Our Team.
Get to know the compassionate professionals dedicated to supporting your journey. Each therapist brings unique expertise and a caring approach to help you navigate life's challenges. Discover who we are and how we can work together toward your growth and healing.
Sara Daly,
LMHC-D, LPC, ACS
Director and Co-Founder
Sara is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in both New York and New Jersey, and a National Certified Counselor (NCC), with over 10 years of experience in the mental health field. She holds a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Hunter College and began her career at SUNY New Paltz, where she volunteered at a campus crisis center during her undergraduate years. Her professional experience spans a variety of settings, including community mental health centers, private practices, non-profits, and large corporate therapy clinics. Throughout her career, Sara has worked with adolescents, young adults, and families facing challenges related to anxiety, depression, self-esteem, life transitions, family dynamics, and interpersonal relationships. Sara founded Balanced Mind Therapy after seeing firsthand how difficult it was for friends and loved ones to find quality therapists who accept insurance. She created the practice with the goal of increasing access to compassionate, evidence-based care for individuals and families across New York and New Jersey. In addition to her clinical background, Sara is also a certified yoga instructor. She brings a holistic lens to her work, occasionally incorporating mindfulness, breathwork, and movement into sessions when appropriate to support clients in managing stress and anxiety. Outside of work, Sara enjoys hiking, practicing and teaching yoga, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Ally Nektalov, LCSW, MASTER CASAC
Co-Founder
Ally is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist with an MSW (Master’s of Social Work) from New York University and holds a certificate from New York State as an Master CASAC (Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor). She also completed Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy training at the Alanson J. White Institute; which uses an interpersonal psychoanalytic model. Ally is an Adjunct Professor at New York University and Touro College teaching Clinical Practice for social work graduate students. Prior to Balanced Mind Therapy Ally was the Director and Clinical Supervisor of an outpatient clinic treating substance use operating under a Federal Grant. Clients in this program participated in individual and/or group psychotherapy addressing triggers to substance use and past trauma. She was responsible for program operations, administering the grant, and supervised staff while ensuring quality care and compliance. In her free time, Ally enjoys practicing yoga, boxing, and playing tennis. She likes to cook and explore vegan restaurants with friends and family. Ally is a dog mom to baby Capri, a toy poodle.
Carly Scanlon, LPC
Psychotherapist in NJ
Clinical Mentor
Carly Scanlon, LPC, NCC is a New Jersey Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The College of New Jersey. Carly has a diverse background, with experience in intensive outpatient, outpatient, and school settings, where she has provided clinical mental health treatment to children, adolescents, and adults facing a range of mental health challenges. Carly specializes in individual counseling for adolescents and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-esteem issues, and interpersonal relationship difficulties. She recognizes that people seek therapy for a variety of reasons, and her approach is to meet each client where they are. Carly is committed to building a collaborative and trusting therapeutic relationship that allows clients to explore difficult emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in a safe and supportive space. Her ultimate goal is to help clients overcome obstacles and live more meaningful, fulfilling lives. With a flexible and integrative approach, Carly tailors her therapeutic methods to each client's unique needs. She draws on evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness practices to create an effective treatment plan that fosters growth and healing. Outside of work, Carly enjoys attending hot yoga classes, trying new workout classes, cooking new recipes, and spending time with her friends and family.
Heudeliss Placencio, MHC-LP
Psychotherapist in NY
Heudeliss (Eh-duh-lees) Placencio, MHC-LP, is a compassionate and culturally attuned mental health counselor with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Heudeliss specializes in working with individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and neurodivergence. She is passionate about helping clients better understand themselves, heal from past experiences, develop effective coping skills, and build lives that align with their values. Her approach is collaborative, strengths-based, and tailored to each client's unique needs, drawing from evidence-based practices and mindfulness techniques to support lasting growth and resilience. As a queer, neurodivergent Dominican-American and bilingual English-Spanish speaker, Heudeliss is deeply committed to creating affirming and inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals, first-generation Americans, and members of historically marginalized communities. She has a particular interest in supporting clients navigating cultural expectations, identity exploration, family dynamics, and the complexities of progressing out of generational poverty. Through a culturally responsive lens, she helps clients process systemic and personal challenges while fostering self-compassion, empowerment, and confidence. With experience across clinic-based, field-based, and private practice settings, Heudeliss has worked with diverse individuals and families facing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and life-transition challenges. As a certified yoga teacher, she also incorporates mindfulness-based practices and body awareness techniques when appropriate, helping clients strengthen the connection between mind and body as part of their healing process. Outside of providing therapy, Heudeliss is a jazz-trained musician, athlete, and proud nerd. She celebrates her Dominican roots through bachata, veganizing recipes, and bossa nova performances. In her downtime, she enjoys cycling, tarot, Legos, nail art, and low-waste living.
