Formative Years:
Adam S. Weissman, Ph.D. was born and raised in Ardsley, NY, a small town in southern Westchester County, with his older sister, Ilan, mother, Ronee, and father, Eugene. He attended Ardsley High School, where he was a Quad-Varsity scholar-athlete in football, tennis, winter and spring track and field. Weissman earned extensive academic, athletic, and community service honors throughout his youth. He spent his vacations working with developmentally disabled children at the local YWCA and attended service trips with Habitat for Humanity, American Jewish Society for Service, and other volunteer organizations. Through these experiences, he cultivated his lifelong love for behavioral psychology and helping children and families in need.
In the summers, Weissman explored his love of travel and education as a teen and, in his twenties and thirties, as a tour director for his family travel company, Weissman Teen Tours, Inc. He led educational tours throughout Europe, Hawaii, and the Western U.S. and Canada.
Weissman was recruited by a number of colleges for discus and other track and field events, but with a surge in height, he soon changed direction and played college basketball in the South of France during a study abroad program through the University of Pennsylvania. His Aix-en-Provence team made it to the national championship game in Strasbourg, losing by one point to the defending national champions in double overtime – one of his most memorable experiences as a youth.
Weissman went on to receive his B.A. in Psychology and French from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002, under the mentorship of Drs. Martin Seligman and Melissa Hunt. For the next two years, he worked as a research assistant at a neuroimaging lab at Penn’s School of Medicine. Weissman earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 2009, under the mentorship of Drs. Brian Chu, Linda Reddy, and Jan Mohlman. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at the NYU Child Study Center/Bellevue Hospital Center and a two-year post-doctoral clinical research fellowship in child/adolescent psychology under the mentorship of John R. Weisz, Ph.D., ABPP at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School’s Judge Baker Children’s Center.
Upon licensure in 2011, Weissman returned to New York with his future wife, Annie, who was pursuing her masters of public health and currently works at the New York City Department of Health. There, Weissman was able to realize his dream of founding an interdisciplinary, evidence-based mental health center, which he called The Child & Family Institute (CFI). That same year, he wrote his first of three books on the integration of neuroscience and clinical practice.
Making An Impact:
As CFI’s Founding President, CEO, and Chief Psychologist, Dr. Weissman has developed the organization, beyond mental health, to include a broad range of behavioral health and academic support services, and most recently, the Weissman Children’s Foundation (WCF), a national non-profit with a mission to increase mental health access and equity.
Dr. Weissman sees himself as a practitioner first. Trained by some of the world's leading cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) experts, he is widely regarded as a CBT master clinician, trainer, and consultant, and an expert in the treatment of a wide range of emotional, behavior, attention, and habit disorders, including social anxiety, separation anxiety, school refusal, generalized worry, phobias, perfectionism, OCD, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, selective mutism, depression, ADHD, disruptive behavior problems, parent-child relational issues, tic/habit disorders, high functioning autism spectrum disorders, and related conditions. Dr. Weissman is a nationally recognized leader in the clinical dissemination of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for youth, including a new modular CBT approach designed to address symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or conduct problems as they co-occur in children (MATCH-ADTC; Chorpita & Weisz, 2009), and has been certified by the treatment developers as a MATCH-ADTC Trainer and Senior Consultant through Harvard University.
Dr. Weissman currently serves as Past-President of the Westchester County Psychological Association https://westchesterpsych.org and the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Division. He is also Past-President of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)’s Child Anxiety and Neurocognitive Therapies groups, and is on the Board of Directors of several other mental health non-profits, including the New York City Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association and NYSPA Council.
Since 2011, Dr. Weissman has served on the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology (AAPN) Empirically-Defined Disorders of Attention Work Group, tasked with advancing the differential diagnosis and treatment of childhood attention disorders.
Formerly on faculty at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School’s Judge Baker Children’s Center, and Yeshiva University/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Weissman is currently an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University Teacher’s College. There, he oversees CBT Training and Supervision for the Clinical Psychology and Counseling Psychology Ph.D. programs, serving underserved children and families in Harlem, the Bronx, and surrounding COVID-afflicted neighborhoods in crisis.
