Meet our Team of Thriveworks Franklin Counselors

Shan Bishop, M.Ed

Shan believes in providing a safe, confidential, and comfortable environment for individual’s in the counseling process.  At some point in our lives, we all face challenges. It is helpful to be able to talk to someone who will listen without judgement. Shan believes that through connection, trust and rapport, people can talk openly about their needs and develop a way to manage the difficulties they face more effectively. Shan enjoys working together with individuals to collaboratively establish goals, embrace a growth mindset, and help with recognizing strengths and skills.

Experience

Shan obtained her M.Ed in counseling and human services from Lehigh University and is a master’s level counselor whose specialties include school counseling. She has years of experience working as a counselor with all ages at schools, colleges, and community-based outpatient clinics.  Shan uses a humanistic perspective that strives to encourage individuals to fulfill their potential and wellbeing. She also believes that each person is unique and is adaptable in her treatment approaches.  Shan uses a combination of approaches to counseling with elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, solution focused, mindfulness, skill building and goal setting.  Shan is also a parent to three children.

Specialties

Shan has built strong clinical skills in working with individuals experiencing many different mental health needs. Some of these include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Academic difficulties
• Autism Spectrum
• Trauma
• Stress
• Relationships
• Parenting
• Adjustment issues
• Grief and loss.

Patty Talamini, LICSW

Patty is a licensed clinical social worker trained in family systems, strength-based, short-term solution focused, and cognitive behavioral treatment.  She has over 20 experience working with individuals, couples, and families in a variety of settings; including home-based, residential and private practice.   She considers the uniqueness of each person and situation when developing best treatment practices.

Patty understands that life and our relationships are packed with challenges.  She has a warm, respectful, nonjudgmental and directive style; believing that change is an action which requires thinking and/or doing differently and she is never short of homework assignments.    She has a gifted passion to help her clients navigate through these challenges in order to live their best life and enjoy renewed relationships.

Patty is experienced working with individual, couples and families in these areas:

• Relationship Issues
• Work Life Difficulties
• Grief and Loss
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Faith-based Treatment
• Stress Management
• Family of Origin Issues
• Marriage Difficulties
• Overcoming Infidelity
• Stage of Life Changes
• Family/Couple Negotiations
• Parenting Concerns and Strategies

Rabia Khan, LMHC

In her practice, Rabia provides care to individuals struggling with mild and major mental illnesses.   At the core of my approach is belief that every individual has a right to self-determination and ability to make and keep oneself whole. Rabia works from a Person-Centered philosophy that emphasizes meaning in one’s life, responsibility, and the pursuit ‘to be that self which one truly is’. Rabia views counseling as a process by which she facilitates clients in exploration, clarification, and identification of their needs and behaviors and helps them to make changes in cognitions and behaviors that will result in the attainment of life satisfaction and self-acceptance.

Rabia utilizes a multi-modal integrative approach tailored to the needs of clients. She incorporates principles from CBT, DBT, psycho-education, and Solution focused modalities. She incorporates a culturally informed treatment approach to behavioral health.

Rabia specializes in working with following:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Chronic Mental Health issues
• Adjustment issues
• Anger management
• Stress Management
• Skills building
• Trauma & PTSD
• Substance Use Disorders

Matt Blakely, LICSW

Matt is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and with a Master's in Social Work from Boston College.  In his individual counseling with adult clients, he generally takes a solution-focused approach to working with people on their mental health challenges. Some of these challenges may include:

• difficulties with interpersonal communication and relationships,
• feeling depressed or anxious about life circumstances, or
• dealing with the ongoing impact of difficult or traumatic events.

He is trained and experienced treating the following issues and diagnoses:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Stress Management
• Panic disorder
• Phobias

Taking a solution-focused approach means that, while it is important and necessary to understand and learn from the past, much of the time in a counseling session is focused on the present and future. This involves visualizing what an improved future looks like, taking time to notice how small pieces of that future are already appearing from time to time, and discovering solutions to what the next step will be to move toward the better future.

