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PSYCHIATRISTS
Vered Birmaher Cohen, MD (she/her) Vered Birmaher Cohen, MD is the owner of The Via Center, PC. She is passionate about providing quality care and creating a collaborative work environment that fosters autonomy and growth. She provides medication management integrated with therapeutic techniques for children, adolescents and young adults. She received her undergraduate degree at Brown University where she majored in Psychology. She went on to get her medical degree at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and then completed her training in General Psychiatry and a Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Cohen's areas of interest led to electives at WPIC in the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum (CABS) Clinic, the Services for Early-onset Psychosis (STEP) clinic for early-onset psychosis, the Services for Teens at Risk (STAR) clinic for depression in youth, the Intensive Outpatient Programs/Partial Hospitalization Programs (IOP/PHP) for children and adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and well as programs for general mood and anxiety disorders, the Merck Clinic for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the Clinic for Treatment of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Across the Lifespan. She also completed extra training in treatment of college students at the University of Pittsburgh Counseling Center and also worked as the psychiatrist for the Robert Morris University Counseling Center. Dr. Cohen obtained additional training in therapy and incorporates this into medication management visits. She completed rotations in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder through the Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents at Allegheny Health Network. She also completed coursework and supervision for Parent Management Training, Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as Family Therapy. After graduating from Fellowship, Dr. Cohen accepted a position as a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry at Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, where she then served as the Program Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship program for two years and loved the opportunity to teach others in the field. As one of the very few of psychiatrists in the area that speaks Spanish, she has also pursued her interest in Latino health by working to partner with local pediatricians and organizations to provide mental health care for Spanish-speakers. Caroline Nguyen Jones, MD (she/her) Dr. Jones attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. She relocated to Pittsburgh to attend medical school at The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM), and subsequently stayed in Pittsburgh to attend both Adult Psychiatry Residency and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UPMC/Western Psychiatric Hospital. Her work experience has encompassed many different settings, including community mental health, private practice, and psychiatric emergency services. In addition to her work at The Via Center, she is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at UPMC in the Psychiatry Department. In this role, she teaches psychiatry residents and fellows how to evaluate and managed psychiatric emergencies. Dr. Jones enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults. Through her affiliation with The Via Center, she will provide the evidence-based treatment options so that patients/families have the tools to be the principle drivers of their treatment plan. Medication management will be one possible component of treatment. In addition, she will explore therapeutic strategies with you for improving quality of life and address areas beyond the limitations of medication management alone. Sharon Kohnen, MD (she/her) Dr. Kohnen is committed to providing accessible, high quality mental health treatment. While her expertise is in using medications, she recognizes that medication is only one approach. She provides care to individuals 18 years of age and older and has experience working in a variety of settings. Her affiliation with The Via Center allows for increased options for adults who need mental health treatment. Dr. Kohnen completed an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and molecular biology at the University of Pittsburgh and received her medical degree from Sydney Kimmel Medical College (formerly Jefferson Medical College) in Philadelphia, PA. Returning to Pittsburgh, she completed an Adult Psychiatry Residency and also a Public Service Psychiatry Fellowship at UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. |
Our Team
Vered Birmaher Cohen, MD (she/her) Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist Caroline Nguyen Jones, MD (she/her) Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist Sharon Kohnen, MD (she/her) Adult Psychiatrist Andrew Potash, PsyD (he/him) Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychologist Janet Spink, MA, MT-BC, LPC (she/her) Child, Adolescent and Adult Therapist Nechama Weingart, LCSW (she/her) Child, Adolescent and Adult Therapist Monica Yeater, PsyD (she/her) Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychologist Caitlin Deep (she/her) Office Manager Laura Deep, RN (she/her) Practice Nurse Angie Tofil (she/her) Front Desk Administrator |
THERAPISTS
Andrew Potash, PsyD (he/him)
“Dr. Andy” Potash is a psychologist who completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology at University of Maryland, College Park. He later earned his master’s degree in applied counseling psychology from the University of Baltimore and his doctorate from Carlow University’s counseling psychology program. His APA-accredited predoctoral internship was with OhioGuidestone in Cleveland, and his postdoctoral training was at UPMC in Pittsburgh in advanced child and adolescent counseling and pediatric neuropsychological assessment.
