I have always had the desire to help others find a way to end suffering in their life. This desire helped motivate me to return to college as an adult learner. I graduated from Suffolk County Community College’s notable honors college. From there, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Stony Brook. Then I went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Social Work from the Advanced Standing Master’s program.
My passion and specialty are working with couples. I strive to help people achieve satisfying, loving, close-connected lasting relationships and individuals do more than just survive but thrive.
My approach is a blend of Eastern philosophy and Western theory to give clients a whole person (mind-body-spirit) approach to therapy. Through lectures, publications, and seminars, I keep myself current with the latest psychology, neurology, biology, and pharmacology findings, learning how these affect a person’s well-being. I have advanced training in Emotional Focused Couples Therapy, Critical Crisis Intervention, Positive Parenting, and ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics}. Certified Hypnotherapist. OASAS provide # 6955
I am a psychotherapist that has been practicing for over 25 years. As a young practitioner, I began as a generalist ; seeing kids, adults and families. But like everyone else, life has its twists and turns and right after I began my practice, my husband and I decided to start our own family. Easy, right? Turned out not to be as simple as we (or the world tells us!) envisioned. We began our roller coaster ride of fertility treatments that involved changing my schedule almost daily; seeing doctors and undergoing invasive treatments and having disappointing outcomes. Nothing really prepared me emotionally. Although I was trained in psychology and counseling, I was taken aback by the long, arduous trip.
After our daughter was born four years later, I knew where I wanted to go with my career. As a “wounded warrior”, I became a support group leader for Resolve ( a national organization that educates, advocates and supports fertility patients) and began seeing individuals and couples that were undergoing the same hell I just got out of. I listened carefully to what my clients were saying and realized that the anxiety and depression they all experienced was a normal response to have when you go through fertility treatments. So, when a friend asked me if I wanted to write a book with her, I said yes. I hoped we could be others ‘ voices who needed guidance and coping skills to get through the crisis of infertility. We succeeded and WWNorton published our book . “Experiencing Infertility” that was the number 1 best seller on Amazon’s infertility books in the early 2000s. It was later translated into Spanish!! I could not have been prouder.
Today I continue my work with individuals and couples by providing psychotherapy and psychosocial evaluations, mandated by my client’s doctors before entering treatment using a third-party (donor, surrogates, gestational carriers) to create their families.
My research on post traumatic growth in infertility has appeared in the Journal of Human Reproduction (October, 2009). I was the 2009-2010 chair of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's MHPG education committee. In 2020, I co-led a research study on the effectiveness of mindfulness on women experiencing infertility. As a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher and daily TM meditator, I am able to incorporate stress management skills into my practice.
Currently, I am the clinical director of Transformations Counseling group, supervising therapists that provide psychotherapy to individuals and couples searching for better ways to manage their anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress and relationship issues.
Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
As you could fall, and no one would hear?”
Dear Evan Hansen, You’d be surprised how many others, including me, have felt this way. I understand the decision to seek help can be difficult. The lyrics from Dear Evan Hansen remind me how important it is to have someone in your corner to validate your feelings. My goal has always been to provide this to anyone who truly needs someone to hear them.
Growing up, I always knew I was fit to help others, which is why I decided to study family dynamics in college. I noticed how many people around me had experienced loss, divorce, or trauma. I kept wondering how I could make an impact and help people experiencing this turmoil. I decided to set my sights on becoming a family therapist to provide support and bring change to those in need. Now as a licensed marriage and family therapist, I aim to build a trusting, open relationship with clients that encourages them to be honest about their thoughts, feelings, and dreams. I believe each person has the potential to make positive changes that will lead to more fulfilling relationships and contentment in their life.
I believe every situation is unique. I have experience working in multiple environments, including in-home family services, school settings, supporting children and families in the foster care system, and working with LGBTQ+ community members. These experiences have provided me with knowledge, insight, and cultural competency, which I draw upon to build my practice. The above lyrics continue to say: “There’s a place where we don’t have to feel unknown, And every time that you call out, You’re a little less alone…You will be found.” My approach is compassionate, direct, and non-judgmental, which helps create an environment where you feel supported in your counseling journey. I currently focus my practice on helping individuals and couples overcome anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, relationship struggles, family changes, and LGBTQ+ issues.
Remember the last time you had your heart broken? Have you ever felt not good enough? Of course, you have. We all have. Someone close to me severely broke my heart at 17 years old, and although it hurt deeply, it propelled me to look further into psychology, asking why humans do what they do. I initially took an advanced placement psychology class in high school while simultaneously researching and listening to motivational speakers. Sparking my curiosity in personal development. One concept I learned that stuck with me today is that your “mentality creates reality.”
