Mental Health Therapists
Elizabeth Rhodes, MSW, LCSW
Mental Health Therapist
Lizz joined our team Sept 2021 first as an MSW intern, and upon graduation, she transitioned to a mental health therapist in June of 2022. She received her MSW in Clinical Social Work from Westfield State University and her bachelor's in Psychology from UMass Amherst in 2012. Lizz is a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) in Massachusetts.
Lizz has extensive experience in the area of domestic and sexual violence advocacy. Over the past 10+ years she has worked in courts, with police, on crisis helplines, in schools and in other community-based settings. Prior to joining our team, she worked as a supervisor and advocate at the YWCA Central Massachusetts providing counseling to survivors and domestic violence education to the local community.
Lizz pursued social work education because it promotes social justice and highlights environmental factors that affect individual and collective health. She has therapeutic experience working with individuals, couples, and families with issues such as intimate partner violence, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, emotional dysregulation, marital separation or divorce, couples counseling, and grief and loss. Lizz has experience utilizing techniques that include mindfulness, CBT, DBT, ACT, and person-centered therapy. Lizz is available for virtual appointments with clients through out the state of Massachusetts.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Emily Borsody, MSW, LCSW
Mental Health Therapist
Emily (she/her) joined our team as an intern in Sept 2020 and upon graduation transitioned to a Mental Health Therapist in August of 2021. Emily has a Master's in Clinical Social Work from Simmons University. She received her Bachelors degree in Government and Psychology from Suffolk University. Emily is a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW). Emily has extensive experience serving the community. She currently is the Second Vice President of the Board of Directors at the Elizabeth Freeman Center, and serves as a mentor at the Berkshire County Kids Place and Violence Prevention Center.
She is drawn to social work because of the focus on advocacy and social justice. She has experience working with older adults and supporting their strengths and needs through both one on one work and group work. She is excited to work with individuals, adolescents/youth, couples, and families by helping them through issues such as depression, anxiety, emotional regulation, marital separation or divorce, couples counseling, parenting, and life coaching. Emily is able to provide trauma focused therapy, CBT, DBT, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, brief therapy and solution focused therapy.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Jamie Snell, MSW
Mental Health Therapist
Jamie joined our team as an MSW intern in Sept 2021. Upon graduation July 2022, she was hired as a full time mental health therapist. She received her MSW in Clinical Social Work from Simmons College. She also received her Bachelor's in Anthropology and Sociology from Mt Holyoke College in 2016. Jamie has experience working in the fields of crisis management, foster care and family reunification, and counseling. Over the past 5 years she has worked in community based settings to support families and individuals through difficult stages in their lives.
Jamie pursued social work education because it emphasizes the unique needs of a diverse population, and a person-driven perspective on emotional and psychological healing. Jamie has extensive experience working with the unique needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as with autistic youth and adults. She is eager to continue supporting individuals, couples, and families with issues such as post-traumatic stress, autism-spectrum diagnosis, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, grief and loss, chronic illness, and reclamation of selfhood. Jamie has experience utilizing approaches that include DBT, CBT, family therapy, narrative therapy, and mindfulness.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Lila Pope, MSW, LCSW
Mental Health Therapist
Lisa Falvey, MHC
Mental Health Therapist
Lisa Falvey joined our team Sept 2021 as a counseling intern. Upon graduation July 2022, she transitioned to a Mental Health Therapist. Lisa has her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch University (New England). She has experience working with adults, children, and couples. She enjoys bringing in creative approaches to therapy including the use of writing and visual art. In her studies at Antioch, she has focused on interventions for trauma and anxiety. In her spare time, she enjoys photography and other expressive arts.
Lisa has experience providing therapeutic interventions to individuals (adults and adolescence) and couples. She utilizes various approaches such as CBT, DBT, trauma informed care, motivational interviewing, solution focused therapy, behavioral activation, and art therapy.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Please contact the practice today for more information!
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK INTERNS
Danshanique Adkins
Master of Social Work Intern
Danshanique joined our team Sept 2022 as an MSW Intern in her second year of the clinical master’s program at Simmons University. She is also actively pursuing a certification in trauma. She received her bachelor’s in Sociology from Georgia Southern University in 2020. Danshanique has experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. She has decided to pursue a career in social work to focus on family, individual, and adolescent counseling. Danshanique enjoys helping others in a variety of ways, and believes that social work, being very broad, encompasses everything she is passionate about—from advocating to community work.
Danshanique is excited to work with individuals, families, and adolescents providing therapy. She approaches client care from a strength-based and person-centered approach. She is able to provide several modalities of care, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, and mindfulness.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Our interns may have lower and more flexible rates, compared to licensed staff, and may be able to treat individuals who have insurances the other providers in the practice are not able to accept for a low fee. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Erin Knowles
Master of Social Work Intern
Erin (she/her/hers) joined our team Sept 2022 as an MSW intern in her third term of the Social Work program at Simmons University. After receiving Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Columbia College, she entered an inclusion and diversity-centered career in narrative design in the Video Games Industry. Realizing all fields would benefit for better anti-oppressive practices, she has turned her focus to strength-based mental health care and support. As a biracial intern clinician (Mvskoke Creek/white), she’s interested in person-in-environment intersectionality, social and environmental justice, and evidence-based, individually-tuned interventions.
