Buzz

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Buzz is a 12 year old Shi-poo. She is hypoallergenic and is sweet and patient. She loves working at Growing Minds and greatly enjoys being held and pampered by children. Buzz enjoys welcoming everyone into the office with a sniffing nose and a wagging tail. If you or your child are nervous around dogs, please let your therapist know so arrangements can be made for Buzz to do her paperwork instead of greeting you at the door. Buzz can be available for petting and doing tricks for treats with adults and children. She might be available to join your session, too!

Pamela Kaufman, RCYT, E-RYT

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Pam is an Early Childhood Consultant and uses her expertise to provide consultations for preschools, conduct teacher and parent trainings, and facilitate social-emotional based enrichment programs for school communities.

Pam has been working with children and families in schools, homes, studios, and community settings for over 10 years.  She has practiced yoga and mindfulness with children of all ages, inside and outside the classroom, and taught classes and workshops for parents, staff, and school administration on a variety of topics, including cultivating presence, compassion, regulating the nervous system, and self-care. She is passionate about supporting and bringing together all the players in a child’s school and home experience and believes that this is what creates an environment conducive to growth, learning, and connection.

Pam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Anthropology from The University of Michigan and a Master’s Degree in Sociology from New York University. Additionally, she is an Experienced 500 hour Certified Vinyasa Teacher (E-RYT) as well as a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT), and is a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  She has also received training in Mindful Schools, Perinatal Yoga, Yoga for Fertility, Yoga for Cancer, and more. She is currently pursuing her IAYT Yoga Therapy Certification.

Audra DeBoy, LCPC

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Audra is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor experienced in working with children, adolescents, and families. In her previous roles within school-based community mental health, Audra collaborated closely with youth and families, fostering connection, attachment, attunement, and moments of joy! Through this work, she learned that therapy should not only be informative but also playful, involving important people in a child’s life.

Audra specializes in addressing anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, mood dysregulation, and navigating life as a neurodivergent individual within the system contexts. She is LGBTQIA+, neurdivergent-affirming, and inclusive of all family cultures. Tailoring sessions to meet the unique needs of both the child and the family unit, you can expect play, humor, music, sensorimotor/movement, mindfulness, and trauma-informed practices when you work with Audra. She leads therapy with the tenets of authenticity, compassion, and non-judgment because she believes growth occurs within a collaborative community when families feel heard and understood.

Audra has continued education in the areas of Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), Theraplay, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). These trainings have further informed Audra’s clinical skills as she incorporates these non-directive, attachment-based, and trauma-informed bases of care into her practice.

Milan Essex, LCSW-C

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Milan has experience working with preschool, school aged children, adolescents, and young adults struggling with a variety of life’s challenges including anxiety, depression, social skills/relationship difficulties, and behavioral/ connection and cooperation issues. During her time as a school counselor, she gained insight into the importance of advocating for supportive environments. As a telehealth therapist, Milan gained insight into the importance of family involvement and safety within the therapeutic relationship. She practices multifaceted approaches needed to work with children, youth, and their families, including playful and engaging forms of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), child-centered play therapy (CCPT), Zones of Regulation, peer relationship and social skills groups, and Motivational Interviewing. She strives to maintain a collaborative, strengths-based, person-first approach that highlights the needs of the individual and family when choosing the most empathetic path to inner growth and secure relationships.

She graduated from the Columbia University School of Social Work. Her role at Growing Minds includes working with young children through adolescents and their families as well as preschool mental health consultations. She is currently in specialized training to help children address toileting difficulties and anxieties as well as separation anxiety and mastery through the use of relationship and connection (Goodbyes Without Tears- Supporting your Child in Loving and Confident Separations program). 

Isabelle Spicer, LCSW-C

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Isabelle has over a decade of experience in working with young children and their families in a variety of settings including: therapeutic preschool classrooms, typical preschool classrooms, preschool mental health consultation, outpatient clinic for ages 3 -11, and a residential treatment center for ages 11-18. Isabelle believes that the foundation of any therapeutic work is connection, safety, and trust and it is her passion to empower children and their families through secure relationships, holistic child-centered approaches, and support social-emotional wellness and growth for well-balanced lives. Her warmth, curiosity, playfulness, and creativity help clients connect with her while on their journey of healing and self-discovery. She uses strength-based strategies to unearth and meet her clients’ various needs and goals and views parents as partners on this quest. 

Isabelle has a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland, and is certified in Circle of Security Parenting, Circle of Security Classroom programs, and Crisis Prevention Intervention. She has also received training in child centered play therapy, expressive therapies, art therapy, sand tray therapy, mindfulness therapy, trauma-informed practices. Isabelle’s role at Growing Minds includes individual therapy for ages spanning from early childhood to adolescence, parent-child dyadic therapy, parent guidance, and family therapy, social skills groups, parent groups, preschool consultation, and teacher support and is currently in specialized training to help children address toileting difficulties and anxieties. Isabelle works with children and families who have social and emotional challenges including behavioral/relational (cooperation and connection) issues, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, family conflict, big life events and changes, difficulties at school, aggression, and trauma.  Isabelle can offer therapy in English or French.

Jill Jerome, LCSW-C, RPT-S

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Jill has over a decade of experience in working with preschool and school-aged children in a variety of capacities including special education and therapeutic classrooms, therapeutic foster care, preschool consultations, social skills groups and outpatient counseling. She finds that the most effective way to connect, communicate, and create change with any child is through movement and playfulness. Jill has a particular passion for working with families with young children in various dynamics including siblings, parent-child, and parent support. Jill’s role at Growing Minds includes child and family therapist, social skills and K-ready play skills group facilitator, preschool consultant and teacher trainer.

Jill holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from Rutgers University, has completed post-graduate coursework in Early Childhood Mental Health, and has specialized training in play therapy methods to incorporate interventions for behavioral issues, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD and Autism Spectrum Disorder using integrative approaches of child-centered play, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Sandtray, Filial Play and Parent-Child Relationship Enhancement.

Orly Zimmerman-Leizerov, LCSW-C, MA

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Orly is a highly experienced therapist, providing clinical and therapeutic services to children and families. In addition to the individual setting, Orly leads social skills groups and provides preschool mental health consultations, as well as coaching and training for teachers and parents, including kindergarten readiness assessments and intervention. She has over a decade of experience working with children and families with a wide range of mental, social and physical abilities. Her approach combines the holistic, mindful and strengths-based approaches to assessment and intervention. Orly specializes in the early childhood age-group and has specialized training in CBT, play and expressive therapies, anger management, anxiety, depression, OCD, grief and loss, ADHD and ODD. Orly is also a certified in Theraplay and is a certified clinical supervisor. Orly holds a Masters degree in social work from the University of Maryland as well as a Masters in Developmental Psychology and Communication from George Mason University. She has extensive experience in developing and providing training for teachers and parents.

Orly can also offer therapy in Hebrew.