Professional Staff

EDMUND J. BURKE, Ph.D., is a
licensed Clinical Psychologist. He received
his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the
State University of New York at Albany, and
completed his clinical internship in the
Department of Psychiatry at Temple Medical School
in Philadelphia. Dr. Burke has published several professional articles and book chapters on the assessment and treatment of psycho-physiologic disorders and behavioral medicine. He is a member of several professional organizations and is listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Dr. Burke is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. He is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Albany Medical College, and an adjunct faculty member at Russell Sage College. Dr. Burke's specialty areas include the assessment and treatment of depression, psychophysiologic, and anxiety disorders.
drburke@nepsych.com

MICHELLE BACARES, MD
Michelle Bacares, MD is a Board- Certified Psychiatrist. She received her degree in medicine from SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, NY and completed her residency training at Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, NY in 2000. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and the Institute for Functional Medicine. Her areas of interest include treatment of anxiety disorders and mood disorders, including seasonal affective disorder. Dr. Bacares sees patient ages 21 and up.

JONI CIFARELLI, LCSW-R, is a certified Social Worker who received her Master's Degree in Social Work from the State University of New York at Albany. She has provided individual, family, and group psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults in the Capital District for over fifteen years. Ms. Cifarelli has designed treatment programs for sexual abuse, addiction, and mental/behavioral health issues. She has presented workshops in the areas of sexual abuse, crisis intervention, suicide, relationship issues, parent-child communication, group psychotherapy, and self-esteem. Ms. Cifarelli's specialty areas include the assessment and treatment of family and relationship concerns, codependency issues, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress/abuse problems, bereavement, anxiety, depression, and issues of adjustment to life crisis and transitions.
jcifarelli@nepsych.com

VANCE HACKEL, LCSW is a licensed Clinical Social worker. He received his Master's degree from State University of New York at Albany. Mr. Hackel has worked in the field of psychiatric social work for many years. He has extensive experience as a clinical supervisor and practitioner, providing individual psychotherapy for adults and couples. He also has experience in group and family therapy. Mr Hackel's specialty areas include personality disorders, risk assessment and crisis intervention, depression, anxiety, abusive relationships, addiction recovery and co-dependence.
Vhackel@nepsych.com

JOHN HERSHEY, Psy.D., Is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. He received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Baylor University and completed his clinical internship at Albany Psychology Internship Consortium. He has completed an extramural training program at the Beck Institute and is a member of the American Psychological Association. He has many years of experience in providing individual psychotherapy in a wide range of clinical settings. Dr. Hershey's specialty areas include the treatment of adults for depression, anxiety disorders, and anger management difficulties. He has a special interest in cognitive-behavioral treatment methods.
drhershey@nepsych.com

SUSAN L. KLIM, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist. She received her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. She has been an active clinician for many years in the Capital District area. Dr. Klim has also been involved in mental health administration and supervision. She has treated a wide range of mental health problems, specializing in assessment and treatment of eating disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, relationship difficulties, life crisis and transitions, and women's issues. She has provided training and given presentations on many topics in the field.
drklim@nepsych.com

MARY F. KURZON, LCSW-R , is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the State University of New York at Albany. For over six years, Ms. Kurzon has provided individual, family, and group psychotherapy to adults and children in the Capital District. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of grief & loss, family and relationship concerns, depression, anxiety/stress management, post-traumatic stress/abuse, developmental disabilities, and issues pertaining to life transitions. She has presented community and agency workshops in the areas of grief and loss, stress management, and job-related stress. At a local agency, Ms. Kurzon developed a Response Protocol for staff pertaining to loss of life. 
mkurzon@nepsych.com

PATRICIA LINCOURT, LCSW-R, received her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University at Albany in 1985. She has over 20 years of clinical and administrative experience in chemical dependency, mental health and child welfare settings. She has an interest in evidence-based practice adaptations and implementations with a particular interest in Motivational Interviewing. She as been a trainer in Motivational Interviewing since 1997 and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.
plincourt@nepsych.com

NANCY C. McKENNA, LCSW-R, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from the State University of New York at Albany. Ms. McKenna has been providing psychotherapy services to children, adolescents and adults in the Capital District for 10 years. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and co-chair of the ethics committee on the NYS Chapter level. Ms. McKenna treats children, adolescents, adults and their families struggling with a wide range of behavioral and relationship issues. Additional areas of expertise include depression, sexual abuse, anger management and parenting concerns.
nmckenna@nepsych.com

NATHAN NAPARSTEK, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents. He received his Doctorate in Educational Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany in 1988. He also received a Certificate of Specialist in School Psychology from the same University in May 1981. He is a member of both the American Psychological Association and the National School Psychological Association. He specializes in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, learning disabilities, gifted education, family conflicts, and behavior problems. He will also see adults for issues related to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities. He is the author of:

• The Learning Solution: What To Do If Your Child Has Trouble With Schoolwork, released by Avon Books, March 1995
• Successful Educators: A Practical Guide to Understanding Children's Learning Problems and Mental Health Issues, Bersin & Garvey, August 2002.
• Successful Educations- Greenwood Press
• Is your child depressed- Answers to your toughest questions- Mcgraw Hill 2006

drnaparstek@nepsych.com

LINDA SHAPIRO, Ph.D., is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Psychological Association of Northeastern NY. Dr. Shapiro has been providing clinical services to individuals and families for over fifteen years. She has also consulted for a residential treatment program for children. Her specialty areas include depression and anxiety disorders in children, adolescents and adults, family and relationship difficulties, behavioral problems, anger control problems, trauma issues and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders.
drshapiro@nepsych.com