Therapist: Jessica
Hello, I’m Jess!
Jessica Cullan, LCSW (Connecticut)
My approach
Life presents itself with a variety of challenges, and sometimes how we respond can surprise us. Your mental health is so important for your overall wellness, and you deserve to feel joy in your life. My goal is to provide a safe environment in which we can work together through those times of challenge where you are not feeling like your best self. My genuine approach will highlight your strengths and empower you to overcome these life challenges. I will use evidence-based practice to teach you skills to use for more healthy ways of coping with your life stressors.
Background
I graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with my Bachelors’ degree in social work. I then completed the graduate program at Rhode Island College where I earned my Masters’ degree in clinical social work. I have previously worked in a range of settings, including work in schools, communities and traditional outpatient. My most recent work has been overseeing an intensive evidence-based practice working with families affected by substance misuse.
Professional interests
I especially love working with children, adolescents, and families.
treatment areas and modalities
My passion is working with individuals who are facing life transitions, increased stress, challenges in relationships, family conflict, grief and loss, low self-esteem, or experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression.
I am skilled in:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Solution Focused Approach
Strengths Based Approach
Empowerment Model
Family Systems
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Anger Management
Therapist: Christina
Hi, I'm Christina!
Christina Cozza, LICSW (Massachusetts)
I am a dog lover, adventure seeker, and strong believer in vitamin sea. Some days can't be fixed by petting your dog, listening to beach waves, or eating your favorite donut. That's why I'd love to be the one to share that space with you and do some work alongside you.
Background
I am a therapist independently licensed to practice clinical social work in Massachusetts. I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Social Work degrees from Simmons College in Boston, MA and have spent the majority of my career working with currently and previously incarcerated individuals, law enforcement, first responders, and mandated clients.
Professional interests
I have extensive knowledge and experience working with individuals with histories of trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, and other mental illnesses. I have worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and specialize in working with veterans, addictions, mental illness and trauma. I especially love working with first responders, law enforcement, and veterans.
Treatment areas and modalities
My style could be described as eclectic, as I focus on a person-centered model and enjoy using different treatment modalities, tailored to the individual I am working with.
I am skilled in:
Trauma Treatment
Anger Management
Empowerment Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Work with Veterans
Therapist: Lauren
Hi, I’M LAUREN!
Lauren Shea, MSW, LCSW (MA), LMSW (CT)
Massachusetts & Connecticut
I am a family-oriented wife, restaurant connoisseur and music lover. For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about helping others. I am here to offer guidance and supportive care while you journey through life. Whether you are overcoming anxiety, depression, experiencing grief and loss, or just need someone to actively listen, you have come to the right place
BACKGROUND:
I earned a dual Bachelors’ degree in (i) Psychology and (ii) Human Services and Rehabilitative Studies at Assumption University, followed by my Masters of Social Work with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families at Boston College. I am provisionally licensed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. I have spent most of my career teaching social skills and applying counseling techniques to support the emotional well-being of students. My additional experience includes direct care services, in-home family therapy, and most recently inpatient and outpatient hospital care.
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
My particular interests involve working collaboratively with individuals who are dealing with increased stress, anxiety, depression, and grief and loss. I especially love empowering children and adolescents to improve their self-esteem and awareness as they navigate relationship challenges, address family conflict, and adjust to life transitions.
TREATMENT AREAS AND MODALITIES:
By integrating a variety of models into my practice, I have realized that there is no “one-size fits all” approach to therapy. My process of creating a calm and safe space serves to facilitate therapeutic growth and positive change. Together, our focus will be on increasing your inherent strengths and personal resilience. During the course of treatment, you will develop coping mechanisms and learn problem-solving strategies to effectively manage stress and anxiety.
I am skilled in:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Play Therapy
Social Skills Training
Solution Focused Therapy
Strengths-Based Therapy
Therapist: Ali
Hi, i'm ali!
Ali Melchionna, MSW, LCSW
Massachusetts
BACKGROUND
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Ithaca College. After teaching high school music for several years, I realized my interests and strengths lived more in helping my students to navigate social-emotional and intrapersonal obstacles they were encountering throughout adolescence, and decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Social Work at Salem State University. My experience is primarily working in different levels of care with clients struggling with eating disorders. I am provisionally licensed in Massachusetts, and working towards my independent licensure.
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
My professional interests and background involve working with individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, anxiety, and trauma as well as those struggling in their relationships with food, body image, and exercise. I’m passionate about helping my clients utilize self-compassion and self-awareness to explore their belief systems, thoughts, and behaviors to make meaningful and lasting change in their lives. I especially enjoy working with adolescents, young adults, and athletes.
my approach
I believe that everything individuals need to become their most successful and authentic selves is already inside of them, and my job as a therapist is to help empower my clients to realize and access their own potential and resilience. I love incorporating my sense of humor into my clinical practice, and I strive to create a safe space for clients to process stressors and obstacles they encounter in their lives.
I am skilled in:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Mindfulness
Motivational Interviewing
Empowerment Therapy
Strengths-Based Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Internal Family Systems
Therapist: MaryKate
Hi, I’M MaryKate!
