The staff at the Anxiety Disorders Center are world-renowned experts in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety and mood disorders.
David Tolin, Ph.D., ABPP
Director, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Fax: 860.545.7156
Website: www.drtolin.com
Dr. David Tolin is the founder and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at The Institute of Living. He is also Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Tolin received his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, and completed a predoctoral internship at Tufts University School of Medicine/VA Medical Center, Boston.
Dr. Tolin’s research and clinical interests include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety-related disorders in adults and children, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and panic disorder.
- The nature and treatment of hoarding disorder.
- The nature and treatment of body-focused repetitive behavior disorders such as trichotillomania.
- The interaction between psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
- Cognitive processes that underlie anxiety disorders, particularly dysfunctional beliefs and mechanisms of information processing.
Dr. Tolin is Past-President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and Past-President of the Clinical Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association. He is board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology. He is the recipient of the awards for Distinguished Contribution to the Science of Psychology, Distinguished Contribution to the Practice of Psychology, and Lifetime Contribution to Psychology from the Connecticut Psychological Association. Since 2003 he has served as a scientific reviewer for the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Tolin is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as the books:
Dr. Tolin has been principal investigator several grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), as well as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Dr. Tolin was the host of the VH1 television series The OCD Project, and was the first psychologist featured on the A&E series Hoarders. In addition, he has been a recurrent guest on programs such as The Dr. Oz Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show (1, 2, 3).
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Gretchen J. Diefenbach, Ph.D.
Psychologist and Coordinator of Research Program, Anxiety Disorders Center
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Yale University School of Medicine
Phone: 860.545.7685
Fax: 860.545.7156
Email: Gretchen.Diefenbach@hhchealth.org
Dr. Gretchen Diefenbach completed her graduate training in clinical psychology at Louisiana State University. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship specializing in the treatment of late-life anxiety at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center.
Dr. Diefenbach's primary clinical and research interests are in the psychopathology and cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety and related disorders. She has particular expertise with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trichotillomania.
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Maria DiFonte, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Fax: 860.545.7156
Email: Maria.DiFonte@hhchealth.org
Dr. Maria DiFonte earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Rhode Island in 2022. She completed her predoctoral internship at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Dr. DiFonte completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center in 2023 and remained on staff as a licensed psychologist.
Dr. DiFonte specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy for children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety and related disorders, including OCD, trauma, and school refusal. She uses warmth, humor, and compassion to work collaboratively with her patients and their families. Dr. DiFonte is dedicated to using and adapting evidence-based treatments to meet the needs of each individual and family she works with. Her research examines the role of parenting in youth mental health and treatment outcomes. Dr. DiFonte has also authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences.
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Christina Gilliam, Ph.D.
Psychologist & Clinic Manager, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Fax: 860.545.7156
Email: Christina.Gilliam@hhchealth.org
Dr. Christina Gilliam received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and completed her predoctoral internship at the Greater Hartford Consortium, a collaboration between the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, UCONN Health Center, Community Mental Health Affiliates, and Hospital of Central Connecticut. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center in 2008, and remained on staff as a licensed psychologist.
Dr. Gilliam specializes in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. Her clinical interests include obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, specific phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social phobia.
As the program manager for the Anxiety Disorders Center, Dr. Gilliam works together with the ADC clinicians and administrative staff to ensure that all patients receive high quality treatment that is personalized to their specific individual needs.
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Alexandra (Sasha) Grigorian, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 203.699.2030
Email: Alexandra.Grigorian@hhchealth.org
Dr. Sasha Grigorian earned her Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Carlos Albizu University in 2020. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System), and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital within the Adult Inpatient setting. She then remained on staff as a licensed psychologist, transferring to the Anxiety Disorders Center in Cheshire, CT.
Dr. Grigorian has specialized experience in treating a variety of symptoms and disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and eating disordered symptomatology. She currently provides treatment for anxiety disorders and strives to provide services that utilize empathy, compassion, and sincerity to cultivate growth and promote self-efficacy.
