Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy

Dr. Tsao is an expert in exposure and response prevention (EXRP) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), having trained under several internationally-recognized leaders in the field including Dr. Edna Foa, Dr. Michael Jenike, and Dr. Dean McKay. Dr. Tsao has treated hundreds of clients with OCD, given regional and national presentations on OCD, and been featured on several popular media outlets including ABC’s 20/20, The Philadelphia Inquirer, WBUR, WGBH, Prevention Magazine, and Health.com. Dr. Tsao also has extensive experience with prolonged exposure (PE) therapy for posttraumtaic stress disorder (PTSD) and is a certified therapist and supervisor by Dr. Edna Foa, the developer of PE. He has helped train PE therapists both nationally and internationally and provided expert consultation on PE for grants funded by the Department of Defense. Dr. Tsao received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fordham University where he was the recipient of Senior Teaching Fellowship and the Alumni Dissertation Fellowship. Dr. Tsao completed his predoctoral internship at Boston University School of Medicine/Boston VA Medical Center and his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital. He worked at a residential eating disorders program where he developed and implemented a specialized track for patients with OCD and later, focused exclusively on severe and treatment-resistant OCD and OC-spectrum disorders during his years as a Staff Psychologist at the OCD Institute at McLean Hospital. After relocating to the Philadelphia area, Dr. Tsao joined the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania where he most recently served as the Clinic Director. Dr. Tsao also served as the Assistant Clinical Director at Rogers Behavioral Health-Philadelphia, where he helped launch and oversee the delivery of evidence-based treatment for anxiety and mood disorders in an intensive day treatment setting.

Dr. Yusko is nationally recognized as an expert in prolonged exposure (PE) therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is a certified PE therapist and supervisor by Dr. Edna Foa. Dr. Yusko is also an expert in anxiety disorders with particular expertise in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. He is also certified as an exposure and response prevention (EXRP) therapist and supervisor for OCD by Dr. Edna Foa. He received his Psy.D. in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. As a graduate student, Dr. Yusko was supported by a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism training grant under the expert mentorship of Dr. Barbara McCrady, a national leader in the field of alcohol use disorders. Dr. Yusko completed his predoctoral internship training at Montefiore Medical Center, a part of Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Upon completing his doctoral studies, Dr. Yusko joined The Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Yusko joined CTSA in order to coordinate a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism funded clinical trial examining the sequential versus concurrent treatment of PTSD and alcohol dependence. Dr. Yusko is one of a handful of experts in the world on the concurrent treatment of PTSD and substance use disorders. Dr. Yusko is also a treating clinician for the National Football League for players that violate the league’s substances of abuse rules. He was trained in sports psychology by Dr. Charlie Maher, sports psychologist for the Cleveland Indians baseball organization, and continues to work with athletes of all levels. Dr. Yusko has presented on issues associated with OCD and PTSD at local and national professional organizations, he has appeared on television and been interviewed by multiple media outlets.