MaryKate Irving, LCSW
Connecticut
MY APPROACH
Every stage and phase of our lives comes with a multitude of stressors, changes, and challenges. It can often feel isolating, confusing, and overall difficult in times like this. Therapy and working on bettering one’s mental health should be a place of safety and comfort and I am passionate about helping those that I work with feel this during their work! My goal is to always provide that emotionally safe environment in order to be able to work on the struggles you are facing. We all have our own individual needs and in my work with clients, I am focused on personalizing your experience to meet those needs, using the strengths and supports around you. Through my background and experience I will utilize therapeutic interventions and help you to develop healthy skills to cope with those stressors that you are facing. Together we can work towards finding the healthiest version of you and do so in ways that feel manageable and possible!
BACKGROUND:
I graduated from Quinnipiac University with my Bachelors’ degree in Social Services. I then went on to the University of Connecticut School of Social Work where I earned my Masters’ degree in Clinical Social Work. Prior to Centered Minds, I have worked in many different settings, including community-based clinics where I provided therapy in both in-home and in-office settings. I also worked with families involved with the Department of Children and Families, as well as provided clinical care within a high school and adolescent shelter. Most recently, I have been working with young adults in an outpatient setting, specifically those struggling with life transitions, heightened anxiety, and struggling with relationships in their lives.
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Through my work with many different populations and in a variety of settings, I have found enjoyment working with young adults, whether that includes those transitioning from high school into college and the many changes that arise with this, or those in the working world, adjusting to the struggles of balancing relationships, finding self-love, and managing the many shifts that take place in this stage of life. The heightened anxiety, stress, and challenges that arise during this time are areas of mental health that I truly enjoy helping others work through.
TREATMENT AREAS AND MODALITIES:
One thing that I find very important in treatment is understanding that each and every person struggles in their own ways and therefore responds and receives therapy in their own ways as well. Through my knowledge and use of multiple different treatment modalities, I work with you to find the approach that feels right for your specific needs. Using a strength-based approach and focusing on attainable and realistic treatment goals is in the center of my practice in order to truly meet the needs every individual has when engaging in therapy.
I am skilled in:
Attachment Based therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Family Systems Approach
Motivational Interviewing
Solution Focused Therapy
Strengths Based Approach
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Therapist: Kahla
Hi, i'm kahla!
Kahla Jusell, MSW, LCSW
Massachusetts
Hello, I’m Kahla!
I am a dog and ferret mom, 16th generation Cape Codder, lover of the salt water and surf, and yoga teacher (including trauma-informed yoga). You can normally catch me enjoying the sun all throughout the year, practicing meditation, and walking my rescue dog from Mississippi, Indigo, around the Boston area where we are currently located!
BACKGROUND
I earned my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at the University of Southern Maine Honors College where I worked in services for people experiencing homelessness, including day shelter and 24-hour shelter work, clinic-based medication for addiction treatment, medical case management, and intensive one-on-one support for high acuity clients living with opiate use disorder. I completed my Master of Social Work (MSW) in the Advanced Standing Clinical cohort of Boston University with a specialization in Trauma and Violence work. My current experience is working as a street-based outreach clinician serving trauma survivors and our unhoused community with a specialization in harm reduction for substance use disorder cases. I am provisionally licensed in Massachusetts, and working towards my independent licensure.
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
I am passionate about working with people who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental illness. I also love working with young people navigating identity and life transitions, people in recovery or working toward recovery, and assisting clients in moving through grief and loss.
my approach
My treatment modalities are based on empowerment and person-centered approaches to meet you where you’re at. What has happened to you does not define you and I am here to help my
clients uncover themselves beneath the challenges they’ve been dealt. I strongly believe that we have the capability to thrive with the right support and I would be honored to be a part of your community holding you up. I strive to create a safe space where clients feel like they can authentically be themselves without judgment or shame and feel safe in our space together.
I am skilled in:
I am skilled in:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma-informed Care
Motivational Interviewing
Strengths-based approach
Mindfulness and Trauma-informed Yoga
Parts Therapy and processing somatic experiences
Empowerment based approach
Narrative Therapy
Therapist: Kaiya
Hi, I’M kaiya!
Kaiya Davis, MSW, LCSW
Massachusetts
BACKGROUND
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Social Welfare from Bridgewater State University. I later obtained my Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. In my early professional career, I worked with college students using a holistic approach to help them overcome personal and professional challenges related to anxiety and depression, trauma, sexual violence, and grief. I understand the unique obstacles that college students face during this time of significant transition and change. After working in higher education for many years, I decided to pursue my Master’s Degree in Social Work with a mental health concentration at Simmons University. I have experience treating a diverse array of client concerns, and have spent the majority of my time working with teens and young adults. I am provisionally licensed in Massachusetts, and am working towards my independent licensure.
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
My professional background and interests include working with teenagers, young adults, and those going through life transitions. I have experience working with individuals with anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, personality disorders, and trauma. I utilize an eclectic and client-centered approach to meet the unique needs of each person.
MY APPROACH:
In treatment, I focus on learning the unique stories that each client brings into the therapy space. I believe that effective treatment is facilitated by working alongside each client, and I utilize a holistic style that focuses on the whole person and their relationships with those around them. It is important for me to cater my approach to each individual client while honoring their strengths. The therapy environment that I strive to create is one that is validating, safe, and built on trust. I recognize the vulnerability that it takes to engage in therapy, and building a strong therapeutic relationship is an essential part of the process. I strongly believe that each client has the capability to make positive changes to their thoughts and behaviors that will improve their quality of life while accepting the things that are outside of their control.
I AM SKILLED IN:
Attachment Based therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Family Systems Approach
Motivational Interviewing
Solution Focused Therapy
Strengths Based Approach
Trauma-Informed Therapy