Wynne Lundblad, MD (she/her)
The founder of Sweetwater Behavioral Health, Dr. Lundblad is a board-certified psychiatrist who attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed her residency in General Adult Psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. She served as the Medical Director for Inpatient Services at UPMC Center for Eating Disorders, and helped create an integrated behavioral health program for bariatric surgery patients at Magee Women's Hospital. She has presented across the U.S. and Canada on topics related to obesity, eating disorders, and medical education. Her clinical interests include eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder), psychiatric issues in bariatric surgery, and women's mental health. She is a size-inclusive, HAES-informed practitioner.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna, United
Matthew Clista, LPC, NCC (he/him)
Matthew Clista (he/him/his) is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor who prioritizes the use of evidence-based treatments to support meaningful change for individuals seeking treatment for feeding and eating disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Since the start of his career in mental health in 2016, Matthew has worked extensively with individuals seeking treatment for eating disorders across varying levels of care and intensity at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, refining his skills and expertise to assist individuals in gaining control of their eating and getting back to living their life to the fullest. Matthew is a sex-positive and gender-affirmative provider with lived experience in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Aetna, Highmark/BCBS, Cigna, United
Julia Farquhar, MD (she/her)
Dr. Farquhar is a board-certified psychiatrist who attended medical school at the Duke University School of Medicine and completed residency training in General Adult Psychiatry as well as a fellowship in Public Service Psychiatry at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. She has experience working with patients with a wide range of concerns including depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, and post-traumatic stress. She has interests in women’s health, military veterans’ issues, post-traumatic stress, and LGBTQIA+ health.
Insurances accepted: Aetna, Highmark/BCBS, United, UPMC, Medicare
Tim Hamill, LCSW (he/him)
Tim Hamill is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Tim obtained his Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, where his education focused on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, gender studies, and mental health practice. He has served as an individual therapist at the UPMC Center for Eating Disorders at Western Psychiatric Hospital, as well as co-facilitated their Binge Eating Disorder therapy group. He is currently training as an adherent Dialectical Behavioral Therapy provider. Tim is experienced in treating Eating Disorders, Personality Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, LGBTQIA+ issues, and adjustment/transition concerns.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna, United, Cigna
Kristen Hasco, LPC (she/her)
Kristen Hasco is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor who obtained her MS in Professional Counseling at Carlow University in 2012. Kristen began her career in the mental health field in 2010 and quickly found her passion in helping individuals struggling with disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. Kristen has extensive training and experience working with clients in all levels of care at Western Psychiatric Hospital and in private practice who are suffering from eating disorders, anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Kristen incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Family Based Therapy and Exposure with Response Prevention into counseling sessions as she supports clients in creating a tool box they can use to better manage unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna, United, Cigna
Josh Hefferen, LCSW (he/him)
Josh Hefferen, LCSW has worked in the behavioral health field in Pittsburgh for over 20 years. He attended Tufts University for undergraduate studies and the University of Pittsburgh for his Master’s Degree. His work with adolescents and adults has included direct care and clinical leadership positions at UPMC and AHN, in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Josh’s work experience includes serving individuals and families affected by Mood and Anxiety disorders, OCD, Eating Disorders, Drug and Alcohol use, and ADHD across the Lifespan. In terms of clinical background and skills, Josh is experienced with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure with Response Prevention, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing. Josh’s approach to care is collaborative and focuses on whole person wellness, including the mind-body connection. When not working with patients and families, Josh enjoys spending time with his wife and twin boys, being outdoors, and lifting weights.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna, United
Laura Hulick, LCSW (she/her)
Laura Hulick is a Licenced Clinical Social Worker. Laura earned her Master of Social Work from Temple University in 2009, where she focused on mental health for children and adolescents in school and community settings. She has served in a variety of treatment environments, including residential treatment, school-based therapy, and providing therapeutic yoga groups at an inpatient setting. Laura loves working with children and adolescents and has experience with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, ADHD, and autism. She approaches therapy with a strengths-based, solution-focused lens and applies cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy interventions. In 2023, she also began offering eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), a treatment developed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna
Patricia Iampietro, RD, LDN (she/her)
Patti is a Registered Dietitian licensed in Pennsylvania. She obtained her Bachelor's of Science Degree in Nutrition from Rutgers University of NJ in 2014. She also has a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Health Education from Penn State. Her experience includes working at UPMC at Presbyterian/Shadyside Hospital and Western Psychiatric Hospital, where she worked with patients to help them manage their nutrition in context with their medical issues. From 2013-2018, she worked at Western Psychiatric Hospital, working with patients with eating disorders at varying levels of care including inpatient, Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient. Prior to working at UPMC, she worked in various locations teaching nutrition and other wellness topics to adults.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna
Stephanie Jessop (she/they)
Stephanie Jessop is Sweetwater’s office administrator. She has been doing administrative work in the field of behavioral health since 2011.