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Arryonna Pinkney, MHC-LP
Psychotherapist in NY
Arryonna Pinkney is a skilled and compassionate Mental Health Counselor (MHC-LP) who specializes in guiding individuals through trauma, anxiety, and life transitions. A graduate of New York University's Master's program in Mental Health Counseling and Wellness, she blends clinical expertise with deep empathy to help clients reconnect with their strengths and move toward healing. Arryonna is trained in evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), narrative therapy, and solution-focused techniques. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and culturally responsive-rooted in the belief that therapy should be a space where clients feel safe to explore their stories, challenge old patterns, and build new possibilities. Arryonna's mission is to offer more than just coping tools-she partners with clients to help them reclaim their voice, deepen self-understanding, and step into a life shaped by intention rather than fear. Whether you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or ready for transformation, she meets you where you are-with presence, skill, and an unwavering belief in your capacity to heal and grow. Outside of her clinical work, Arryonna is passionate about creative expression and movement-based practices that support both emotional and physical resilience. She enjoys writing poetry as a means of reflection and storytelling, a skill that parallels her therapeutic interest in narrative work and emotional processing. Arryonna also practices boxing, finding strength and focus through discipline and movement.
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Ariel Richard, MHC-LP
Psychotherapist in NY
Ariel Richard, MHC-LP, is a therapist driven by a deep desire to connect with and understand others, offering guidance and support through life’s most challenging seasons. Ariel is passionate about helping individuals navigate trauma, depression, life transitions, and interpersonal conflict, tailoring her approach to meet the unique needs of each client. Whether it’s managing the pressure to succeed, processing religious trauma, forming one’s identity, or searching for purpose and meaning, she provides compassionate, individualized care. With a background in suicide prevention and crisis counseling, Ariel brings a calm, steady presence to even the most difficult conversations. Her relational approach creates a safe space for clients to explore their thoughts and emotions deeply, without fear of judgment. As a therapist, Ariel believes healing happens through authentic connection. Her style is warm, collaborative, and rooted in existential, narrative, and person-centered approaches. She views each client as the expert on their own life and integrates other modalities as needed, because she knows there’s no one-size-fits-all path to growth. One former client described working with her as “like talking to a professional friend”—a reflection of the supportive yet empowering dynamic she strives to cultivate. In sessions, clients can expect a balance of deep reflection and practical support. Ariel meets clients where they are, helping them uncover patterns, process past experiences, and build tools that align with their values and goals. Outside of therapy, Ariel serves as an assistant director at a crisis center and creates inspirational content through her podcast and social media. She enjoys reading, writing, cooking, baking, and singing, and recently discovered a love for playing cozy video games as a way to unwind. You can expect to find her with multiple beverages around at all times, as well as snacks on standby!
Eliana Davidoff, LMSW
Psychotherapist in NY & NJ
Eliana is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) who earned her degree from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. She is passionate about working with people and creating a safe, supportive space where clients can explore their inner and outer worlds, heal, and grow all through a person-centered lens. Eliana provides a supportive non-judgmental environment for clients to feel motivated to invest in themselves. Her compassionate and empathetic nature allows her to build meaningful deep connections, helping clients feel seen, accepted, and empowered to be their truest selves. Eliana works collaboratively with clients to help them lean into their strengths, embrace their inner resilience, cultivate self-love, and build healthy boundaries and relationships. She deeply values the mind-body connection and often incorporates mindfulness to help clients feel grounded and find clarity. With a flexible, integrative approach, Eliana tailors her therapeutic methods to meet each client’s unique needs. She draws from evidence-based modalities including Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based interventions to foster meaningful, lasting change. Her areas of specialty include working with adolescents and young adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges. Eliana is a big believer that progress and change aren't linear, and even small steps forward deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Outside of her clinical work, Eliana enjoys exercising, hot yoga, the sauna and cold plunge, meditating, and sharing a good meal with family and friends.
Renee Richman, LCSW
Psychotherapist in NY
Renee Richman, an LCSW, who helps older teens and adults move from overwhelm to clarity, confidence, and connection. Her work focuses on anxiety, complex trauma, depression, eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder, and she is deeply committed to creating a space where you feel understood, supported, and genuinely empowered. Renee's approach blends CBT, person-centered therapy, psychodynamic exploration, and solution-focused strategies. She works together with her clients to understand the “why” behind your patterns while also building the practical tools you need right now. Renee believes healing isn’t linear, and it doesn’t have to be done alone - small, steady steps can lead to life-changing transformation. Renee emphasizes a collaborative therapeutic relationship and prioritize creating a safe, consistent environment that supports meaningful progress. She shows up fully, meets you where you are, and holds hope even when it feels hard for you to find it yourself. Whether you’re navigating anxiety that won’t quiet down, recovering from trauma, rebuilding your relationship with food, or learning to regulate intense emotions, she is here to walk with you through the process. Renee's work is grounded in compassion and respect for each client's unique history and goals. Together, you'll work toward a future that feels more open, intentional, and authentically yours. Aside from work, Renee enjoys reading, going to concerts, taking dance classes and spending time with her 2 mini Australian Shepherds.
