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Conservative use of drug therapy
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A psychological approach that emphasizes the present and future of the patient, rather than the past.
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Emphasis on nutrition and physical exercise
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Family participation, if appropriate
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Psychoeducation for patients and relatives
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What is the Bio-Behavioral Institute?
In March of 1979, The Bio-Behavioral Institute was established only two miles from its current location at 935 Northern Boulevard in Great Neck. Bio-Behavioral Institute had two previous names, "Bio-Behavioral Psychiatry" and "The Institute for Bio-Behavioral Therapy and Research," before settling on its current name. By popular demand, the name changes occurred due to the objection of the word "psychiatry" in the first and due to the length of the second. Regardless of the names or location Bio-Behavioral's mission has not changed.
Drs. Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu established Bio-Behavioral Institute as a private non-funded facility with four missions in mind. They are as follows:
1. To integrate neurobiology and psychology in the treatment of mental disorders
2. To conduct research to better understand mental disorders
3. To provide the most up to date empirically validated treatments available
4. To teach and disseminate information to professionals and to the public
Since 1979, the Bio-Behavioral Institute has lived up to its missions. Each of our staff members is dedicated to providing the most advanced and scientifically supported treatment in a nurturing and supportive environment. Every patient is evaluated thoroughly in an integrated manner, with attention given to the social, biological and psychological factors contributing to their current situation. Patients come from all over the country and abroad to receive the latest treatments available and the ongoing research efforts of the staff have extensively contributed to providing current psychological and medical knowledge.
Thanks to the research efforts of Drs. Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu and their colleagues many innovative treatment approaches and etiological causes for certain mental disorders have been established. They have received recognition by their colleagues based on their contributions to the field of psychiatry and psychology.
Just a few examples of the most noteworthy contributions are as follows:
In the early 1970's, Dr. Yaryura-Tobias challenged the medical establishment's conceptualization of Tourettes Syndrome. Dr. Yaryura-Tobias suggested that Tourette's Syndrome is a part of the Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum and not solely a neurological disorder as it was believed at that time. He finally received acknowledgement of his research in this area in 1990 from the Tourettes Association after the NIMH published supporting evidence and reported the efficacy of an anti-obsessive compulsive medication, chlomipramine which Dr. Yaryura had been using since the 1970s. He also fought to have pimozide available in the US for the treatment of Tourettes Syndrome. Thanks to his research and insistence the medication is now available.
Dr. Yaryura-Tobias proposed the serotonergic hypothesis for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Drs. Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu repored in the scientific literature for the first time that individuals with OCD have lower levels of serotonin as compared to controls. This finding lead to further research into the neurobiology of OCD and the advent of the selective serotonin reuptake blockers (SSRI).
Dr. Yaryura-Tobias also conducted the first double blind placebo studies in the world using clomipramine. He requested the pharmaceutical company to make this medication available in the United States because there was nothing available to patients with OCD. It was many years of struggle until the FDA finally approved it in the 1990s.
Drs. Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu set up the first Obsessive Compulsive Society in 1979, composed of patients and meet in local libraries in an effort to educate the public about OCD. Until then few people heard of OCD. In fact, only three pages were devoted to it in the most widely read psychiatric textbooks.
Dr. Neziroglu established the first outpatient intensive cognitive behavioral treatment program for the treatment of OCD in 1976 and later expanded it to include spectrum disorders, a concept brought forth by Drs. Neziroglu and Yaryura in the late 1970's.
In 1983, Drs. Yaryura-Tobias and Neziroglu published their first book on OCD and for the first time, the OC Related or Spectrum Disorders such as Tourettes Syndrome, Sydenhams Chorea, Eating Disorders etc. were discussed. This sparked research for the obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders.
In 1989, Dr. Neziroglu proposes that cognitive behavior therapy may work by altering serotonin activity in OCD and publishes her first paper with regard to this. She demonstrates the efficacy of intensive outpatient programs.
In 1990, Dr. Neziroglu proposed that obesity is not one single disorder and thus different approaches are needed for the different types. She proposed that one type may be more similar to OCD and established a different treatment approach which is more effective than more traditional approaches.
In 1993, Dr. Neziroglu and Yaryura-Tobias proposed a similar cognitive behavioral treatment approach for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) as for OCD. Until then, BDD had been ignored by professionals. This helped spur research in this area and increased public awareness through various media appearances.
Throughout the 1990's and today, Dr. Yaryura-Tobias, Dr. Neziroglu and their colleagues continue to study the interrelationships between hoarding, BDD, OCD, trichotillomania, skin picking, self injurious behavior, social phobia, hypochondriasis and other anxiety and mood disorders. The role of overvalued ideas in many disorders is being proposed as mitigating treatment outcome.
In 1999, The Bio-Behavioral Institute was established in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cognitive behavioral treatment approaches are being introduced in Argentina, a country that is psychoanalytically dominated.
Over the years, the Insitute has grown tremendously and its staff consists of psychologists, psychiatrists, and intern psychologists who have expertise in the treatment and research of various disorders.
Most importantly, the Institute was established to give each patient the most that any professional can give at all times. This motto has been practiced by all its dedicated professional from its inception till today.
How is the Bio-Behavioral Institute Different from Other Psychiatric and Psychological Treatment Centers?
At the Bio-Behavioral Institute, a variety of programs are offered in one location by a multidisciplinary team of professionals who are specialized in different areas. Therefore, we are able to provide patients with programs that are tailored to their specific needs. Patients also benefit from our involvement in research and education. Ongoing research studies provide patients with the most up-to-date treatments and advances within the field of psychology, medicine, and pharmacology.
What is the Treatment Philosophy of the Bio-Behavioral Institute?
The staff of the Bio-Behavioral Institute advocates an integrated approach to mental health. We believe that an emotional condition is determined by factors involving the body, mind, family, and the ecological environment in which the person grows. Therefore, each problem may be approached from a combined medical, psychological, nutritional, and social perspective.
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Consultations