MEET THE TEAM AT DIANNE GHIRAJ MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Dianne Ghiraj, LMHC
Administrative and Clinical Director
Dianne is a non-judgmental, compassionate, culturally sensitive psychotherapist who utilizes eclectic therapeutic approaches that includes psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing, solution-focused strategies, and client centered therapy. Dianne specializes in treatment of individuals ranging from childhood to adulthood as well as couples. She works with individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship stressors, behavioral issues as well as other difficulties. Dianne fosters a safe and welcoming environment that gives clients the space they need to openly discuss their challenges. Dianne believes that therapy is a collaborative approach in which she guides clients toward their identified goals.
Katherine Estevez, LMHC-D
Clinical Supervisor
Katherine's educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from SUNY Binghamton University and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling from SUNY Albany University. Katherine started her career in 2015 as an addiction counselor. Counseling is the passage to help her clients learn solutions to their problems. With an interactive, warm, and accepting approach she has been helping clients find healthy perceptions of themselves. No single approach is the right one for everyone, and so she has been trained in a range of modalities including motivational interviewing, CBT, and REBT amongst several others.
Trinace Sass, LMHC
Supervising Therapist
Trinace's goal is to empower her clients and help them work towards becoming a more confident and healthier version of themselves. She offers compassionate and judgment-free support where clients are the center of their healing. With a deep understanding of how cultural and personal experiences shape mental health, Trinace is committed to creating an inclusive space where every individual feels heard and respected. She has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults struggling with Anxiety, Depression, and Addiction, and also works with individuals facing health concerns, family conflict, and relational issues. Trinace's practice is grounded in a commitment to cultural competence, ensuring that her approach is sensitive to the diverse backgrounds and identities of each client. Her modalities include Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Person-Centered Therapy. As a therapist, she helps her clients explore and implement coping skills needed to achieve their goals while honoring their unique cultural identities and life experiences.
Natalie Schettini, LMHC
Therapist
Through her time as a research assistant aiding to conduct studies on the effects of racial discrimination, Natalie became motivated to be a direct support for those in need of mental health resources. As a child of Black immigrants, she believes in the importance of being able to provide clients with a counselor who is culturally sensitive. She makes it her primary mission to foster a warm environment with a client first in order to ensure safety and trust. Natalie promotes a safe and healing environment for individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds using CBT and Psychodynamic Therapy. She works collaboratively with her clients to help creat their best self as well as helping them learn triggers, accepting the past, and incorporating coping skills to overcome emotional distress. She has experience counseling teenagers, young and middle-aged adults. She has helped clients manage their anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, relationship conflict, and other life stressors.
Elyse Fox, LMHC
Therapist
Elyse is a compassionate therapist committed to helping her clients adapt to, and overcome, life’s challenges through client-centered practices. Her work focuses on equipping clients with the tools needed to discover and create their own solutions. Elyse believes in taking a collaborative approach to reach treatment goals. She is passionate about providing clients with a safe, inviting space to encourage healing and growth. She has experience working with individuals dealing with a variety of issues, with a specialty in trauma recovery and individuals in crisis. Elyse has a BA and an MA in Forensic Psychology, as well as an MA in Forensic Mental Health Counseling from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Breanna Hira, LMHC
Therapist
Breanna graduated with her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling in 2021 from SUNY Brockport. Breanna has extensive experience working with individuals, couples and groups from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Over the course of her training in community mental health and her time in private practice, she has supported adults of all ages in navigating a wide range of challenges. Her approach is grounded in using the most effective therapeutic techniques, tailored to each client's unique needs. Breanna prioritizes a person-centered approach, which means her clients have control over their treatment process. She believes in the importance of working collaboratively, ensuring that any tools or discussions explored are aligned with what the client finds helpful. While she does not promise that every technique will work for everyone, her role is to educate, encourage, and support clients in exploring new strategies, with the understanding that what works for one person may not be suitable for another. Breanna’s area of specialization is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), but she also has experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Art Therapy, Gottman Couples Counseling, Motivational Interviewing, and Somatic Therapy. Breanna is currently running an ongoing DBT group.
Etosha Blank, LMHC
Therapist
Etosha has been working in the mental health field for over 10 years. Her goal as a therapist is to provide a safe and empowering environment to support her clients in their journey towards self-discovery. She believes that every individual has the inherent capacity for growth and self-healing. Through her sessions and the practice of building a safe therapeutic relationship, her aim is to guide her clients into greater insights from their own personal experiences as well as develop a stronger sense of self. She mainly uses CBT, DBT, narrative and somatic therapy. She works alongside her clients as a supportive role where they can feel comfortable addressing life's more difficult challenges. Together, Etosha and her clients can create healthier boundaries, increase self-esteem, learn healthier coping skills, manage difficult emotions, address trauma symptoms, and create a more fulfilling life path.
Sheriese Sanchez, PhD, MHC-LP
Therapist
Dr. Sanchez is dedicated to supporting individuals through personal conflict and emotional distress, providing a safe, supportive, and compassionate space for healing. She utilizes unconditional positive regard to empower clients to face life’s challenges and develop self-awareness and resilience. Her approach fosters clarity of mind and emotional growth, meeting each client where they are on their transformative journey. She specializes in Childhood Trauma, particularly related to Child Sexual Abuse, and Psychological Wellness, focusing on the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of healing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from Mercy University, a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Alliance University, and both a PhD in Psychology and Theology and an Executive Certificate in Psychology from Liberty University.
