Therapists Bios

Nancy McDermott J.D.-LL.M., LCSW

Director of Clinical Services

Nancy is the Director of Clinical Services at Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, LLC, a child, adolescent, young adult and family therapist, as well as a neurofeedback practitioner and former attorney. She is known for her engaging personality, caring demeanor and quick wit. Nancy’s therapeutic approach is to provide her clients with support and encouragement to create more functional behavioral patterns, while building on her clients’ strengths and recognizing the mind-body connection, as well as gaining a deep understanding of how to hack into neuroscience to be more focused, less anxious and moody, and just be the best version of themselves they can be.

Nancy utilizes a psychodynamic approach, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, family system dynamics, attachment theory, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or tapping), biofeedback, meditation, guided visualization, and executive function training. As the Director of Clinical Services, Nancy teaches children, teens, adults, and parents how to maximize brain functioning in order to reduce issues or symptoms.

In the past, she has worked with abused and neglected children, adolescents facing legal action, parents with emotional and mental health issues, as well as families in crisis. Nancy has also assisted clients in negotiating the criminal and family court systems in New York City.

Nancy works exclusively with our 360° Reboot® Intensive Therapies Program clients is known for working with “failure to launch” young adults who are stuck, as well as college students who struggle with anxiety or depression. She works to develop a client’s and their family’s full potential to live their best life.

Katherine “Kate” Coffey, LCSW

Kate is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience in clinical, agency, and school settings.  Kate’s focus is on getting children, adolescents, and adults to connect to their body sensations, so they can learn how to cope with stress and become resilient to break free from the worry, stress, and activation looping.  She supports individuals and families using a solution-focused, strengths-based approach, and believes that all people have the capacity to create and sustain positive change within themselves.  Her therapeutic approach is holistic, compassionate and client-centered, always meeting people where they are at.

Kate has worked extensively with stress, anxiety and anxiety-related conditions, as well as trauma and abuse survivors.   Her interest in trauma-Informed therapy led her to recently complete 2 (of 3) years of Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Program, and she holds a Level 1 Certification in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.   In addition, Kate is a Certified Hypnotherapist and a Reiki Master.  In her work with individuals and families, Kate utilizes ERP for OCD, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, Social Skills Training, Parenting Groups, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Techniques, EFT and Somatic Psychotherapy.  She works with children, adolescents and adults who are dealing with issues related to Trauma/PTSD, Anxiety, ADHD, Chronic Medical Issues, Lyme, PANS/PANDAS, loss of Self-Esteem, Depression, Emotional Dysregulation, Separation/Divorce, Foster care/Adoption and Grief/Loss.

Mary Beth Cooke, M. Ed.

Learning, Executive Functioning, and Behavioral Therapist

Mary Beth is a learning specialist who provides behavioral support to parents, affiliated providers, and school staff on-site at home, school, at our office, and remotely via video sessions.  She is a Certified Special Education Teacher and behavioral, executive functioning, and learning specialist. Mary Beth Cooke, M. Ed. makes concrete written plans for home and school and can provide on-going support if needed. She works with with young and school aged children and gives parents concrete tools to help children become more alert, less distracted, less impulsive, learn how to get through their school work indpendently, organize differently, and most importantly gain the self-confidence to get stuff done on their own without so much parent help. Mary Beth knows through two decades of expirence that giving children the tools early is key to not only getting good grades and getting less calls from the principal about behavior, but for helping these bright kiddos to feel good about themselves.  And what does every parent want? …A happy, successful kid!  Contact Mary Beth so you and your child can use what we know about the brain to turn things around.