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Scott Hannan, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Fax: 860.545.7156
Email: Scott.Hannan@hhchealth.org
Dr. Hannan received his Ph.D. from Fordham University and joined the Anxiety Disorders Center as a post-doctoral fellow in 2002. After the completion of his fellowship, he remained at the Anxiety Disorders Center as a staff psychologist. Dr. Scott Hannan is committed to maintaining the highest quality treatment standards for all patients. Dr. Hannan works with children, adolescents, and adults. His clinical interests include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Phobias, Panic Disorder, and the treatment of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. He specializes in the treatment of school avoidance, collaborating with families and school systems to assist children in their return to the educational setting. Dr. Hannan has specialized in the treatment of Hoarding Disorder and has been a featured expert on the A&E television show Hoarders.
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Kelly Knowles, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Email: Kelly.Knowles@hhchealth.org
Dr. Knowles earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University in 2022. She specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy for adults with anxiety and related disorders. She has a particular interest in exposure-based treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder but loves to assist clients in identifying creative exposures for any feared situation. Dr. Knowles integrates mindfulness and values-centered approaches into her clinical work. She also uses her improv training to help clients learn to cope with the unexpected and tolerate uncertainty. In addition to her work with clients, Dr. Knowles has a research interest in understanding the mechanisms of effective exposure-based therapies in order to improve therapeutic outcomes.
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Heather Murray Latin, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Email: Heather.Latin@hhchealth.org
Dr. Latin joined the clinical team at the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living in 2018. Her expertise in psychological assessment of anxiety and related disorders and experience in providing empirically supported treatments for emotional disorders contributes to the state-of-the-art care at ADC. In particular, Dr. Latin coaches patients on how to apply a variety of strategies, such as mindfulness, acceptance, and thinking skills to increase tolerance to intense emotional and physiological experiences. By developing increased tolerance and confidence in managing distress, individuals can spend their energy on living a better, more meaningful life.
Dr. Latin served on the faculty at Boston University (BU) for 10 years. Dr. Latin’s program of research focused on improving treatments, by identifying efficient and effective elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for a range of emotional disorders. She co-authored the book Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders and numerous peer reviewed journal manuscripts. Dr. Latin has trained hundreds of providers in CBT and contributed to great efforts of disseminating treatments that work. During her tenure at BU, Dr. Latin taught undergraduate and graduate psychology courses and was the Director of the Master’s Program.
Dr. Latin received her Ph.D. from Drexel University and completed her predoctoral internship at Brown University Medical School. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University.
Dr. Latin provided consultation to television writers for CSI: Cyber. The TV show The Chronicle has featured Dr. Latin’s clinical work.
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Hannah Levy, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Email: Hannah.Levy@hhchealth.org
Dr. Levy received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Concordia University in 2016. She completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center/VA Medical Center Consortium. Dr. Levy completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center in 2018 and has remained on staff as a licensed psychologist. Dr. Levy is an active member of our research team. Her research aims to understand the biological, behavioral, and cognitive mechanisms of anxiety-related disorders, with the goal of using these mechanisms to develop new and improved treatments. She has received funding from Hartford Hospital, the American Psychological Foundation, and the National Institute of Mental Health for her work. In her clinical practice, Dr. Levy specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders. She has particular experience with exposure-based treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Here at the Anxiety Disorders Center, she has also developed expertise in cognitive-behavioral treatments for hoarding disorder.
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Kayla Lord, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Email: Kayla.Lord@hhchealth.org
Dr. Kayla Lord earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Suffolk University in 2022. She completed her predoctoral internship at Yale School of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Lord completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center in 2023 and remained on staff as a licensed psychologist.
Dr. Lord specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy for mood, trauma and anxiety-related disorders in adults. She uses genuineness, humor, and empathy to develop collaborative relationships with her patients. She strives to help her patients nonjudgmentally accept the present while also taking steps toward meaningful change. Dr. Lord is committed to using up-to-date research evidence to inform clinical practice, and to conducting research informed by clinical needs. Her research examines transdiagnostic factors, especially social and interpersonal factors, that influence the presentation and treatment of mood, trauma and anxiety-related disorders. She has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences.
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Suzanne Meunier, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Email: Suzanne.Meunier@hhchealth.org
Dr. Suzanne Meunier earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Arkansas. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center and remained as staff. She then worked as a staff psychologist and clinical instructor at the OCD and Related Disorders Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She returned to Arkansas and opened a private practice focused on the treatment of anxiety and OCD related disorders.