Antonette Jones, CMHC-LP, CTP, CGP
Therapist
With over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, Antonette brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her practice. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Forensic Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern New Hampshire University. In addition to her formal education, she holds a certificate in Medical Neuroscience and is a Certified Grief Professional (CGP) and Certified Trauma Professional (CTP). Throughout her career, she has provided comprehensive mental health and social services to a diverse clientele. Antonette's extensive experience includes individual and group therapy, facilitating psychoeducational groups, conducting clinical assessments, and formulating personalized treatment plans. She is dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive environment for clients, helping them navigate challenges and achieve their therapeutic goals. Her approach is rooted in evidence-based practices, tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual. Committed to professional growth and the well-being of her clients, she continually seeks to expand her knowledge and skills in the ever-evolving field of mental health. Antonette is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.
Sohaib Javed, MHC-LP
Therapist
Sohaib's approach to therapy is providing a space for anyone who wishes to be heard, seen, and respected in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner. He's engaged in individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy serving children, adolescents, young adults, and geriatric, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ identifying clientele. His primary approach is client-centered care in meeting individuals where they are in their healing process, and tailoring their treatment in a manner that is collaborative and inclusive. Sohaib also incorporates other styles such as play-therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and writing & art focused interventions in treating co-occurring issues related to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance use, addiction, grief, trauma, schizophrenia, and sexual & gender identity exploration. He hopes to become a resource for those looking to be heard and accepted as a human being and not a “patient.” Sohaib is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.
Jada Maldonado, MHC-LP
Therapist
Jada's approach to therapy is compassionate, holistic, and energetic. She earned a Bachelor’s in Human Development and Sociology at SUNY Albany and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Baruch College. Jada draws from different therapeutic modalities to ensure all of her clients’ specific, unique needs are met. She utilizes psychodynamic theory as a framework while integrating aspects of cognitive-behavioral, person-centered, strength-based, feminist, trauma-informed, and dialectical-behavioral theories. She has clinical experience providing individual, family, and group counseling in both private practice and community agency settings. She has assisted these individuals in dealing with complex trauma/PTSD, ADHD, ASD, depression, grief, relationship issues, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, self-esteem issues, family conflict, LGBTQIA+ issues, and life transitions. Through empathy, compassion and empowerment, she works collaboratively with clients on their healing journey in order to help them lead more fulfilling lives. Jada is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.
Ahmbria Garner, MHC-LP
Therapist
Ahmbria is an empathic, non-judgemental, culturally sensitive mental health counselor who specializes in creating a safe space for clients to work through life challenges. She is a former high school teacher who graduated from St. John’s University with her MSEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and has since been providing therapeutic support for adolescents and adults belonging to a variety of populations and communities. She believes everyone deserves to feel supported, validated, listened to, and safe to express the good and not-so-good times that come with this beautiful ride of life. She has experience working with clients dealing with depression, anxiety, grief, stress, trauma, borderline personality disorder, and bipolar disorder, while also supporting clients presenting with family concerns, relationship issues, LGBTQ+ concerns, self-esteem and self-view issues, life transitions, and other life stressors. Ahmbria uses an eclectic approach often involving Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Person-Centered Therapy, along with strengths-based and trauma-focused techniques. Ahmbria hopes to support her clients to grow and achieve goals that align with their best selves. Ahmbria is being supervised by Katherine Estevez.
Bonnie Roscinski, MHC-LP
Therapist
Bonnie believes that it is important to provide comfort and empathy and, with that, emotional ease for individuals looking for therapy. She prioritizes establishing trust and using humor to help facilitate rapport in the sessions to help the client move towards progress and growth. Bonnie utilizes strengths-based, person-centered approaches and a mix of CBT, solution-focused, psychodynamic, attachment theory and others to cater an approach that will move clients towards their goals. She believes that collaboration with the client is important since the client is the biggest expert on their own life and experiences. Bonnie helps by guiding them towards better coping strategies or identify thought processes that are no longer serving them. A safe and trusting therapeutic relationship is essential for genuine growth and progress to occur. This is a priority of Bonnie's and she strives to make every client that she works with feel heard, supported, accepted and empowered. Bonnie is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.
Idris Emerick, MHC-I
Intern
Idris is a culturally-sensitive, empathetic mental health professional that strives to create a judgement-free space for clients. Idris’ goal is to empower clients to move past cognitive distortions and maladaptive thinking patters to become the best version of themselves. He specializes in person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and exposure and response prevention. Idris is particularly passionate about helping those with OCD, Anxiety, difficult relationships, and learning differences. Idris possesses a Bachelor’s of Psychology from Queens College where he worked as a counselor and is completing his Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Baruch College. Idris is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.
Deva Grumet-Bass, MHC-I
Intern
Deva is a Master's student in Mental Health Counseling at Baruch College. With experience working with multicultural, POC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, Deva has provided support to children, adolescents, young adults, and new parents. She is dedicated to supporting individuals who feel "othered" in their environment. Her therapeutic approach incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychoanalytic Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (M-CBT), Expressive Arts Therapy, and Play Therapy. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, mindfulness practices, and painting. Deva is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.
Thomas Hufendick, MHC-I
Intern
Tom is a compassionate therapist whose method is grounded in mindfulness and somatic-awareness. By working holistically with both mind and body, Tom helps clients engage more directly with the wellspring of their emotions to foster deeply felt change. He is a student of the Hakomi Method, a style of therapy that fosters organic healing through exploration of the present moment. He works with a variety of clients, including those experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and stressors related to relationships, work, identity, and purpose. He’s currently completing his Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Baruch College. Tom is being supervised by Dianne Ghiraj.