Matt also believes in working with people to understand their religious/spiritual beliefs and practices and integrate these into how clients find meaning and purpose in the challenges of life. These beliefs and practices can play an important role at times in the growth and healing process.

Leo Lease, LPC

Leo is a Licensed Professional Counselor and received his Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy from Adler University in Chicago. He has done a variety of work in residential facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and community based mental health working with pediatrics, adolescents, and young adults.

Leo has experience in working with

• Depression,
• Attachment Issues,
• Gender Identity,
• Sexual Orientation,
• Poly/Non-Monogamous Relationships,
• Autism Spectrum,
• PTSD & other trauma related issues.

He generally takes a strengths based approach to therapy but also has experience in utilizing:

• Trauma Focused Cognitive Therapy,
• Art Therapy,
• Narrative Therapy,
• Anger Management
• And Applied Behavioral Analysis.

Leo believes that therapy should be a place where people feel safe and supported to have their emotional experiences not just be heard, but held and made space for. The belief that people need affirmations alongside honest and authentic communication is at the core of how Leo approaches therapeutic relationships so that treatment is a collaborative effort. It is ok to have moments of questioning and self doubt because that is part of the human experience, but you don’t have to navigate those moments alone.

Manjit Khalsa, Ed.D.

Manjit Khalsa is a licensed psychologist, licensed yoga trainer, and has trainings in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and NPL (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). 

Passions

Manjit’s diverse and extensive experience will bring a new edge to the counseling session. She is passionate about meeting clients where they are at and will work with you to find a solution to a problem. She believes in the power everyone has in them to overcome their obstacles and find new life. 

Manjit’s experience working the mind and body enables her to see problems as multi-faceted. Her job as a psychologist is to help you apply the best strategies to solve the problem yourself and grow stronger from it. 

Experience

Manjit began her career in mental health as a psychologist working with the innovative Neuro-Linguistic Programming and later became extremely proficient in EMDR therapy.  Over the course of time, she has seen  many different clients and using her experience and unique training, she helped them overcome their obstacles to build a better life. 

Manjit is also a licensed yoga teacher and co-created YCBT (Yoga-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Her understanding of the mind-body connection can help clients immensely in holistically addressing their situation. 

She is also a business leader herself and understands the ins and outs and stresses of running your own business and working to advance your career through your corporation. She has coached many entrepreneurs, business leaders and their partners, college students, and other professionals. 

You might find Manjit especially helpful if you are seeking counseling for:

• Life transitions 
• Relationship issues
• Career 
• Mindfulness 
• Anxiety and Depression 
• College students 
• Trauma
• Wholistic counseling 

 

Garapha Mezidor, LMHC

Since 2012 Garapha has been helping people in Massachusetts realize their personal and mental health goals.  She has been dedicated to assisting her clients in overcoming life’s obstacles and challenges. As Massachusetts Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Garapha has a large range of experience working with diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, bipolar disorder, psychosis, anger management, and more.

Garapha’s approach is goal oriented and person centered, while being supportive yet challenging to enhance client’s personal growth. At initial appointments she ensures that clients are comfortable, thus having a warm and private setting is crucial and available at all times. To ensure comfort she engages in ice breakers or other tools that will help my clients feel at ease, while engaging in person centered conversations that will lead to goal development and what to expect in sessions.

Seeing her clients grow to their best self, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. You don’t have to fight the battle alone, let’s chat it up together and experience the joy, pain, laughter, etc. that life has to offer.

Garapha’s Specializes in:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• Psychosis
• Anger management
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Sarah Gregoire, LICSW

Sarah Gregoire is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who holds a Master’s of Social Work earned from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology, also earned from Roberts Wesleyan College.

Sarah has over eight years of experience in community-based settings working with mental health diagnoses, substance use issues, and trauma histories. Sarah received training in DBT Skills Training and Suicide Prevention. She has experience providing individual therapy, facilitating psychoeducational groups, and completing psychiatric evaluations in community and hospital-based settings with adults and children in crisis situations.

