Therapists
Our Therapists
Janice Masse, LCSW-R
Relationships are the foundation of life. As children, adults, and families, we all face challenges and experience traumatic events which shape our personalities and behavior. Janice is committed to restoring lives shaken by stress and personal obstacles. Her work helps people overcome traumatic events, reestablish healthy attachments, and restore the connections and trust essential to fulfilling lives and relationships. With many years of experience, she is known for her warm, direct, authentic, creative, compassionate and safe approach to treating diverse clients.
Janice specializes in work with families, couples, and children. She has devoted years of education and training to issues of stress, trauma, and loss; in addition to adults and children on the Autism Spectrum.
Janice approaches therapy from a client centered point of view. She believes that you are the expert on yourself and your family. Inside of you is the potential for insight, growth, and change. Contact Janice today to start that process toward growth and change.
Brittany Cox, LCSW
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Brittany is a licensed therapist at Families Together Counseling Services of Catskill, NY. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Marist College in New York, and received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University, 2018.
Brittany is a dedicated Social Worker whose education and work experience have always embraced her passion for empowering others and helping those in need. She takes pride most in her ability to provide an environment of compassion and support when working with her clients.
Specializing in work with children, young adults, and families, Brittany uses an eclectic approach tailored to the unique needs of each client. She has experience in a variety of settings with a diverse client population, and has done both long-term and brief interventions. Areas of experience include depression, anxiety, children and adolescents with behavioral and sexual issues, relationship challenges with both couples and families, personality disorders, fear and phobias, drug and alcohol use, parenting, grief and loss, and life stresses.
Brittany believes that change happens when people are given the guidance needed to draw on their own strengths and realize the potential to live fulfilling, happy lives.
Mary Beth Davis-Steyer, LCSW
Mary Beth has over 25 years’ experience working in the non-profit and Human Services field. Helping people find their strength and seek solutions to life’s challenges is a passion for Mary Beth. Taking a Humanistic approach and establishing rapport and providing a container of support for individuals with a variety of life’s challenges.
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Mary Beth has worked previously as a bereavement counselor for Hospice of Ulster and Dutchess Counties where she provided individual and group bereavement support of families, children, and adults. In addition to grief work, Mary Beth has provided supportive counseling and case management for individuals with chronic health issues including HIV/AIDS.
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Mary Beth is an ordained Interfaith Minister since 1990. She completed her Bachelor’s of Social Work from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 2017 and completed her Masters in Social work from Albany School of Social Welfare.
Shanice Davis, LMSW
Shanice completed her Bachelor’s in Social Work at the College of Saint Rose in 2018 and received her Masters., also from the College of St. Rose in 2019. Shanice provides services to children, adolescents, adults, families, and groups with a variety of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy. She works to provide clients with tailored treatment plans that can be integrated into their daily lives. Shanice strives to create a safe and nurturing atmosphere in which individuals can be supported in their efforts to change and grow as well as become reconnected to their strengths and dreams.
Gabe Masse, LMHC
As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I help adolescents and adults improve their relationships and overall quality of life. I believe healing occurs within relationships, so I prioritize building a strong, trusting therapeutic alliance. You’ll feel welcomed, accepted, and validated throughout our work together. I tailor my approach to meet your unique needs and adapt to what feels best for you. Your comfort and autonomy are important, and I’m here to support you as you lead your journey.
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I earned my Master's in Mental Health Counseling from the University at Albany, SUNY. I’ve worked with individuals facing various challenges, focusing on relationship issues (romantic, familial, or platonic), as well as depression and anxiety. I am committed to creating a safe, inclusive space for all individuals.
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Jenna Gregory, LMSW
Jenna is a licensed therapist at Families Together Counseling Services. Jenna completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work in 2019 and received her Masters Degree in Social Work in 2020, both from the College of Saint Rose.
