Team Member

Tomer T. Levin, MD.

Tomer T. Levin

My Background and Approach

Treating depression and anxiety is my mission. They reverberate through families and across generations and great suffering occurs.

The good news is that we now have effective medication and psychotherapy treatments. That’s why we need to identify depression and anxiety and talk about them openly. It’s the first step along the pathway of healing and recovery.

These three background stories will help you understand my approach to treating anxiety and drpression:

  1. I was trained as a clinical researcher so I believe that data-driven treatment drives better outcomes. That’s why I like using the latest diagnostic tests, treatments and psychotherapies.
  2. When I worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, they had a motto, “The best cancer care anywhere. Period.” While it’s true that they had the latest anti-cancer drugs, I saw first-hand that they also had better outcomes than other cancer centers because of a culture of caring. Everyone was passionate about helping, from the doorman to the most important doctors, from the lab staff to the administrators who worked behind the scenes. Dotting i’s and crossing t’s with caring and compassion is vital to better outcomes. That’s why I do my best to be available for my patients and to make their treatment experience as pleasant and effective as possible.
  3. I am an expert in Collaborative Care Psychiatry, which is the most important model to come out of psychiatry in the past 15 years. It states that psychological and physical health are linked by a two-way street. Psychological illness is associated with physical illness and physical illnesses, especially when chronic, worsens psychological wellbeing. For example, it may surprise you that depression is as strong a risk factor as smoking for suffering a heart attack. This means that modern psychiatrists have to help people improve depression/anxiety in the short term but must also think about longer term psychological and physical vitality, stronger families and relationships and deeper roots in our communities.

My Qualifications & Training

I am double board certified in Adult Psychiatry and Consultation-liaison Psychiatry (psychiatry in the medically ill).

I completed two post graduate fellowships. The first was in Consultation-liaison Psychiatry at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (2001), where I was privileged to be mentored by Dr. Steven Saravay and Dr. Maurice Steinberg, amongst the founders of consultation-liaison psychiatry in the USA.

My second fellowship was in Public Psychiatry at Columbia University (2002). This program nurtures program leaders in psychiatry who will focus on delivery of psychiatric services across populations. My focus was on psycho-oncology which is important because cancer touches so many of us and our families. Here, my mentors were Dr Julian Ranz who founded the field of Public Psychiatry and the late Dr Sara L. Kellerman, who was the Commissioner for Mental Health in New York City. As a young psychiatrist, it was very inspiring for me to be influenced by such great paradigm shifters.

I am lucky to have had an international training, attending medical school at Monash University, Australia (1991). I did training in Internal Medicine at Hadassah Medical Center, Israel (1993-6) and psychiatric residency training at Eitanim Mental Health Center (1994-99)

I was fortunate to complete the Extramural Program for Residency Directors at the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research (2002). Being taught by Aaron T. Beck M.D., the founder of Cognitive Therapy, and his equally inspiring daughter, Dr. Judith Beck, were formative to my approach to psychotherapy for depression and anxiety, given my prior training in psychodynamic therapy.

Leadership and Clinical Work

  • Head of Psycho-oncology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, now NorthWell Health (2001-2005). I was privileged to work with Dr Kanti Rai who put chronic lymphocytic leukemia on the map. He was smart, humble and a fun to work for and he got me hooked on psycho-oncology.
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2005-2015). Here I developed psychological services for leukemia, lymphoma, stem-cell transplant and ICU patients. I was mentored by Dr. Jimmie Holland who founded the field of psycho-oncology. Another mentor and colleague was Prof. David Kissane, an important psycho-oncology leader who took over the reins from Jimmie Holland. He taught me that sickness reverberates throughout the family, that better doctor-patient communication can impact outcomes and that death can be used to heal rifts in families and ease grief.
  • Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital (2015-2017). I was an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine/NYP where I established and led the Weill Cornell Psychiatry Collaborative Care Center, with its team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners and care managers.

Teaching

I taught doctor-patient communication, CBT and collaborative care psychiatry to medical students, resident doctors, fellows and attending physicians.

Research

My research focus was in three main areas: Collaborative and integrative care psychiatry, Doctor-patient communication, Acute Cancer Cognitive Therapy (which I developed).

