Our Story
Susan Sherkow, MD founded the Sherkow Center for Child Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2009 as a not-for-profit to promote the optimal development of children, adolescents, and their families through treatment, education and research. Dr. Sherkow integrates her practice of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychoanalysis with a neurodevelopmental perspective to offer innovative effective interventions for children with autism spectrum and other developmental differences. She leads a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care.
Susan p. sherkow m.d.
Director
Susan P. Sherkow, M.D. is a Training and Supervising Analyst at BPI, a Supervising Child and Adolescent Analyst at NYPSI, and on the faculties of Mt. Sinai and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Founder of the not-for- profit Sherkow Center for Child Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder, she has presented and published extensively on the application of psychoanalytic developmental theory to the treatment of children, adolescents and adults with ASD, including a TEDx Talk and co-authorship of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience.
Cynthia Stegman, M.A.
Office Manager, Administrative Assistant
Cynthia Stegman has 15 years experience working alongside mental health providers. She has a Masters Degree in Forensic Linguistics from Hofstra University and studies language and communication differences.
Carlotta Bettencourt, M.A Candidate
Director of Spark Programming, Mentor coordinator, Chairman of Junior Committee
Carlotta Bettencourt is the co-director of Spark Programming and mentor leader. She is currently earning her Master’s degree in clinical and child psychology at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Carlotta is in charge of developing Spark Social Program sessions, and is the mentor leader and coordinator. She also provides triadic home services facilitating play. Carlotta also serves as the founder and chairman of The Junior Committee, involved in raising money for The Sherkow Center Scholarship Fund in order to provide lower treatment costs for children and families in need.
Dr. Sherkow’s Publications
Academic Publications
“Managing arrogance in child analysis.” S. Akhtar and A. Smolen, Eds. Arrogance: Developmental, Cultural, and Clinical Realms. London: Routledge, 2018.
“Back to Freud’s beginning: Looking at Neuroscience through a Contemporary Psychoanalytic Lens.” I. Blom, M. Davis, & H. Etezady, Eds. Psychoanalytic Trends in Theory and Practice, The Second Century of The Talking Cure. Lexington Books, 2018.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience, with Alexandra Harrison and with contributions by William Singletary, Jason Aronson, 2013.
Disordered Thought, by Theodore Fallon with contributions by Susan P. Sherkow, Jason Aaronson, 2013.
“A Clinical Study of the Intergenerational Transmission of Eating Disorders From Mothers to Daughters.” The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child 64 (2009): in press.
“Stock-Still: A Potential Developmental Marker.” The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child 63 (2008): 61-79.
“Further Reflections on the ‘Watched’ Play State and the Role of ‘Watched Play’ in Analytic Work.” The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child 59 (2005): 55-73.
“The Development and Adjustment of Children Ages 0-5 and Custody Disputes.” Family Law Update (2005): 145-176.
“The Analysis of a Pre-Adolescent Girl With Primal Scene Fantasies.” The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child 57 (2002): 327-355.
“Reflections on the Play State, Play Interruptions, and the Capacity to Play Alone.” Journal of Clinical Psychoanalysis 10 (2001): 3-4.
“Eating Disorders: What Are You Teaching Your Children?” Women’s Health Journal 1.2 (1997): 16.
“Consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse on the Development of Ego Structure: A Comparison of Child and Adult Cases.” Adult Analysis and Childhood Sexual Abuse. Howard Levine, Ed. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Analytic Press, 1990. 93-115.
“The Evaluation and Diagnosis of Sexual Abuse in Little Girls.” Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 38.2 (1990): 347-369.
Galenson, E., Kaplan, E.H., and Sherkow, S. “Mother-Child Relationship and Pre-Verbal Communication in the Deaf Child.” Frontiers of Infant Psychiatry. Justin Call, Eleanor Galenson, and Robert Tyson, eds. New York: Basic Books, 1982. 17-31.
Review of Twins: From Fetus to Child, by Alessandra Piontelli. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 52.2 (2004): 619-625.
Review of Code Name: Mary, by Muriel Gardiner. International Review of Psychoanalysis 12.1 (1985).
Review of Prisoners of Childhood, by Alice Miller. Psychoanalytic Quarterly 51 (1982): 435-439.
Additional Publications and Appearances In Print
Arehart-Treichel, Joan. “Don’t Rule Out Psychoanalysis In Treating Autistic Children.” Psychiatric News, March 6, 2009, p.12.
Mann, Denise. January 25, 2008. Psychoanalysis Helps Kids With Autism. WebMD. Accessed April 30, 2008. <http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20080125/psychoanalysis-helps-kids-with-autism>
“The Dyadic Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Children on the Autistic Spectrum.” The Autism Perspective, Spring 2006, pp. 58-61.
“Special Report: Eating Disorders.” Town and Country Magazine, April 2006, pp. 179-184.
“Your Impact on Your Child’s Health.” Child Magazine, May 2002, p. 126.
“Preschool Eating Disorders: A Special Report.” Child Magazine, August 2000, p. 60.
“What’s Eating Our Kids?” Offspring Magazine, June/July 2000, pp. 41-44.
“Bulimia: All in the Family.” New York Post, March 30, 200, pp. 24-25.
“Are You Raising a Child With an Eating Disorder?” Redbook Magazine, August 1999, p. 146.
“Mom, I Hate You!” When your child says these words, it may actually be a sign you’re doing something right, by Valerie Frankel, Good Housekeeping, vol. 249, no.4, p. 111.