My clients call me Dr. T. I am passionate about this work and feel truly honored to be invited into my clients’ lives. I approach our work together with curiosity, humility, and care, holding respect for each person’s story, strengths, and resilience.
I honor the courage it takes to show up and engage in this process. Taking that first step can feel scary, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Scooby is a sweet Bernadoodle who often joins sessions and takes his role very seriously (unless a squirrel is involved).
Clients often describe him as a comforting and fun presence who helps them feel more at ease, more open, and occasionally more interested in him than in me.
CredentialsEducation
I graduated from Villanova University with a B.A. in psychology.
I earned my M.A. from Boston College and my Ph.D. from Northeastern University.
I completed my predoctoral internship at Dartmouth Medical School and my postdoctoral fellowship at the Providence VA Medical Center in affiliation with Brown Medical School.
Licensure
I am licensed to practice psychology in Rhode Island and New York.
As a PsyPACT provider, I also offer virtual therapy sessions to clients in 43 participating states.
I provide both in-person and virtual therapy for clients residing in Rhode Island and New York.
Academic Roles
In addition to my private practice, I have also dedicated much of my career to teaching and training graduate students, interns, residents, and fellows in psychology and psychiatry.
I am a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Bryant University.
I am an Adjunct Faculty at Brown Medical School, where I supervise Child Psychiatry residents and provide didactic instruction in eating disorders.
Community
I am actively engaged in the professional community through my membership in the American Psychological Association (APA), the Rhode Island Psychological Association (RIPA), the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP), Rhode Island Chapter.
ApproachWhile I believe that no single approach fits every person, I have advanced training in evidence-based treatment approaches, including
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Family-Based Treatment (FBT)
Temperament-Based Treatment with Supports (TBT-S)
Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Early in my career, I came to embrace a dialectical worldview-one that recognizes life’s natural ups and downs, its beauty and its pain-and this perspective continues to shape my work. Grounded in a commitment to helping and healing, I partner with clients to balance acceptance and change, and the “being” and “doing” of therapy—and of life. At times, this means building practical skills to navigate emotions, relationships, and challenges. At other times, it means slowing down, creating space for reflection, and allowing yourself to be just where you are.
My style is warm, and relational while also being direct and responsive. Clients tend to describe me as thoughtful, present, and genuine. My clients have been- and continue to be- my greatest teachers, guiding me to thoughtfully adapt my approach to their unique needs, values, and lived experiences, and reminding me of the power of growth, change, and healing.
Research / ConsultationMy research, which includes multiple grant-funded projects, focuses on training interdisciplinary clinicians and increasing access to evidence-based interventions for pediatric eating disorders. As part of this work, I regularly collaborate with community organizations on program development, professional training, and expert consultation.
Select PublicationsGoldschmidt, A. & Tortolani, C. You can take it with you: Delivering family-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders in the home-based setting (2019). Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter.
Petitto Dunbar, Tortolani, C., Donaldson, A., DerMarderosian, D., Rickerby, M & Goldschmidt, A. (2020). Disseminating Eating Disorders Education and Treatment Across Multiple Levels of Pediatric Care. RI Medical Journal, 36-39.
Goldschmidt, A., Petitto Dunbar, E., Donaldson, A. & Tortolani, C. (2019, November 14). Improving the Reach of FBT by Bringing it to Families rather than Expecting Families to Come to Us [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.feast-ed.org/tag/home-based-fbt/
Petitto Dunbar, E.M.,* Tortolani, C., Estrada, S., & Goldschmidt, A.B. (2020). Delivering evidence-based treatments for eating disorders in the home-based setting. In C. Tortolani, A.B. Goldschmidt, & D. Le Grange (Eds.), Adapting Evidence-Based Treatments for Eating Disorders for Novel Populations and Settings: A Practical Guide. New York, NY: Routledge Publishers.
Goldschmidt, A. & Tortolani, C. (2021, September, 20). Be your Child’s Life RAFT: How to Engage with Primary Care Providers [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.feast-ed.org/tag/home-based-fbt/
Goldschmidt, A. & Tortolani, C., Egbert, A., Brick, L, Elwy, A.R., Donaldson, D. & Le Grange, D. Implementation and outcomes of home‐based treatments for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Study protocol for a pilot effectiveness‐implementation trial (2022). International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Goldschmidt, A. & Tortolani, C. The Parents Aren’t Alright, Either: Commentary on Wilksch, 2023 “Toward a more comprehensive understanding and support of parents with a child experiencing an eating disorder” (2023). International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Goldschmidt, A., Tortolani, C., Petitto Dunbar, E., Egbert, A., & Donaldson, A. Adapting family-based treatment for delivery in the home: A novel approach for improving access to care and generalizability of skill acquisition (2023). Journal of Eating Disorders.
Petitto Dunbar, E., Pribble, C., Cueto, J., Goldschmidt, A, Tortolani, C., & Donaldson, A. Refeeding Syndrome in Adolescent Patients with Anorexia Nervosa (2023). Journal of Eating Disorders.
Egbert, E., Irizzary, B., Lualdi, E., Tortolani, C., Donaldson, D., Goldschmidt, A. A. Qualitative Assessment of Provider-Perceived Barriers to Implementing Family Based Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa in Low-Income Community Settings (2024). Journal of Eating Disorders.
Tortolani, C., Brabeck, K., Geckler, J., Gold, A. (In Press). Applying Dialectics into Clinical Supervision. The Clinical Supervisor.