I majored in applied psychology in college and continued to receive my Masters in Mental Health and Wellness Counseling from NYU. My academic studies and pursuit of self-discovery in searching for the meaning of the human experience led me to specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I assist clients in discovering, understanding, and implementing change in their thinking, emotions, and behaviors.
In addition, my journey led me to sub-specialize in Christian Counseling for those seeking a therapist with a solid foundation in their relationship with God. My experiences have led me to understand how we can implement our faith into everyday life.
I take my time to understand my clients, and together, we figure out ways to help them achieve their goals and improve the quality of their lives. I consider myself patient and kind and want my clients to feel they have a safe place to express themselves each week where we can work on life goals, centering on them, without the critical outside world stepping in.
In my walk, I have integrated knowledge, understanding, and application of psychotherapy practices with a faith-based perspective to manage everyday anxiety, depression, and stress and improve relationships. I want to encourage you to face your challenges and meet you on your journey to achieve healing, freedom, hope, and love.
I am a licensed mental health counselor with over a decade of experience helping individuals from all walks of life navigate challenges and find their best version. I utilize an integrative approach focusing on cognitive behavioral strategies and mindfulness-based stress reduction to help clients overcome the effects of negative thought/behavior patterns.
As a result of my own lived experience, I am particularly interested in working with postpartum women to ease their transition into motherhood. I am a certified Perinatal Mental Health specialist through Postpartum Support International. I use my skills to empower new parents and help them face the trials of starting and expanding their families.
Through my work with Harriette Rovner-Ferguson, LCSW-R, psychotherapist and author specializing in infertility, I’ve extended my focus to include those struggling with infertility and using Assisted Reproductive Technology to start their families. I currently provide psychotherapy to individuals and couples to help them cope with the stress of infertility and the ART process. I also offer physician-mandated psycho-social consultations to individuals and families before entering treatment using third-party reproduction.
Have you ever felt like no one understands you? Or you thought, "This isn't normal or am I normal?" I get it, me too. Or maybe you felt alone. I get it, me too. Have you ever heard "You need to change? Or "Slow down!!." Yup, me too!
My philosophy is not changing people but supporting them in shifting themselves to create the life that they want. No one should entirely change who they are, but turn the negative attributes they believe about themselves or the situations they find themselves in, while identifying negative behavior patterns and moving them into more positive ones.
I use exploration, positivity and laughter in my sessions to establish a strong respectful rapport with my clients, build a trusting relationship, and provide a safe space for them to become vulnerable and supported.
I received my Bachelor's in Psychology and Master's in Social Work from Sacred Heart University. Currently, I am working on my Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy, specializing in children and adolescents, from Northcentral University. I am currently working on my dissertation on how Narcissistic Parents affect Child Development. I have experience working with individuals, children, couples, and families using a collaborative approach to help clients feel supported and understood. I have worked in psychiatric settings, substance abuse programs, and within the school system working with special needs children. I seek to understand the client's anxieties, fears, daily stressors, self-doubts, and other underlying emotions. I use a strengths-based perspective to encourage and empower clients to truly understand that they are in control of themselves. I support clients in identifying negative attachment patterns and reframing these negative patterns into more positive ones.
I say, "The ball is in your court. It's up to you to pick it up (take chances) , dribble and take a shot (takes courage!). However, I firmly believe that every person and situation is unique; help me, help you put the ball in your court and support you in taking action in your precious life.
I am an MFT intern specializing in trauma-informed therapy. I am trained in facilitating abuse & emotional trauma recovery groups with almost a decade of experience. My trauma-informed counseling includes experience with survivors of sexual abuse, childhood abuse, emotional abuse, complex trauma, domestic & interpersonal violence, secondary trauma, narcissistic abuse, neglect, and the pain of grief & loss. As a trained group facilitator, I am skilled in group dialogue, conflict resolution, and navigating family dynamics through collective conversations. I also have experience in providing pastoral counseling to couples, individuals, and families and offering premarital and marital sessions for over a decade.
I am also educated in child & adolescent development, having been trained in facilitating trauma-informed programs for children & adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences.
I am passionate about relationships and eager to help clients experience connection with others and themselves.
I will collaborate with you to reshape fractured parts into an integrated, transformed life. I do this by utilizing techniques to create safe, supportive spaces. I believe I am warm and compassionate, offering empathetic responses and emotional validation in a nonjudgmental and culturally sensitive manner.
