About Joe 

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I received my MSW in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, BS in computer science and mathematics, BA in economics, and MS in applied mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

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I interned at Hall-Mercer Community Mental Health Center and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia. 

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I love what I do at Merak Health, which is to help clients live better lives. I strive to help clients manage relationships with their parents or communicate better with their partners. I truly believe it is possible to heal from intense anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. You don't have to do this alone. 

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Prior to social work, I was a Director at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an Associate Dean at Tufts University. I've advised and taught college students for over 10 years.

 

During my free time, I enjoy long hikes in nature and trying foods from all over the world.

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Joe's Modalities and Populations 

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In therapy, I tend to draw from a variety of modalities, including ACT, CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS, mindfulness, and others.

 

I meet primarily with adults (individuals) on Medicaid on a range of issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, sexual abuse, mood and personality disorders, and relationship issues. 

About Jillian 

 

I received my Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Guilford College.

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During my internship at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center, I worked with patients and families who were navigating life-threatening illnesses on top of any mental health concerns they had prior to their diagnosis, and at Jefferson Health's Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, I provided emotional support to patients and families who were receiving palliative care.

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Prior to social work, I enjoyed working with high school students and their families in my role as Tutoring Coordinator. Additionally, I served as a Research Assistant and College Student Mentor at the Center for Principled Problem Solving and Excellence in Teaching in North Carolina. During my free time, I love watching comedy movies with my husband and playing with our three dogs.

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Jillian's Values & Approach 

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When it comes to therapy, every client is different so they deserve a unique approach. I like to combine techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Person-Centered Therapy in order to develop the most effective treatment plan for each client. For couples, I have formal training in the Gottman Method. I respect and honor the diverse backgrounds and identities of my clients, and therefore work to create an inclusive and affirming environment for everyone.

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I believe that therapy at its core is a place for those seeking support to foster healing, growth, and empowerment. I believe that therapy is a collaborative journey, and my role as a therapist is to provide a safe and empathetic space where clients can explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

About Melissa's Practice 

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I received my Master’s Degree in Social Work and BS in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. During my MSW internship at Acacia: A Place for Personal & Family Development, I used relational-cultural and psychodynamic therapy to guide my work with clients including children, adults, and adolescents to promote their processes of healing, self-discovery, and overall well-being. I treated mental health concerns and diagnoses related to complex trauma and attachment interferences including PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression. My clinical approach centers on relational dynamics and trauma-focused and -sensitive care.

 

My multifaceted identity, by way of East and West African, Indigenous, and European ancestry informs my lived experience. Each of these has inspired my desire to work with and create a safe container for the versatile therapeutic journeys and explorations of adults, children, and adolescents. Before my work as a therapist, I held the role of a Survey Specialist Associate at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research where we sought to investigate young adult substance use across the lifespan.

 

Prior to that, I served as a Registered Behavior Technician with children diagnosed with ASD, as a Lab Assistant at the Naval Postgraduate School, and at Michigan Medicine as a Research Technician Associate where I contributed to the understanding of the mother-infant or primary caregiver dyad relationship with infant eating behaviors from 2 weeks to 12 months old. In my free time, I’m either having a dance party with my four-year-old little one or grounding in nature (ask me about my favorite ways to do so!).

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I seek to meet each individual where they are at through a strengths-based and collaborative lens in therapy. I believe that through my learned understanding of the unique, manifold, and intersectional identities of clients, I work to develop a warm and secure therapeutic alliance. I respect the multidimensionality of my clients and am in pursuit of how to best honor and uplift that in the container of the therapeutic relationship.

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Melissa's Modalities and Populations 

 

I utilize Relational Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Play Therapy, Circle of Security Parenting, and Interpersonal Therapy.

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I work with adults, teens, couples, children ages 5 and up with a focus on the Medicaid population.

About Cassi's Practice 

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I received my MSW in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, my MA in Literature and Gender Studies from Villanova University, and my BA in English from the Pennsylvania State University.

 

I have worked with a wide range of adolescent and adult clients on varied issues over the course of my career, including the following: mood instability, chronic and childhood trauma, learning differences, fatal and non-fatal losses, criminal justice system involvement, psychosis, and patterns of interpersonal conflicts.

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My career began in the field of education and the liberal arts, during which time I tutored students in the Penn State Abington Learning Center and supported first year, transfer, international, and first generation college students with adjusting to a university environment. I went on to work with incarcerated individuals as a Mental Health Professional at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and I later enjoyed working with adult clients admitted to psychiatric inpatient, step-down, and transitional treatment units in my role as Activities Therapist with YesCare. During my free time, I try to practice a healthy balance of my love for spending time with my dog and being outdoors with my love for playing video games and watching horror movies.

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Due to my diversified educational and professional background, I use an eclectic approach to my practice. I keep the fact that every individual has distinctly unique experiences at the forefront when considering which therapeutic techniques to combine. Generally, I like to use techniques from Psychodynamic Therapy, Object Relations Theory, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to collaboratively discover and support each client’s treatment goals. I have also received formal training in modalities such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ecotherapy, and Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI).

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Cassi's Modalities and Populations

 

​I utilize Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Ecotherapy, Internal Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, and Play Therapy.

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I work with adults, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, perpetrators of sexual violence with a focus on Medicaid populations.