Director and Founder of CoreStory
Supervising Clinician
Adam Joncich, Ph. D.
I am a psychologist who has trained for over 10 years in psychiatric and clinical settings in New York City including Bellevue Hospital, Brooklyn College Counseling Center, and the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. I completed my APA Accredited Pre-doctoral Internship at North Central Bronx Hospital. Working and training in these venues has given me a unique perspective on life in New York City, and the challenges faced by everyone who lives here.
In addition to clinical venues, I have also worked over ten years as part of the City University of New York as an academic counselor, program developer, researcher, and grant writer. In these roles, I have focused on the use of personal, academic, career, and professional storytelling to help people identify and change difficult life narratives.
Finally, I supervise and teach mental health counseling classes at Fordham University in their Mental Health Counseling program. Working both under supervision as a clinician, and as a supervisor to training clinicians has given me a unique window into clinical work and allowed me to think about therapy in new and useful ways.
Education
License & Affiliations
Member of the American Psychological Association
Candidate at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research
CoreStory Clinicians
Beverly Liang, LMSW
(Currently accepting new clients)
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”
—Simone Weil
It is through stories and language that we come to understand ourselves. Therapy allows for a rare space where together we come to listen and to be listened to, and to understand and evolve those stories. I view therapy as a respite to our screen obsessed world, and place great importance on the connection between myself and those I work with. This is a journey we take alongside each other, one that is not necessarily easy, and that is all the more worthwhile for it.
I believe in the primacy of one’s family and early relationships as a model for how one relates to relationships in the present. However, family is not destiny, and my hope is that in working together, we can find the possibility of change and growth over time.
Over the course of a fifteen year long career in design and branding, I became more interested in creating stories for people — not companies — and how these stories could change over time. Since returning to school and training as a clinical social worker, I have worked in diverse settings including outpatient community mental health clinics and older adult centers.
My experience as a researcher who has focused on ethnic identity development grounds my approach to clinical work. I am sensitive to issues of race, culture, and class and how they play out in our self perceptions and within the therapeutic relationship itself. I am particularly interested in working with those who have concerns relating to race and diversity, and who are going through life transitions.
Education
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, MSW
Recipient of Carmen Ortiz Hendricks Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice, for exemplary graduating student with commitment to practice with underrepresented populations
University of Chicago, AB in Anthropology
License and Affiliations
NYS Licensed Social Worker, #120866
Psychoanalytic Association of New York (PANY) Fellow
Presentations
Liang, B., Palis, C., Chowdhury, S., Liu, Z., Zhao, A., Kim, S., Okazaki, S.; Chang, D.F. (2023, July). Narrativizing Chinese American Identity and Critical Consciousness during COVID-19. Paper symposium presentation at the Biennial American Psychological Association Division 45 Conference. (San Diego, CA)
Wong, K., McClellan, N., Liang, B.; Lam, M. (2022, September). A metasynthesis on the racial and cultural experiences of therapists of Asian descent in clinical practice and Training. Presentation at the 2022 Asian American Psychological Association Convention.
Thomas Giardini, MHC-LP
(Currently accepting new clients)
Therapy offers space to gain clarity, purpose, and guidance in our lives. I view treatment as a collaborative endeavor and an opportunity to explore influences that shape how we experience the present. The therapeutic process provides us the chance to practice personal awareness and experiment with courage and accountability in new ways.
As a therapist, I am genuinely interested in listening to your story. In doing so together, we can recognize the value of your experience and better understand what matters to you. My hope is that by addressing moments of uncertainty, fear, discomfort, and conflict we can work toward choice and empowerment most aligned with your needs and growth.
In a therapeutic context, I have worked with older adolescents and adults from diverse populations in private practice and university counseling settings. My style is informed by previous professional experience in arts and program management alongside writers, organizers, and cultural workers. I incorporate a range of techniques that draw from psychodynamic, gestalt, and cognitive behavioral modalities to address an array of life challenges including depression and anxiety. I am particularly interested in working with individuals navigating loss and grief, formative life transitions, and questions surrounding identity.
Education
Fordham University, MSEd in Mental Health Counseling
The New School, BA in Contemporary Music
License and Affiliations
Limited Permit: 18-P123681-01
Member of American Counseling Association
Member of American Psychological Association
Click here for Psychology Today profile
Catherine Hall, LMSW
(Limited availability for new clients)
Utilizing elements of psychoanalytic and relational theories, CBT, and narrative therapy in my practice, I will work with you to tackle the challenges that are holding you back. Not only will we develop a plan of action to manage problems in the short term, but we’ll also inquire deeply about the root of those challenges to set you up for the best long-term success. I work in a down-to-earth and conversational style, and I approach therapy as a collaborative effort.
As a social worker, I also place a great deal of importance on the socioeconomic factors that influence our mental health and wellbeing. Our experience in the world is intimately tied to identity, class, and family systems - factors that are often glossed over in mental health treatment.
I am a 2019 graduate of New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, and in 2021 I completed the Psychoanalytic Association of New York’s Prelude to Training Program. I have worked with adults, children, and families managing a wide range of challenges, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, OCD, and trauma.