Below are links to the eleven textbook chapters and over 50 research articles that I have authored.

  1. Levin T, Lossos I, Schwaber M, Spontaneous peritonitis caused by Streptococcus bovis. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 19:346, 1994.
  2. Levin T, Heresco-Levy U, Risperidone-induced Rabbit Syndrome – an unusual disorder caused by an atypical antipsychotic. European Neuropsychopharmacology 9:137-139, 1999.
  3. Levin T, Malach S, Saravay S, Sickle Cell Disease – when narcotics and physicians fail, General Hospital Psychiatry, 24:442-447, 2001.
  4. Levin T, Petrides G, Weiner J, Saravay S, Multz AS, Bailine S. Intractable Delirium Associated with Ziconotide Successfully Treated with ECT – case report, Psychosomatics, 43:63-66, 2001.
  5. Levin T, Barrett J, Mendelowitz A. Death from Clozapine-Induced Constipation – Case Report and Literature Review, Psychosomatics, 43:71-73, 2002.
  6. Agid R, Levin T, Gomori JM, Lerer B, Bonne O. T2-weighted image hyperintensities in major depression: focus on the basal ganglia. International Journal of Neuropsychiatry 6:215-224, 2003.
  7. Levin T, Agid O, Abramowitz M, Aspects of the Psychiatric Interview for the Part Two Oral Israeli Board Exams, Israel Journal of Psychiatry, 40(2):103-117, 2003.
  8. Levin T, Weiner JS, Saravay S, Deakins S. Two-Year Evaluation of the Logic Model for Developing a psycho-Oncology Service. Psychiatric Services, 55(4):427-433, 2004.
  9. Farber GA, Levin T, White CA. A cognitive therapy conceptualization of panic disorder exacerbated by interferon treatment. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 27(5):329-337, 2005 Sep-Oct.
  10. Levin TT, Li Y, Riskind J, Rai K. Depression, Anxiety and Quality of Life in a Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cohort. General Hospital Psychiatry, 29(3):251-256, 2007.
  11. Levin TT, Riskind JH, Li Y. Looming Threat Processing Style in a Cancer Cohort. General Hospital Psychiatry, 29(1):32-38, 2007 Jan-Feb.
  12. Krausz Y, Freedman N, Lester H, Barkai G, Levin T, Bocher M, Chisin R, Lerer B, Bonne O. Brain SPECT study of common ground between hypothyroidism and depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol, 10(1):99-106, 2007.
  13. Bylund CL, Brown RF, Lubrano di Ciccone B, Levin TT, Gueguen J, Hill C, Kissane D. Training faculty to facilitate communication skills training: Development and evaluation of a workshop. Patient Education and Counseling, 70:430-436, 2008.
  14. Levin TT. “Meet the Expert” Cognitive Therapy, Problem-Solving Cancer Support Group, Psychiatric Services, 59(6):694, 2008.
  15. Levin TT, Cortes-Ladino A, Weiss MA, Palomba ML. Life-Threatening Serotonin Toxicity Associated with a Citalopram-Fluconazole Drug Interaction: Case Reports and Literature Review. General Hospital Psychiatry, 30(4):372-377, 2008.
  16. Levin TT, Li Y, Weiner JS, Lewis F, Bartell A, Piercy J, Kissane DW. How Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders are Utilized in Cancer Patients: Timing Relative to Death and Communication-Training Implications. Palliative and Supportive Care, 6(4):341-348, 2008.
  17. Magill L, Levin TT, Spodek-Turkel, L. Combined Music and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Critically Ill Cancer Patients, Psychiatric Services, 59(6):694, 2008.
  18. Gueguen JA, Bylund CL, Brown R, Levin TT, Kissane DW, Conducting Family Meetings in Palliative Care: Themes, Techniques and Preliminary Evaluation of a Communication Skills Module, Palliative and Supportive Care, 7(2):171-179, 2009.
  19. Brintzenhofe-Szoc KM, Levin TT, Li Y, Kissane DW, Zabora JR. Mixed Anxiety/Depression Symptoms in a Large Cancer Cohort: Prevalence by Cancer Type. Psychosomatics, 50(4):383-391, 2009.