Sarah embraces a strengths-based approach to meet an individual where they are at to instill hope of the possibilities of their future. Sarah uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Solution-Focused therapy to assist others in their time of need. Sarah believes self-care is essential to balancing the demands of life and works with others to identify their values and resources which can build their self-care routine. Most recently, Sarah has recognized the role of art as a therapeutic modality to help heal and has a focus to integrate the arts into treatment depending on a person’s interests and talents.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time with family, painting with acrylics, doing nature photography and exploring the New England Coastline.

Dr. Jane Eagles

Dr. Jane Eagles approaches therapy with the perspective that the client is a whole person - she addresses the body, mind, and spirit. For more than 20 years, Dr. Eagles has helped children, adolescents, adults, and families by identifying each client’s strengths and utilizing them to achieve their personal goals.

Dr. Eagles’ specialties include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Grief and loss
• Life transitions
• Trauma
• Developing coping skills
• Adoption
• Custody issues
• School issues
• Mood change due to medical issues
• Relationship issues
• Marriage and premarital
• Parenting
• Women’s issues

Dr. Eagles holds degrees in biology, counseling psychology, and health psychology.  Her experience includes oncology research, mental health support at the American Cancer Society, and hospice care.

Dr. Eagles utilizes:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,
• Family Systems Therapy,
• Narrative Therapy, and
• Grief Therapy.

She is skilled in:

• Individuals,
• Couples, and
• Family therapies.

In her spare time, Dr. Eagles enjoys writing poetry, essays, and that rare thing - the personal handwritten letter, along with taking photographs that often illustrate her written works.

Jack Harrington, LMHC

Jack has over 25 years of experience in the Mental Health field. He has provided clinical services to children, adults, families and couples in at various outpatient settings. Jack has also worked in school and vocational programs where he implemented treatment-based groups as well as individual therapy.

He has a master’s degree from Cambridge College and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Jack has treated a wide range of syndromes and disorders including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Greif/ Loss/ Bereavement
• Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Adjustment Disorders
• Substance Abuse
• Co-Dependency
• Attachment disorders
• Bipolar disorders
• Addictions
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Conduct Disorders
• Sleep Disorders

He has implemented several treatment strategies including: specialties include:

• Stress Management
• Adolescent Therapy
• Anger management
• Brief Therapy
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy
• Critical Incident Stress Management
• Couples Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Life Management Counseling

Among Jack’s other interests, he also served as the softball coach at Attleboro High School.

Jim Gardner, Ph.D., LICSW

Jim is an LICSW with a Ph.D. from the Smith College in clinical social work. As a licensed social worker, he not only focuses on an individual’s mental health but also considers the role of the social environment that affects an individual. After receiving his MSW in 1982, he served at the D St. clinic in South Boston for 28 years. More recently, Jim has over 5 years of outpatient experience working with clients on both a short- and long-term basis. Over this time, Jim gained experience and became skilled at addressing many mental health issues including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Long-term mental health issues
• Dealing with pressures from financial hardships
• Cultural diversity
• Trauma including sexual, physical, emotional abuse
• Alcoholism and other addiction
• Adjustment reactions to stress work/relationships conflicts
• Caring for the elderly

Jim has a passion for language and international cultures as evidenced by his extensive work with Russian Jewish immigrants. And as a person in recovery for over 10 years he is personal acquainted with the struggles related to maintenance of sobriety. He states that he is also grateful to God for the life lessons that he has learned caring for aging parents and a partner. These lessons have taught him many life lessons regarding the care of others.
Jim is trained in and utilizes a variety of therapeutic approaches including:

• Psychodynamic theory;
• Object relations;
• Neurological influences on mental health;
• Integration of spirituality and psychotherapy;
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy;
• Mindfulness and
• Internal Family Systems.

Jim is aware that to have the deep and meaningful discussion required for the therapeutic process, a relationship of trust is needed. He is dedicated to establishing this relationship with everyone that he works with.