Prior to becoming a social worker, I spent about 10 years working in the restaurant industry, international relations, and higher education. I came to social work with a deep curiosity about people and the world we live in. I approach each new patient with that same curiosity and interest.
Education
Silver School of Social Work at NYU, MSW
Prelude to Training Program, Psychoanalytic Association of New York
License and Affiliations
NYS Licensed Social Worker, #106838
Harry Barandes, LMSW
(Limited availability for new clients)
I come to the practice of psychotherapy after over 20 years in the performing arts and over a decade in healthcare management. Working to understand our shared human struggle through theatre and to help patients navigate our complex health system eventually led me to the discipline of social work, whose core principle is that no human life can be summed up in a label or a diagnosis; each human’s experience is multidimensional in nature, arising from complex interactions between personal, social, and environmental factors.
As your therapist, I will offer you the space to share your personal story with an empathic and non-judgmental listener who is committed not only to understanding your experience from your point of view, but also to nurturing your sense of possibility and facilitating healing and growth.
My approach to therapy is humanistic, relational, compassion-focused, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed, integrating elements of psychodynamics, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), as well as expressive therapies such as drama therapy and psychodrama.
Our work together would thus be a creative and collaborative effort to bring into greater focus the various elements that shape your experience so that you can feel empowered to claim full authorship of your story, identify and fortify your strengths and sense of hope, build new skills where necessary, and enhance your capacity to cope with and overcome the challenges you face.
Education
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, MSW
Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, MFA in Acting
Brown University, BA in Theatre Arts
License and Affiliations
NYS Licensed Social Worker, #112342
Member of the National Association of Social Workers
Click here for Psychology Today profile
Libby Hartle-Tyrrell, LMSW
(Limited availability for new clients)
My primary goal as a therapist is to provide an empathetic and judgement-free space where you feel listened to and understood. From this starting point, we can safely examine your struggles and explore the way you move through the world, including looking at the stories you tell yourself and those you have been told by the systems that surround you- be it family, institutions, or the larger culture- that have shaped your concept of who you are. Understanding these stories- their strengths and limitations- opens up more options for responding to the inevitable challenges of life.
As a clinically trained social worker, I incorporate relational, psychodynamic, narrative, and family systems approaches into my work with adults and families from diverse backgrounds. Many of the people I work with start therapy during a life transition and may be struggling with depression and anxiety that accompany these shifts. Others begin therapy because they feel stuck and frustrated with a lack of change or progress in their lives. Whatever your impetus, I aim to respect and care for each person, and create a space to understand their stories and their humanity in all of its forms.
Prior to becoming a therapist, I worked in fine arts for over fifteen years, where I engaged daily with the multiplicity of ways in which people express themselves. My therapeutic approach is deeply informed by my experience with art, one which allows me to appreciate the unique struggles creative individuals face as well as recognize the role creativity can play in healing. I also have years of experience working with LGBTQIA people and a special interest in helping transgender and non-binary young people and their families manage the transitions in their lives.
Education
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, MSW
The School of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in sculpture and mixed media
License and Affiliations
NYS Licensed Social Worker, #109894
Member of the National Association of Social Workers
The Stephen Mitchell Relational Study Center Certificate Program
Click here for Psychology Today profile
Stefany Fortin, LMSW
(Not currently accepting new clients)
I am a dedicated mental health professional with a decade of experience working in a variety of settings in Canada. Upon moving to the US, I earned a masters in social work which has helped me get a better grasp of the social, political and historical facets of experience that shape the stories of people living here. The experience I have gained working in Canada as an occupational therapist and a psychotherapist has taught me that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to helping people. As a result, my approach is informed by different clinical theories to address the challenges faced as a result of being human. My work is also informed by my life experiences, in particular peer grief counseling, immigration, and being a parent.
I am genuinely curious about you as a person and what brings you to therapy. Is there something about the way you behave, feel, or interact with others you want to understand or change? I think of my role as a thoughtful collaborator. It is up to us to further define our partnership in therapy. It takes a lot of courage to seek help and I salute your desire to embark on that journey. Whether you are looking to address long-standing issues in your life, or you are feeling the toll of isolation, uncertainty, or grief I am here to meet you right where you are.
Education
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, MSW
McGill University Faculty of Medicine, MSC in Rehabilitation Science
Universite de Montreal, Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Occupational Therapy (BSc & MSc)
License and Affiliations
NYS Licensed Social Worker, #109794
NYS Licensed Occupational Therapist #022042
Psychoanalytic Association of New York (PANY)- Psychoanalytic candidate
Click here for Psychology Today profile
Publications & Citations
Fortin, S., & Keitel, M. (2021). Nine Months of Labor: The Psychosocial Weight of a Pregnancy After a Gestational Loss. Illness, Crisis & Loss. https://doi.org/10.1177/10541373211007850
Mental health is public health (2019)—Co-author on a white paper on behalf of Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. for District 36 in New York City https://council.nyc.gov/robert-cornegy/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/05/Mental-Health-Is-Public-Health-May-2019.pdf