Dr. Christina DiChiara is a licensed clinical psychologist. She is an expert in evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral and exposure therapies for trauma, the full range of anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive related disorders. She joined the Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy in 2016 and currently serves as the Director of Education, overseeing the local and international training and dissemination of evidence-based therapies for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Dr. DiChiara has extensive experience with Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy for PTSD, and is a certified PE therapist and PE supervisor by Dr. Edna Foa, the developer of PE. She is similarly experienced in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and is a certified CPT therapist by the Veterans Administration (VA). She is a co-investigator in ongoing CPT research at the VA in Philadelphia. Dr. DiChiara developed her expertise in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD during her training, research, and practice at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her work at CABT, Dr. DiChiara served the veteran population through the VA in Philadelphia, both as a psychologist on the PTSD Clinical Team, as well as the Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Coordinator, the Evidence-Based Psychotherapy (EBP) Coordinator, and as Telemental Health Champion. She has been dedicated to the training and supervision of psychology trainees and licensed mental health professionals worldwide through individual and group supervision and consultation. She received a master’s degree in Counseling and Clinical Health Psychology, as well as her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Gibson is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in treating trauma-related conditions and the broad spectrum of anxiety disorders, with extensive training in both Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). After obtaining her master's degree from Harvard University, she worked in clinical research understanding the various phases of psychosis at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. While earning her PhD at Temple University, Dr. Gibson received clinical training across outpatient, residential, and inpatient settings, including at the Joseph J. Peter's Institute (JJPI) and Drexel University's community psychiatric outpatient and inpatient clinics. During her predoctoral internship at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, Dr. Gibson completed rotations within the General Mental Health, PTSD, Substance Use, and Couples Therapy clinics. While on postdoctoral fellowship at the Boston VA, she worked in the Women’s Trauma Recovery Team and the PTSD Clinical team. Dr. Gibson was a staff psychologist for several years at Home Base, a military clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she provided treatment in the outpatient clinic, 2-week intensive PTSD program, and the 2-week intensive trauma program for military family members who lost a loved one to suicide. Dr. Gibson also has expertise in providing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), including training in DBT-PE, as well as cognitive behavioral and exposure therapies for anxiety related concerns. Throughout her career, she also worked with individuals court-mandated to treatment for conviction of criminal offenses. In addition to her role at CABT, Dr. Gibson currently works as a staff psychologist at the Philadelphia VA conducting trauma therapy for individuals with PTSD and those with co-occurring substance use disorders.

Dr. Haimm is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, college-age individuals, and adults. Dr. Haimm has received specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), a parent-based treatment for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD, and related problems. Additionally, Dr. Haimm received specialized training in Interpersonal Psychotherapy, an evidence-based treatment for depression, and received her IPT Therapist Certification by the International Society for Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

Dr. Haimm received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She completed her internship at Chestnut Hill College, working in a community mental health clinic in Philadelphia. Dr. Haimm joined the Center for Anxiety and Behavior Therapy (CABT) as a postdoctoral fellow, focusing on gaining additional expertise in the provision of evidence-based treatments for anxiety and depression. Dr. Haimm has undergone additional training at Bellevue Hospital and Zucker Hillside Hospital/Northwell Health in New York City.

Dr. Haimm has extensive experience in providing individual therapy for a range of anxiety disorders and depression as well as parental support for parents of anxious children and adolescents. Dr. Haimm utilizes her foundation in CBT, ERP, and IPT to tailor her approach to each person’s unique situation, developmental level, and treatment goals. Dr. Haimm is also interested in the dissemination of evidence-based interventions for anxiety and depression. She conducted her graduate research in this area and continues to provide presentations and brief workshops for other mental health service providers.

Dr. Murphy is a Staff Psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Behavior Therapy. Dr. Murphy received her B.A. from Boston College, after which she worked for two years as a clinical research coordinator at the Center for Women’s Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. She obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Temple University, which included completing her pre-doctoral internship at VA Boston Healthcare System in the PTSD and Women’s Trauma Recovery clinics. She has also completed clinical training in the Adult Anxiety Clinic of Temple (AACT), under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Heimberg, as well as the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Murphy specializes in Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) for OCD, evidence-based therapy for PTSD, including Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and cognitive-behavioral treatments for social anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety. She also has a strong interest and clinical background in third-wave CBT approaches, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Dr. Schuler is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Center for Anxiety and Behavior Therapy. Dr. Schuler specializes in providing evidence-based treatment for the full spectrum of anxiety disorders - including OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobias including emetophobia - for older adolescents, college-aged individuals, and adults. Dr. Schuler is experienced in providing traditional cognitive behavioral approaches including CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) as well as third-wave CBT approaches, with particular interest and training in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Dr. Schuler received her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Schuler has trained in a variety of settings and has provided evidence-based treatment at the outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), and inpatient levels of care. Dr. Schuler completed her pre-doctoral internship year at Penn Medicine’s Princeton Center for Eating Disorders, and continues to foster an interest in working with anxiety and OCD patients with sub-clinical and emerging disordered eating behavior.

