Dr. Vazzana specializes in eating disorders and weight management, as well as forensic psychology and disruptive behavior disorders. She was appointed Clinical Director of the Eating Disorder Service in 2008 where she treats maladaptive eating habits, including Anorexia, Bulimia, picky eating, and binge eating. Dr. Vazzana is particularly interested in morbid obesity and conducts psychological assessments and counseling with weight-loss surgery candidates. She is one of a select group of professionals nationwide with experience in evaluating adolescents for gastric banding.
As a forensic psychologist, Dr. Vazzana has completed specialized training in psychological evaluations involved in criminal, civil, and family law. She has extensive courtroom experience as an expert witness. Forensic cases have included evaluations of child custody, risk assessment, and emotional harm, as well as competency and insanity evaluations. Other clinical interests include treatment of disruptive behaviors, noncompliance and self-injurious behaviors.
Dr. Vazzana completed her undergraduate degree and Master’s level training in Clinical Psychology at Loyola College. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, and completed her internship and post-doctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology at Tulane University School of Medicine.
Previously at the Child Study Center, Dr. Vazzana was a research clinician with the Institute for Prevention Science, focusing on the prevention of conduct problems and obesity in preschool children. Additionally, Dr. Vazzana was a Senior Psychologist at Manhattan Family Court where she performed several hundred court-ordered evaluations pertaining to juvenile delinquency and child protective proceedings.
Dr. Vazzana is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and has presented her research at surgical and psychological conferences, including the Academic Surgical Congress and the International Conference on Eating Disorders. She is a speaker at community symposiums and a frequent contributor to a broad range of media outlets, including Parenting, Seventeen, and Cookie magazines, WebMD, and CNN Headline News. She has consulted internationally, most recently in Northern Africa.
Dr. Vazzana is quoted in You’d Be So Pretty If…: Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies — Even When We Don’t Love Our Own by Dara Chadwick. Published in 2009 by Da Capo Lifelong Books (a division of Perseus Books).
In the News
Eating Disorders, Addictions Tough to Treat In Teens
Andrea Vazzana, Ph.D., spoke to HealthDay News about the scarcity of effective treatments and the difficult path to recovery for children and teens with eating disorders and addictions. (July 1, 2010)
Eating Disorders: An Expert Interview
Andrea Vazzana, Ph.D., was quoted in MedScape for a Question and Answer piece about eating disorders. (March 6, 2009)
Obesity is a Family Affair
Andrea Vazzana, Ph.D., was quoted in HealthDay and Seniors World Chronicle discussing the importance of family meals in promoting healthier eating habits in children. (December 10, 2008)
Surgical Procedures for Obese Children
Dr. Andrea Vazzana appeared on CNN Headline News to discuss the psychological implications of lap-band surgery and liposuction on young children and adolescents suffering from obesity. (August 7, 2007)
Fashion Week in New York
Dr. Andrea Vazzana appeared on WABC-7 News on to discuss the impact
that images of increasingly thin models have on the self-esteem of
young women as Fashion Week kicks off in New York. (January 31, 2007)