Sandra Mammay
Sandra Mammay is Sweetwater’s office manager. Through work in private practices and hospitals, she has decades of administrative and clinical care experience in both the medical and psychiatric setting.
Michelle Mikels, LCSW (she/her)
Michelle Mikels is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who obtained her masters degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012. Her educational background is in Women’s Studies, mental health and Feminist Social Work. Michelle is trained in Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Theory and truly believes that with the right support any person can become empowered to guide their own lives. Michelle has experience treating Eating Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She is particularly specialized in treatment of women’s issues and Binge Eating Disorder. Michelle is also providing individual and group supervision for LCSW licensing to prospective LSWs.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna, United
Tiffany Painter, LCSW (she/her)
Tiffany Painter is a licensed clinical social worker who completed her Master’s Degree at the University of Pittsburgh in 1993. Tiffany has extensive training and experience with Cognitve Behavioral Therapies that help people who have problems with their mood, anxiety, trauma, and self-harm behaviors. Additionally, Tiffany has participated in program development activities, teaching, consultation, and clinical supervision.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna
Bethany Porter, DNP, PMHNP-BC (she/her)
Dr. Bethany Porter is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She received her BSN from The George Washington University and her DNP from Robert Morris University. Since starting her nursing career in 2014, she has gained extensive experience working with patients across the lifespan on the inpatient level of care, including the UPMC Center for Eating Disorders at Western Psychiatric Hospital and child/adolescent behavioral health units. Her clinical interests include the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety/mood disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Insurances accepted: Aetna, UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, United
Sami Saghafi, PsyD (she/her)
Sami Saghafi is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with experience utilizing evidence-based treatments across a variety of settings, including community mental health clinics, college counseling centers, inpatient psychiatric hospitals and private practice. Her overall approach to treatment is cognitive-behavioral in nature, with a specific focus and expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Sami is experienced in specifically treating mood and anxiety disorders, suicidality, self-harm, trauma and interpersonal difficulties.
Insurances accepted: Aetna, Highmark/BCBS, UPMC
Alexandra Salerno, LPC (she/her)
Alexandra is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has a passion for assisting clients in building awareness and learning adaptive coping skills to enhance their overall performance in their lives. While pursuing a professional dance and musical theater career, Alexandra earned her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. Her clinical experience includes working in a number of different capacities through the UPMC Center for Eating Disorders since 2018. Alexandra utilizes evidence-based practice to service individuals seeking therapy services and is trained in Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy for trauma-informed care, and Family-Based Therapy (FBT) for adolescents struggling with an eating disorder. Alexandra has experience in treating Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and Mood Disorders with both individuals and within families. Alexandra enjoys working with body image concerns, sports counseling, and adolescent concerns. She approaches therapy from a solution-focused lense, and works to collaborate with her clients on their care.
Insurances accepted: Aetna, United/Optum, UPMC
Melanie Wood, CRNP, PMHNP-BC (she/her)
Melanie Wood, CRNP brings 25 years of nursing experience across a wide array of treatment settings. She has worked as an RN in postpartum, antepartum, newborn, pediatrics and home care, as well as mental health settings. She practiced at Western Psychiatric Hospital in primary care for eight years, ultimately specializing in managing and treating patients who experienced medical complications of eating disorders. She has served clients at the UPMC Center for Eating Disorders on both an outpatient and inpatient basis, and provided consultation services to other psychiatric and medical providers in eating disorder treatment. Melanie was key in the development and implementation of the binge eating disorder group at Western Psychiatric Hospital. Through her education and work experience Melanie has gained extensive experience in treating mood and anxiety disorders. Melanie received her BSN and MSN at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a board certified Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She has interests in women’s health, binge eating and obesity, nutrition, and LGBTQ health.
Insurances accepted: UPMC, Highmark/BCBS, Aetna