"Couple therapy can be hard to start and pursue. Unlike individual therapy, you no longer rely on the full support of the therapist in everything you think and say, but you rather learn to appreciate the affect of your words and deeds on the dynamics with your partner. Meredith does a great job of validating individual feelings on both sides and helping to find a common ground for the partnership. She offers useful tools for communication improvement and conflict de-escalation. Meredith works almost like an interpreter for two people speaking different life languages while teaching them the language of the other." - Couples Therapy Client

"She is very responsive, gets back to you immediately or within a reasonable time. She has a very warm presence. I felt immediately calmed after speaking with her. She was very helpful with helping me resolve my issues, and feel confident enough to take action in my life. I would recommend her to anyone!" - Individual Therapy Client 

"Going to see a therapist is probably the best thing my husband and I could have done for our marriage. She helped us to reconnect in a way that we could have never found on our own. Marriage is hard work, but she made it easier for us to communicate at home. I would recommend Meredith to anyone." - Couples Therapy Client
 
"I want to sincerely thank you for your all your compassion, help and advice as well as you going above and beyond to let me know I was not alone. I can't tell you how important that was and the profound effect it had on me that day and every day since. I want to let you know how valuable our sessions have been to me and how greatly I look forward to them, as difficult as they may have been.  They were incredibly cathartic and left me inspired and full of hope for a better day."

- Individual Therapy Client 

 "We can’t thank you enough for all of your support and help this past year.  You truly made a positive, and hopefully lasting, impact on our relationship."

-Couples Therapy Client 

Alison Machabee, MFT

Intake Coordinator, Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Intern,

AAMFT Minority Fellow

Areas of Specialty: Couple Therapy, Multicultural Psychotherapy, and Yoga and Pilates

"I believe that you are the expert on your life, and within you lies the fortitude you need to navigate your challenges. My job is to gently and experientially guide you to find this strength and discover your potential. We will explore your history while grounding ourselves in the present; examine what is not working while highlighting what is; hold tender care for your struggles while remaining fiercely determined to change; and accept reality while planning for a better future. 

Most of all, no matter your identity or your story, I will walk alongside you in the journey of healing and growth, not just talking but fully feeling, experiencing, and shaping change." 

Alison is a Graduate Student at Antioch University working towards a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She specializes in working with individuals, couples, and families; and has a specific interest in working with clients from marginalized populations. She is a Minority Fellow through the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). 

​​MEET OUR TEAM ​

​​​​MEREDITH SHIREY, MS, LMFT

JENNIFER FIGUEROA, MS, MFT​

Areas of Specialty: Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy, Attachment-based, Trauma-Informed, 

and Insight-oriented Individual Psychotherapy, Clinical Supervision 

"My approach to treating clients is to convey warmth and acceptance, while also being direct. I believe in balancing insight and behavioral change- meaning that I find the best outcomes in therapy come from a combination of helping clients learn about the origins of their issues, while also giving them tools to enact change in their present lives. Though I offer therapy in a variety of forms including individual, couple, and family; all of my work has a common theme of improving interpersonal relationships. I believe that as social beings, we are always confronted with interpersonal interactions, which can sometimes become distressing. Whether it be a spouse, intimate partner, family member, friend, child, or co-worker, we all encounter relationships that can be a source of enjoyment as well as stress. For this reason, I typically use a variety of therapeutic techniques that pull from relationally-based theories of psychotherapy." ​​

DRIOLA DEGA, MS, LMFT

Marriage and Family Therapist

Bilingual Psychotherapist 

LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST 

Multi-Lingual PSYCHOTHERAPIST 

Psychotherapy Provided in Languages : English, Spanish

​Areas of Specialty: Attachment-Based Couple and Family Therapy, Individual Psychotherapy

​"I offer a safe, welcoming environment in which I build a rapport with each client based on empathy and compassion. Through working with clients on creating greater self-awareness, building self -esteem, and overcoming obstacles, I help them recognize and change ingrained behavioral patterns in an effort to navigate more optimally through daily life. Helping individuals develop and increase connections, in both therapy and in the outside world, is a key component of successful treatment. I maintain a high level of commitment to clients in their journeys of personal growth." 

Jennifer has a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Long Island University. She uses an eclectic approach, which is an open, integrative approach that adapts to the to the unique needs of each specific client. Since 2020 Jennifer has gained her experience working with individuals and couples in private practice and community based organization. Her experience also involves working with unaccompanied immigrant children. Jennifer is also trained in Level 1 of Gottman Method Couples Therapy. 

FOUNDER, PRACTICE DIRECTOR, Clinical supervisor 
LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST 

Meredith is the Founder and Practice Director. She is licensed in New York and Tennessee as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and is a Clinical Fellow member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. As a Topic Expert for GoodTherapy.org, Meredith is recognized as an expert in coupe and relational issues and has been featured on several popular podcasts. She has been interviewed by many online media sources including Elite Daily, Bravo TV, Bustle, Romper, and Thought Catalog for her thoughts on issues such as addressing infidelity, recognizing emotional abuse, and facilitating more effective communication between romantic partners and family members. She specializes in emotionally-focused couples therapy and insight-oriented individual treatment. Her approach includes a combination of attachment-based theories including Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and has extensive training from The Gottman Institute. For links to more articles, click here. 

Languages Spoken: English, Albanian, Spanish, Italian

​Areas of Specialty: Systemic Couple and Insight-Oriented Individual Psychotherapy 

"I see the therapeutic encounter as a journey shared between therapist and client. I take an existential approach to accompany the client throughout the journey of self discovery. Emphasizing the importance of awareness and insight, I prefer the client to be the one to want to find solutions that fit their needs. Each client is believed to have a potential within, which may be hindered by the inability to overcome adversities in life. The struggle to overcome adverse experiences, can be a product of sociocultural system, family context, early attachment and relationships which reflect a stigmatized idea of self.

I value the importance of awareness and reflection on how socio- cultural background, family of origin and present context shape meaning and sense of self. We will work together to understand the implications of relationships with others and context on our mental health. At times, we rely on solutions that help maintain the problem instead of changing it."

Driola specializes in a relational approach to treatment, in which the individual is seen as the product of communication and interactional patterns. Driola does not believe in a lineal causation of problem formation, but rather a circular one, where individuals in any kind of relationship, are constantly reacting to one another.

After graduating with a Psychology degree in 2011,  in Vienna, Austria, Driola obtained a first Master Degree in Systemic Family Therapy in Madrid, Spain. Since 2014, Driola has gained experience working with individuals, couples, families in private practice, in Europe and the U.S. Her experience involves also working in Preventive Services, with at risk youth in alternative placement, and families impacted by trauma.