Dr. Shih is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of specialized training and experience working with young adults and adults suffering from depression and anxiety disorders. Dr. Shih received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has had general psychotherapy training in a variety of clinical settings ranging from university counseling centers to the VA’s inpatient and outpatient clinics. Dr. Shih also has specialized training in evidence-based treatment approaches for anxiety disorders first through Dr. Michelle Craske’s anxiety-treatment research lab and at UCLA’s intensive partial hospitalization program for OCD and later at Dr. Edna Foa’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Shih is trained in the scientist-practitioner tradition. As a professor of psychology at Saint Joseph’s University, she conducts research on stress, coping, and depression which informs her clinical work. She has more than 70 publications and conference presentations, some appearing in premier journals such as Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

Anna Thompson serves as the Clinical Intake Specialist and a Masters level therapist at CABT. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Pennsylvania State University and her masters degree in mental health counseling from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Anna is in her first year of the Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Anna worked as a psychiatric nurse in a child inpatient program and completed her internship treating anxiety and OCD spectrum disorders, including emetophobia, panic disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), agoraphobia, selective mutism, separation anxiety, and social anxiety.

Anna has specific training, experience, and supervision in evidence-based treatments for anxiety and OCD disorders, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and exposure-based disorders for anxiety disorders. Anna has worked with children from age three to older adults, and parents supporting anxious children. She also has training and experience implementing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Space Training for parents of anxious youth, and PCIT for selective mutism. Anna has special interest in implementing values-based and ACT informed exposures for anxiety and OCD disorders.

Dr. Vida is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy. Dr. Vida received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut, where he worked as a researcher in the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Lab and provided Applied Behavior Analysis to children/adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. He received both his master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at La Salle University, where he completed extensive practica and training in cognitive-behavioral interventions at locations such as UPENN Outpatient Psychiatry Center, Mathom House, La Salle University Community Psychological Services, and the Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy. Dr. Vida completed his predoctoral internship at the Center for Anxiety in Manhattan, where he provided evidence-based therapy for individuals across the lifespan presenting with anxiety- and trauma-related disorders, OCD, depressive disorders, and difficulties with emotion/behavioral regulation including self-harm/suicidality. Dr. Vida specializes in providing evidence-based treatments for these disorders, with particular interest and expertise in exposure-based interventions for adolescents and adults with OCD, PTSD, and anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, specific phobia, and more. Dr. Vida has been trained extensively in exposure and response prevention (ERP), prolonged exposure (PE), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Val Everett is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Temple University. Her clinical interests include working with youth and adolescents experiencing traumatic stress and emotion regulation difficulties. She has received training in evidence-based interventions designed to help clients manage overwhelming emotions and trauma symptoms, such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). As a doctoral student, Val has received clinical training in individual- and family-based therapy for youth experiencing mood, anxiety, and trauma symptoms through Child Guidance Resource Center and neuropsychological evaluations through the Oncology department within the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Val earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2015. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies at Temple, Val worked as a research assistant for the Violence Intervention Program (VIP) at CHOP examining the effectiveness of the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) in reducing PTSD symptoms in assault-injured youth. Val also served as head coach of a sports-based youth development program for elementary- and middle-school girls in West Philadelphia, the Young Quakers Community Athletics lacrosse team, through the Netter Center of Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sydni Yadin serves as the doctoral level practicum trainee at the Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy. Sydni received her B.A. from Dickinson College in Sociology and her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Pennsylvania. During her clinical training at the master’s level, Sydni provided individual counseling/case management services to adult victims/survivors of intimate partner violence and crisis support services for Philadelphia’s Domestic Violence hotline. She also completed master’s level training at Libertae, an inpatient substance use disorders program for women, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) providing counseling and case management services to patients with chronic medical conditions.

As a Licensed Social Worker, Sydni worked at Malvern Institute as a substance use disorders/co-occurring mental health counselor providing group/individual therapy. She has also worked with adult victims/survivors of sexual assault as an interviewer. Sydni currently attends the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine(PCOM) where she receives specialized training in evidence-based cognitive-behavioral interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure interventions, motivational interviewing, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Sydni has completed doctoral level training at PCOM’s Family Medicine clinic as a Behavioral Health Consultant providing brief cognitive-behavioral therapy to adults with co-occurring mental health/medical conditions. Sydni also completed practicum training at PCOM’s Center for Brief Therapy providing individual cognitive-behavioral therapy to children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety, mood, and posttraumatic stress disorders.