  20. Levin TT, Horner J, Bylund C, Kissane DW. Averting Adverse Events in Communication Skills Training: A Case Series, Patient Education and Counseling, 81:126-130, 2010.
  21. Levin TT, Nikolova T, Husein-Bakr M. Delirium due to a Diltiazem-Fentanyl CYP3A4 Drug Interaction. General Hospital Psychiatry, 32(6):648, 2010.
  22. Levin TT, Li Y, Riskind J. Looming Cognitive Style and Quality of Life in a Cancer Cohort. Palliative & Supportive Care, 8:449-454, 2010.
  23. Popkin K, Levin TT, Lichtenthal WG, Redl N, Rothstein HD, Siegel D, Coyle N. A pilot music therapy centered grief intervention for nurses and ancillary staff working in cancer settings. Music and Medicine, 3(1):4-46, 2011.
  24. Bialer PA, Kissane D, Brown R, Levin T, Bylund C: Responding to patient anger: Development and evaluation of an oncology communication skills training module. Palliative and Supportive Care, 9:359-365, 2011.
  25. Bylund CL, Brown RF, Bialer PA, Levin TT, Lubrano di Ciccone B, Kissane DW. Developing and implementing an advanced communication training program in oncology at a comprehensive cancer center. Journal of Cancer Education, 26:604-611, 2011.
  26. Volandes AE, Levin TT, Slovin S, Carvajal RD, O’Reilly EM, Keohan ML, Theodoulou M, Dickler M, Gerecitano JF, Morris M, Epstein AS, Naka-Blackstone A, Walker-Corkery ES, Chang Y, Noy A. (2012) Augmenting Advance Care Planning in Poor Prognosis Cancer with a Video Decision Aid: A Preintervention-Postintervention Study. Cancer. 118(17), 4331-4338
  27. Kissane DW, Bylund CL, Banerjee SC, Bialer PA, Levin TT, Maloney EK, D’Agostino TA. Communication skills training for oncology professionals. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Apr 10;30(11):1242
  28. Epstein AS, Volandes AE, Chen LY, Gary KA, Li Y, Agre P, Levin TT, Reidy DL, A randomized controlled trial of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation video in advance care planning for progressive pancreas and hepatobiliary cancer patients. J Palliat Med. 2013 Jun;16(6):623-31
  29. Volandes AE, Paasche-Orlow MK, Mitchell SL, El-Jawahri A, Davis AD, Barry MJ, Hartshorn KL, Jackson VA, Gillick MR, Walker-Corkery ES, Chang Y, López L, Kemeny M, Bulone L, Mann E, Misra S, Peachey M, Abbo ED, Eichler AF, Epstein AS, Noy A, Levin TT, Temel JS. Randomized controlled trial of a video decision support tool for cardiopulmonary resuscitation decision making in advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Jan 20;31(3):380-6
  30. Outram S, Harris G, Kelly B, Cohen M, Sandhu H, Vamos M, Levin TT, Landa Y, Bylund C, Loughland C. Communicating a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia with Patients and Families: A Qualitative Study of Mental Health Clinicians. Psychiatric Services. 2014. 65(4): 551-554
  31. Outram S, Harris G, Kelly B, Cohen M, Sandhu H, Vamos M, Levin TT, Landa Y, Bylund C, Loughland C. We Didn’t Have a Clue: Family Caregivers Experiences of the Communication of a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. Published online before print May 27, 2014, doi: 10.1177/002076401453575, 2014.
  32. Loughland C, Cohen M, Sandhu H, Vamos M, Ditton-Phare P, Kelly F, Outram S, Levin TT, Bylund C, Landa Y, Kissane DW, Kelly B. Improving clinician competency in communication about schizophrenia: A pilot educational program for psychiatry trainees. Academic Psychiatry, 2014, DOI 10.1007/s40596-014-0195-7
  33. Outram S, Harris G, Kelly B, Cohen M, Bylund CL, Landa Y, Levin TT, Sandhu H, Vamos M, Loughland C. Contextual barriers to discussing a schizophrenia diagnosis with patients and families: need for leadership and teamwork in training. Acad Psychiatry. 2014 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 25398264
