About Centre Syracuse

Across Upstate New York there are hundreds of individuals who are struggling with their eating disorder. Way too often this life-threatening illness is ignored, or receives little or no effective treatment. That is why Centre Syracuse opened its doors in 2005. Centre Syracuse is the only comprehensive therapeutic day treatment facility in Central New York providing effective life-altering treatment for Eating Disorders.

Centre Syracuse helps those suffering from eating disorders live resilient and confident lives. Our treatment plans have been both clinically and educationally developed with each individual's disorder and age in mind. Our goal is to help each individual unwrap the intricate issues of the disease and lessen their concerns for their own future by providing an environment that empowers them to grow beyond their illness.

Unlike some treatment programs, Centre Syracuse's comprehensive approach blends evidence-based and best-practice treatment for those who are looking to make real changes in helping to insure a healthier and happier future for themselves. From individual to group sessions, from nutrition education to respectful monitoring and guidance, our approach provides an effective plan for creating immediate and long-lasting change.

Our Staff

John H. Wohlers, Ph.D., Clinical Director
Dr. Wohlers received his Ph.D. in 1974 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has over 30 years of clinical experience and has specialized in working with Eating Disorders for twenty-two years. Dr. Wohlers established the inpatient eating disorders unit at the Benjamin Rush Center in Syracuse, New York in 1984. He was Service Chief of the Eating Disorders Unit, which grew from 8 beds to 16 beds, until the unit closed in 1994. Dr. Wohlers is a Principle in Psychological HealthCare, P.L.L.C., a large, multidisciplinary behavioral health practice in Central New York. He has held academic appointments at: Syracuse University Department of Psychology; State University of New York Upstate Medical University Department of Psychiatry and the LeMoyne College Psychology Department. Dr. Wohlers has been intensively trained in Dialectal Behavioral Therapy.

Pemala Pradhan, M.D., Psychiatrist and Medical Director
Dr. Pradhan is a Board Certified Psychiatrist in Psychiatry and Neuro Psychiatry. Is fellow and distinguished Master of American Board of Hospital Physicians. Experience - Director and Chairman in the Department of Psychiatry at Community General Hospital; Chief of Service at Benjamin Rush Hospital, in the Adult Unit and Eating Disorder Unit. Dr. Pradhan has a private practice of Psychiatry, and is a member of: American Psychiatric Association; Onondaga County Medical Society; American College of Executive Physicians; American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology; & American Academy of Eating Disorders.

Pamela Coffey, L.C.S.W., Assistant Clinical Director
Ms. Coffey received her MSW from Syracuse University. She was a social worker and family therapist on the inpatient Eating Disorders Unit at the Benjamin Rush Center in Syracuse, New York. Ms. Coffey has run outpatient psychotherapy groups for both adults and adolescents with eating disorders. Ms. Coffey has specialized in the treatment of individuals with eating disorders
for more than 13 years.

Sonia Kragh, M.D., Internal Medicine Consultant
Dr. Kragh received her B.A. from Amherst College and attended Boston University School of Medicine. Her internal medicine residency was completed at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Kragh served 4 years at March AFB, California where she was Chief, Internal Medicine and Deputy Chief, Hospital Services. For the past 11 years she has been in private practice, specializing in the care of women, adolescents and individuals with eating disorders. As an educator, Dr. Kragh has precepted medical providers at all levels of training and lectured for area college and university health centers.

Danielle Cornia, Psy.D., Primary Therapist
Dr. Cornia received her B.S. in Psychology and a M.A. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She obtained a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Cornia has worked with individuals with eating disorders in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has previously worked on the inpatient Eating Disorders Unit at the Western Psychiatric Institute in Pittsburgh, Pa. At the University of Pittsburgh she conducted research on college athletes who had eating disorders. Her current research interests include: cognitive-behavioral treatment of eating disorders and community education about eating disorders.

Christine Matteson, BC-DMT, LCAT, LMHC, Primary Therapist
Christine is a licensed Creative Arts Therapist, and a licensed Mental Health Counselor with 14 years of experience. She received her masters degree in Dance Movement Therapy/Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School in New Hampshire. She has experience and training in treating persons with a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma recovery, eating disorders, and self injury. She has worked in a variety of settings including: Benjamin Rush Psychiatric Hospital, Catholic Charities' Better Beginnings Program, Hillside Children's Center Residential Treatment Facility, and private practice. She has training in dialectical behavioral therapy, and in trauma-based cognitive behavioral therapy. Her special interests include: using creative arts therapies in the treatment of eating disorders and exploring mind/body relationships in mental health therapy; weaving both the verbal and non-verbal modes of assessment, diagnosis, and intervention to facilitate health and wholeness for groups, families and individuals.

Suzanne Haas-Cunningham, Ph.D., Family Therapist
Suzanne received her Ph.D. and Master's degree from Syracuse University.  She has worked as a therapist and supervisor in a variety of Syracuse community health settings for over 20 years (Private Practice, The Family Medicine/Family Therapy Program at St. Joseph's Family Practice, The Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, Aids Community Resources, PHP Behavioral Health and Huntington Family Center).  Suzanne was also a professor in the Syracuse University Marriage and Family Therapy Program for eight years.  Her special interests involve relational therapy regarding:  mind/body/relationship connections, medical family therapy, healing and forgiveness work after trauma, and spiritual development through relationship. She is especially interested in working with the families of people with eating disorders to help promote healing of both the situations that encourage the development of eating disorders and the consequences within families when someone has an eating disorder.

Lisa Thomas, R.D., Dietician
Ms. Thomas was recruited to Centre Syracuse from Austin, Texas, where she received a B.S. in Family and Consumer Science-Nutrition and Foods from Texas State University-San Marcos. She was employed as a Nutritionist at the Texas State University Student Health Centre where she worked with students diagnosed with eating disorders. Ms. Thomas has a research interest in the impact of nutrition on brain functioning and on human behavior.

 

Centre Syracuse
Eating Disorders Partial Hospital Treatment Program

3300 James Street
Syracuse, NY 13206
315-671-2202