A member of the American and Pennsylvania Psychological Associations, Dr. Potash has experience in a variety of mental health settings and roles, including community-based psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with severe mental illnesses, residential treatment for adolescents with intense social-emotional-behavioral difficulties, office-based and in-home therapy for children and adults, and administration of general psychological and neuropsychological assessment batteries. Dr. Potash has served as the program manager for UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital’s Center for Children and Families, Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services, and ADHD Across the Lifespan outpatient programs.
Dr. Potash’s clinical interests include working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families to address issues related to attentional, emotional, social, behavioral, and attachment issues. He has a particularly strong skill-set in working with individuals of all ages diagnosed with ADHD. He uses an eclectic clinical approach tailored to individual clients, relying on a foundation of a warm, person-centered approach drawing upon strategies from CBT, ACT, psychodynamic, systems, and existential theories of counseling.
Janet Spink, MA, MT-BC, LPC (she/her)
Janet completed her undergraduate degrees at the University of Pittsburgh, with a BA in Music and a BS in Psychology. She went on to complete her Master's Degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia in Music Therapy, leading to her Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC) credentials. While there, she interned with Young Children's Center for the Arts, an inclusive preschool for children of all abilities. She also held a summer internship with Build a Bridge International (through the Bridging the Gaps internship program), working with a multimodal team to develop arts and science based camps for at risk children.
She has worked as a music therapist and BSC/MT through Wesley Spectrum Services, where she worked towards her Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. She received additional training in Applied Behavior Analysis, working primarily with children diagnosed on the autism spectrum and their families. She has presented at the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference on emotional regulation in children using a multisensory approach. She went on to work as an outpatient therapist, working with children, teens, young adults, and parents with a variety of mental health needs and develop an outpatient program as a step-down from BHRS and more intensive services, as well as providing supervision for therapists for their licensure. Janet is trained in the Healthy Relationships Curriculum developed by Wesley Spectrum and Dr. Lawrence Sutton, which addresses critical social and self care skills for adolescents to succeed in building social, romantic, and work relationships. She went on to work as an Assistant Director of Outpatient Services, developing outpatient programs and training therapists.
Janet has completed additional training for working with those who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who are gender nonconforming, as well as their families. She is passionate about creating a space where all feel welcomed and affirmed and working with families to build, change, and improve their relationships.
Janet’s approach to therapy is influenced by Gestalt therapy, by looking at the here and now, whole person, exploring and sometimes challenging the ways in which we relate and interact to others and the environment. She uses many cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques in this approach and has also completed training in using exposure/response prevention (ERP) treatment for individuals with OCD. Her areas of specialty include autism, ADHD, challenging behaviors in children, insomnia, OCD, anxiety and fears/phobias, issues arising from LGBTQ+ status, and depression/mood disorders.
Nechama Weingart, LCSW (she/her)
Nechama Weingart is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Cleveland State University. In addition to her work with The Via Center, she volunteers with the Aleph Institute working with current and formerly incarcerated individuals and is a member of the Elsinore-Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice in Pittsburgh. Before joining the team at The Via Center, she worked as a Reentry Program Specialist with Florida State University’s Institute for Justice Research and Development providing therapeutic interventions aimed at improving reentry outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals in Pennsylvania involved in the 5 Key Model For Reentry Services study. Nechama has a particular interest in trauma and has a diverse background in trauma-related services both in the US and abroad. She has experience working with refugees; children and families involved in the child welfare system; and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Nechama also has experience providing therapy to both teens and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, and adjustment problems. She has training in Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches in her work.