Erin has experience working with diverse populations on issues centered around social justice. She is able to provide a person-centered, strength-based approach to her therapy modalities.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Our interns may have lower and more flexible rates, compared to licensed staff, and may be able to treat individuals who have insurances the other providers in the practice are not able to accept for a low fee. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Kate Gannon
Master of Social Work Intern
Kate joined the team in January 2023 as an MSW intern in her second year of the
clinical master's program at Syracuse University. She received her bachelor's in
Psychology from University of New Hampshire. Kate has experience working in
support of service providers in Sri Lanka regarding cultural and emotional sensitivity as they provided trauma informed care. Kate also independently studied grief as an undergraduate, and has a strong interest in animal-and-equine assisted therapy. Whether her clients are navigating complex obstacles or celebrating
triumphs, Kate enjoys supporting others in ways that work best for them. As a practitioner in training, Kate is dedicated to on-going learning, use of evidenced based treatment for a variety of conditions including anxiety, depression, trauma/ptsd, grief and loss, and is dedicated to active and reflective listening. Kate has experience supporting diverse populations including persons of color and LGBTQIA+ persons.
Kate is excited to work with the community by providing person-centered and strength-based approaches to therapy for individuals, families, couples, and adolescents. She
studies and practices several modalities of client care, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, dialectical-behavior therapy, and mindfulness.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Our interns may have lower and more flexible rates, compared to licensed staff, and may be able to treat individuals who have insurances the other providers in the practice are not able to accept for a low fee. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Mereena Zachariah
Master of Social Work Intern
Mereena Zachariah (she/her/hers) joined Sept 2022 as an MSW Student Intern in her second year of the Clinical Social Work program at Syracuse University. Mereena received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from York College in 2019. After working for a few years as a medical professional, she felt it was time to use her passions and pursue a career in her field of helping others in their journey towards mental health wellness and advocating for the community she cares for.
She is excited to work together with adults, adolescents, couples, and families using evidence-based interventions. Mereena has experience completing patient intake, working with an interdisciplinary team, and providing patient centered care. Mereena uses a strength-based approach to help clients, and draws from modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy, and mindfulness.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Our interns may have lower and more flexible rates, compared to licensed staff, and may be able to treat individuals who have insurances the other providers in the practice are not able to accept for a low fee. Please contact the practice today for more information!
Sam L. Yu
Master of Social Work Intern
Sam joined our team Sept 2022 as an MSW Intern in her second year in the Clinical Social Work program at Simmons University. Sam graduated from Mitchell College of New London CT with a Bachelor of Psychology. She is a part of the National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi. Sam has studied criminal justice extensively in her undergraduate degree and has worked as a counselor in training in a work release program for special management and parolees. Sam has training and experience in providing psycho-education groups and rehabilitation. Sam also has worked in long term care for the aging population.
Sam has experience helping individuals process grief with suicidal ideations, bereavement, hospice, suicide, and making end of life decisions. Sam also has experience working with substance use disorders and rehabilitation. Sam has focused on motivational interviewing, problem solving behavior, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral modification techniques, and mindful practices. Sam is able to provide Christian counseling as well.
Our staff is able to provide therapeutic interventions under the supervision of Dr. Charell McFarland, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Our interns may have lower and more flexible rates, compared to licensed staff, and may be able to treat individuals who have insurances the other providers in the practice are not able to accept for a low fee. Please contact the practice today for more information!
EXECUTIVE STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Charell McFarland, DSW, LICSW, LCSW-C
CEO, Owner, Mental Health Therapist
Dr. C is the founder and owner of Community First Therapy and Consulting, LLC. She is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) in the state of Maryland, and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the state of Massachusetts (LICSW). She graduated from the University of Massachusetts- Boston with a BA in Psychology, from Howard University with a Masters of Social Work, and a Doctorate of Social Work from Capella University. In the past, she has served as the Geriatric Social Worker on the Maryland State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators. She specializes in working with a variety of persons from adults and couples, to adolescents and seniors. With over a decade of experience in health care and mental health, her area of expertise includes, but is not limited to depression, mood disorders, anxiety, behavioral management, PTSD and intimate partner violence, grief and loss, family therapy, couples therapy, and aging related concerns. Dr. C has experience working with individuals surrounding concerns with racial, ethnic, and gender disparities.
As a Clinical Social Worker, she uses a strength-based approach, and believe that everyone brings strengths to the table that can help improve one's quality of life through a relationship-based, collaborative and client-directed approach. Some theoretical perspectives she uses include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gestalt Therapy, Mindfulness, Behavioral Activation, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy, and Problem Solving Therapy. She also provides Christian Counseling to those looking to merge spirituality with evidenced based approaches.
She has over 10 combined years of experience working with individuals with mental health concerns, terminally ill persons, older adults residing within a continuing care retirement community, unhoused individuals and families. Dr. C also has experience working with community re-entry rehabilitation programs, employment assistance programs, providing supervision and consultation to nursing homes, supervising social workers and similarly licensed professionals, and providing exam preparation for social workers.
Juana McFarland, BA, MDIV
Office Manager
Juana joins Community First Therapy and Consulting, LLC as our office manager. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Northeastern University and a Masters of Divinity from Oral Roberts University. She has previously worked in accounting at various firms, and currently works as a pastor to a local congregation in Berkshire County.
Juana is diligent in making sure the office runs smoothly from an administrative perspective and assists with scheduling. Juana is instrumental in running day to day functions of the office, processes billing and claims, and manages our client satisfaction process and procedures. She also assists Dr. C with resolving client concerns, should any arise. If you have any questions, please contact the office.