I am equipped to navigate the present effects of hurt by delicately visiting painful emotions from the past and by highlighting the hope in your strengths and inherent resilience.
I am passionate about helping individuals, couples, and young people experience healing, wholeness, and intimacy by fostering secure attachments and building healthy coping skills & strategies as a team, together.
I have been counseling clients in private practice for over 10 years and specialize in the areas of anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief. After gaining degrees from the University of Florida (Go Gators) and then Adelphi University, I quickly immersed myself in the field and gained experience with many demographics - police officers, marines, adults in quarter-life/mid-life crises, senior citizens, adults with disabilities, and more. I've learned and utilized many different modalities throughout my career, specializing in Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness-Based Therapies, Solution-Focused Approaches, and Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches. I've also obtained a certification in Hypnosis in order to effectively bring creative visualization and meditation to my work.
Over the last decade, I've learned not to be afraid to share my own experiences in pain, growth, and healing, and will often use them to connect, empathize, teach, and inspire. After all, if I can turn my pain into power, anyone can! My clients quickly see that I am an LMHC by trade but a motivational speaker at heart. I can confidently say that I will have you believing in your growth and greatness by the end of the first or second session. I'm eager to work with you, laugh with you, cry with you, and walk with you however you need me to.
Would you like to be seen, heard, understood, and love and be loved
more fully? I know I do and it took me some time and my own
personal work to accomplish these goals. I realized that all these
feelings are truly needed to move forward in your intimate
relationships; including the most important- the relationship with
yourself.
Growing up, listening to my brothers, I felt I was able to understand
them more than others might. They would vent and I would pay
attention to what they were trying to say or what they wanted to do to
improve their lives. This is what led me to become a therapist. I
realized that not many people took the time to truly listen to their
loved ones. Instead, they heard moaning and groaning, but I heard
their pain. I felt the need to help and it has grown exponentially as I
grew into an adult.
Utilizing empathy, active listening, and compassion during my
sessions is essential to creating a rapport and providing a safe space
for my clients. Within my own life situation and my years of training,
I am able to hone in on what clients are feeling through a trauma-
informed, cognitive behavioral approach.
I have worked with adolescents, adults and couples during my clinical
career. My curiosity and genuine interest in their experience, my
patience with them while they explore what they want and need in
their lives and watching the process of discovery of their authentic
self, never ceases to amaze me. I stay focused and attentive and
caring along side of them because I believe that change can occur
when you walk along side someone and are willing to be an honest
and forthcoming witness to their lives.
Sometimes someone just needs a friendly and helpful person to assist them in their search for the right support. Taking the first steps is always scary but it is manageable when you have a helping hand to meet you in the middle.
As part of the front office, I will help guide the beginnings of your journey with us. I act as a bridge between you and our therapists. Compassion and understanding are the best traits when it comes to helping others and I am here to provide that through our support. I have many friends and family members that have gone through similar experiences, and I know it can be a hard and difficult process that is why I want to help and make it a great experience overall.
I have quite a few years of experience working with people in customer service however I am always learning and improving to do better. Every moment is something to learn from and I strive to provide the best customer service experience.
Picking up the phone to make a call to receive mental health services for yourself or a loved one is scary. You want someone to answer the phone or return your call. Then, you want someone to help support and guide you through the initial process to get started.
As the Practice Manager, I have the unique opportunity to help build and support our group practice by marrying my business and professional experience with my passion for advocating for families. Our front desk staff is here to support you through the first step of your transformational journey.
Professionally, I have over 20 years of experience working for Big 4 consulting firms, providing business management consulting and project management services for global Fortune 500 companies. Consulting work required extensive travel, so when my husband and I decided to start a family, I shifted to the staffing industry. After working for other staffing providers for seven years in 2011, I started my WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) certified staffing business. During this time, I was accepted and graduated from the Goldman Sachs/Tory Burch 10,000 Small Business program.
My child/family advocacy work started via a traditional route once our daughter started school by volunteering with the PTA. When our family experienced trauma, it deepened my passion for supporting children and families. It is important to me to let our clients know they aren’t alone and others understand the subsequent mental and behavioral impacts trauma has on the family.
The past eight years provided me with the experience of creating the best possible environment for my child by navigating multiple “systems,” whether it was the educational system or the mental health system. These children need a comprehensive environment that supports them mentally and behaviorally while healing from trauma. Therefore, I come to our clients from both a personal and professional understanding and want to help them find the right match with the therapist who can assist them while you take their journey to healing.