Michele Bernal, LPC, CCMHC

Senior ERP Therapist

Michele Bernal is a compassionate Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor who works with children, adolescents, and young adults, as well as families and supports parenting. Michele always takes a client-centered approach to meeting the client where they are at, has a holistic mindset, and is committed to helping clients explore, set, and meet achievable goals. Michele regularly supports young individuals and children with ADHD, chronic illness, including PANS/PANDAS, Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and sensory issues, Anxiety and stress, Depression, grief, gender identity and LBQT, adjustment issues, developmental lags, family conflict, and who are in emotional or behavioral crisis. Michele specializes in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and has received training through the International OCD Foundation (ICOF) and MASS General Hospital. With OCD, she uses Exposure Therapy and more specifically Response and Prevention (ERP) to address obsessions and compulsions in children and young adults. Michele gives parents the tools and training to help their child or teen, “talk back to their OCD and anxiety.”

Michele has extensive clinical experience in working with children and families. Strengthening family functioning with a focus on parent-child bonding, attachment, and interaction while promoting social and emotional resiliency and competence is the foundation to Michele’s clinical work. Michele offers parent education and support in a non-judgmental and caring manner.

Michele has experience providing home-based intensive outpatient treatment services, running parenting groups, as well as providing individual clinical support. Michele brings a positive and strength-based approach to her clinical work while incorporating holistic and research-based techniques found in Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EFT/Tapping, psychoeducation, mindfulness, meditation, Parents as Teachers theory of change, and attachment theory.

Diane Carlson, LCSW

Diane Carlson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with an MSW from Fordham University.  She is known for her creativity and getting kids to love therapy while learning and changing their own behaviors at the same time. She is a master at helping children, teens, and parents who are worried and feel stuck get unstuck. A seasoned clinician with almost two decades of experience, Diane has worked with all kinds of children and families through in-home, outpatient, intensive outpatient and school-based services.

Diane spent several years at the therapeutic Arch Bridge School, where she became well-versed in the academic, social and emotional challenges and distress that children face on a daily basis. It was there that she saw the effectiveness of the relational model, which is a highly productive way to improve communication and empathy, using strategies to promote changes in behaviors while repairing relationships and empowering children and parents. Diane’s focus is on building social skills, coping skills, self-worth, and self-esteem, as well as on developing a stress tolerance and breaking negative thoughts and behavioral patterns.

Diane is an innovative therapist who incorporates research-based approaches, including ERP for OCD, CBT, DBT, psycho-education, mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing, expressive art therapy, and play therapy when working with children and teens. She specializes in helping those with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorders, Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, OCD, PANS/PANDAS,  Lyme Disease and Trauma. Diane is skilled in meeting children and teens where they are at, no matter the area of difficulty or how layered their problems are. She helps parents understand the neuroscience behind their child’s challenges, and teaches them how to harness the brain for behavioral change so they can help their children blossom.

Ilene Robbins, LPCA, NCC

Ilene is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and a National Certified Counselor specializing in OCD, failure to launch, anxiety, depression, and addiction with adolescents, and young adults, as well as parenting. Supporting parents with the neuroscience behind behaviors and issues, as well as techniques that help their children and teens be more alert, communicative, and be more connected is how Ilene guides change.  Ilene is known for her warm personality and positive outlook. Her warmth and accepting demeanor allows for rapport to be established quickly and deeply with clients of all ages. 

Ilene specializes in helping her clients break that negative internal chatter and worried thinking that holds them back from happy and fulfilled lives. Partnering with her clients and creating a vision with a guided growth plan is something Ilene integrates so clients can break free from symptoms that hold them back. Taking a step by step approach that celebrates all the successes helps clients “see” their work and creates momentum. 

Ilene is passionate about helping children and their families and feels privileged to be part of their wellness journey. She uses psychoeducation, neuroscience, and motivational interviewing, to help clients to create behavioral changes that result in improved functioning at home, school, or work.  She incorporates evidence-based integrative modalities such as meditation, guided visualization, ERP, EFT/Tapping, expressive art therapy, and positive psychology into her work.

A former technology business executive, Ilene began her professional clinical background counseling children. She is active in adoption advocacy and founded the non-profit, Sons and Mothers for Others, which fosters bonding between parents and kids through community service.