  34. Receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia: a qualitative study of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Loughland C, Cheng K, Harris G, Kelly B, Cohen M, Sandhu H, Vamos M, Levin TT, Byland C, Landa Y, Outram S. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2015 Dec;61(8):729-34
  35. Banerjee, S. C., Matasar, M. J., Bylund, C. L., Horwitz, S., McLarney, K., Levin, T., Jacobsen, P. B., Parker, P., Astrow, A., & Kissane, D. W. Survivorship care planning after participation in communication skills training intervention for a consultation about lymphoma survivorship. Translational Behavioral Medicine. Published online June 2, 2015
  36. Baig MR, Levin TT, Lichtenthal WG, Boland PJ, Breitbart WS, Factitious Disorder (Munchausen’s Syndrome) in Oncology: Case Report and Literature Review. Psychooncology, 2016 Jun;25(6):707-11
  37. Levin TT, Parker PA. Preventing and De-Escalating Ethical Conflict: A Communication-Training Mediation Model. J Clin Ethics. 2015 Winter;26(4):342-5
  38. Parker PA, Banerjee SC, Matador MJ, Bylund CL, Francol K, , Li Y, Levin TT, Jacobsen PB, , Astrow AB, Leventhal H, Horwitz S, Kissane DW. Protocol for a cluster randomised trial of a communication skills intervention for physicians to facilitate survivorship transition in patients with lymphoma. BMJ Open 2016;6:e011581 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011581
  39. Conroy MA, Finch T, Levin TT, Merkler AE, Safdieh J, Samuels S, Gordon Elliott JS. Chronic Schizophrenia Later Diagnosed with Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Clin Schizophr Relat Psychoses. 2017 Aug 4. doi: 10.3371/CSRP.MCTF.071317. [Epub ahead of print]
  40. Bylund CL, Banerjee SC, Bialer PA, Manna R, Levin TT, Parker PA, Schofield E, Li Y, Bartell A, Chou A, Hichenberg SA, Dickler M, Kissane DW. A rigorous evaluation of an institutionally-based communication skills program for post-graduate oncology trainees. Patient Education and Counseling. 2018, 101(11), 1924-1933
  41. Efficacy of a survivorship-focused consultation versus a time-controlled rehabilitation consultation in patients with lymphoma: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Cancer. Accepted for Publication 8/20/2018, DOI:10.1002/cncr.31767
  42. Joseph J Deferio, Tomer T Levin, Judith Cukor, Samprit Banerjee, Rozan Abdulrahman, Amit Sheth, Neel Mehta, Jyotishman Pathak; Using electronic health records to characterize prescription patterns: focus on antidepressants in nonpsychiatric outpatient settings, JAMIA Open, , ooy037, https://doi.org/10.1093/jamiaopen/ooy037
  43. Applebaum A, Walsh L, Polacek L, Benvengo S, Levin TT. Acute Cancer Cognitive Therapy Online Training Program: Feasibility and Impact on Learning. Psychology Leaning & Teaching. Resubmitted 7/1719.
  1. Lederberg MS, Levin TT. Consultation Liaison Psychiatry. In Psychiatric Ethics, Bloch S, Green S (eds), 4th Edition, Oxford, 2009.
  2. Kissane DW, Levin TT, Hales S, Lo C, Rodin G. Psychotherapy for depression in cancer and palliative care. In Depression and Cancer, Maj M, Kissane DW, Sartorius N. (Eds). John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 2010.
  3. Levin TT, Alici Y. Anxiety Disorders. Psychooncology, Holland JC, Breitbart WS. Jacobsen PB, Lederberg MS (eds), 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, New York, 2010.
  4. Levin TT, Weiner JS, End of Life Communication Training. In Oxford Handbook of Communication in Cancer and Palliative Care, Kissane DW (Ed), Oxford University Press, New York, 2010.
  5. Levin TT, Psychological Aspects of Hematological Neoplasms. In Neoplastic Diseases of the Blood. 5th Edition, Wiernik PH, Goldman JM, Dutcher JP, Kyle RA (Eds). Springer, New York, 2012.
