Team Member
Stephanie Cimino
Registered Clinical Social Work, Intern
[email protected]
Stephanie has a background in theatre. She has an interest in the use of storytelling and the arts as tools in the therapeutic encounter. The use of drama, role-play, music and art have been long-standing features of psychotherapy.
Stephanie is a graduate of The Dreyfoos School of The Arts. She also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and psychology from Florida State University and achieved a Master’s in Social Work from Florida Atlantic University.
Stephanie previously worked as a pre-school assistant teacher at a Waldorf school, helping children develop their capacities for learning and life. She has facilitated workshops on personal empowerment and self-care, and was co-owner of a holistic wellness boutique.
Having completed her undergraduate capstone thesis on women’s coping methods and identity construction through the use of women’s photography and journaling (Photovoice Methodology), she now looks forward to honing skills on topics such as depression, anxiety, grief, shame, emotional skill-building, low self-esteem, trauma/PTSD, negative behavior and thought patterns, and relationship and peer conflicts.
She also has an interest in ways to regulate the nervous system, and as a consequence aims to continue her education through certifications in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Stephanie is a certified life coach and mindfulness practitioner.
Stephanie values truth, integrity, authenticity, community, and justice. Stephanie hopes to help
facilitate awareness, expression, safety and empowerment in individual and group settings.
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship
between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.”
– Pema Chodrin
Jessica Collins
Registered Clinical Social Work, Intern
[email protected]
Jessica Collins earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work at Marist College and Masters in Social Work at Florida Atlantic University, where she specialized in the aging population. She was a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society.
Jessica has a passion for helping clients suffering from depression and anxiety, and those challenged by mental, physical and emotional trauma. She utilizes the Trauma Informed Care Approach which involves providing client-centered psychotherapy as opposed to general treatment approaches.
She finds Cognitive Behavioral Therapy also beneficial in developing coping strategies. Jessica understands that no two people are the same and that past and present experiences play key roles in the healing process. Hence encourages clients to be as open and honest as possible.
Jessica has facilitated support groups and provided counseling to clients having difficulty coping with loved ones in the onset of Alzheimer’s/Dementia.
She has also helped teens, adolescents and others in residential settings, supporting them as they go through critical developmental changes and empowering them to make smart and healthy choices. Intervention strategies include evidence-based therapy that reduces symptoms, stressors, mood ambivalence, changing behaviors and managing relationship issues.
It is important to Jessica that clients feel heard and empowered. She values trust, proper communication and honesty. Her goal is to transform lives by providing support and coping strategies to clients that promote healing and growth.
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Jessica Collins, MSW, RCSWI