Meet our Staff

Courtney Buchanan, LPC

Courtney strongly believes in a person’s ability to be able to overcome difficult situations that may arise in their lives. She believes that ability comes from self-motivation and guidance using a unified approach by problem solving, gaining insight, and implementing strategies to alleviate symptoms.

Courtney has 15 years of experience and holds a Master's of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from UAlbany. Prior to obtaining her Master's degree, she attended UCONN to double major in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies. She is currently licensed as an LPC in the state of Connecticut.

She has experience providing group, individual, and family therapy in the community, inpatient hospital, outpatient facility, group home, and residential settings. She has been able to serve diverse populations and has varied experience with people of differing ages, socioeconomic status, race, religion, sexual orientation, and diagnoses. She is passionate about working with individuals struggling with parenting and behavioral needs of their children, anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship concerns, and substance abuse.

She typically uses cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, dialectical behavioral therapy, and solution focused techniques to assist in mitigating the struggles people are experiencing. Most importantly she uses a collaborative approach as the client is the expert of their lives and her role is to help provide guidance and feedback rather than to dictate and force opinions. She looks forward to meeting you and being a help to you in anyway that she can.

Specialties:

• Family therapy
• Couples Therapy
• Parenting skills
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Substance Use/Abuse
• Sexuality and Gender concerns
• Life Transitions

Kate Hanselman, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

Kate Hanselman is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s in Science from King’s College London. With over a decade of experience in mental health as a nurse, a first responder in New York, and a health professions educator, she is particularly passionate about working with health care workers, educators, and those in the helping professions. She has a unique familiarity with the challenges particular to these roles. Especially now, with the pandemic increasing stressors and diminishing opportunities for coping, everyone needs and deserves a little extra help.

As a PMHNP, Kate prioritizes a collaborative, creative approach. She offers honed clinical expertise, a dynamic set of tools including medication and therapy, and a firm belief that each person is the expert on their own life. Kate provides thorough, holistic care by using CBT, trauma-informed, solution-focused, and mindful approaches to better understand and target the root causes of distress.

You do not have to struggle alone. Whether you’re looking for support with an ongoing issue, or this is your first time seeking help, Kate will meet you where you are, and together you’ll decide on a plan that fits your needs. It’s okay to need a little extra help! Let’s talk and take a first step towards your health and wellness today.

Education

King’s College London
Master’s in Science

Specialties

• Healthcare workers, educators, helping professionals
• Anxiety
• ADHD
• PTSD
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Depression
• Stress management
• Life transitions
• Grief & Loss

Christi Ingram, LCSW

Christi has experience working with various populations across many settings. However, children and adolescents have composed her caseload for the last decade. Although a majority of her career has taken place in a school environment, she also has experience counseling those suffering from chemical dependency as well as those in an outpatient mental health setting.

Christi has a degree in social work with a concentration in children. She is also a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She has facilitated a variety of groups, including Children of Alcoholics groups and groups within an intensive outpatient setting. Christi enjoys incorporating social skills and emotional regulation skills into her work. She listens, offers suggestions to solve problems and believes in working together to address client goals and individual needs.

It is Christi's goal to build rapport with clients and make the therapeutic experience as comfortable as possible. She is available for brief counseling or long term support. No matter the size of the concern, big or small, Christi will work with you to practice the skills to build success in your life.

Christi's specialties include:

• Children
• Parental support
• Support with behavioral challenges
• Play therapy
• Individual counseling
• Developing coping skills to manage feelings and express feelings in an appropriate manner

Susan Cutillo, LCSW, LADC

Susan Cutillo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Susan earned her MSW in 1992 and has over 28 years of providing counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. Susan believes in “meeting the client where he/she is” and working closely with the client to obtain symptom management, happiness, and life goals. Before joining Thriveworks, Susan worked with children and adolescents in the outpatient setting and worked with adults in both the outpatient and hospital settings. Susan has extensive experience assisting clients with life transitions, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, anger management, low self-esteem, personal growth, trauma, bipolar disorder, women’s issues, and chronic mental illness. Susan has worked with clients of all ages and in all stages of life and has provided counseling in all modalities; individual, group, couple’s and family. 

Susan's specialties include:

• Life transitions
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Substance abuse
• Anger management
• Low self-esteem
• Trauma
• Bipolar disorder
• Women’s issues
• Chronic mental illness

Bernadette Hernandez, LPC

Bernadette Hernandez is Licensed Professional Counselor with over two years of experience doing intensive in home therapy for children and adolescents which focused on individuals who were suffering with anxiety, depression, mood disturbances, self-esteem, peer relationships, behavioral issues, family conflict, and stress, while providing support to the families as well. Bernadette graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health, and also continued her education to receive a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Bernadette utilizes a collaboration of cognitive behavioral, solution focused, relational, strength based, and mindfulness based techniques to guide individuals to recognize their stressors, expand their perspective, collaboratively identify solutions, all while increasing the client’s feelings of self worth.

Bernadette creates a safe therapeutic space where one can feel heard, understood, and supported while working to navigate through life’s issues. During events of high stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, Bernadette’s approach is warm and caring, as she encourages open communication, collaboration, and participation in a safe and supportive environment.

Bernadette’s specialties:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress management
• Self esteem
• Behavioral issues
• Life transitions
• Family conflict
• Anger management

Dr. Cecilia Frometa, Ph.D

Dr. Cecilia Frometa is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Yale University School of Medicine. She is a core faculty member within the Psychology Section at the Child Study Center and teaches several courses including Family Therapy and Cultural Diversity. Dr. Frometa additionally leads state-wide training coordination for a child and family centered psychiatric model developed at Yale.

She has been in the mental health field for over 20 years and has extensive therapy, teaching, program development and public policy experience. Her work has been published in several issue briefs. She has been a key note speaker, expert panelist and presenter at several national and state-wide mental health forums focused on a wide-ranging mental health topics. She has been trained in various evidence-based ‘gold standard’ treatment approaches.

Dr. Frometa obtained her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at Harvard Medical School/Department of Medical Affairs with a clinical focus on trauma related disorders. She additionally completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. She was a Merck Scholar during her doctorate dissertation work and received a presidential fellow award for her master’s work.

Treatment specialties include:

• Family therapy
• Couples therapy/Relationship-oriented work
• Depression with/without anxiety
• Psychotic spectrum disorders
• Anxiety related disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Parent Skill Support
• Clinical Supervision
• Vocational/educational stressors