Richard J. Loewenstein, M.D.
Medical Director

Richard J. Loewenstein M.D. is a Senior Psychiatrist and the founder and Medical Director of The Trauma Disorders Program,comprised of a 20-bed inpatient unit, an outpatient program, a postdoctoral fellowship program, and research, consultation and teaching components. Dr. Loewenstein lectures frequently on dissociation and trauma to regional, national, and international groups. He is the author of many papers and book chapters on sleep disorders, consultation-liaison psychiatry, dissociation, dissociative disorders, and trauma disorders. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to clinical studies of trauma and dissociation. Dr. Loewenstein is Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Susan B. Wait, M.D.
Service Chief

Dr. Susan Wait is one of the founding clinicians of the Trauma Disorders Unit at Sheppard Pratt, and has been the Service Chief of this unit for 15 years. She has extensive experience in both psychotherapeutic treatment and psychopharmacologic treatment of patients with Dissociative Disorders and Anxiety Disorders, including chronic, complex PTSD. She has also been trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and is interested in broadening the use of this modality in patients with trauma-related disorders.

Rosalia Alsop, RNC
Nurse Manager

Rosalia Alsop is the manager of the unit. She is the direct supervisor of the nursing, social work, art therapy, and occupational therapy staffs. Ms. Alsop has over 30 years of experience in psychiatric nursing and milieu treatment of psychiatric patients. She is responsible for the day to day operation of the unit, including safety, staffing, and management of the therapeutic milieu. She attends many treatment team meetings and coordinates staffing and clinical issues in the therapeutic milieu. Ms. Alsop regularly attends the daily goals group which begins the treatment day for all patients. She is deeply involved in staff training and support to help maintain the safety of the unit and to assure that staff are skilled in management of patients' trauma symptoms.

Diane Adlestein Ph.D.
Director of Post-doctoral Training

Dr. Adlestein is Director of Postdoctoral Training, Trauma Disorders Program. She has extensive training in the treatment of severe trauma and dissociation. She has been on staff in The Trauma Disorders Program since 1995. She has functioned in numerous capacities in the program, including Attending Psychologist on the inpatient Trauma Unit from 1996 – 1999, as well as her current roles of outpatient Staff Psychologist, consultant, supervisor, and the Director of Postdoctoral Training. She has particular interests in psychodynamic psychotherapy, group psychotherapy for trauma patients, and professional training of clinicians in the area of trauma.

Joyanna Silberg, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Child and
Adolescent Trauma Program

Lindsay Rutledge, M.D.
Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Rutledge is a psychiatric fellow in The Trauma Disorders Program. She has a longstanding interest in trauma disorders. Her major interests include psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavioral therapy techniques, and psychopharmacological assessment and treatment of post-traumatic disorders.

J. Ken Walters, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Director

Dr. Walters is Director of Department of Pharmacy Services of Sheppard Pratt Health System, and Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. In these roles he guides the department in the delivery of Pharmaceutical Care Services at Sheppard Pratt’s Towson and Ellicott City sites. Dr. Walters maintains an active clinical practice in the Trauma Disorders Inpatient Service as the program’s psychopharmacologist, and also runs a medication education group. Dr. Walters has served as a reviewer for “The Annals of Pharmacotherapy” for over 10 years and has also published numerous scientific articles in professional publications. Additionally, he precepts or supervises preceptors of students in the University of Maryland’s Doctor of Pharmacy Program. Dr. Walters brings a breadth of knowledge and experience in psychopharmacotherapy and is an integral member of the program’s treatment team

Kathryn Gatzke, LCSW-C

Kathryn Gatzke has been a clinical social worker at Sheppard Pratt Hospital since 1984, providing individual, group and family therapy. She has extensive experience and training in the treatment of trauma disorders, providing individual psychotherapy to inpatients and outpatients since the inception of The Trauma Disorders Program in 1992. She has lectured on various topics related to trauma disorders, and also provides clinical supervision to social workers at the LGSW level.

Christine Walters Fritze, PMHCNS-BC

A psychiatric nurse for twenty years, Chris is a clinical nurse specialist. She has had various roles in the trauma disorders continuum of services since the program’s inception. She provides individual therapy and cognitive therapy groups on the inpatient unit. As an adjunct clinical faculty member at the Community Colleges of Baltimore County, Chris also teaches psychiatric nursing. Chris believes symptom management education, resilience, cognitive restructuring, and expression, including creative expression are key to healing.

Patricia Prugh, ATR-BC, CGP
Senior Art Therapist

Patricia Prugh has specialized in trauma recovery art therapy programming for the past fifteen years at Sheppard Pratt Hospital. The inherently healing aspects of the creative arts process, relationships to psychodynamic principles, and the program's treatment model, form the core of the art therapy programming on the Trauma Disorders Unit. Ms. Prugh provides presentations nationally and internationally and is the recipient of numerous grants and awards for her clinical and artistic work.

Terry Wilpers, OTR/L, ATR

Terry Wilpers is the occupational therapist for the trauma disorders in-patient unit. She has worked at Sheppard Pratt Hospital since 1988, and was a part of the planning and implementation of both the inpatient and day hospital components of the Trauma Disorders Service Line in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Terry is also a registered art therapist.