  6. Levin TT, Lederberg MS. Ethical Dimensions of Family Therapy. In Bereavement Care for Families, Kissane DW, Parnes F (eds). Routledge Press, New York, 2014.
  7. Levin TT, and Kissane DW. Ethics of Psychopharmacological and Biological Treatments in Psycho-oncology, in Psychopharmacology in Oncology and Palliative Care – A Practical Manual. Luigi Grassi, M.D. & Michelle Riba, M.D. (Eds.) Springer, Heidelberg, 2014
  8. Levin, TT, Lymphoma & Leukemia, Quick Reference for Geriatric Oncology Clinicians: The Psychiatric and Psychological Dimensions of Geriatric Cancer Symptom Management, Oxford University Press, New York, 2014
  9. Levin TT, Wiesenthal A. End of Life Communication Training. In Oxford Handbook of Communication in Cancer and Palliative Care, 2nd Ed. Kissane DW (Ed), Oxford University Press, New York, 2016
  10. Levin TT, Cukor J. Psychological Aspects of Hematological Neoplasms. In Neoplastic Diseases of the Blood. 5th Edition, Wiernik PH, Goldman JM, Dutcher JP, Kyle RA (Eds). Springer, New York, 2017
  11. Levin TT, Smith C Consultation Liaison Psychiatry. In Psychiatric Ethics, Bloch S, Green S (eds), 5th Edition, Oxford, 2020 In Press.
  1. Levin T. A psychiatric resident’s journey though the closed ward, Schizophrenia Bulletin, 27(3): 539-547, 2001.
  2. Levin T, Paperwalla KN, Weiner J, Saravay SM. Smoking and Depression. Medical Clinics of North America. 88 (6): 1483-1494, 2004.
  3. Levin T, Hoffman M. Doctor I don’t want chemotherapy! Journal of Supportive Oncology, 3(2):97-98, 2005.
  4. Levin TT, Kissane DW, Psychooncology: the state of development in 2006. European Journal of Psychiatry, 20(3):183-197, 2006.
  5. Levin T. Schizophrenia should be Renamed to Help Educate Patients and the Public, International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 52(4):324-331, 2006.
  6. Levin TT. ICU: The New Hospice. Why End-of-Life Communication Training is Increasingly Important for CCM. Critical Care Commentary (Neil Halpern MD, FCCP Ed), Chest Physician 4:16-17, 2009, Accessed online http://www.chestnet.org/accp/
  7. Levin TT, Moreno B, Silvester W, Kissane DW. End-of-Life Communication in the Intensive Care Unit, General Hospital Psychiatry, 32(4):433-42, 2010.
  8. Levin TT, Kelly BJ, Cohen, M, Vamos M, Landa Y, Bylund CL. Using a Psychiatry E-List to Develop a Model for Discussing a Schizophrenia Diagnosis, Psychiatric Services, 62:244-246, 2011.
  9. Kissane DW, Bylund CL, Banerjee S, Bialer P, Levin T, Maloney EK, D’Agostino TT, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2011/396184, Special Series (Whole Patient): Communication Skills Training for Oncology Professionals. 30:1242-7, 2012.
  10. Levin TT, White CA, Kissane DW. A Review of Cognitive Therapy in Acute Medical Settings. Part I: Therapy Model and Assessment. Palliative and Supportive Care. 2013 11(2):141-53
  11. Levin TT, White CA, Bialer P, Charlson RW, Kissane DW. A Review of Cognitive Therapy in Acute Medical Settings. Part II: Strategies and Complexities. Palliative and Supportive Care, 2013, 11(03), 253-266
  12. Levin TT, Applebaum A.J. Acute Cancer Cognitive Therapy. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2014. Epub ahead of print. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.03.003
  13. Levin TT, Coyle RN, PhD. A Communication Training Perspective on AND and DNR Directives. Palliative and Supportive Care, 2014. 1478-9515/14 doi:10.1017/S147895151400039X
  14. Levin TT. Discussing cancer prognosis. Oncology, 2015, 29(2): 945-948.
  15. Ditton-Phare P, Halpin S, Sandhu H, Kelly B, Vamos M, Outram S, Bylund CL, Levin T, Kissane D, Cohen M, Loughland C. Communication skills in psychiatry training. Australas Psychiatry. 2015 Aug;23(4):429-31
  16. Sterling M, Levin T. Cross-cultural variation in medical communication. Clin Teach. 2016 Apr;13(2):160-1.