Monica Yeater, PsyD (she/her)
Dr. Monica Yeater is a clinical psychologist who obtained her Bachelor’s in psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University and then her Master’s and Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Xavier University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Applewood Centers, Inc. in Cleveland, OH which is a community mental health agency where she did outpatient individual therapy, school-based therapy, and psychological assessments with children and adolescents. Upon returning to the Pittsburgh area, she worked at the STAR (Services for Teens at Risk) Clinic at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic where she helped provide state-of-the art specialized and evidence-based assessment and treatment to adolescents suffering from depression and/or anxiety. She has extensive experience working with teens and young adults with chronic suicidality, self-injurious behavior, depression, anxiety, stress-related issues, and adjustment problems. She has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, suicide risk assessment, and managing self-injurious behaviors.
OFFICE STAFF
Laura Deep, RN (she/her)
Laura is our dedicated clinic nurse. She has years of experience as a psychiatric nurse in varied settings including outpatient, partial hospitalization programs, therapeutic schools, inpatient hospitals, state hospitals and more. Her psychiatric expertise and tenacity in sorting out situations makes her a valued resource for the clinic and our patients and families. Our physicians and therapists can focus on their day's patients knowing that she is skillfully managing any clinical issues that might arise. Her collaborative role in patient care is integral to Via's focus on providing outstanding mental health treatment. She grew up in the area and can also tell you all the best places to eat and visit and which back road to take to get to your destination faster.
Caitlin Deep, Office Manager (she/her)
Caitlin joined The Via Center in April of 2021. She has an extensive amount of knowledge of health insurance and the health care field and is proud to manage all the background ins and outs that keep The Via Center running. She is a mom of a little boy and a puppy. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, doing gel nails, and going to the dog park. Caitlin will be available to help with any of your needs!
Angie Tofil, Front Desk Administrator (she/her)
Angie is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Katz Business School and has extensive health care administration and customer service background. She joined The Via Center in September 2022 and looks forward to welcoming you and assisting in any way she can to make your experience a pleasant one. Angie is a mom to two little girls who keep her very busy when she is not in the office. Her favorite thing to do is spending time with her family, but she also enjoys baking, biking, running, the outdoors, and vacations in Las Vegas!
Andrew Potash, PsyD (he/him)
“Dr. Andy” Potash is a psychologist who completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology at University of Maryland, College Park. He later earned his master’s degree in applied counseling psychology from the University of Baltimore and his doctorate from Carlow University’s counseling psychology program. His APA-accredited predoctoral internship was with OhioGuidestone in Cleveland, and his postdoctoral training was at UPMC in Pittsburgh in advanced child and adolescent counseling and pediatric neuropsychological assessment.
A member of the American and Pennsylvania Psychological Associations, Dr. Potash has experience in a variety of mental health settings and roles, including community-based psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with severe mental illnesses, residential treatment for adolescents with intense social-emotional-behavioral difficulties, office-based and in-home therapy for children and adults, and administration of general psychological and neuropsychological assessment batteries. Dr. Potash has served as the program manager for UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital’s Center for Children and Families, Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services, and ADHD Across the Lifespan outpatient programs.
Dr. Potash’s clinical interests include working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families to address issues related to attentional, emotional, social, behavioral, and attachment issues. He has a particularly strong skill-set in working with individuals of all ages diagnosed with ADHD. He uses an eclectic clinical approach tailored to individual clients, relying on a foundation of a warm, person-centered approach drawing upon strategies from CBT, ACT, psychodynamic, systems, and existential theories of counseling.
Janet Spink, MA, MT-BC, LPC (she/her)
Janet completed her undergraduate degrees at the University of Pittsburgh, with a BA in Music and a BS in Psychology. She went on to complete her Master's Degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia in Music Therapy, leading to her Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC) credentials. While there, she interned with Young Children's Center for the Arts, an inclusive preschool for children of all abilities. She also held a summer internship with Build a Bridge International (through the Bridging the Gaps internship program), working with a multimodal team to develop arts and science based camps for at risk children.
