When Perfectionism Takes Hold: A Comparative Look at OCD and BDD

BS, University of Delaware  //  MSS, MLSP, Bryn Mawr College

Rebecca Berman (she/her) is the Clinical Director of Anxiety Institute in McLean, Virginia, and has more than two decades of experience treating adolescents and adults across outpatient, intensive outpatient, day treatment, residential, and inpatient levels of care. She specializes in anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders and ARFID, and trauma, with particular expertise in working with neurodivergent individuals.

Rebecca earned dual master’s degrees in Social Service and Law & Social Policy from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Approved Consultant (CEDS-C), a Certified Therapist and Expert Trainer with the Unified Protocol Institute, and a Board-Approved Clinical Supervisor in Virginia and Maryland.

At Anxiety Institute, Rebecca provides clinical leadership, supervision, consultation, and program development while supporting the delivery of evidence-based care for complex anxiety and related disorders. Her clinical approach integrates Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), with an emphasis on understanding the processes that maintain symptoms across diagnoses and adapting treatment to the individual.

Prior to joining Anxiety Institute in 2023, Rebecca spent 14 years at The Renfrew Center, where she held clinical and training leadership roles and most recently served as a Clinical Training Specialist. Her work included clinician training and supervision, treatment and program development, and leadership of Renfrew’s Trauma-Informed Care initiative. She co-authored The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity: An Adaptation of the Unified Protocol, published by Oxford University Press in 2021.

Rebecca is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer and regularly presents on anxiety and OCD, exposure-based treatment, eating disorders and ARFID, and transdiagnostic approaches to care. She provides supervision and consultation to clinicians across disciplines and is passionate about helping clinicians deliver evidence-based care in ways that are individualized, collaborative, and neuroaffirming.

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BA, University of Virginia // MSW, New York University // PhD, University of Buffalo

Dr. Dina Nunziato serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Anxiety Institute, overseeing clinical operations in our Greenwich, CT; Madison, NJ; and McLean, VA locations.  She has spent over two decades working with young adults in anxiety-related clinical and educational settings and enjoys working with her Anxiety Institute colleagues to provide excellent clinical care for our clients and families.  Dr. Nunziato’s Anxiety Institute training courses include The Impact of Chronic Mis-attunement: A Psychobiological Approach to Understanding Anxiety in Adolescents; Using Positive Psychology Techniques to Address Anxiety Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults; and Under the CBT Umbrella: Exploring ERP and DBT Treatment Options and Choosing the Right Approach for Your Clients.

Prior to joining the Anxiety Institute, Dr. Nunziato was the Director of Counseling & Psychological Services at Sarah Lawrence College and was an adjunct professor of Integrated Clinical Practice at New York University. Her research and publications focus on the use of evidence-based mindfulness techniques to support anxiety management, academic success, and emotional well-being.

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