Dr. Eliza Lanzillo

I am a clinical psychologist at Old Town Psychology. I graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology before earning my PhD in Clinical Psychology from The Catholic University of America. I completed my pre-doctoral internship with the OCD Program at the Baylor College of Medicine where I treated adults and adolescents with OCD and related disorders, including misophonia, body-focused repetitive behaviors, and body dysmorphic disorder.

I am an evidence-based therapist, primarily applying Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). I aim to flexibly adapt my therapeutic approach to meet the unique needs of my clients. I specialize in the treatment of OCD, anxiety disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns. I approach my clients with acceptance, compassion, and cultural humility, and strive to create a non-judgmental, collaborative, and welcoming therapeutic space for clients to address their goals and improve their well-being.

In addition to providing psychotherapy, I conduct psychological assessments to inform diagnosis, treatment recommendations, school admissions, and academic accommodations. I create an accepting and supportive environment to help each client feel comfortable and motivated throughout the assessment process.

My clinical research primarily focuses on treatment interventions for suicidality. My doctoral dissertation explored how people move beyond a suicidal state to pursue a life worth living. During my clinical internship with Baylor College of Medicine, I engaged in research specific to treatment for youth with OCD. My research experience has enhanced my appreciation for the need of individualized treatment approaches and my understanding of the nuanced nature of motivation and readiness to change.

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Publications

Lanzillo, E.C., Trent, E.S., Hertz, A.G., Pinciotti, C.M. (2024). Intensive treatments of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. In D.E. Thompson & E. Storch (Eds.), Brief CBT and Science-Based Tailoring for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.

Trent, E. S., Lanzillo, E. C., Wiese, A. D., Spencer, S. D., McKay, D., & Storch, E. A. (2024). Potential for harm in the treatment of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: Pitfalls and best practices. Invited manuscript submitted for publication in D. McKay & S. D. Spencer (Eds.) Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Special Issue.

Lanzillo, E.C., Zhang, I., Jobes, D.A., Brausch, A.M. (under review). The influence of cyberbullying on suicidal thoughts and behavior in a psychiatric adolescent sample. Archives of Suicide Research.

Mournet, A.M., Powell, D.S., Lanzillo, E.C., McBee-Strayer, S. Bergdoll, E., Glenn, C.R., Bridge, J.A., Millner, A., Pao, M., Nock, M.K., Horowitz, L.M. (under review). Examining in the feasibility and acceptability of the Death Implicit Association Test among pediatric medical/surgical inpatients. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Bradley-Ewing, A., Sullivant, S., Williams, D. D., Aguinaldo, L., Lanzillo, E.C., Wharff, E., Horowitz, L., & Goggin, K. (accepted). Parent and adolescent thoughts about suicide screening in pediatric outpatient settings. Archives of Suicide Research.

Aguinaldo, L.D., Sullivant, S., Lanzillo, E.C., Ross, A., He, J., Bradley-Ewing, A., Bridge, J., Horowitz, L.M., Wharff, E. (accepted). Validation of the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) with youth in outpatient specialty and primary care clinics. General Hospital Psychiatry.

Horowitz, L.M., Mournet, A.M., Lanzillo, E.C., He, J., Powell, D.S., Ross, A.M., Wharff, E.A., Bridge, J.A., Pao, M. (2021). Screening pediatric medical patients for suicide risk: Is depression screening enough? Journal of Adolescent Health, 1-6.

Powell, D., Lanzillo, E.C., Tanenbaum, M., Bridge, J.A., Wharff, E.A., Pao, M., Horowitz, L.M. (2020). Self-reported symptoms of anxiety predict positive suicide risk screening in adolescents presenting to the emergency department. Pediatric Emergency Care.

Horowitz, L. M., Wharff, E. A., Mournet, A. M., Ross, A. M., McBee-Strayer, S., He, J., Lanzillo, E.C., White, E., Bergdoll, E., Powell, D. S., Merikangas, K. R., Pao, M., & Bridge, J. A. (2020). Validation and feasibility of the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) among pediatric medical/surgical inpatients. Hospital Pediatrics, 10(9), 750-757.

