Derek Miller, LCSW

LaJoya McDonald is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with extensive experience across outpatient, telehealth, and managed care settings. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, and life transitions.

LaJoya is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment where clients feel heard and empowered. Her treatment style is integrative and person-centered, utilizing evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), trauma therapy, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Solution-Focused Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, supportive therapy, goal-oriented therapy, and mindfulness-based techniques.

LaJoya helps clients explore their thoughts, emotions, and patterns while developing practical tools for coping, healing, and growth. She believes in tailoring each treatment plan to the unique goals, strengths, and values of the individual, and takes pride in walking alongside her clients through life’s challenges with compassion and respect.

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Pat is a licensed therapist with over two years of experience specializing in mood disorders and trauma. Holding degrees in Clinical Social Work and Music Therapy, she utilizes various evidence-based approaches to support clients in their healing process. Pat's treatment style is client-centered and integrative, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and EMDR techniques to tailor treatment to the unique needs of each individual. Previously, she worked in child welfare, private practice, forensic mental health, hospice, and palliative care.‍With a passion for supporting adult clients, Pat creates a safe, compassionate space where individuals can explore and address their challenges. She believes strongly in the importance of mental health for all, and aims to foster a collaborative environment focused on personal growth, resilience, and healing. In her off time, Pat enjoys traveling, singing, and spending time with family and loved ones.

Eyerusalem Mulatu practices as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She has provided over a decade of experience in treating clients with mental health, trauma, and substance abuse addiction in a residential, PHP and IOP level of care. Eyerusalem's passion is providing education on how childhood trauma impacts daily life, coping skills to maintain sobriety, confronting the past, and living a healthy life. Eyerusalem's goal is to ensure clients feel heard, safe, and secure with their right to confidentiality. She has identified creative ways to build therapeutic rapport in a telehealth platform to strengthen the virtual care experience. Eyerusalem is qualified in caring for the family as a whole and identifying underlying issues such as unresolved trauma that exacerbate feelings of depression and anxiety. She empowers individuals on their road to healing. Eyerusalem is a Master's level clinician with over a decade of experience in treating Adults and Adolescents. Eyerusalem is also a post-induction therapist trained in the Meadows Model. In addition, Eyerusalem is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional specializing in treating childhood trauma. Eyerusalem uses a variety of modalities to help treat patients from CBT, Narrative, and DBT.

Diamond Junior received her bachelor’s degree in arts & psychology 2007 & two master’s degrees in science, one in Community Mental Health Counseling and the second one in School Counseling Education, in 2011 and 2018. Diamond Junior now has her License in Mental Health Counseling, her Credentialed Alcoholic & Substance Abuse Counseling Certification-Trainee, and her Permanent Certification in School Counseling. Diamond is also currently in doctoral school for her School Psychology degree. Diamond is a former Alcohol and Substance Abuse Preventive Worker & Treatment and Therapeutic Foster Care Family Specialist. Diamond is now currently, an on-line therapist and has her own Mental Health Counseling Private Practice in Buffalo. Diamond's treatment styles & modalities include Trauma-Informed Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Grief Therapy.

When working with Diamond, a new patient should know that she is very down to earth and professionally direct. Diamond practices individualism and treat each patient as their own person. Diamond develops treatment plans with the patient, that tailors to each of their individual needs. Diamond is also the co-founder of an All-girls mentoring & educational program called, "Unique Sisters. Unique Sister was started in 2014 and is owned by my mother, Rhodesia Jackson.

Diamond's typical process when working with patients is to first establish a therapeutic rapport by asking open-ended questions. Diamond asks questions such as, "Have you been in therapy before, including as a  child or teen (if the patient is over 18)"? This helps Diamond starting point to build a trusting & individualized relationship with the patient. Diamond's next question would be, "Why did you first enter therapy & we're you diagnosed with any mental health disorders"? Diamond continues to go on and ask if the client is or has been on psychotropic medications and what brings them back to therapy. Diamond gathers all of this information during the first two session and then ask the patient if any skills were built during their therapy journey & if they still utilize the skills. Finally, Diamond would administer the ACE Questionnaire to assess for childhood trauma, if the patient is over 18 years of age.

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Shannon McElhone is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York and Massachusetts. She has over ten years' experience working in the mental health field. Shannon has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults seeking assistance in managing their experiences with depression/mood challenges, anxiety, life transitions, self-esteem, trauma, attention focus, and relationship issues. Shannon utilizes humanistic, person-centered, collaborative, strength based, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness based, solution focused and emotionally focused approaches to therapy while maintaining an open, flexible, creative atmosphere to remain aware of the unique and individual needs of each client. Shannon seeks to create a non-judgmental and safe environment where a caring relationship can be built with her clients to utilize and add to their strengths. Through her practice, a collaboration can bring her clients towards achieving their goals and living the life they desire. Shannon completed her Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations from St. Joseph's College and received her Master of Science in School Counseling and Extended Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Long Island University. Shannon's years of experience include working as a Rehabilitation specialist/therapist at a Pros program, a psychotherapist at an outpatient clinic, a Child and Youth Behavioral Military Family Life counselor working with children and families on a Military base in New York. More recently, Shannon has held a role as a psychotherapist on an online platform that provides virtual therapy and continues to engage in this role at Talkiatry. Shannon's specialties include: Depression, Anxiety, OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, ADHD, Trauma, Grief & Loss, Stress management, Life transitions, Self-esteem issues and Relationship issues.

Dr. Nicole Martinez received her Master's and Doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and completed her pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowship at Gateway Foundation in Lake Villa, Illinois. She earned a double major in Psychology and Therapeutic Recreation at the University of St. Francis. Dr. Martinez has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in individual, family, and group treatment. Her therapeutic approach is integrative, combining Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy (CBT) with holistic methods, emphasizing Solution Focused Therapy, Reality Therapy, and Positive Psychology. She believes in the mind-body connection and that exploring various areas of an individual's functioning is essential for optimum physical and emotional health. Dr. Martinez emphasizes a collaborative therapist-client relationship, where both act as partners in designing treatment goals. She values identifying ineffective past modalities to avoid frustration and ensure personalized care. Recognizing that each person is unique, she adapts to the patient's evolving needs, ensuring they feel heard and supported for positive outcomes. Her areas of expertise include health psychology, complex trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, LGBTQIA populations, bereavement, forensics, substance abuse, couples work, MISA, co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, sex offenders, special needs populations, and chronic medical issues and rare diseases. She is skilled in the evaluation and assessment of these populations.