Trillin has completed a postgraduate training  program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and is  interested in helping individuals look at symptoms  in the context of their family systems. Areas of  special interest include parenting issues and family  therapy.  

Deborah Dumont, DSW, LCSW graduated magna  cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Pennsylvania  State University with a B.A. in psychology. She  received her MSS from Bryn Mawr College Graduate  School of Social Work and Social Research after  which she completed postgraduate training in  Bowen Family Systems Theory at the Princeton  Family Center for Education. Most recently she  received her doctorate in social work from Rutgers  University where her focus was on treating families  and young adults. Dr. Dumont’s research can be found in scholarly peer reviewed literature. She has  presented at professional conferences and is a part time lecturer at Rutgers University where she  teaches couples, family and group therapy practice.  Dr. Dumont received substantial training treating  eating disorders and other food and body related  issues at Princeton University and The University  Medical Center at Princeton.  

Keith Ann Raser, MD received her undergraduate  degree from Kenyon College graduating summa cum  laude. She attended Northwestern Medical School in  Chicago and did her residency at Tufts  University/New England Medical Center Hospitals in  Boston where she was Chief Resident for Inpatient  Psychiatry at New England Medical  Center. Following residency, she joined the  Westwood Pembroke Health System where she  became the Clinical Director of the outpatient  psychopharmacology group practice and later the  Medical Director of Geriatric Services at Pembroke Hospital. Dr. Raser is board certified in adult  psychiatry. She enjoys working with individuals  from late adolescence through later life. She is  particularly understanding of individuals affected by  family members' developmental challenges.

Lee S. Gardner, LCSW received her BA from  Connecticut College and her MSW from Rutgers  University. She works with individuals, couples and  families on issues relating to anxiety, depression,  substance abuse, bereavement and relationship  challenges. She assists clients looking at patterns of  functioning from a broader family systems  perspective. Ms. Gardner has trained extensively in  Bowen family systems theory and is the Director and  a faculty member of the Princeton Family Center for  Education, Inc. 

Leichena Bodie-Young, LCSW received her  undergraduate degree from the University of  Pittsburgh and her MSW from New York University.  She specializes in working with children,  adolescents, young adults and families. Her focus  is on building connections that support the growth  and development of sustainable, healthy  functioning. She has been extensively trained in  multiple treatment modalities and is certified in  EMDR. For six years, before joining CMHS, Mrs.  Bodie-Young was the Director of Adolescent Day  Services for the Greater Trenton Behavioral Health  Center. Concurrent with her work at CMHS, Mrs.  Bodie-Young is an Upper and Middle School  counselor at Rutgers Preparatory School. She has  been in clinical practice since 2002.

Erin Falk, PhD received her doctorate from Temple  University. In addition, she earned a Master’s degree  in Counseling Psychology from Rider University,  along with a separate Master’s degree in Educational  Administration. Dr. Falk has an undergraduate  degree in elementary education from Penn  State. Aside from her clinical work, Dr. Falk has  been employed as a school principal, vice  principal, supervisor of special services, school  psychologist and classroom teacher. In short, Dr. Falk has substantial experience working with  children in a variety of roles and settings. And, at the  same time, Dr. Falk is trained and experienced in  working with adults struggling with depression, workplace problems, anxiety, life transitions,  illness, grief and other forms of loss. Also Dr. Falk  works with adults undergoing bariatric surgery,  those caring for the aged and chronically ill, and  adults with disabilities. Dr. Falk also provides  psycho-educational and attention deficit  evaluations for adults and children.  

Ilene West, PsyD graduated with honors and  distinction from Cornell University. She obtained  her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from  Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology/Yeshiva  University. Dr. West completed her internship at  Manhattan Psychiatric Center on Ward’s Island and  post-doctoral fellowship at the Institute of  Living/Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT. Following  her post-doctoral training, she was a staff  psychologist and supervisor at Bellevue Hospital,  providing both psychotherapy on the inpatient  service and clinical training and supervision to  psychology graduate students and psychiatry  residents. Also, Dr. West has provided consultation  and treatment at an acute rehabilitation center and  skilled nursing facility. Prior to joining CMHS, Dr.  West was an Adjunct Professor at Ferkauf Graduate  School of Psychology and a clinical instructor and  supervisor at NYU School of Medicine. Dr. West’s  areas of interest include working with older adults and individuals with chronic health conditions. She  is especially interested in working with individuals  who have inflammatory bowel disease and other  gastrointestinal illnesses. Also, she is interested in  assisting with managing the emotional challenges  surrounding infertility. Dr. West specializes in  cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based  treatments and stress-management. 

Jill Richards, PsyD received her undergraduate  degree from The University of Michigan and her  doctoral degree from The Chicago School of  Professional Psychology. She completed her Post Doctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University.  Before joining CMHS full time, for twelve years Dr.  Richards was the Director of Rutgers University  mental health, psychiatric and substance abuse services. Dr. Richards has extensive experience working with adults, couples  and families.  While her early work had been heavily  influenced by psychodynamic perspectives on  human development, Dr. Richards cultivated rich and useful skills across decades in evidence-based practice including the study of Cognitive  Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior  Therapy (DBT) along with evidence-based treatments for OCD and anxiety as well as Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Incorporated into  Dr. Richards approach is respect for cultural and  individual difference and a deep appreciation of how  power, access and opportunity impact health and  well-being. Dr Richards has been in clinical practice  since 1998. 

