New Professionals Program
AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO HAVE GREAT THERAPY!!
Our New Professionals Program offers Masters level interns and new graduates for your therapy needs.
Fees range from 75-110.00 per hour.
Summer Abbott, MA, LPMFT
Pronouns: she/her
If you want to move from loneliness to connection, from fear to vulnerability, or from emptiness to fulfillment, I can be a gentle guide to explore your struggles in an environment of safety and care. We can uncover, together, what type of growth will bring joy back to your life.
As we sift through multiple overlapping stories, therapy can help you identify what you need to focus on to grow. Parts of yourself you haven’t seen before can be loved and appreciated, and those pieces that are uncomfortable can be explored and understood. Together we can work on taking care of your precious inner life, we will create a space for healing. Through this healing, side effects may include a greater sense of self-confidence, a stronger sense of identity, or a life more deeply rooted in love.
It is my philosophy that we all contain the possibility of healing. We have inside us the keys for what we need to live a happy life. I bring unconditional encouragement and support to help you find a fresh perspective. Therapy can help you understand more deeply your needs and desires.
Clinical specialties:
- Trauma Informed Care
- Emotion tolerance, distress tolerance
- Self-actualization / individuation / overcoming codependency
- Life transitions
- Relationship issues / Marital conflict
- Infidelity
- Sex or intimacy issues
- Estrangement / Divorce
- Treatment Approaches:
- Relationship counseling
- Humanistic models
- Behavior based models, like Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Trauma- Informed Care
- Emotionally Focused Therapy
- EFT (Tapping)
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
Caroline Epperson, Resident Intern
Pronouns: she/her
Caroline is completing her masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Syracuse University. Caroline has extensive work experience with children and families in turmoil, and is bringing her calm compassionate presence to clients in need. Caroline’s experiences with a variety of family systems provides a seasoned, accepting therapy experience. At Alkira she sees couples, families, children and teens.
Caroline believes in affirmative therapy techniques and pursuing a strength based approach with each individual, couple, and family.
Forde Kay, MA, LPMFT
Pronouns: he/him
I am a graduate from the Syracuse University Marriage & Family Therapy Department with an Advanced Certificate in Trauma Studies. I work with individuals, couples, and families to build stronger foundations of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, and interpersonal skills. Using humor, integrative therapeutic techniques pulling from efficacy-based models, and a direct approach, I seek to create collaborative therapeutic spaces in which clients feel safe to express themselves honestly and authentically.
Believing a systemic approach to therapy provides the necessary framework to best tackle the unique experiences and needs of my clients, I empower individuals with the agency and tools to thrive. I have advanced training and specialty in Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), gender expansive and affirming care, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Caitlyn Lipschitz, MA, LPMFT
Pronouns: she/her
Caitlyn holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, with advanced studies in Child Therapy, which she obtained from Syracuse University. Her experience includes working with individuals, couples, families, and children/adolescents, employing a range of system-based approaches. Caitlyn’s therapeutic interventions are based on efficacy-based modalities that are person-centered, sexuality/gender-affirming, and empowerment-focused.
In relationship therapy, Caitlyn facilitates the enhancement of interpersonal communication skills, guiding families and couples to resolve and move beyond conflicts by fostering emotional safety and increasing emotional understanding.
Caitlyn is certified in Integrating CBT and Exposure & Response Prevention for the Treatment of GAD, Panic Disorder, OCD, Social Anxiety, and phobias and has completed training in Treating Affairs and Trauma utilizing the Gottman Method.
Emet Oden, Resident Intern
Pronouns: he/him
Emet Oden is a Marriage and Family Therapy resident studying at Syracuse University. Emet has experience working with individuals, couples, and families at the SU Marriage and Family Therapy Center. His previous experience includes working as a crisis hotline counselor during which he gained experience providing resources for callers and youth and performing risk assessments and safety plans for suicidal ideation.
His warmth, empathy and curiosity creates a comfortable and welcoming environment in the therapy room. Emet uses a clinical framework of trauma-informed care and cultural humility, and he is informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy and Narrative Practices.
Outside of the therapy room Sophia has creative interests including painting and sculpting, music, and performing arts.
Giovanni Torres, MA
Pronouns: he/him
Giovanni (Gio) earned his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Syracuse University. Gio has experience working with couples, families, and individuals and helps them on their journey towards self-growth in both their personal lives and within their relationships, and completed a recent training on using EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) with couples.
Gio is open and honest believing that transparency and safety are central to a beneficial therapeutic relationship. He is warm, caring, and collaborative when working with his clients. Finally, Gio is passionate about working with men to break the stigma of asking for help and working with couples to guide them through any problems they face in life.
Alyssa Urteaga, MA
Pronouns: she/her
Alyssa Urteaga has received her masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, with advanced studies in trauma informed practices, from Syracuse University. She has experience working with individuals, couples, children and families facing a variety of challenges. Alyssa has received additional training to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community seeking letters for gender affirming care.
She seeks to create a collaborative space that will allow clients to grow in numerous aspects of their life and relationships. Alyssa believes that transparency, trust, safety, and open-mindedness are essential components when developing a beneficial therapeutic relationship and brings natural warmth and compassion. Alyssa utilizes a multitude of therapeutic techniques, including Emotionally Focused Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Gottman methods, and a direct approach.
Sophia Widdekind, Resident Intern
Pronouns: she/her
Sophia Widdekind is completing her Masters degree at Syracuse University in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has experience working with individuals, couples, and families at Peck Marriage and Family Therapy Center. Additional skills she brings include treatment planning, safety plans and support, and teletherapy.
Sophia is passionate about her work with couples and children using the family systems lens. She recognizes that each system has different dynamics and is dedicated to providing treatment that is unique to the needs of each client. Sophia uses affirming care, an approach that invites clients to be their authentic selves in the room. Sophia’s empathy and compassion and her focus on the clients’ narratives offers safe conversations for healing and growth in therapy.
Outside of the therapy room Sophia has creative interests including painting and sculpting, music, and performing arts.
Why do you have interns?
At Alkira, we believe and follow best care practices-working together to hone our clinical skills in a small group practice to bring you the best of our individual clinical abilities from our shared vision of compassion, openness and hope.
To do this well, we blend current knowledge and approaches brought by our field’s newest clinicians with our licensed therapists’ many decades of experience. Our new intern clinicians come to Alkira to be part of our shared vision and learn from our most seasoned therapists, bringing with them knowledge of the most advanced research and therapeutic approaches and the excitement of learning and helping you.
How does this work?
You schedule an appointment with an intern/LP whose approach and schedule works well for you, and just like therapy everywhere, you meet and discuss your concerns.
The added benefit is what happens in between your sessions: your therapist consults with their supervisor and together they decide how to best help you. The supervisor can join your session now and then if desired as well. Because of this collaboration, when working with an intern you also gain the benefit of an additional therapist’s expertise without the additional cost.
With smaller caseloads to ensure focused supervision for every client, new therapists are able to be more flexible in scheduling, and have more time to plan your session and research beneficial interventions tailored specifically to you or your child.
Can I use insurance?
Because health insurances do not reimburse non-licensed providers, we offer substantially reduced rates in our New Professionals Program. This helps us offer great therapy at affordable rates. And, these costs do count towards large deductibles and health savings plans.
What do I do next?
To work with one of our up-and-coming therapists, email alkiraintake@gmail.com or call the office at 315-492-1390 and ask about Alkira’s interns or limited-permit staff. And, you can check out their interviews on Alkira’s facebook page and youtube.