Our Professionals
Dr. Peter Berzins
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Peter Berzins, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist (# 4806) in NJ and NY. He specializes in individual psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults, as well as working with athletes using sports psychology. He is an expert in treating anxiety and sports performance related issues using Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT). Dr. Berzins has an extraordinary ability to connect with clients to help them thrive in their environment. Beyond that, he has extensive experience providing therapy to college students and helping them transition into young adulthood. Dr. Berzins provides a uniquely non-judgmental environment in which clients feel free to express themselves and explore their conflicts, while creating real change. Dr. Berzins has over fifteen years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults.
Dr. Berzins has a particular interest in Positive Psychology, which focuses on the science of happiness and how to attain it. He incorporates many of these practices into his own life and is excited to share his knowledge with others. He believes the goal of therapy should be to optimize living instead of just alleviating symptoms. More simply, he helps people thrive rather than merely survive.
Dr. Berzins received his Masters Degree from Columbia University. He earned his Doctorate Degree from Fordham University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. His dissertation investigated the relationship between therapeutic alliance with adolescents and their outcome in therapy. Additionally, he was awarded a NYU fellowship in psychoanalytic treatment of children and adults. Dr. Berzins completed his APA accredited internship at the Drew University counseling center and Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. Given his research on therapeutic alliance, he believes there should be an emphasis on developing a trusting relationship or alliance with your psychologist to maximize gains in therapy.
Dr. Brittany Ryan-Berzins
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Brittany Ryan-Berzins, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (# 4961) in NJ. She specializes in individual therapy with women, adolescent girls, and children. She specializes in treating depression (in teens and adults), self-injury (cutting), anxiety, and stress specifically associated with transitions for women and girls. She treats post-partum depression, stress associated with fertility treatment, and coping with divorce. Dr. Ryan-Berzins has a special talent in guiding individuals out of depression, whether it is their first experience in therapy or if they have struggled with depression throughout their lives.
Dr. Ryan-Berzins has conducted research on cutting and other self-injurious behavior and treats adolescents who resort to self-injury to cope with their feelings. Dr. Ryan-Berzins has extensive experience helping girls develop healthy self-esteem and a positive self-image. She has vast experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma (neglect, abuse, violence, or victimization) and the impact that it has on individuals' relationships.She creates a warm, especially accepting environment where people feel free to explore their conflicts as well as hopes for the future . Dr. Ryan-Berzins is genuinely interested in what makes you who you are and how you can flourish in a world with increasing demands.
At times we all need help coping with the complexities of life. These times can be an opportunity to create change in ourselves, our relationships, and our lives. Dr. Ryan-Berzins believes that our past contributes to our current emotions, thoughts, and relationships. Understanding how our past experiences have shaped who we are today allows us to understand why we react with our particular style and actively take control of our lives. With this depth of understanding, people are able to make lasting change which means a more fulfilling life. Dr. Ryan-Berzins incorporates Positive Psychology, CBT, and Behavioral Techniques into treatment to produce change that immediately lifts an individual's mood.
Dr. Ryan-Berzins received her Doctorate Degree from Fordham University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Her dissertation investigated the unconscious thought patterns in individuals who engaged in cutting and other self-injurious behaviors. Dr. Ryan-Berzins was trained at the most prestigious hospitals and institutes in Manhattan. Her training includes positions at Lennox Hill Hospital as well as The New York Psychoanalytic Institute. Beyond that, Dr. Ryan-Berzins conducted research at NYU Belleview Center for Survivors of Torture. She also has copious amounts of experience working with college students and has worked at various universities in the area. Dr. Ryan-Berzins completed her APA accredited internship at the Veteran's Administration, where she served veteran's who experienced trauma.
Ferdinando Palumbo, LCSW
Ferdinando Palumbo, MSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#44SC05834000). He earned his Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan, one of the foremost institutions for Social Work. Ferdinando Palumbo has worked in private practice treating children, adolescents, and adults. His warm, disarming, and unique style create an accepting, open environment that fosters growth.
Ferdinando Palumbo, LCSW treats individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. He has extensive training and experience in Cognitive Behavior Therapy(CBT). He employs CBT to help clients in developing the skills that they need to effectively manage their emotions and behaviors. He uses empirically supported treatments to attain results quickly, including Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), Habit Reversal Training (HRT), and Behavior Modification. Ferdinando Palumbo has a wealth of knowledge and continues to seek out new techniques to most effectively meet the needs of his clients. Additionally, he balances clinical work with a college teaching appointment where he is engaged and committed to helping students thrive.
Ferdinando Palumbo, LCSW integrates Virtual Reality into his sessions when appropriate. The VR Platform has over 70 modules including mindfulness training, and many exposure experiences including heights, contamination, driving, flying, public speaking, social interactions, medical appointments, and school. This provides a great opportunity to treat school phobias, OCD, social anxiety, and many phobias in the office.