Bryan Balaban, LCSW received his undergraduate  degree from Pennsylvania State University and his  MSW from Rutgers University. Mr. Balaban is  trained in working with adolescents, adults and  families. He takes a special interest in treating  depression, substance abuse and anxiety. He is also  interested in the role and impact of music on the  regulation of mood.  

Sara Popkin, MD received her undergraduate degree  from Princeton University, graduating magna cum  laude. Following college, she taught eighth grade  English in Harlem as part of Teach For America and  earned a Master’s in Teaching from Pace University.  She received her medical degree from Tulane  University and was honored with the Gold  Humanism in Medicine Award. She completed both  her general psychiatry residency and a child and  adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the NYU School  of Medicine. She is Board Certified in both  Child/Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry. 

Zorianny Baez, LCSW received her undergraduate  degree from Lehman College, summa cum laude, and  her MSW from New York University and her DSW at Rutgers University. Dr. Baez  is experienced treating children, adolescents, adults  and couples. She has worked in both outpatient and  inpatient settings. She is comfortable and talented  providing clinical services in both English and  Spanish. Areas of special interest include  depression, anxiety, trauma informed care, and  mental health disparities within the Latino  community. 

Sarah Geser, LCSW received her MSW from Rutgers  University and her undergraduate degree from the  University of Hartford. She has been providing  clinical services since 1994. Before joining CMHS  full-time, Ms. Geser was the Director of East  Mountain Youth Lodge Adolescent Residential  Treatment Services. Accordingly, she has extensive  experience working with adolescents and their  families. Also, in private practice, she has worked  with adults suffering with anxiety, depression and a  history of trauma. In addition, Ms. Geser has spent  many years training and supervising other  clinicians. Her clinical approach draws heavily from  family systems theory, mindfulness training, and  experiential techniques. 

Karie McGuire, DSW, LCSW, CHES received her  undergraduate degree, her master’s degree and her  doctorate from Rutgers University. For much of her  career she has worked with individuals suffering  from trauma: abuse, loss or interpersonal violence.  She has presented at national conferences and  published on the subject of complex trauma and  human trafficking. In addition, Dr. McGuire has  substantial experience working with adolescents  regarding self-esteem, sexual health, eating  disorders and healthy relationships. Also, she is a  full time assistant clinical professor at Widener  University. 

Laura R. Kelly, PsyD earned her bachelor of science  in psychology from the College of Charleston in  Charleston, SC. She completed her graduate work at  St. John’s University, Queens campus, where she  earned her Masters of Science and Doctor of  Psychology degrees in school psychology. Dr. Kelly  has substantial experience with psychological  and/or educational evaluations used to identify developmental and learning delays in individuals  ages 3 and up. Related to that she has a passion for  teaming with families to put evaluation results to  good use through the use of concrete strategies. In  addition, Dr. Kelly has extensive knowledge of New  Jersey special education law and related parental  rights. Beyond that, Dr. Kelly works with a broad  range of children and families to support social and  emotional functioning and growth, both at home  and elsewhere. Much of her individual psychotherapy is influenced by cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). 

Cara Laitusis, PhD is a Fellow in the American  Psychological Association, and a Nationally Certified  School Psychologist. She holds a Ph.D. in school  psychology from Fordham University and has 25  years of research experience in educational and psychological testing for children and adults with a  wide range of disabilities. Her work has been  published by the American Psychological  Association, the American Educational Research  Association, the Council for Exceptional Children,  Learning Disabilities of America, and the National  Council on Measurement in Education.

Christine Beach, LCSW received her BS from Towson University and her MSW from New York University. She is trained in the treatment of children, adolescents, adults and families. Through the years she has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders. In addition she has worked with children, adolescents and their families regarding depression, anxiety, relational, sexual health and gender issues. Other areas of interest include fertility issues and grief related to fetal loss.

Michael P. Boyle, PhD obtained his graduate degree fron New York University and his undergraduate degree from St. Peter’s College. While at NYU, Dr. Boyle completed an internship with Devereaux Foundation. Of note, Dr. Boyle is trained in the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Within Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS) Dr. Boyle provides psycho-diagnostic, psycho-educational evaluations for the identification of learning differences along with personality assessments to aid in treatment planning. Dr. Boyle also enjoys playing the five string banjo.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:

Ms. Diana Romano has been an Office Manager for over 20 years. She brought her wealth of experience to our team in 2020. She excels in keeping the office organized, efficient, and running smoothly—thanks to her strengths in multitasking, budgeting, and team coordination. Diana is known for her reliability, attention to detail, and calm leadership. Outside of work, she is deeply family- and friend-oriented and loves to unwind with a good book. Her warm personality and dedication make her an invaluable part of both our team and community.

Ms. Catherine Tomaselli (Cat) is a member of the fabulous front desk administrative team. Since joining the team in November 2023, Cat has brought a welcoming energy and dependable presence to the front desk. With strong communication skills, excellent time management, and a naturally friendly personality, she helps create a positive, family-like atmosphere for both staff and visitors. Outside of work, Cat enjoys baking, cooking, and spending time with her family and two beloved cats—her “fur babies.”

Ms. Karen Cruse is a highly organized and meticulous member of the front desk administrative team who brings efficiency and creativity to every task.  She is recognized for her strong computer and technical support skills. She is also known for her friendly and polished presence at the front desk.  Outside of work, Karen enjoys quality time with loved ones, including family, friends, her senior cat Peanut, and puppy Rufus.