I grew up here on Long Island and attended Central Connecticut State University earning a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have been practicing since 2012, seeing individuals, couples, families, children, and leading groups. I began my journey as a therapist in Connecticut, then Massachusetts, and for the past two years have been back on Long Island where I am once again close to extended family and have begun a family of my own. When I was 14 I was fortunate to have had an opportunity to travel to New Zealand and stay with the native Maori people. While there, I rose before dawn and walked to the beach with my hosts, the peace, calm, and serenity I felt while watching the sunrise, hearing nature wake up around me, and feeling the ocean breeze on my skin were unlike any I had felt before. I knew at that moment that I wanted to help others feel this level of deep inner peace accompanied by a simultaneous spark for life. As I continued to grow and learn and witness the interpersonal conflicts of the world going on around me I became fascinated by the feelings, expressions, and choices of others. I wanted to work with these aspects of humanity to move toward peace. I pursued my deep desire to help others and the world in the form of becoming a therapist. I weave together the work of Marshall Rosenberg - Nonviolent Communication, Richard Schwartz - Internal Family Systems Therapy, and John Gottman - 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work. I was also lucky to have experienced a master’s program that exposed me to the power of using theater and improvisation as well as art and dream interpretation as aids in self-understanding and love offering these options in the therapeutic setting. In my personal life, I enjoy yoga, cooking, dancing, and spending time with family.
Marcello Pastor, based in Bellport, NY, is a highly adaptable and hardworking individual known for his empathetic and professional approach when working with clients. He possesses strong analytical skills, is efficient and organized, and excels in communication and leadership. Marcello has held various roles, including front desk receptionist in healthcare settings and as a customer service representative. He also gained legal experience as a summer legal intern. Marcello is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Political Science at Stony Brook University and holds an Associate of Arts in Political Science from SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. He is bilingual in Spanish and English, holds certifications as a personal trainer and Reiki Level One Master, and is proficient in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Marcello's empathetic and professional demeanor, combined with his skills and experiences, make him a versatile and valuable professional.
Chiara Ciacci is a dedicated and compassionate Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT-LP) committed to fostering healthy relationships within individuals, couples, and families.
Chiara’s therapeutic approach is integrative; emphasizing emotional understanding as the key to building strong connections. Her work with couples and families often centers on Emotionally Focused Therapy, exploring and reshaping emotional bonds for lasting positive change. In addition to her work with adults, Chiara extends her expertise to children, incorporating play therapy and age-appropriate interventions to help them navigate challenges and build resilience within the family system.
Chiara began her career as a child development specialist and founded Ivy Hill Learning, LLC., a preschool and child development center, a highly sought-after program that specializes in supporting children with behavioral challenges, developmental disabilities, and differentiated learning styles.
Her work as a marriage and family therapist is greatly influenced by her deep understanding of the need for healthy attachments in a couple’s and/or family relationship Through her work with couples, families, and children, she collaborates with each person to create a nurturing environment that fosters the emotional well-being of all family members.
There are so many good reasons to come to therapy, but one theme that seems to be the constant is change. Change is uncomfortable, and admitting we need help is hard, but once you’ve taken the step to start therapy, you’re recognizing that something needs to change and I hope to work with you to help make this a more comfortable process, help you understand more about yourself, and make the changes you need to move towards creating your best life.
I’ve always wanted to help people, and after years of working in higher education and encouraging people to pursue their passions every day, I decided to pursue mine. I currently hold my M.S.Ed. In Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St. Bonaventure University, and my MHC-LP. I have worked with several different populations during my internships in graduate school and early professional career, and currently, I see adolescents and adults for a range of issues including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and more. I have found a recent passion for working with members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other underrepresented groups.
My focus as a clinician starts with a humanistic lens, as I believe in focusing on meeting you where you are and not judging you. I also rely heavily on cognitive therapies (CBT, REBT), and further go on to explore emotions in a safe way, addressing them in the moment, bringing in elements of Gestalt, and working through problems using Solution-focused techniques. Despite the jargony beginning to this, the punchline is much more simple: there is no ‘one size fits all’ therapy, and whatever technique is the best fit for you and what you’re facing. I believe in using evidence-based treatments because I want you to have the best outcome.
Whoever you are or whatever you are coming in to talk about, I strive to provide a welcoming and safe environment and work with you to set and achieve goals. Ultimately, I believe that everyone can make changes in their life and impact themselves and others for the better, and I’d welcome the opportunity to help you on your journey.
Let our highly trained, compassionate therapists help you on your transformation.
Transformations… the path to unlimited possibilities.
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