LeCloux, M., Aguinaldo, L.D., Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L.M. (2020). PC Opinions of Universal Suicide Risk Screening in Rural Primary Care: Current challenges and strategies for successful implementation. The Journal of Rural Health, 1-11.

Jobes, D.A., Vergara, G.A., Lanzillo, E.C., & Ridge-Anderson, A. (2019). The potential use of CAMS for suicidal youth: Building on epidemiology and clinical interventions. Children’s Health Care, 48(4), 444-468.

Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L.M., Wharff, E.A., Sheftall, A.H., Pao, M., & Bridge, J.A. (2019). The importance of screening pre-teens for suicide risk in the emergency department. Hospital Pediatrics.

Brahmbhatt, K., Kurtz, B. P., Afzal, K. I., Giles, L. L., Kowal, E. D., Johnson, K. P., Lanzillo, E.C., Pao, M., Pliopyls, S., Horowitz, L. (2019). Suicide risk screening in pediatric hospitals: clinical pathways to address a global health crisis. Psychosomatics, 60(1), 1-9.

Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L.M., & Pao, M. (2018). Suicide in children. In A primer on suicide prevention a practical guide for the practitioner (pp.73-107). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Horowitz, L.M., Thurm, A., Farmer, C., Mazefsky, C., Lanzillo, E.C., Bridge, J.A., Greenbaum, R., Pao, M., & Siegel, M. (2017). Talking about death or suicide: Prevalence and clinical correlates in youth with autism spectrum disorder in the psychiatric inpatient setting. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-9.

Glenn, C. R., Lanzillo, E. C., Esposito, E., Auerbach, R. P., & Nock, M. K. (2016). Examining the course of suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in outpatient and inpatient adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1-13.

Glenn, C. R., Franklin, J. C., Kearns, J. C., Lanzillo, E. C., & Nock, M. K. (2015). Suicide research methods and designs. In R. O’Connor & J. Pirkis (Eds.), International handbook of suicide prevention: Research, policy, and practice (2nd edition).

Selected Conference Presentations

Jobes, D.A., Vergara, G., Lanzillo, E.C., Ridge-Anderson, A. (2019, April). CAMS-4Teens and CAMS-4Kids. Panel at the American Association for Suicidology Annual Conference. Denver, CO.

Lanzillo, E.C., Bridge, J.A., Wharff, E.A., Ballard, E., Pao, M., Horowitz, L.M. (2018, April). Screening Pre-teens for Suicide Risk in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Oral session at the American Association of Suicidology Annual Conference. Washington, DC.

Lanzillo, E.C., Thurm, A., Farmer, C., Mazefsky, C., Bridge, J.A., Pao, M., Horowitz, L.M. (2018, April). Suicide Risk in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parent Reported Suicidal Ideation in an Inpatient Psychiatric Sample. Oral session at the American Association of Suicidology Annual Conference. Washington, DC.

LeCloux, M., Aguinaldo, L., Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L.M. (2018, January). Suicide Screening in Rural Primary Care:The Reports of West Virginia Primary Care Providers. Oral session selected for presentation at The Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference. Washington, DC.

Lanzillo, E.C. (2017, November). The Importance of Screening Pre-Teens for Suicide Risk in the Emergency Department. Oral session at the International Summit on Suicide Research. Henderson, NV.

Aguinaldo, L., Ross, A., Li, S., Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L., Wharff, E. (2017, November). Patients’ Opinions of Suicide Risk Screening in a Pediatric Primary Care Clinic. Oral session at the International Summit on Suicide Research. Henderson, NV.

Selected Poster Presentations

Bradley-Ewing, A., Sullivant, S., Williams, D.D., Lanzillo, E.C., Aguinaldo, L., Wharff, E., Horowitz, L., Goggin, K. (2019, October). Parent and Adolescent Thoughts About Suicide Screening in Pediatric Outpatient Settings. Poster Presentation, International Summit on Suicide Research, Miami, FL.

