Meet our Counselors

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Shumayl Farooq is a Licensed Masters Social Worker with a Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers State University, New Jersey. She has years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families in individual and group settings. She has been in mental health field for more than 12 years and in her career dealt with a wide range of issues including trauma, depression, anxiety, crisis management, ADHD, behavior issues etc. In the past, she has worked in different settings that includes supervising a 24/7 Mobile Response Support Services for children in Central New Jersey and a partial care setting for adolescents and adults. She is passionate about helping others to achieve their best potential for a desired living. She believes in providing a respectful and comfortable environment to her clients that fosters personal growth and self-awareness. “We will work though it together” is her mantra. She uses evidence based therapeutic techniques such as CBT, mindfulness, client-centered, play and strength based therapy to assist her clients in reaching their therapeutic goals. She wants you to have a safe haven where you can explore solutions and step forward healed and empowered.

Gabby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia.  Gabby's foundations in her practice are derived from Evidence Based theoretical models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Family Systems, Strength Perspective, and Client-Centered Therapy.  Gabby is also trained in the Nurturing Parenting curriculum.  

Gabby has worked in various settings including Local, State, and Federal Government, Non-Profit, Community Based, Hospitals, Schools, and Jails.  Gabby has been privileged to spend the last 11 years working with a range of populations including Veterans, Adults, Children, Adolescents, Refugees, Foster and Adoptive youth, Geriatric, the Homeless, LGBTQ, and many others.  Gabby has also spent many years conducting comprehensive evaluations of families in the areas of domestic violence, substance dependence, and parenting strengths and needs. Gabby specializes in working with clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, domestic violence relationships, self-harm, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, self-esteem, communication, crisis intervention, grief and loss, relationship issues, and life changes/transitions. 

Gabby creates a safe, non-judgmental space for clients to work through the self-healing process.  She places a high value on understanding the whole person; the many unique life experiences that constitute their make-up as well as how their environment plays a role in their life.  Gabby's approach to psychotherapy is collaborative.  She views the client as a partner in the therapeutic process. Gabby strives to assist her clients to identify their own strengths and inner resources so that they may be empowered for the future. 

Jessica Whalen, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor with a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of West Georgia. She understands developmental stages and cultural origins of clients due to years of experience working with adolescents, adults, and families in both individual and group settings. She has worked in various work settings including community agency, partial hospitalization and college campus. Jessica has an ability to interact with clients from a strength-based perspective and she has an empathic approach to supporting clients and families.

Daniela Valderrama is a graduate of science in Psychology from the University of Los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia.  Her professional practice was performed at the Santa Fe University Hospital in Bogotá where she focused on providing therapy to preop and postop transplant patients. After her professional practice, she then went on to work at the Chilean Institute of Integrative Psychotherapy ICPSI, with a focus on children, adolescents and parents.

To further her depth of knowledge she attended an intensive course in strategic psychotherapy in Tuscany, Italy at the Training school in Brief Strategic therapy in Arezzo, under the direction and direct supervision of Dr. Giorgio Nardone, creator of the therapeutic method. Adding to her already wide spectrum of understanding and knowledge Daniela later completed master's degree in Neuropsychology at the University of Salamanca. 

During this time at the University of Salamanca she was appointed representative of the quality academic commission and became a member of INTRAS institute in the area of ​​neurorehabilitation. After completing her academic journey, she opened her own private practice to which she operated over the last 6 years in Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia.

In her years of experience, she has dedicated herself to working with children who present concerns such as: attention deficit, memory issues, difficulties at the linguistic level, obtaining study methods, or who present a delay in neurodevelopment that affect systems such as cognitive and behavioral.

In her area of focus, she treats children and adolescents in terms of problems of anxiety, depression, affective codependency, addictions, self-esteem, autism, eating disorders, school problems, among others such as:

· Provided cognitive behavioral therapy & integrative psychotherapy.

· Performed family-oriented therapy for parents with children diagnosed with cognitive disorders.

· Assisted in education reintegration for children under counseling.

· Developed Individual and group therapy for children and adolescents with similar symptom ailments.

Therapy for children and adolescents focused on behavioral restructuring

· Created customized individual study methods for adolescent patients 

· Hosted Family oriented therapy sessions to better educate parents and immediate family 

· Integrated child development & support method therapy for parents 

· Individual and group therapies. 

· Languages: Spanish Native, English Advanced, Italian Basic.

· Specialties: Children, Teen, and Family therapy

Heather Bousquet has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia where she also received a certification in marriage and family therapy.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Minor in Sociology also from UGA.  Heather has years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families.  She uses both humanistic and person centered approaches to therapy, but she frequently also finds that having an eclectic use of several different theoretical modalities to be most effective when working with individuals and families with difficult behavioral and cognitive issues.  This being said, sometimes she may be found using a solution-focused model, structural, or cognitive-behavioral approach, amongst other modalities.   In her career she has worked in a variety of settings such as inpatient behavioral health, private practice, and community mental health care.  She has also worked as a parent/child coach as well as with special needs children, adolescents, and young adults.  Heather’s passion includes helping individuals find their unique voices.  She is an advocate for women’s rights and she supports LGBTQ individuals and communities.  Her goal is to assist patients in finding solutions to their problems by building upon the strengths they already have.  She believes all individuals are unique and they each deserve to achieve their goals and to pursue their passions.