Nahema Moore, LSW
Psychotherapist in NJ
Nahema Moore, LSW, is a compassionate and grounded clinician who takes a real-world, collaborative approach to therapy. She believes that meaningful change happens when clients feel genuinely understood and supported, and she strives to create a therapeutic space that is both welcoming and effective. Nahema specializes in working with men, teens, and older adults. Populations that are often encouraged to “just deal with it,” may feel overlooked, or haven’t always had a space to speak openly about what’s going on beneath the surface. She supports clients navigating stress, questions around identity, life transitions, retirement concerns, grief, motivation challenges, and relationship issues. In addition to her work with individuals, Nahema is trained in couples therapy through Level 1 certification from the Gottman Institute. She helps partners strengthen communication, understand conflict patterns, and rebuild trust in ways that feel respectful and balanced. Her role in couples work is to help both people feel heard and move forward with clarity. Nahema’s style is direct yet supportive, rooted in evidence-based practices and tailored to each client’s unique experience. She focuses on helping clients identify what’s truly happening in their lives and build practical tools that promote growth and resilience beyond the therapy room. Whether someone is seeking new perspective, honest conversation, or real change, Nahema is dedicated to meeting them where they are and walking alongside them in their journey. Outside of the therapy room, Nahema enjoys painting her nails and practicing new makeup looks as creative outlets for self-expression and mindfulness. She also loves taking Zumba classes, which help her stay energized and grounded so she can show up fully for the clients she serves.
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Lauren Campasano, LCSW
Psychotherapist in NJ
Lauren Campasano MSW, LCSW OSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker residing in Summit, New Jersey. Her true passion for examining how life experiences and unique identities shape an individual’s life course would lead her to complete her MSW at Rutgers University. Lauren has over 10 years of experience working with older adults, individuals with physical disabilities and/or chronic illness, and caregivers. She currently works full-time as a hospital social worker and specializes in working with oncology patients and those living with blood disorders. Lauren understands that life transitions can be difficult to navigate, whether it is a new role, a change in a relationship, or a new obstacle to face. She utilizes CBT, strength-based and solution-focused methods, and mindfulness practices for supporting clients in their journeys to address feelings of anxiety and depression. In her free time Lauren enjoys cooking, creating ceramic tile mosaic art, reading and spending time outdoors.
Natasha Muriuki, LSW
Psychotherapist in NJ
Natasha Muriuki, MSW, believes therapy works best when the client is treated as the expert on their own life; not led with diagnoses or checklists, but met as a whole person. Her approach centers on walking alongside people as they make sense of what they're carrying, with honesty, warmth, and genuine compassion, even when the conversation is hard. People who work with Natasha often say they don't feel judged, rushed, or reduced to a symptom list. She meets clients honestly, as themselves. She has experience working with adults and youth who have experienced trauma, individuals navigating substance use disorders, and people seeking support for anxiety, depression, and the many challenges that fall somewhere in between. Across these experiences, the through-line is the same: trauma doesn't just live in memory. It shows up in the body, in relationships, and in the coping strategies people build to survive. Her trauma-informed approach means slowing down enough to understand why a pattern developed before rushing to change it, creating space for curiosity, compassion, and meaningful, lasting change. Natasha draws from an eclectic approach, pulling from CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic approaches because people are multifaceted, and rigid formulas rarely do them justice. Having worked across IOP, PHP, residential, and outpatient settings, she has sat with people at some of their hardest, most vulnerable moments, and has learned that real change tends to start with feeling safe enough to be fully honest.
Felicia Bradley, LAC
Psychotherapist in NJ
Felicia is a Licensed Associate Counselor in New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Education as well as a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling with dual certification as both a School Counselor and Student Assistance Counselor (SAC). She is additionally a Nationally Certified Counselor and currently pursuing the Women's Mental Health Special Certificate. Felicia has worked with various populations throughout the lifespan and has extensive experience working in the school setting with adolescents and their families as well as serving families of children with special needs. As a Therapist in the mental health clinical setting, she has enjoyed working with young adults and women of all ages addressing anxiety, depression, women's issues, and life transitions. She strives to provide a welcoming, safe and therapeutic space for all. The primary focus of her work has been stress management, setting long and short term goals and working together to build a toolbox of positive coping strategies. Her approach is solution-focused, client-centered, cognitive behavioral therapy and family-oriented practices. Whether you’re facing traumatic news regarding yours’ or a loved one’s health, struggling with college or career goals, need help navigating life postpartum, or maybe life just feels heavy right now – she is happy to assist you! In her free time Felicia enjoys spending time with family (proud mom of 3 boys), spending time in nature and volunteering in the local church community.
If you're in emotional distress, here are some resources for immediate help
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
Call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 (Available 24/7)
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