Mikkah Bauer-Weisman, LICSW

Mikkah Bauer-Weisman is a licensed independent Clinical Social Worker with over seven years of clinical experience working with children and families as well as five years of crisis management experience with individuals of all ages. While earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Boston University, she focused her studies on children and families. Mikkah chose to specialize in trauma while earning a Master’s in Social Work at Simmons College because she realized that tragic events can adversely impact all of us at various stages of our lives.

After graduation she began her work as a crisis clinician in hospital emergency rooms before transitioning to her role as a therapist.

As a therapist Mikkah believes it is imperative to create a safe comforting space in order to work with everyone to discover which therapeutic approach best fits their needs.

She has a great deal of experience utilizing
• cognitive behavioral,
• psychodynamic,
• dialectical behavioral, and
• play therapies.

Approaches that Mikkah utilizes in her therapeutic work include:
• narrative therapy,
• open dialogue, and
• mindfulness.

John Boisseau, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Completing his Masters Degree in Nursing in 2007 and his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2010 John maintains  a board certified nurse practitioner license in mental health. Beginning his career in healthcare in 1988 John has a variety of experience that informs his current practice. His experiences include working with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health challenges and developmental disabilities. His areas of expertise include:

• Depressive disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Attention deficit disorder and other learning disorders
• Bipolar disorder and psychotic disorders
• Developmental disabilities
• Cognitive and organic brain disorders
• Psychopharmacology

John practices mental health with a strong belief in a collaborative approach with his clients and other clinicians working together to make sure the treatment is patient-centered, infused with mutual respect, promoting dignity and personal choice.

Jessica Ventura, DNP

Jessica is a nurse practitioner with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has written and published articles on chronic pain and depression as well as the use of the Self-Management Model for chronic knee pain.
She has experience servicing patients at a variety of health care centers with expertise in:

• Chronic pain conditions
• The evaluation of patients for appropriate interventions and procedures
• The prescription of medication for psychiatric symptoms and pain
• Treating chronic headaches/migraines
• Monitoring the effects of prescribed medications

Jessica is also bi-lingual and is skilled in the use of alternative forms of treatment working with multiple interdisciplinary teams. She is also skilled at conducting group therapy that address mood disorders and pain management.

Read The Lighten Your Life Program: An Educational Support Group Intervention That Used a Mobile App for Managing Depressive Symptoms and Chronic Pain, by Jessica Ventura.

Boris Lorberg, M.D.

Following graduation from MGH Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship in 2009, Dr. Lorberg has been on the faculty of University of Massachusetts Medical School as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics with a clinical appointment at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. At WRCH, he has cared for treatment refractory adolescents, first as Medical Director of Adolescent Intensive Residential Treatment Program, and then Associate Medical Director at the Umass Adolescent Continuing Care Inpatient Units. Dr. Lorberg currently provides psychopharmacology consultations for the Thriveworks Franklin office.

Greg Handel, Ph.D.

Counseling Style

“[A]t some point in our lives, we all need support from others … .”

Greg takes a grounded approach to counseling that is client centered. He believes each person is unique and wants to walk beside them as they set and obtain life goals. Everyone can achieve a sense of confidence and increased self-efficacy, and Greg is excited to walk down that path with you!

Greg is also an ordained minister who believes in treating the whole person, acknowledging that any individual is more than the sum of their parts. However, he respects each individual’s beliefs and sees having a complete understanding of an individual’s point of view as a necessary part of counseling.

He also believes that we all, at some point in our lives, experience periods of emotional suffering and brokenness. Therefore, at some point in our lives, we all need support from others. Greg often pulls from his own life experiences to identify with each individual and guide them through the healing process.

Experience

Greg has more than 35 years of experience providing positive life supports for individuals, couples and families. He has worked in several different environments including inpatient and outpatient mental health centers, rehabilitation facilities, congregate residential settings and in private practice.

Specialties

Greg has vast experience working with men and women in the following areas:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Grief
• Family and Parenting stress
• Couples’ issues
• Life adjustments
• Functioning with disabilities