Tipton, M.V., Abernathy, T., Lanzillo, E.C., Powell, D., Snyder, D., Bridge, J., Schoenbaum, M., Pao, M. & Horowitz, L.M. (2019, April). Implementing suicide risk screening in pediatric primary care: From research to practice. Poster presented at the 52nd Annual Conference of the American Association of Suicidology, Denver, CO.

Booker, W. L., Lanzillo, E.C., Bergdoll, E. E., McBee-Strayer, S. M., Bridge, J. A., Nock, M. K., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. M. (2019, April). Feasibility of Administering the Death/Suicide Implicit Association Test Among Pediatric Medical Inpatients. Poster session presented at the American Association of Suicidology Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

Lanzillo, E.C., Powell, D., Wharff, B., Ross, A., Solages, M., Bridge, J., White, E., Nelson, S., Pao, M., Horowitz, (2017, November). Identifying Suicide Risk on Pediatric Inpatient Medical Units: Is Depression Screening Good Enough? Poster presented at the International Summit on Suicide Research. Henderson, NV.

Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L., Thurm, A., Farmer, C., Mazefsky, C., Bridge, J, Greenbaum, R., Pao, M., Siegel, M. (2017, November). Suicide Risk Prevalence and Clinical Correlates in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poster presented at the International Summit on Suicide Research. Henderson, NV.

Jay, S., Powell, D., Lanzillo, E.C., Tanenbaum, M., Ballard, E., Bridge, J., Wharff, E., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. (2017, November). Self-reported Anxiety Predicts Positive Suicide Risk Screening in Adolescents Presenting to the Emergency Department. Poster presented at the International Summit on Suicide Research. Henderson, NV.

Lanzillo, E.C., Powell, D., Wharff, B., Ross, A., Solages, M., Bridge, J., White, E., Nelson, S., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. (2017, October). Identifying Suicide Risk on Pediatric Inpatient Medical Units: Is Depression Screening Good Enough? Poster presented at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 64th Annual Meeting. Washington, DC.

Lanzillo, E.C,, Bridge, J., Wharff, E., Ballard, E., Sheftall, A., Kang, S., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. (2017, October). The Importance of Screening Pre-Teens for Suicide Risk in the Emergency Department. Poster presented at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 64th Annual Meeting. Washington, DC.

Lanzillo, E.C,, Horowitz, L., Thurm, A., Farmer, C., Mazefsky, C., Bridge, J, Greenbaum, R., Pao, M., Siegel, M. (2017, October). Suicide Risk Prevalence and Clinical Correlates in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Poster presented at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 64th Annual Meeting. Washington, DC.

Lanzillo, E., Powell, D., Wharff, E., Ross, A., Solages, M., Bridge, J., White, E., Nelson, S., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. (2017, May/June). Identifying Suicide Risk on Pediatric Inpatient Medical Units: Is Depression Screening Good Enough? Poster presented at the Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C.

Lanzillo, E.C., Powell, D., Wharff, E., Ross, A., Solages, M., Bridge, J., White, E., Nelson, S., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. (2017, May). Identifying Suicide Risk on Pediatric Inpatient Medical Units: Is Depression Screening Good Enough? Poster presented at the National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Poster Day. Bethesda, MD.

Lanzillo, E.C., Powell, D., Wharff, E., Ross, A., Solages, M., Bridge, J., White, E., Nelson, S., Pao, M., Horowitz, L. (2017, April). Identifying Suicide Risk on Pediatric Inpatient Medical Units: Is Depression Screening Good Enough? Poster presented at the 9th Annual Julius Axelrod Symposium. Bethesda, MD.

LeCloux, M., Aquinaldo, L., Lanzillo, E.C., Horowitz, L. (2017, April). Suicide screening in West Virginia primary care. Poster presented at the West Virginia Practice Based Research Network 4th Annual Retreat. Roanoke, West Virginia.

Lanzillo, E.C., Johnston, B., & Tomikawa, Y. (2017, March). Choosing a mental health therapist: A randomized study of prospective patients using digital profiles. Poster presented at The Patient, The Practitioner, and The Computer: Holding on the Core of Our Healing Professions in A Time of Technological Change (PPC) Conference. Providence, RI.