Ferdinando Palumbo, LCSW has worked in a variety of settings including: K-12 education settings, a sexual violence resource center, a group practice, and as an in-home therapist. He has extensive experience treating many common treatment concerns including ADHD, OCD, phobia, tics and Tourette's syndrome, depression, anxiety, issues around school performance, and behaviorally challenging youth. Fernando is committed to staying at the cutting edge of evidence based practice to provide his clients with the best treatments. He is firmly of the opinion that providing the best, evidence based treatments is an of the utmost importance for clinical practice.
Randi-Jo Farrell, LCSW
Randi-Jo Farrell, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#44SC05908800). She earned her Masters Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Randi-Jo has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in various clinical settings. Randi treats a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, anger, school refusal, behavioral challenges, executive functioning disorders and issues specific to athletes.
Randi-Jo Farrell, uses evidence-based treatment to help clients develop coping skills and change their thoughts which leads to changes in how one feels about themselves and the world. Randi uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to create lasting change in her clients. Randi tailors her approach to each individual client to create a comfortable intervention and promote positive change in his or her lives. Randi incorporates DBT into her practice to teach people how to live in the moment, cope with stress, regulate emotions and improve relationships with others. DBT is an extremely effective intervention in treating depression, cutting, unregulated anger, and difficulty calming down (self-soothing). Randi played college basketball and works with athletes to improve their thinking and emotions. Randi works to teach athletes the coping skills that help them manage stress and improve their thoughts, in turn, improving their performance.
Randi-Jo Farrell works with parents raising "challenging" children to develop positive parenting strategies. She utilizes with the ‘Nurtured Heart Approach’, which is a relationship-focused methodology that provides parents with new strategies that are appropriate for their specific child. She understands how traditional parenting techniques intensify a situation with a child who is difficult or challenging, such as those who are diagnosed with ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or other acting out behaviors. Randi will teach you alternative techniques to help parents develop more effective strategies.
Brian Wilson, LPC
Brian Wilson is a Licensed Professional Counselor (37PC00756500) who earned a Master of Arts from William Paterson University. He continued his education with post-Master’s training at Fairfield University and Rutgers University. Brian has a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in both clinical and school settings. Brian specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, ADHD, family conflict, and behavioral issues.
Brian utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to assist individuals in recognizing and focusing on how their thoughts affect their emotions and behaviors. The goal is to help people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which leads to changes in emotions. This form of therapy is solution focussed and deals primarily with an individual’s present and future. As a seasoned clinician, Brian also uses other clinical modalities, as needed to help clients develop the skills that they need to thrive. He believes in a collaborative approach and encourages open communication with families. Brian has a positive, friendly demeanor that helps his clients to feel comfortable and engaged in treatment.
Brian has a unique knack for quickly building a rapport with his clients. His past experience working with children and their families in schools and clinical settings including, emergency room and inpatient settings, has helped him to persevere in the most difficult of situations. He has developed a superior ability to help his clients to develop the skills they need to deal with their current life circumstances. He works with children, adolescents, and college age individuals. He has honed his skills with over 25 years of experience with children, adolescents, and young adults. He is successful in helping clients to overcome obstacles, navigate transitions, and persevere through crisis situations.
Sarah DeVizio, LCSW
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Sarah DeVizio, MSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#44SC06051300) in New Jersey. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan. Sarah has worked in Michigan, Massachusetts, and New Jersey in clinical and school settings. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and young adults. Sarah treats anxiety, depression, and behavioral difficulties.
Sarah believes in the power of relationships and works to develop strong therapeutic connections with clients in order to build a resilient foundation for growth and healing. She uses a strengths-based approach and draws from the ARC-framework. Using this framework, Sarah supports clients in developing their own awareness of emotions to work towards building self-regulation skills and feelings of empowerment. Sarah uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) to teach children coping skills that allow them to manage and overcome anxiety and depression. Sarah also draws from Internal Family Systems (IFS) teachings to help clients manage and process complicated feelings.
Sarah believes we all have the capacity for growth. She brings a warm, compassionate, and upbeat personality to therapy. She enjoys utilizing creative arts activities, mindfulness practices, and play therapy skills in her work often. Sarah is passionate about staying up to date on the latest evidence-based practices and provides a warm, supportive environment to connect with clients.
Mini Sharma, LPC
Mini Sharma is a Licensed Professional Counselor (37PC00592100) with a wealth of experience in the counseling field. Mini is a graduate of Monmouth University, where she received her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology at Saint Elizabeth University. Mini has worked with diverse populations with varying needs, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and family conflict. She has experience working with adolescents and adults in partial hospitalization, IOP, and outpatient settings. Mini has experience as a Program Director of a child and adolescent partial hospitalization program. She was previously the Program Director of an Outpatient program in East Orange providing counseling to children, adults, and families. She also has developed expertise in several modalities, including CBT, DBT, and a certification in the Nurtured Heart Approach.