In addition to his mental, behavioral, and public health leadership, training, and advocacy, Dr. Weissman has published three books and more than 30 peer-reviewed publications. He has given more than 100 professional presentations on evidence-based assessment and treatment of children and families and has pioneered a Clinical Practice Dissemination and Implementation model (CPDI; Weissman, et al., 2019), presented at the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in Berlin. Dr. Weissman has won many service and research awards for his work, including the 2020 APA Distinguished Contributions to Practice Award from the American Psychological Association and the Board of Professional Affairs, and the 2021 Healthcare Heroes and 2022 Public Health Award from Westchester County, where he resides with his wife, Annie, and two young sons, Skyler and Lucas. Finally, the Weissman Children’s Foundation and its timely 1) COVID Relief, 2) MyWellness, and 3) IMPACT (innovating Meaningful Partnerships Across Community Therapists) Initiatives have been recognized in the media for creating innovative pathways to pro-bono, culturally-informed, evidence-based mental health services for children and families, as well as nationwide communities in crisis.
Beyond Psychology:
In addition to his leadership and advocacy on behalf of youth mental health and evidence-based practice, Dr. Weissman keeps up his many outside interests. He remains involved in a community service a cappella group, which he co-founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. He was also Founding President of the a cappella group, Hudson Sound, performing free concerts for community organizations throughout the NY Metropolitan area. Dr. Weissman, who played in the Top Brass French Horn Choir as a youth, now teaches himself piano and guitar in his spare time, with Skyler and Lucas as his muse.
Avid travelers and adventurers, the Weissmans have visited more than 50 countries across six continents, including their wedding in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, and their nine-week honeymoon across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Southeast Asia, where they presented at the World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies in Melbourne and taught English to teenagers in Laos. Inspired by his family lineage of teachers and educators, Dr. Weissman has taught and mentored graduate and undergraduate students at Harvard, Columbia, Penn, NYU, Rutgers, and Yeshiva Universities. He is currently writing a children's book series and developing a new treatment called Compassion-Focused Parent Therapy. A lifelong learner, Dr. Weissman recently completed his graduate certificate in Ethical AI Applications from MIT Sloan, and plans to apply to the Masters in Non-Profit Management program at John's Hopkins University, as well as the MBA certificate programs in Entrepreneurship and Leadership at Harvard Business School and Yale School of Management in the year's ahead.
Selected Publications (*Book or Edited Book)
Weissman, A. S., DiGiuseppe, R., Fuller, J. R., & The Weissman Children’s Foundation (under review). Leveraging technology and innovative service delivery models to provide accessible evidence-based care for all: The Weissman Children’s Foundation COVID-19 Relief Initiative. Evidence-based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Weissman, A. S. (under review). “Helping every child thrive” through accessible evidence-based care: Introducing the Weissman Children’s Foundation. American Psychologist.
Weissman, A. S. (in press). Attentional Bias in Anxious Youth: Clinical Applications. Psychology Research.
Weissman, A. S. (in press). Biography of Adam S. Weissman, Ph.D., Winner of the 2020 American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to Independent Practice. American Psychologist.
Weissman, A. S. (2020). Clinical dissemination and implementation of EBTs from the ground up: How to develop a multi-site CBT “Clinical Dissemination Practice,” The case example of The Child & Family Institute. Psychology Research, 10, 3.
Weisz, J. R., Bearman, S. K., Ugeto, A., Herren, J., Evans, S., Cheron, D., Alleyne, A., Weissman, A. S., Tweed, J. L., Pollack, A., Langer, A., & Jensen-Doss, A. (2019). Testing the robustness of Child STEPS effects: A randomized controlled effectiveness trial. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 00, 1-14.
Weisz, J. R., Ugueto, A., Herren, J., Marchette, L., Bearman, S. K., Lee, E. H., Thomassin, K., Alleyne, A., Cheron, D., Tweed, J. L., Hersh, J., Raftery-Helmer, J., Weissman, A. S., & Jensen-Doss, A. (2018). When the torch is passed does the flame still burn? Testing a "train the supervisor" model for the Child STEPS treatment program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86, 726-737.