Dr. Meunier returned to the Anxiety Disorders Center as a staff psychologist in 2014. She is grateful to have the opportunity to assist her clients in learning skills to help alleviate their symptoms and create meaningful change in their lives. She firmly believes in the human capacity to create change and strives to identify the barriers that impede growth. Dr. Meunier specializes in cognitive behavior therapy for anxiety, obsessive compulsive spectrum, and eating disorders. She is committed to the use of empirically supported interventions to optimize treatment outcomes. She also has an interest in helping individuals access and integrate their spiritual or religious beliefs in the treatment process.
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Travis Sain, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.972.9773
Email: Travis.Sain@hhchealth.org
Dr. Travis Sain earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Southern Illinois University in 2018. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Salem VA Medical Center focused on the treatment of PTSD and trauma-related disorders.
Dr. Sain specializes in cognitive behavioral and acceptance-based therapies for the treatment of mood, trauma, and anxiety-related disorders. He strongly believes in the utilization of empirically supported treatments, and works hard to develop a trusting relationship with each of his clients to promote behavior change toward living a more meaningful, values-consistent life. With humor and empathy, he approaches each therapy session with the belief that we are all doing the best we can in this moment and have the ability for further growth and change.
At the Anxiety Disorders Center, Dr. Sain works primarily with adults and adolescents and has clinical interests in the treatment of PTSD, panic disorder, OCD, and social anxiety disorder.
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Colin Stanton, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 203.699.2030
Email: Colin.Stanton@hhchealth.org
Dr. Colin Stanton completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Yale University. He went on to complete his pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Living, working primarily in the Anxiety Disorders Center. He has since joined the Anxiety Disorders Center’s Cheshire office as a staff psychologist.
Dr. Stanton works with clients to provide treatment that is guided by scientific knowledge. Using a cognitive-behavioral approach, he strives to help clients to identify and practice concrete steps to change their behavior, to increase self-compassion, to decrease their suffering, and to better understand and accept their emotional experience. Dr. Stanton believes that a warm, empathic, nonjudgmental, and collaborative approach is the foundation of quality care.
Dr. Stanton specializes in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, specific phobia, and social anxiety disorder, among others. He also has trained to treat hoarding disorder and body-focused repetitive behaviors, such as trichotillomania and skin picking.
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Kimberly Sain, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Coordinator of Training Program, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 203.699.2030
Email: Kimberly.Sain@hhchealth.org
Dr. Kimberly Sain earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Southern Illinois University in 2018. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital. Next, she finished a one-year postdoctoral fellowship here at the Anxiety Disorders Center in 2019 and remained on staff as a licensed psychologist.
Dr. Sain specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety in children, adolescents, and adults. She uses compassion, warmth, and humor to work collaboratively with patients to face their fears and pursue a life full of meaning and value. Dr. Sain is passionate about using the best evidence from research to inform clinical practice. She is an avid consumer of research and has authored and co-authored multiple publications in scientific journals and presentations at national conferences.
As the Director of Educational Programs for the Anxiety Disorders Center/Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ADC/CCBT), Dr. Stevens contributes to the dissemination of CBT. She manages the recruitment, selection, and training of graduate trainees, as well as the planning and administration of cognitive behavioral training for mental health clinicians within Hartford Healthcare and in the greater Hartford area.
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Blaise Worden, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Anxiety Disorders Center
Phone: 860.545.7685
Fax: 860.545.7156
Email: Blaise.Worden@hhchealth.org
Dr. Worden received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rutgers University. In 2009 she completed her predoctoral internship at the Greater Hartford Internship Consortium in Hartford, CT. In 2012 she completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Anxiety Disorders Center and has remained on staff as a licensed psychologist.
Her current clinical and research interests include treatment outcome assessment and mechanisms of change underlying empirically-supported psychological treatments, particularly decision making processes within hoarding disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She has co-authored several publications and believes in the integration of science and clinical practice to facilitate up-to-date and effective interventions for patients.
Dr. Worden specializes in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders in adults. She has particular experience with cognitive-behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and hoarding disorder. She is the primary clinician for the hoarding disorder treatment groups at the Center, and served as the primary clinician on a federally funded 5-year clinical trial investigating the neural mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder.
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