Mini has great success engaging her clients in therapy and tailoring therapy to her client’s needs. In outpatient treatment, Mini utilizes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and a person-centered, Humanistic approach with her clients. She has extensive experience working with women and teen girls, which she finds very rewarding. Mini empowers her clients to work through their problems and live a more fulfilling and balanced life. Clients that have worked with her find that they feel better and more motivated to work on themselves after sessions.
Joanne Ciriello, LPC
Joanne Ciriello is a Licensed Professional Counselor (#1083028567) and earned her Master of Arts from Montclair State University. She continued her education with post- Master’s training at Kean University. Joanne has a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. She has worked in clinical and school settings. Joanne specializes in the treatment of bereavement, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and midlife transitions. She is skilled in guiding adults and teens through grief and supporting them in finding meaning after loss.
Joanne utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) to assist individuals in goal-oriented problem solving and empowering clients to move forward with resolutions for present and future goals. As an experienced Clinician, Joanne draws from other clinical modalities, as needed to help clients advance in their personal life journey. She believes in a collaborative approach and open communication. Joanne has an open and friendly demeanor that helps her clients to feel comfortable and connected in therapy. Joanne is a lifelong athlete who has a zest for life and works to help her clients to connect with their excitement for their own life and find meaning.
Joanne has developed an advanced ability to help her clients to develop the skills they need to deal with their current life circumstances. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and couples. She has honed her skills with over 15 years of experience with adolescents and many years of experience treating adults. She is successful in helping clients to navigate college transitions, quarter life decisions, and midlife transition.
Zoe Malkin, LCSW
Zoe Malkin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey (#44SC06067100) and New York (#092300-01). She received her Masters Degree in Social Work from New York University and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Peace Studies from Goucher College. She has worked within the New York City Health and Hospitals network in the Adult Outpatient Department as well as in private group psychotherapy practices working with adolescents and adults. Zoe concentrates on treating anxiety, depression, and trauma.
As a psychotherapist Zoe draws on an integrative approach of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Modality, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to guide clients toward a deeper understanding of their thoughts, feelings and experiences, while teaching them necessary coping skills. Within the safety of the therapeutic environment, she is committed to engaging in a collaborative, holistic therapy process in which clients can achieve balance, contentment and ultimately healing. They will cultivate coping strategies that foster insight and change, thereby creating emotional and physical well-being.
Areas of particular interest for Zoe include mindfulness, the mind-body connection, emotional regulation, compassion-based therapy, relationships, nutrition, and physical health. Zoe is an avid runner, yoga practitioner and certified Yoga instructor (RYT). She enjoys working with athletes to help optimize their mental performance. She has additional experience supervising therapists working toward their clinical social work licenses.
Joselyn McClatchey, LCSW
Joselyn McClatchey, MSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (44SC05916300). She earned her Master of Social Work degree from New York University. Joselyn also has a School Social Work certification. She has worked with preschoolers, children, adolescents, parents and families in clinical and school settings. Joselyn has focused her training and experience on the treatment of children and families.
Joselyn focuses on establishing a strong therapeutic relationship with individuals as a foundation for treatment. She uses Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to develop the necessary coping skills to help individuals manage their emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. She utilizes a Client-Centered approach to treatment that emphasizes an increased self-understanding, self-confidence, and self-determination. She works with individuals to develop the skills they need to solve their own problems making them more independent. Joselyn tailors treatment to the individual’s developmental level and current needs.
Joselyn has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, families, and parents with depression, anxiety, and varied behavioral challenges. Additionally, Joselyn enjoys working with adolescents who are struggling to establish a positive identity, manage anger, and cope with the difficulties created by social media and peer difficulties. She is able to quickly build rapport with adolescents and families with her warm, empathetic, relatable, and positive personality.
Kaitlyn Valente, LCSW
Kaitlyn Valente, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#44SC05615500.) She earned her Masters of Social Work Degree from Rutgers University. Additionally, she has a Post-Master's Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice from NYU. Kaitlyn Valente has over 10 years of clinical experience working with teenagers and adults providing therapeutic services at both the individual and group level of care. Additionally, she has experience providing crisis intervention services in an emergency setting.
Kaitlyn Valente has extensive training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and specializes in helping individuals change their thoughts and behaviors to treat anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and depression. Kaitlyn Valente has a client-centered perspective and caters her therapeutic approaches to best meet her client's individual needs. Furthermore, Kaitlyn Valente has experience utilizing multiple treatment models such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Kaitlyn Valente believes that therapy is a collaborative journey and works with her clients to learn ways to cope in order to manage difficult emotions more effectively. She has an exceptional ability to form connections with clients even at their most difficult moments. She helps her clients identify problematic patterns of thinking and the skills needed to move towards living a life that is more balanced and fulfilling. Kaitlyn Valente specializes in providing individual psychotherapy to teenagers, young adults, and adults who struggle with; anxiety, depression, family conflict, and challenging life transitions.