Jenna has experience working with children and adolescents, whom she believes is a dynamic population. Focus of sessions include supporting adolescents in processing thoughts and feelings, identifying triggers/stressors, teaching coping skills and social skills, and making sure each client feels heard, valued, and seen. Jenna’s goal is to provide a safe space for clients to feel comfortable and to be their authentic selves.
Jenna provides individual counseling with a focus on children and adolescents. She believes that using therapeutic interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, creates positive and healthy transformation. Jenna thinks that no story should go untold. She has a passion for people and wants to provide a safe place for all.
Alison Brown, LMHC
Alison is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and has been working at Families Together since 2021.
Alison graduated with her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from the University at Albany in 2019
and has experience working with a wide diversity of kids, adolescents, and adults in a primary care
setting. Alison has experience in treating anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, grief and loss, and
behavioral disorders.
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Alison utilizes a strengths-based and collaborative approach coupled with authenticity and humor to
help clients adapt to life’s circumstances. Alison strives to help clients feel “comfortable with the
uncomfortable” and utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT) interventions to help clients live a fulfilling life.
Casey Aley, LMHC
Casey Aley has been with Families Together since 2019 and enjoys helping people overcome obstacles and achieve a more positive life. Casey completed her Master’s degree at the University at Albany in 2019. Throughout her training, she’s gained experience working in a variety of settings that range from Intensive Outpatient to College counseling. Her areas of expertise include: anxiety, depression, and relationship and family dynamics.
At the core of her practice is the belief in an empathic and nonjudgmental therapeutic alliance built on honesty, openness, and a little bit of humor. Casey implements a humanistic approach to therapy while adjusting techniques based on each client’s needs. She has been described as engaging and warm. In her free time she enjoys taking walks with her dog Gordy and reading.
“I believe therapy is collaborative and the client knows best. Change happens when we have a meaningful connection and can work together to solve the challenges of life.”
Adina Saperstein, MMHC
Adina Saperstein completed her Masters in Mental Health Counseling at U. Albany in 2022 and came to Families Together the same year. She works with individuals, couples and families with a special interest in older adults, retirement, and intergenerational dynamics as well as addiction recovery. Her theoretical orientation is integrative but anchored in strengths-based and somatic approaches, recognizing and building on the internal and external strengths and resources that support each client to strive towards both short and long term life goals.
Prior to training as a therapist she was supporting clients for several years as a transformational coach and yoga therapist. Before that she had a 15-year career in international social and economic development, working in twenty countries throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. These previous career paths help her to infuse a holistic somatic and mindfulness-based approach, as well as acute multicultural awareness, into her therapy practice.
She also holds a B.A. in History and Near Eastern Studies from Cornell and a Masters in International Development Studies from the University of London, UK, as well as certifications in multiple yoga and meditation modalities, including Yoga of 12-Step Recovery, as well as Yoga Therapy and Reiki. She has also trained as both an end-of-life and birth doula, and aspires to provide holistic support to clients and their families throughout the life cycle. She lives in Catskill.
Bobbie Schlein, LMFT
Bobbie Schlein is a marriage and family therapist with a Master's Degree in Psychology from Mercy College. Her therapeutic approach is based on the principles of the Gottman Institute, which she has extensively trained in, with a focus on the model of couples therapy. Her expertise and passion lie in helping couples achieve and maintain fulfilling relationships.
Bobbie also works with individuals experiencing anxiety and depression and is experienced in providing family therapy to families in conflict, including parents and children or siblings. She has an empathetic and emotional-focused approach to her work, always ensuring that her clients feel heard and understood.
Outside of work, Bobbie is married to her husband Ariel and they have four children together. They enjoy spending quality time together through family activities such as going to amusement parks and playing outdoors. She is a dedicated professional and family person who understands the importance of creating balance in one's life.
Lauren Hospedales, LMHC
Lauren is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Long Island, New York providing telemedicine psychotherapy with Families Together Counseling Services. She received both BA in Psychology in 2019 and MS in Mental Health Counseling in 2020 at the University of Albany.
