Information About Our Staff:

Dr. Scherz is the founder and director of Great Kills Psychological and Social Work Services, formerly The Third Foundation, since 1980. He has been licensed as a psychologist in New York State since 1974, after having received a Master's degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Scherz is highly experienced in doing psychotherapy with adults, couples, families, and adolescents. He also conducts groups, supervises other therapists, provides court testimony, and in special circumstances, sees children.

The work which Dr. Scherz does, reflects a grasp of many different psychological approaches, combined with much life experience. Thus he has his own unique style which can address the needs of many personalities and quite diverse psychological problems.

Marianne J. DeCesare is a Psychiatric Social Worker with over fourteen years of Post Graduate experience as a psychotherapist. Mrs. DeCesare joined Great Kills Psychological and Social Work Services group of therapists in 1992. In her work here she has specialized in working with women and men who have Panic/Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Eating Disorders, Sexual Abuse, Infertility and Medical Crisis. Mrs. DeCesare also has extensive experience in working with Marital Conflicts and Family Problems. She has successfully run Adolescent and Adult Group Therapy over a number of years.

Mrs. DeCesare graduated from the Hunter School of Social Work in 1986. She later attended a Post Graduate Psychotherapy training program to further develop her skills as a therapist. Mrs. DeCesare also has Training in Child/Family Therapies and has worked with children and families in Clinical Agencies and in the hospital setting. Mrs. DeCesare has also worked extensively with medical patients who have addictions.

Ms. Harris, a psychiatric social worker, has been on staff with Great Kills Psychological and Social Work Services since January , 1997, specializing in treatment of adolescents, adults, couples, and families who present with a diverse range of problems and issues. She has also been a senior clinician at Staten Island University Hospital Outpatient Psychiatry (south site) since 1984, treating a similar clientele. Since receiving her Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago in 1979, Ms. Harris has had extensive clinical experience in a variety of settings, including as a high school social worker, in several family service agencies, and in private practice.

Dr. Stephen Levin is our most experienced therapist, having been in clinical practice over 31 years. He joined Great Kills Psychological in 1999. He also was the youngest graduate of a famous New York City psychoanalytic institute. Dr. Levin has specialized in the treatment of acting out, defiant adolescents, and over the past decade has specialized in the treatment of children with ADD, ADHD, and the past five years, Asperger's Syndrome children. He also has been trained extensively in family and couples therapy, relying on concepts from Harville Hendrix's Image Therapy. His treatment focuses on solving current problems and not on endless and useless talking about the past. Dr. Levin is very active in sessions and offers much feedback to his patients. He has made numerous presentations at professional meetings and has written many papers. He is a Board-certified Diplomate in Social Work and is on most insurance provider panels.

Dr. Levin earned his initial graduate degree, MSW, from Fordham University, and his Doctorate degree from Adelphi University. He is a certified group psychoanalyst, family therapist, supervisor in community health, Ericsonian hypnotist, and certified at the highest level in EMDR.

Dr. Pakier graduated from Ferkauf Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Yeshiva University 1989. Licensed as a New York State Psychologist in 1991. Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the New York Center for Psychoanalytic Training.

Experienced in individual, group and couples therapy. Extensive experience in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, marital issues & sexually dysfunction.