PARAMUS OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDER PROGRAM

Linda Mullin

Linda Mullin is a board certified licensed professional counselor and clinical supervisor with extensive expertise in operational and crisis management. Linda’s breadth of clinical work includes serving individuals, groups and families in community, outpatient, hospital inpatient, and private settings. Her approach is to aid individuals to live their best life possible in spite of their fears, regain control and repair what is most important to them. She believes wholeheartedly in the human connection and our ability to help one another through life’s challenges and to celebrate one another’s successes.

Linda imparts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) enhanced by evidence-based frameworks of CPT, TEAM, and EFT for the treatment of trauma, panic & phobia, OCD, social anxiety, general anxiety, anger, and depression. As an enhancement to her therapeutic services, she is also trained in therapeutic hypnosis.

Breana Penzenik

Breana Penzenik is a Diet Technician at Center for Discovery. She recently received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science with a concentration in Dietetics. She is looking forward to starting the Dietetic Internship this upcoming year to continue her career and become a Registered Dietitian.

Breana is thrilled to begin her dietetic career with Center for Discovery in Paramus. She thoroughly enjoys working hands-on with clients in the various nutrition groups, including kitchen, intuitive eating and menu planning. She has a passion for helping others find joy in cooking and the eating experience. She can’t wait to put her nutrition knowledge and skills into practice to help clients view nutrition in a new light. Breana is excited to help educate and support each client on their personal journey to recovery.

Nicolette Bernabeu

Nicolette Bernabeu is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She graduated from Marywood
University with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. After graduation, she
then became a Dietetic Technician. Nicolette completed her dietetic internship through
Marywood University’s distance internship program whose concentration was health
promotion and wellness. Nicolette is an active member of both the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics and New Jersey’s Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nicolette is excited
to be able to her share passion for nutrition here at Center for Discovery.

Samantha Kral

Samantha Kral is the Milieu Manager at Center for Discovery. Samantha earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Rutgers University New Brunswick. Prior to working for Center for Discovery, Samantha worked at Penn Medicine Princeton Health as a Dining Coordinator in the dietary office. Samantha appreciates her time at Penn Medicine working directly under qualified registered dietitians because through that, she has gained years of experience in providing quality care to patients with specific dietary restrictions and in some cases, eating disorders.

As the Milieu Manager, Samantha handles the day to day operations and administrative management of the Paramus facility. Samantha truly loves lending a helping hand and enjoys utilizing her dietary background to assist clients and her team when she can. Samantha’s approach to program is building a strong community through experiences, respect for one another, and laughter. Samantha is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of each client’s road to recovery and looks forward to growing even further with Center for Discovery in the future.

Cara Cuccinello

Cara Cuccinello is a Primary Therapist at Center for Discovery, Paramus. Cara earned her Bachelor’s degree majoring in Psychology, minoring in Sociology from Rutgers University. Following that, she earned a Master’s degree from Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work, specializing in clinical practice, with emphasis in mental and behavioral health. During her education she had an opportunity to grow her skill working in the areas of social-emotional development, behavioral healthcare, and eating disorder populations.

Cara has experience with the eating disorder population in various settings including inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient levels of care. She aims to provide clients with the calm and validating atmosphere needed for a positive therapeutic relationship and to promote change. Cara engages clients in a variety of ways best suited to one’s unique needs, but consistently incorporates lessons of acceptance, self-awareness, and skills to live an emotionally balanced lifestyle. It is important to Cara that her clients feel heard, valued, and safe to explore and express themselves. She hopes her clients conclude their treatment having developed a sense of confidence and resilience, identifying more closely with their healthy-self than with the eating disorder, and excited to experience the true joy of recovery.

Christine Paparozzi

Christine Paparozzi is a Registered Nurse who graduated from Jersey City
University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Christine went on to receive her
Master’s degree in Nursing Education from Western Governors University, where
she created an educational module focused on nutrition for her capstone project.

Christine has many years of experience in nursing with various populations. In addition to her role at
Center for Discovery, Christine is employed as a Certified School Nurse at a high school and has additionally
worked as a home care nurse for many years. She has previously worked as a hospital staff nurse in
a step-down medical surgical unit and enjoyed collaborating with Physical and
Respiratory Therapists.

Christine is enthusiastic about nursing is very excited to be part of the Center for Discovery team as a
Registered Nurse.

Cathy Lane

Cathy Lane joins Center for Discovery Eating Disorder Program as the Clinical Outreach Representative for New Jersey. She has dedicated the entirety of her professional career to the treatment of eating disorders, having held leadership positions in admissions and outreach over the past decade. Cathy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies from The College of New Jersey.

With a caring, patient heart and detail-oriented mind, Cathy’s goal is to create a path to recovery for those struggling with eating disorders by sharing what makes our Center for Discovery Eating Disorder Program programs unique and assuring access to these services is as seamless as possible for the members of our community.

Cathy proudly lives near our beautiful New Jersey beaches with her husband and two boys, and enjoys crocheting, camping, and making sure each day includes a little bit of sunshine.

John Chipman

John Chipman is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at the Center for Discovery Outpatient Facility in Paramus. He received his Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics from Montclair State University. He attended College of Saint Elizabeth for his joint Master program and dietetic internship and also an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

John has experience working with many different populations of all different ages. He provides patient-centered medical nutrition therapy in both the acute inpatient and outpatient settings at Englewood Health. John is also an adjunct professor at Eastwick College educating future nurses on Nutrition 101.

John is trained in motivational interviewing as it relates to nutrition and intuitive eating. He is so excited to be part of this multidisciplinary team and work together for the benefit of clients.

Emelia Kpinpuo

Emelia is a diet technician at the Center for Discovery (CFD) outpatient facility in Paramus with a goal of becoming a registered dietitian in a community and public health setting. Emelia received her Bachelor of Science in nutrition from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown NJ and is pursuing her Master of Public Health degree in nutrition. Emelia has a passion for helping people improve their relationship with food as they learn how to use nutrition to improve their quality of life. She is excited about assisting clients in this regard and encouraging positive health behaviors and overall well-being. Prior to CFD, Emelia has worked in various food and nutrition roles, at North Central Bronx Hospital and as a dietitian’s assistant, where she conducted healthy living and outreach programs for children, adolescents and adults. She works at New York Edge as a wellness coordinator developing wellness and fitness programs throughout the New York Edge after-school program. Emelia loves swimming, scuba diving, collecting seashells and bringing nature indoors by recreating the look of an island bungalow in her home.

Katie McLaren

Kathleen “Katie” McLaren is an associate therapist at Center for Discovery, Paramus. Katie earned her bachelor’s in psychology from Sacred Heart University. Following that, she earned her master’s in counseling psychology from Felician University. She has a multitude of experience working in the realm of eating disorder treatment, beginning with her fieldwork completed at the Center for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing at St. Joseph’s Health. Katie has significant experience working in partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, residential and inpatient levels of care. Professionally, she has maintained a focus in the treatment of eating disorders working with adolescents and adults alike, as well as people of all genders.

Katie takes an optimistic, client-centered, empowering approach to help clients lean into their discomfort and build tolerance to difficult emotions and experiences. Katie is pursuing licensure as a professional counselor in the state of New Jersey during her time at Center for Discovery. She aims to provide all her clients with the tools of self-compassion, radical acceptance and self-awareness as they navigate through recovery from an eating disorder.