Meet The Team
Meet The Team
Admin Team
Grisel Vargas, LICSW
Clinical Supervisor & Trauma Specialist
As a bilingual, Spanish-speaking, queer-identifying woman I have a personal passion and commitment to meeting the mental health needs of Latinx, LGBTQ+ identifying individuals, POC, and others who struggle to connect culturally and comfortably to address their mental health needs. I operate from a social justice, anti-oppressive perspective, and strive to create a space of healing and acceptance by offering a nonjudgmental approach with all my clients. My clinical experience includes supporting the community in complex mental health needs to include trauma, substance use disorders, medical health needs and more.
Corissa Colon, LCSW
Lead Clinician
Finding a space where one can be honest and authentic doesn’t have to be difficult; allow me to guide you with compassion, authenticity and grace. I am a Northampton native who is Latina, bicultural and bilingual. I have more than 20 years of experience working within the mental health population, children and families as well as young adults. I am trained in many modalities including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and dialectical behavioral therapy.
Marilyn Hobdy BSW, CLC
Office & Financial Manager
Life is a journey filled with many different paths, and almost everyone's goal is to find fulfillment. Some paths may bring spiritual enlightenment, other paths may lead us to be a CEO of a fortune five hundred company. Regardless of the differences, we can all agree that life presents challenges, sometimes even roadblocks. It’s not that we aren’t aware of what we want to achieve, we just become a little weary along the way, and our vision becomes blurry.I’ve experienced the challenges of being successful in my profession as a Social Worker for the past ten years while yet still being actively involved in the lives of my children, and being a dutiful and loving spouse. It was through the assistance of another caring person, who came alongside me in my journey, and reassured me that my experience does not have to be identical to anyone else's. That statement was freeing. I believe that life coaching provides that freedom for us. My ultimate goal is to create a partnership with the clients who are invested in achieving their goal(s). Through collaborating with you in the development of creating a positive framework for your success.
The Clinicians
Cicely Cicero, MSW
Mental Health Clinician
My mission as an African American woman, from Springfield, is to motivate you to recognize your struggles and be successful in addressing them. I have experience with working with children, adults, and families, for more than 10 years and providing helpful interventions to remaining calm and balanced. My mental health background is in substance abuse, trauma and dealing with hardships, healing of oppressed people, as well as acknowledging the strength, and resiliency that people in our communities have. I can help guide you to focus on the issues that matter most to you while navigating the thoughts, emotions, and feelings that always seem to stand in the way using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, motivational interviewing, and other therapeutic modalities.
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Maureen Dean,
LCSW, PhD Candidate
As a Black woman with lived experiences outside the USA, I know the joys, sorrows and pleasures of living with, and beyond, preconceived notions of who you and “should” be. You will find me to be a warm, caring and highly skilled companion on your journey in expressing your human fears, concerns, and hopes. I am dedicated to a holistic body-mind-spirit-ecological therapeutic approach knowing first hand the power of nature, nurture and culture. I weave traditional, conventional and creative prevention and healing practices to support individuals, groups and communities to be seen, heard and understood.
Mental Health Clinician
Hope Miller, MA
Mental Health Clinician
We are all so complicated. We love hard, we inflict hurt to our selves and others. But there is still so much beauty that lives within us all. I want to be able help you create the self-love, self-worth, self-compassionate and self- trust in you again. I have over 10 years in working with individuals that have experienced traumas in intimate partner and family violence. I am committed to supporting individuals to find that surviving self-love that lives within them, especially when feelings of brokenness and hopelessness is the only vision. We will develop communication with love and kindness for true change in our relationships. I ensure that I see my clients through a racial justice lense. Holding empathy and standing for all those with marginalized identifies that experience the traumas of life inflicted by the racisms, and phobias from our world. I am here to create that safe healing space that you truly deserve. As a sought-after DJ in my other world we can incorporate healing through music. You will believe in you again to create a lifelong acceptance for self-compassion. Let's find the music in your heartbeat, that calms the heavy anxious thoughts in our minds. Let me help you fall in love with the music in your soul and foster that self-love again.