She has worked as a music therapist and BSC/MT through Wesley Spectrum Services, where she worked towards her Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential. She received additional training in Applied Behavior Analysis, working primarily with children diagnosed on the autism spectrum and their families. She has presented at the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference on emotional regulation in children using a multisensory approach. She went on to work as an outpatient therapist, working with children, teens, young adults, and parents with a variety of mental health needs and develop an outpatient program as a step-down from BHRS and more intensive services, as well as providing supervision for therapists for their licensure. Janet is trained in the Healthy Relationships Curriculum developed by Wesley Spectrum and Dr. Lawrence Sutton, which addresses critical social and self care skills for adolescents to succeed in building social, romantic, and work relationships. She went on to work as an Assistant Director of Outpatient Services, developing outpatient programs and training therapists.
Janet has completed additional training for working with those who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who are gender nonconforming, as well as their families. She is passionate about creating a space where all feel welcomed and affirmed and working with families to build, change, and improve their relationships.
Janet’s approach to therapy is influenced by Gestalt therapy, by looking at the here and now, whole person, exploring and sometimes challenging the ways in which we relate and interact to others and the environment. She uses many cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques in this approach and has also completed training in using exposure/response prevention (ERP) treatment for individuals with OCD. Her areas of specialty include autism, ADHD, challenging behaviors in children, insomnia, OCD, anxiety and fears/phobias, issues arising from LGBTQ+ status, and depression/mood disorders.
Nechama Weingart, LCSW (she/her)
Nechama Weingart is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Cleveland State University. In addition to her work with The Via Center, she volunteers with the Aleph Institute working with current and formerly incarcerated individuals and is a member of the Elsinore-Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice in Pittsburgh. Before joining the team at The Via Center, she worked as a Reentry Program Specialist with Florida State University’s Institute for Justice Research and Development providing therapeutic interventions aimed at improving reentry outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals in Pennsylvania involved in the 5 Key Model For Reentry Services study. Nechama has a particular interest in trauma and has a diverse background in trauma-related services both in the US and abroad. She has experience working with refugees; children and families involved in the child welfare system; and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Nechama also has experience providing therapy to both teens and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, and adjustment problems. She has training in Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches in her work.
Monica Yeater, PsyD (she/her)
Dr. Monica Yeater is a clinical psychologist who obtained her Bachelor’s in psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University and then her Master’s and Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Xavier University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Applewood Centers, Inc. in Cleveland, OH which is a community mental health agency where she did outpatient individual therapy, school-based therapy, and psychological assessments with children and adolescents. Upon returning to the Pittsburgh area, she worked at the STAR (Services for Teens at Risk) Clinic at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic where she helped provide state-of-the art specialized and evidence-based assessment and treatment to adolescents suffering from depression and/or anxiety. She has extensive experience working with teens and young adults with chronic suicidality, self-injurious behavior, depression, anxiety, stress-related issues, and adjustment problems. She has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, suicide risk assessment, and managing self-injurious behaviors.
OFFICE STAFF
Laura Deep, RN (she/her)
Laura is our dedicated clinic nurse. She has years of experience as a psychiatric nurse in varied settings including outpatient, partial hospitalization programs, therapeutic schools, inpatient hospitals, state hospitals and more. Her psychiatric expertise and tenacity in sorting out situations makes her a valued resource for the clinic and our patients and families. Our physicians and therapists can focus on their day's patients knowing that she is skillfully managing any clinical issues that might arise. Her collaborative role in patient care is integral to Via's focus on providing outstanding mental health treatment. She grew up in the area and can also tell you all the best places to eat and visit and which back road to take to get to your destination faster.
Caitlin Deep, Office Manager (she/her)
Caitlin joined The Via Center in April of 2021. She has an extensive amount of knowledge of health insurance and the health care field and is proud to manage all the background ins and outs that keep The Via Center running. She is a mom of a little boy and a puppy. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, doing gel nails, and going to the dog park. Caitlin will be available to help with any of your needs!
Angie Tofil, Front Desk Administrator (she/her)
Angie is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Katz Business School and has extensive health care administration and customer service background. She joined The Via Center in September 2022 and looks forward to welcoming you and assisting in any way she can to make your experience a pleasant one. Angie is a mom to two little girls who keep her very busy when she is not in the office. Her favorite thing to do is spending time with her family, but she also enjoys baking, biking, running, the outdoors, and vacations in Las Vegas!