2022 Student Leaders

NYMFT is proud to announce the second round of the Student Leadership Initiative. Every year, students from NYS MFT Programs will be nominated by their program directors to join NYMFT in student leadership roles. The goal of student leadership is to provide an opportunity for students to get involved with NYMFT to build their CVs, connect with other systemic thinkers under the guidance of more established clinicians as well as build leadership skills. We hope to give space to allow for our next generation of thinkers to hone in on their skills and create a more expansive and well-rounded space for this community. We are proud to announce you to the 2022 Student Leadership Cohort!

Student Leadership 2021

Asher Fieldman

My name is Asher Feldman, and I am a first-year LMFT student at Yeshiva University. In undergrad, I worked volunteering to teach liberal arts workshops in homeless shelters; after graduation, I served with AmeriCorps teaching adult education in Texas. These experiences made clear to me the importance of support networks and family cohesion in people’s lives. In my career, I hope to push back against the stigma of poverty, mental illness, and non-culturally normative family structures while helping clients live better, more fulfilling lives.

Thalia Ugarte

Thalia Ugarte is a Peruvian Communications Bachelor from the Universidad de Lima, in Lima-Peru. Before she moved to New York City in January 2021, she worked for over five years in Customer Service and Advertising. After years of studying human behavior from a marketing perspective, she chose to become a Marriage and Family therapist because she strongly believes that, in order to understand ourselves and others, we must first comprehend the immense influence of our first social core: family.

With her ability to communicate in both Spanish and English, Thalia is an advocate of cross-cultural counseling and aspires to be a multicultural counselor, working mainly with Latino communities while helping them understand the full context of their lives, their family history, their childhood background, and present relationships, amongst others.

She is currently a Master of Science candidate for the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Manhattan College and looks forward to serving as a guide in the path of self-reflection for those who need it.

Mikaela Anglin

Mikaela Anglin, born and raised in Jamaica, is in her second year, studying Marriage and Family Therapy at Hofstra University. While she comes from a loving and supportive family, she couldn’t help but see the challenges that she faced growing up as a Caribbean native. She also noticed how those around her with similar upbringings encountered some of the same challenges. These experiences birthed a desire to help couples and family members recognize the root of their trauma and help them take the necessary steps to build stronger foundations. Her goal is to establish her practice as an LMFT and work with families, specifically in the black and Caribbean communities.

Benjamin Sheff

Ben Sheff is a first-year MFT student at Iona College. A native of the Boston area, he chose to pursue a career as an MFT because he believes that understanding relational and systemic influence is necessary for healing on an individual or familial level. Ben is excited to explore work across multiple areas but has a specific interest in heterosexual hegemony and integrating broad contextual understandings of sexuality, gender, identity, and community. Drawing from his own lived experience, he is passionate about the necessity of facilitating healthy relationships and creating space for all clients to deepen their experience of self.

Alyson Collins

Alyson Collins is a first-year MFT student at the University of Rochester. Her work at the Utah County Talk Line and many personal experiences have set her on this current path. She is interested in working with community groups to create connections and promote communication around mental health. When Alyson is not busy with school, you can find her baking or exploring the trails with her dog.

Elena Ruffo

Elena Ruffo is a first-year student at the University of Rochester studying Marriage and Family Therapy. Her undergraduate career at Chapman University consisted of studying vocal music and psychology. Her experiences teaching art classes to children inspired a passion to help with child and familial mental health. Elena would like to continue to explore the field of Marriage and Family therapy but is interested in working with couples and children with mental health issues. When she is not studying Elena can be found playing music, walking her dog, crafting, playing video games, and cooking.

Kernisha Otway

Every day we face battles that some people don’t understand. Many people feel locked in their thoughts or feelings like they don’t have an outlet. In therapy, everyone encounters a different experience, and with experiences comes a variety of emotions and insights. I chose this field to give people the space to heal, strengthen, and develop themselves. A space to process thoughts and feelings, address their hurt and help bring awareness to self-love. This is an opportunity to learn, build, and develop a stronger sense of self. I am committed to the families and individuals I have the privilege of working with. We will utilize theory to build confidence, solidify motivation, and develop a variety of strategies that will manifest as an improved experience of life.

Mamme Mensah

Maame Mensah is a first year MFT student at Iona College. As a Bronx native with parents originally from Ghana, West Africa, Maame witnessed the lack of attention and stigma around Mental Health in her various communities. Attending high school in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the South Bronx, Maame was not expected to break the cycle. However, Maame focuses on helping others break from cycles of adultification, the school-to-prison pipeline, intergenerational poverty, and many more crippling roadblocks for people of color. It’s Maame’s passion to educate, empower, and validate those that are left abandoned by systems meant to support them. Maame is interested in expanding her knowledge of generational and racial trauma embedded in various lower-income communities. Seeking to bring more mental health awareness to countries in Africa, Maame intends to aid in bridging the gap between culture mixed with tradition while also shedding light on the importance of justifying the significance of Mental Health across all stages of life. Maame hopes to continue to hop over the odds that are stacked against her. In a world that attempts to silence black voices, Maame yearns to let those around her know that their voices matter and deserve to be heard.

Annemarie Sohn

Forde Kay

Forde Kay is a first-year MFT student at Syracuse University. After a decade+ of exploring different interests and communities across the United States and abroad, Forde has returned to his Northeast roots to pursue his passion for mental health and well-being. Forde comes from a background in Wilderness Therapy and developmental disabilities support, having worked with adolescents, adults, and their families. He believes a systemic approach to therapy provides the necessary framework to best tackle the unique experiences and needs of his clients, empowering individuals with the agency and tools to thrive. As a future LMFT and certified sex therapist, Forde plans to specialize in working with families, partnerships, and individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as those struggling to navigate and/or break free of structural and social heteronormativity and inequity.

Elzbietha Farys

Elzbieta Farys is a first-year Marriage and Family Therapy student at Yeshiva University. Born and raised in Poland, the dream of becoming a therapist pushed her towards a bachelor’s degree at King’s College London, and now a Master’s in New York. Immigrating twice gave Elzbieta a unique life perspective and cultural sensitivity, which she wants to use to provide therapy to various generations of immigrants. While Elzbieta still searches for her specialization, she is interested in language-based therapies, such as Solution-Focused Therapy or Narrative Therapy, as she believes in the transformative nature of language. Her experience at an online platform 7Cups, where she helped people by using active listening, taught her the importance of both conversation and silence. Her interest in Marriage and Family Therapy came from personal observations of the significance of family in healing processes, systems in treating individuals, and interpersonal communication in relationships. Elzbieta’s goal is to learn as much as possible about many topics, expanding her therapeutic toolset to provide the best quality of therapy by tailoring it to her client’s needs.

Andrea Kaplan

Andrea Kaplan is a second-year MFT student, currently working as a student intern in the Counseling and Mental Health Professions program at the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center at Hofstra University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Human Resources but found that human relationships are what she truly values most. Andrea believes that all content happens within a context and that there is the rationale behind all actions, which drives her desire to see things from all points of view. Andrea has personal interests in travel, writing, and social impact.

Acsah Carter

Acsah Carter is currently doing her Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy at Mercy College. She expects to graduate in August 2022. Currently, she is an intern at Lexington Center for Recovery. Acsah is very passionate about working with adolescents, her background is in working with students at alternative schools. Acsah plans to become a licensed family therapist to work with adolescents and their families. Acsah also has her Masters of Arts in Teaching- Special Education. Born and raised in India, Acsah has witnessed how cultural differences play into family dynamics and is interested in doing work in that as well.