Jialin Xiang, EdM
Mental Health Clinician
I am a compassionate and dedicated Chinese counselor. Being a Chinese woman myself, I have a profound understanding of the unique challenges that Asian individuals face in the American context. I strongly believe that culture plays a significant role in shaping our mental health. It influences our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Recognizing this, I am committed to empowering Asian individuals living in the United States. My goal is to help individuals heal from past experiences and develop effective ways to cope with anxiety. I provide a safe and supportive space where clients can openly explore their emotions and experiences. I am here to support you on your journey towards healing and personal growth.
Erin Battistoni, MSW, LCSW, MA, MAPS
Mental Health Clinician
I am passionate about creating space for clients from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to share freely who you are, being able to explore your values, feelings, and thoughts within an authentic and accepting environment. I believe that we each have many layers that influence how we experience the world and our lives. Having worked in direct human services for almost two decades, my work has centered on crisis management, survivors of title 9 related incidents and relationship violence, LGBTQIA+ mentoring, and in-depth work with college students at community colleges and universities. My areas of expertise include addressing depression/anxiety, adjustment to college, grief, life transitions & stress related issues, finding existential meaning/life purpose, academic performance, and LGBTQIA+ together with related issues of marginalization and familial expectations.. In addition to my MSW, I hold a Master Degree in college student development with a specialty in working with adult and non-traditional learners, as well as a Master in pastoral studies/counseling. I use a trauma-informed holistic approach and draw from a variety of modalities to best meet your needs. These modalities incorporate practical skills from DBT, systems theory, parts work, and solution focused therapy as well as existential and transpersonal approach to work with the spiritual aspects of your development and soul purpose (if that is meaningful for you). Therapy is about creating and supporting a safe, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship that facilitates your journey as you claim your power and voice. My role within that relationship is to aid and encourage you to grow in new and meaningful ways while helping you to discover your best self.Therapy is part of a journey, I look forward to walking in partnership with you on that journey.
Kumbi Ushe, LCSW, MBA
Mental Health Clinician
Through the use of trauma-attuned care and gentle exploration, I encourage clients to “feel the feels” and reclaim their role as the narrator of their life story. I believe it is never too late for a plot twist. My specialties include the integration of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and relational—cultural perspectives. From a social justice and person-in-environment framework, I assist clients in identifying Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs) that have impacted their development, and explore ways to thrive in inequitable conditions. Prior to earning my Master of Social Work (MSW) from Westfield State University, I earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Nonprofit Management from Springfield College, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Integrated Liberal Studies from Western New England University (WNEU). My background also includes therapeutic work with justice-involved individuals and/or clients with substance use disorders (SUDs). I am also well-versed in harm reduction best practices.
The Interns
Anushika Srivastava
Clinician Intern
I am a dedicated mental health counselor with a deep passion for helping individuals navigate the complexities of their emotional well-being. Hailing from the culturally diverse and vibrant country of India, I bring a unique perspective to my practice, incorporating elements of Eastern wisdom and Western psychology to provide holistic and culturally sensitive mental health support. My approach to counseling is founded on empathy, active listening, and a client-centered perspective. I believe in creating a safe and non-judgmental space where clients can openly explore their thoughts and feelings. Whether you are facing issues related to anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, or life transitions, I am here to provide support and guidance tailored to your unique needs. I am fluent in English, Hindi and Urdu, which allows me to provide therapy in multiple languages, further breaking down barriers to access for diverse communities. My goal is to empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives, bridging the gap between cultural nuances and mental health care. I am dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging and well-being for all my clients, regardless of their cultural or linguistic backgrounds.
Amy Chen
Clinician Intern
I am a second-year graduate student in counseling psychology at Boston University. My approach to therapy is largely based in the practices of liberative psychology and influenced by my identity as a Chinese-American woman, who grew up in a predominantly white town. I firmly believe our identities and backgrounds play significant roles in how we enter the counseling space and I will always strive to create a safe and nonjudgmental environment in connecting with indiviudals.