Hale, J. B., Reddy, L. A., & Weissman, A. S. (2017). Neuropsychological assessment in children and adolescents. In J. N. Butcher, J. Hooley, & P. D. Kendall (Eds.), APA Handbook of Psychopathology. Washington, DC: APA Press.
Price, R. B., Ellard, K. K., Weissman, A. S. et al. (2015). Letter to the editor re: The special issue: The biomedical model of psychological problems. the Behavior Therapist, 38, 259-260.
Weissman, A. S. (2015). Autism spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder in youth. In Merrick, J. (Ed.), Child & Adolescent Health Issues (A Tribute to the Pediatrician Donald E. Greydanus). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
*Mohlman, Deckersbach, & Weissman, A. S. (2015). From Symptom to Synapse: A Neurocognitive Perspective on Clinical Psychology. Edited Book: NY, NY: Routledge.
Mohlman, J., Deckersbach, T., & Weissman, A. S. (2015). Introduction to the neurocognitive perspective. In J. Mohlman, T. Deckersbach, & A. S. Weissman (Eds.), From Symptom to Synapse: A Neurocognitive Perspective on Clinical Psychology. NY, NY: Routledge.
Weissman, A. S., Lichtin, J., & Danzig, A. P. (2015). Neurocognitive approaches in the treatment of ADHD. In J. Mohlman, T. Deckersbach, & A. S. Weissman (Eds.), From Symptom to Synapse: A Neurocognitive Perspective on Clinical Psychology. NY, NY: Routledge.
Richey, J. A., Ellard, K. K., Siegle, G., Price, R., Mohlman, J., De Raedt, R., Browning, M., & Weissman, A., S. (2013). Closing the gap between science and practice: Report from the Neurocognitive Therapies/Translational Research (NT/TR) Special Interest Group. the Behavior Therapist, 36, 158-160.
Weissman, A.S. (2013). Feeling powerless? STOP AND COPE: 11 tips to help parents and kids cope with stress and worry in the aftermath of natural disasters. the Behavior Therapist, 35, 158-159.
*Reddy, L. A., Weissman, A. S., & Hale, J. B. (2013). Neuropsychological Assessment and Intervention for Emotional and Behavior Disordered Youth: An Integrated Step-by-Step Evidence-Based Approach. Edited Book: Washington, DC: APA Press.
Reddy, L. A., Weissman, A. S., & Hale, J. B. (2013). Neuropsychological assessment and intervention for emotional and behavior disordered youth: Opportunities for practice. In L. A. Reddy, A. S. Weissman, & J. B. Hale (Eds.), Neuropsychological Assessment and Intervention for Youth: An Evidence-Based Approach to Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Washington, DC: APA Press.
Hale, J. B., Reddy, L. A., Weissman, A. S., Lukie, C., & Schneider, A. N. (2013). Integrated neuropsychological assessment and intervention for youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. In L. A. Reddy, A. S. Weissman, & J. B. Hale (Eds.), Neuropsychological Assessment and Intervention for Youth: An Evidence-Based Approach to Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Washington, DC: APA Press.
Weissman, A. S., Chu, B. C., Reddy, L. A., & Mohlman, J. (2012). Attention mechanisms in children with anxiety disorders and in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Implications for research and practice. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 41, 117-126.
Weissman, A. S. (2011). Comorbid autism spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder in youth: Prognostic implications and challenges for practice. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, 4, 31-38.
*Weissman, A. S. (2011). Inattention in Anxious and ADHD Youth. Saarbrucken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.
Weissman, A. S., & Bates, M. E. (2010). Increased clinical and neurocognitive impairment in children with autism spectrum disorders and comorbid bipolar disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 670-680.
Chu, B. C., Colognori, D., Weissman, A. S., & Bannon, K. (2009). An initial description and pilot of group behavioral activation therapy for anxious and depressed youth. Cognitive and Behavior Practice, 16, 408-419.
Weissman, A. S., Antinoro, D., & Chu, B. C. (2008). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety in school settings: Advances and challenges. In M. Mayer, R. Van Acker, J. E. Lochman, & F. M. Gresham (Eds.), Cognitive-behavioral interventions for students with emotional/behavioral disorders. NY, NY: Guilford Press.