She has experience working primarily with adult and adolescent populations dealing with anxiety, depression, grief/loss, life transitions, and family conflict in an Integrated Behavioral Health setting. Lauren enjoys working with BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ clients, and is most passionate about providing equitable, accessible, and culturally inclusive mental health care, especially for those who are new to therapy.
Lauren draws from several modalities including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral, Emotion-Focused, and Existential therapies. She sees herself as a tour guide on your mental health journey, with you always in control of the helm, and is excited to help you reach your destination.
Hope Dedrick, MHC-LP
Hope is a Mental Health Counselor who received her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from UAlbany in December of 2023, adding to her existing Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice, and Master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, both from Northeastern University. She has been a member of the Families Together team since May of 2023, starting as an intern and joining as a full-time member in December of 2023.
Hope has an integrative approach when working with clients, but primarily relies on Psychodynamic and Person-Centered therapies to help clients make connections to past experiences and current behaviors, as well as feel seen and heard throughout their journey in therapy. She has experience working with a diverse population of clients and concerns, from children to adults, and grief to anxiety and trauma.
Hope places immense value in developing strong relationships with her clients, consistently incorporating humor, self-disclosure, and empathy into sessions. Hope strives to foster growth, self-love, and acceptance with her clients, so they can live fulfilling, authentic lives.
Christina Maniscalco, MSW
Christina is a dedicated therapist with her Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work. Her educational background includes a BA in History and a BA in Communications which has allowed her to gain experience in educating children. Prior to achieving her MSW, Christina interned as a social worker at Hudson High School, and provided therapy at Families Together Counseling Services. Christina has experience in teaching children with Special Education needs and is a dedicated activist in supporting economic and environmental issues. Along with teaching children and providing mental health counseling, Christina has worked with programs preventing domestic violence and advocating for victims.
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Christina utilizes integrative therapy, an eclectic approach which draws on multiple modalities and techniques. This includes psychodynamic, mindfulness and somatic therapies to assist in learning distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation to identify and use internal resources to effectively deal with problems on their own.
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Christina specializes in relationship and marital issues, familial conflict, trauma, and narcissistic abuse. She provides self-esteem building and personal growth in her therapeutic approach. Through a trusting and open therapeutic relationship, Christina hopes to empower her clients by developing a deeper understanding of themselves, allowing them to live peacefully and with joy.
Emane Youssouf, MHC
Emane is a compassionate and dedicated mental health counselor with a passion for supporting individuals through life challenges. She graduated from UAlbany in December of 2024 with a masters in mental health counseling. She has always had the drive to aspire to be a counselor graduating with her bachelors in psychology within 3 years from Mercy College in 2019. She has also volunteered at the behavioral hospital at New York Presbyterian before taking on in her masters journey.
Emane likes to foster a non judgmental space where individuals can explore their thoughts, emotions and behavior at their own pace hence drawing from evidence based modalities taking on an integrative approach with focus on CBT and person centered therapy.
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Emane enjoys working with children creating a safe, supportive and engaging environment where children can creatively express themselves as they develop coping skills as well as emotional resilience. Whether it’s addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, adjustment related issues, relating to family dynamics or not, school related stress and trauma.
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Emane's objective as a counselor is to help children be able to learn and comprehend their emotions and help them gain the confidence that is needed for them to be able to thrive.
Jessica Tuthill, MHC
Jessica received her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University at Albany in 2024. She started at Families Together as an intern, where she had the pleasure of working with children and adolescents.
Jessica strives to create a welcoming, empathetic, and nonjudgmental space where clients can dive into self-exploration. She firmly believes in bringing her “humanness” to sessions, mixing humor with warmth and understanding.
In the therapy room, Jessica brings a Humanistic, Person-centered approach. She sees clients of all ages, and has experience in treating anxiety disorders, depression, grief and loss, and life transitions.
Outside of the office, Jessica loves reading, writing, and spending time with her two dogs, Jovie and Maisy.
