Intensive Family Treatment

Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck is a clinical psychologist and Program Director for the Intensive Family Treatment (IFT) Programs at the UCSD Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Center. In addition to directing the adult and adolescent IFT programs, Dr. Peck is also involved in translational clinical treatment research focused on translating neurobiological research into applied clinical treatments for eating disorders. Dr. Peck is responsible for the development, testing, and oversight of novel clinical treatments for both adolescent and adults with eating disorders including Temperament-Based Treatment with Supports, a model that advocates for the inclusion of parents and support-givers in treatment. Her primary interests and expertise include parent-supported treatments across a wide range of children and adolescents behavioral issues. Dr. Peck received her doctoral degree from Alliant International University where she specialized in clinical health psychology and completed her pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training at UCSD where she specialized in eating and weight issues across the developmental spectrum. Her other research and clinical expertise includes pediatric anxiety disorders, pediatric obesity, parent management training, and multi-family therapy. In her personal time, she enjoys surfing, yoga, and being outdoors.

Terra Towne, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and program manager of the Intensive Family Treatment (IFT) program at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center. Terra has worked at UCSD for the past five years, during which she has been a part of the adolescent, adult, IFT, and research teams. Terra is passionate about providing evidence-based care and is involved in various treatment development and evaluation projects. She is certified in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) and currently undergoing certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E). In her free time, Terra enjoys running with her husband, enjoying San Diego restaurants and beaches, and traveling to the East Coast to visit family and friends.

Terry Schwartz is the Clinical Director of the UCSD Eating Disorders Programs. She has over 15 years of extensive experience in working with eating disorders, as well as providing Eating Disorders treatment trainings at multiple university and county facilities. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCSD Medical School. From 1997 through 2005, she served as Associate Medical Director at UCSD Outpatient Psychiatric Services, and Medical Director for the UCSD Co-Occurring Disorders Program. She continues to be actively involved in the training of psychiatry residents, psychology interns, and other trainees. From 1999-2004, she served as chairman of the San Diego County Mental Health “Psychopharmacology of Co-Occurring Disorders” Committee. She received her MD from the University of California, San Diego, in 1993, and completed her residency in psychiatry at UCSD.

She has been named by San Diego Magazine (voted by peers) as one of the Top Doctors in San Diego.

Dr. Mary Ellen Trunko has worked with the UCSD eating disorders program since its inception, and has been involved in planning and development of services, delivery of patient care, and supervision and teaching of junior staff members. As associate clinical professor and medical director, Dr. Trunko performs comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, handles medication management, coordinates primary care and other medical services, and educates patients and their families on physiological, medical and psychological aspects of eating disorders. She also runs an outpatient practice that includes individuals with eating disorders as well as those with general psychiatric needs.

Dr. Trunko is board certified in both psychiatry and internal medicine, an unusual combination that is highly relevant to the understanding and treatment of eating disorders. She has used this specialty knowledge to advise primary care providers on the care of eating-disordered patients through presentations and consultation. She has written review papers and clinical case reports on pharmacological interventions for eating disorders. Dr. Trunko earned her MD degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, and completed separate residencies in internal medicine and psychiatry at UCSD.

Dr. Roxanne Rockwell is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the UC San Diego Adolescent Eating Disorders Service. She has experience in the treatment, evaluation and research of eating disorders and obesity since 1999. She was one of the founding members of the UCSD Eating Disorders Program in 2005, and has been integrally involved in its development and expansion. Dr. Rockwell played a primary role in devising and building the innovative individual and multi-family Intensive Family Therapy (IFT) programs and the adolescent and young adult day treatment and intensive outpatient programs. As a certified Family Based (i.e., “Maudsley”) Therapist, she served as the IFT program director for several years, and currently provides training and supervision in this modality for staff and faculty. She founded the UC San Diego Parent Advisory Council (PAC) in 2012 and continues to develop this important service. Dr. Rockwell graduated from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, and completed pre-doctoral internship at Rady Children’s Outpatient Psychiatry which involved working with children and families dealing with various psychiatric illnesses. Her clinical and research work focuses primarily on eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder) and weight management issues. She serves as a LEAD Fellow and Diversity Champion for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UC San Diego.