Counseling Affiliates Clinical Director and principal clinician is Dr. Jack Thaw, PhD. He is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 40 years experience. Trained at the University of Connecticut Dept. of Clinical Psychology and the University of Chicago School of Medicine, Dr. Thaw’s clinical specialties include relationship therapy, anxiety and depressive issues, trauma, stress and anger problems, and helping people overcome adversity and hardship to develop meaningful lives and well being.
Dr. Thaw has authored numerous scientific and professional papers and is the senior author of Developing Responsive Human Services, an internationally praised book on conducting organization change and relationships. He is a former lecturer and visiting assistant professor in clinical and developmental psychology at the University of Connecticut. He was also a 1981 co-recipient of the prestigious Meltzer Award for Consulting Psychology from the American Psychological Association and was a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Teenage Drinking and Driving. His work has been featured on television and radio in past years.
Most importantly, Dr. Thaw’s dedication to his patients is well known and present and former patients often refer others to him.
I specialize in assessing and diagnosing various learning, social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental disabilities in children, adolescents, and adults. I provide comprehensive evaluations that identify how the individual learns best and what interventions may help him/her to be successful in school, daily living, and in the workplace. I am available on weekends to conduct psychological and/or educational assessments. My credentials include: PhD in School Psychology, CT Licensed Psychologist, Diplomate in School Neuropsychology, Clinically trained in administration of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition
My expertise is in evaluating and diagnosing various impairments, such as, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Disruptive (behavior) Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities, ADHD, and Specific Learning Disabilities. I am also capable of assessing post-secondary transition needs, adaptive behavior, and executive functioning skills.
My 15 years experience as a special education administrator in both MA and CT public school systems, makes me unique in that I am very familiar with the special education process. I also have experience as a School Psychologist in both clinical and public schools and working at the university level.
If you are looking for extra support and guidance through a challenging situation or you’re just ready to move in a new direction in your life, I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 22 years of experience. I received a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The California School of Professional Psychology in 1995 and a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Connecticut in 1990. Prior to that, I studied Psychology as an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut. For the past 21 years I worked as a Forensic Psychologist in an in-patient hospital for the state of Connecticut and provided individual and group psychotherapy to enhance the quality of life of those with mental health issues. I was originally trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy to help those with mood disorders. Over the years my interests have evolved to include therapy aimed at enhancing the mind-body connection and have incorporated the methods of meditation, mindfulness based stress reduction, and, hypnotherapy. My goal is to provide a safe, comfortable therapeutic relationship within which you can overcome emotional struggles and/or obstacles to reaching your goals. I will help you to tap into your natural strengths and resources with the aim of achieving a life of fulfillment and well-being. Using a wide variety of methods you will become motivated and excited to achieve your fullest potential. Please call Counseling Affiliates LLC for an individual, couples or family therapy, or coaching consultation (860-659-2697). I am available on weekends and weekday evenings in either the Glastonbury or Farmington office.
Elli is a therapist who has a wide variety of experience over the past 7 years in outpatient therapeutics and drug and alcohol treatment settings. He is a Social Worker, drug and alcohol counsellor, with specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). He has been trained in using EMDR for the treatment of not only the effects of trauma but also in the treatment of anxiety and depression and other life stressful events.EMDR can be used to treat all kinds of life challenges by addressing core beliefs which we all hold on unconscious level and may hinder our lives.Before pursuing this work, he was a business owner and accountant. He emigrated from Israel in 1988. He received his BA in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude from UCONN, his MSW from Springfield University and his EMDR training from Roy Kissling, EMDRIA approved. Elli has a passion for diagnosis and treatment of all kinds of disorders and thinks “out of the box” to bring the latest therapeutic techniques to your care. He will help you dissect the trauma or the troubling issue, which has brought you to where you are today, and he will help you see a future without the burden of the past.Elli is fluent in English and Hebrew.
Mr. Martinez has been practicing as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist since 1986 and acquired a second license in alcohol and drug counseling (LADC) in 2008 for the treatment of co-occurring disorders. He has worked in several of Connecticut’s best hospitals and healthcare organizations and is currently in a private practice with Counseling Affiliates, Inc., Glastonbury CT. He initially trained to treat children with behavioral disorders and later specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT and DBT) with a focus on helping clients recover from depression, anxiety and other symptoms cause by traumatic life events and setbacks. “I will begin with where the client is and provide psycho-education and therapy, coaching and support for effective coping and problem solving strategies to overcome problems and barriers to achieve a more balanced, satisfying and productive life”.
My background, about which I am extremely passionate, lies in marriage and family therapy and pastoral counseling. For the past five years, I have been involved with the Society of Humanistic Judaism. Memberships include:
· Central Conference of American Rabbis
· Association of Humanistic Rabbis
· National Association of Social Workers
Presently, I serve as a resource affiliate in the Central Connecticut area. Additional Information can be accessed on the Society of Humanistic Judaism web site.
As a registered counselor in the Prepare Enrich Program, my heartfelt goal is to assist members of the interfaith community in negotiating life challenges through counseling and ceremony.
In addition to my work as a rabbinic counselor, I have serviced Reform congregations in Burlington, VT, Oshkosh, WI, & Williamsport, PA. I have serviced Conservative congregations in Wethersfield, CT. I've also had the pleasure of founding the Interfaith Chavurah for Liberal Judaism. Currently, I represent the Society of Humanistic Judaism in greater Hartford, CT.
My chaplaincy experiences include work with federal and state prisons in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania; and work at Brookview Assisted Living Center in West Hartford, and the Jewish Student Union at the University of Hartford.