Our Interns
Chukwudi Ogechukwu, MHC Intern
Chukwudi is a compassionate, empathetic, and warm mental health counselor in training, currently an intern at Families Together Clifton Park location and graduate student under the University at Albany’s Mental Health Counseling Master’s Degree program. Chukwudi graduated with honors Magna Cum Laude from the University at Albany with a bachelor's degree in Psychology in May 2024. He is driven by his hopes to be a family therapist.
During his undergrad, Chukwudi gathered counseling experience working on the hotline under the Middle Earth Peer Assistance program primarily for students in distress.
Chukwudi’s therapeutic approach is centered around the interchangeable combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and narrative therapy, focusing on understanding client’s conceptualizations of themselves, their roles in the lives of others, and the world around them based on the stories they tell about their past as well as how they describe their present.
Chukwudi loves working with families, especially when it involves seeing multiple family members at a time. For him, this allows him to work most effectively as a counselor, being able to guide families to work towards understandings among themselves in their own contexts, as if he isn’t even there. Chukwudi’s work is strongest among young adults and older.
Chukwudi hopes to empower clients to express themselves by first understanding themselves, their patterns, their views of themselves, the implications and expressions of these views in the context of their lives, and using this information to effectively conduct the change they hope to see in their lives, one step at a time. His core values of trust, empathy, compassion, and open mindedness lead his work as a mental health counselor.
Brianna Cross, MHC Intern
Brianna earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Psychology with a focus on special education from the University at Albany in December 2022. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling at the University at Albany, with an expected graduation in December 2025.
With three years of experience as a behavioral technician, Brianna has worked with children aged 3-7 with Autism and ADHD, helping them develop essential skills in structured, supportive environments. Her background in special education and behavioral therapy provides a strong foundation for working with neurodivergent children.
Brianna’s integrative approach focuses on building clients' strengths while fostering psychological flexibility, emotional regulation, and self-exploration to support their growth and goals.
Sarah Deering, MSW Intern
Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology, with a minor in sociology from University at Albany in May 2024. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Utica University, with an expectation to graduate in May 2026. Sarah has worked under Janice Masse, LCSW for three years, growing her knowledge of the social work field, and is now completing her generalist internship at Families Together Counseling Services.
At Families Together, Sarah receives direct supervision from the clinical director, assisting in case management, working closely with clients, and providing outside resources to clients in need. Sarah has a deep understanding of the importance of ethical practice, with a goal of making a meaningful difference in her community.
Sarah enjoys working with teenagers and children to allow them the space to share their feelings and emotions through play therapy, art therapy, using a strength-based approach in a therapeutic setting. She is passionate about advocacy, community engagement, and providing support to individuals in need. Sarah looks forward to continuing her journey in social work and making a lasting impact in the field.
Marina Plattner, MSW Intern
Marina Plattner is an MSW intern who is studying at Utica University; she currently holds a bachelor’s degree in social work as well. At her current job Marina works as a recovery advisor, providing a safe and compassionate space for adults with severe mental illnesses to share their struggles. She is able to empower those clients with motivational interviewing and focuses on person-centered techniques, to help them cope with their stress and set SMART goals, as well as provide necessary referrals to community resources.
While Marina works with adults right now, her primary interest is working with children. She has worked with children in the past, and loved helping them learn how to express their emotions in a healthy way and manage their thoughts, done through social support and art/music therapy. She helped to motivate the kids to pursue their personal interests (like art or music), and enjoyed watching them grow into the best version of themselves. Marina intends to bring that same energy into her sessions at Families Together Counseling.
Hannah White, MHC Intern
Hannah is a dedicated and passionate mental health counseling student at the University at Albany, where she is pursuing her master's degree after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in May 2024. With hands-on experience in education, Hannah has worked at a private school in North Greenbush, where she works with children ranging from ages 3 to 14. Her roles have included teaching assistant positions in pre-kindergarten classrooms, substituting for kindergarten through 2nd grade, and working as an aftercare worker. Hannah’s diverse background in child development and her ongoing studies in mental health counseling reflect her commitment to helping children and adolescents thrive emotionally and academically.