● Dr. Annalise Caron
Annalise Caron, Ph.D., is the Director of CBT Westport, LLC, a licensed clinical psychologist and certified cognitive therapist. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her master's and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Caron completed a pre-doctoral internship at Columbia University Medical Center and stayed on to become faculty of the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University Medical Center. Prior to opening practice in Connecticut, Dr. Caron was the Co-Director of CBT/DBT Associates in Manhattan and, prior to that, served as the Director of Child and Family Treatment at the American Institute of Cognitive Therapy in New York, NY. Dr. Caron is a Certified Diplomat of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and is currently the only psychologist in Fairfield County who has achieved this level of certification in cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Dr. Caron is extensively trained in a number of evidence-based psychotherapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Multi-systemic Therapy (MST). She has expertise across the lifespan working with children, adolescents, and adults. She specializes in individual therapy for anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], separation anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety, and specific phobias. Additionally, Dr. Caron has significant experience treating depression, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders (body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, skin picking), behavior disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), relationship problems, adjustment to life transitions such as entering college or having a baby, as well as parenting consultation and parent training. In addition, Dr. Caron treats individuals with mental health problems secondary to medical conditions such as HIV and cancer. More detailed information regarding Dr. Caron’s diagnostic specialties can be found on the Services page.
She has authored professional articles and book chapters on cognitive behavioral therapy and other evidence-based psychotherapies, as well as studies examining the relationship between parenting and child problems. Further, she has given presentations at numerous professional conferences and provided workshops to professionals and consumers on cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness, and acceptance. In addition, she has taught and supervised graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, residents, licensed psychiatrists, and social workers in traditional CBT and newer mindfulness and acceptance-based behavioral therapies, such as ACT. While at Vanderbilt, Dr. Caron earned the American Psychological Association’s Koppitz Fellowship for her research on parenting and adolescent therapy outcomes, one of three awards given nationally.
Professional Affiliations
● Academy of Cognitive Therapy (ACT)
● Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
● International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
● NYC – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association (NYC-CBT)
● American Psychological Association (APA)
● Dr. Suzanne Allen
Suzanne M. Allen, Psy.D. is the Co-Director of CBT Westport and a licensed clinical psychologist working with children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Allen received her B.A. from Loyola University New Orleans and her master's and doctorate in psychology from St. John’s University. She completed her doctoral internship at The School at Columbia University and additional pre-doctoral training at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Allen specializes in the cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, depression, behavior disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, difficulties in emotion regulation, relationship problems, and difficulties related to life transitions or medical concerns. She also has expertise working with parents of children with emotional and behavioral difficulties.
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In addition to extensive training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dr. Allen has been intensively trained in a variety of other evidence-based treatments, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Dr. Allen has provided DBT supervision and consultation to other mental health professionals and was instrumental in establishing DBT programs within several schools in the New York area. Dr. Allen has received intensive training from the International OCD Foundation in the most up-to-date treatment of OCD and related disorders (Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Trichotillomania) for both adults and children. In addition, Dr. Allen has completed intensive training courses in treating ADHD across the lifespan.
Previously, Dr. Allen was the school psychologist at Waterside School in Stamford, CT, where she provided therapeutic services to children and families, consulted with teachers and staff, and implemented the Yale RULER program, a social-emotional learning curriculum. For six years prior to joining CBT Westport, Dr. Allen worked at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants of Westchester, practicing both CBT and DBT with individuals and groups.
Dr. Allen was formerly the Acting Coordinator of Mental Health Services at the Butler Child Advocacy Center at Montefiore Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She has consulted to a variety of agencies, including the Administration for Children’s Services in NYC, regarding the treatment of youth experiencing trauma.
Dr. Allen is an active member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).
● Dr. Alicia F. Slavis
Alicia F. Slavis, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who works with children, adolescents, and adults. She received her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and her master's and doctorate in clinical psychology from Baylor University. Dr. Slavis completed an APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium. She then went on to complete a two-year APA-accredited postdoctoral residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital- White Plains, where she received specialized training in the treatment of children and adolescents.
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Dr. Slavis has extensive training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). Prior to joining CBT Westport, Dr. Slavis spent more than a decade working in practices and clinics that specialize in evidence-based therapies. For six years, she was a staff psychologist at the BioBehavioral Institute in New York, which offers intensive treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. Most recently, Dr. Slavis worked at the Hudson Valley Center for Cognitive Therapy, providing individual CBT therapy across the lifespan. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, separation disorder, social anxiety, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as OCD. She also has extensive experience working with children and adolescents coping with persistent worry, depression, ADHD, stress, school avoidance, and difficulties in emotion regulation.
Dr. Slavis strives to provide a warm, supportive, and empathic environment when working with individuals. She places great value on having a collaborative relationship in therapy to facilitate change and to help clients learn skills to overcome challenges in their lives. When working with children and adolescents, she also believes in collaborating with parents and schools so that progress and skills can be carried through to all areas of a child’s life.
Dr. Slavis is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA).
● Dr. Margarita Cossuto
Margarita Cossuto, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow practicing evidence-based therapies with adolescents and adults. Dr. Cossuto received her doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University and respecialized her degree in Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. Before joining CBT Westport, Dr. Cossuto completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship in adult behavioral medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania. She also completed additional pre-doctoral training at the Center for Dialectical and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies in New Haven and in several departments at Yale-New Haven Hospital, including behavioral medicine, psychological and neuropsychological assessment, and outpatient psychiatry.
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Dr. Cossuto has been intensively trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and goal-oriented treatments for adolescents and adults with a wide range of presenting concerns. She works with those struggling with various issues, including anxiety, depression, OCD and related disorders, trauma, grief, acute stress disorder, and functional neurologic conditions. Dr. Cossuto also uses a lifestyle medicine approach to support health behavior change, such as stress management, weight concerns, and smoking cessation. In addition, Dr. Cossuto treats individuals with insomnia and sleep disorders as well as clients coping with medical conditions such as chronic pain, cancer, and GI issues. She uses various therapeutic and clinical techniques, tailoring her interventions to meet the individual needs of her clients.
Dr. Cossuto is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA), Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA), Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), and American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).