Growth and Transitions Counseling® is an online therapy practice providing mental health services. Our services range from individual, couples and family therapy.
"Growth occurs when individuals confront problems, struggle to master them, and through that struggle develop new aspects of their skills, capacities, views about life."
— Carl Rogers
KrystalAnn Gopichand, LMHC
When you feel at your best, you perform at your best! I am KrystalAnn Gopichand an individual, group and family counselor with over 8 years experience, with all populations and ages group. My goal as a therapist is to assist you reach your best potential. Thru empathetic listening and having you serve as your own expert of your life, I will assist you finding coping skills to help you thru life's transitions, including past experiences and trauma to unlock your best you.
Lila Gyory, MHC Intern
Reaching out for help can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already struggling. Looking for a therapist is already a major step in your journey toward wellness, and you should feel proud. I come from an educational and work background in history, visual arts, writing, and community mental health organizing. This unique mix has made me deeply curious about the many facets of the human experience—the highs and lows, the little joys and moments of disappointment, and all the beautiful complexity that makes us who we are. I am currently working toward my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling online through Northwestern University, and I am committed to giving you supportive, empowering, and empathetic care. Together, we can work through painful feelings and experiences, learn healthy new coping strategies, and move toward lasting growth and change to help you flourish.
Cassandra Edwards, MHC-LP Therapist
I understand that therapy might sound intimidating or confusing… Why would you talk to a stranger about the most personal details of your life? The reality is that therapy gives us the unique opportunity to explore aspects of ourselves in a safe space unlike any other. Are you struggling with relationships? Are you confused about your identity or purpose? Are you feeling stuck in destructive patterns? Or maybe, you know something is wrong but can’t quite put your finger on it. Let’s work together to explore your concerns in a space that is empathetic and free of judgement. I value building a personal relationship with each client to allow for the trust and vulnerability that will allow us to dig into the roots of problems, highlight valuable strengths, and work toward momentum and progress. I welcome and affirm those of all identities, including ethnic or racial minorities and LGBTQ+ or questioning individuals. You deserve to be heard, and I can’t wait to listen.
Jennifer Flores, MHC Intern
Growing up in a working class Hispanic immigrant family led me to develop a strong sense of family proximity, cultural dynamics, financial struggles, and the underlying stress that comes with it. There has always been a stigma about asking for help and showing vulnerability. My experiences have taught me to be better, do more for others, and empathize with those that need help. Personally, I have seen how life struggles can affect a person’s mental health and the results from it. It led me to find my passion and pursue a career in the mental health field. Born and raised in Queens, I want to raise more mental health awareness and give back to the community as a whole. Our minds trick us into believing the negative intrusive thoughts and then associate them with thinking that that’s who are as a person. When in reality, we are not our thoughts and we can change our way of thinking into a more positive outlook. My goal is to have clients be able to express their individualities, help them build a healthier mindset, and to create a safe space for them to share their feelings without any judgement.”
Melissa Vargas, MHC Intern
Melissa is currently working towards her degree in Licensed Mental Health Counseling at Alfred University. She received her license in Bilingual School Counseling (with Spanish-proficiency) in 2014 from CUNY Queens College and graduated magna cum laude. She has since been serving the highly diverse youth population throughout Queens, New York to support their social-emotional wellness, academic progress and post-secondary planning. In addition, Melissa is a restorative practitioner who is trained in restoring harm among people and spaces through a lens of anti-racism, equity and inclusion. As the mother of a son with a learning difference, she is expertly equipped to work with special needs populations, including how to navigate education and legal systems. She utilizes a client-centered approach to build rapport and establish a working relationship with clients. Melissa places emphasis on non-judgement and meeting clients where they are to foster comfort, collaboration and growth. She believes that the formula for success is working hard, being kind to others, especially oneself, and she uses this mantra to guide her practice.
Nicolina Botehlo, MHC Intern
Nicolina is a candidate for a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Medaille University. She currently holds a Master's of Education in School Counseling from LIU-Brooklyn. She is currently a NYS licensed school counselor, working at a DOE elementary school in Queens. Nicolina has extensive experience working with children with special needs, including ADHD, Autism, and children going through life changes. She also has experiences supporting parents in accepting and supporting their child's mental health diagnoses.
Nicolina is always honored to witness and support the successes, challenges, and growth of her child clients, and is looking forward to doing the same with teen and adult clients. She uses person-centered techniques to create an open, warm, accepting environment where clients feel comfortable making changes in the way they think about themselves and their challenges. Her goal is to help her clients find their path toward achieving their personal goals, making new choices, and accepting change. Nicolina also believes in using client's strengths to help them face life's many challenges.
Dorinda Rogers-Madera,LMHC
Whether we are searching for complete happiness, our life’s purpose or just trying to gather the strength to make it through one more day, we all want to live our most fulfilling lives with more love and happiness and less doubt and worry. Sometimes we need someone to talk to outside of our everyday lives in order to open up or gain a new perspective on the problems we are dealing with. As your counselor I strive to help you identify your goals, meet them, exceed them and create a plan with the tools you need to help you to start living your best life! It is difficult for anyone to do it on one’s own, so I will walk with you and help you to invest in and make a commitment to yourself that you will put in the work to be your best self. I am passionate in helping individuals work through coming of age-related issues, LGBTQ community related struggles, grief/loss, anger management, communication blockages, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, trauma, identity crisis, existential crisis and romantic partner, marital, and family conflicts.
I have worked with teenagers, young adults, adults, and families for over fifteen years with a scholastic background in psychology, mental health counseling, education, and women’s studies. If you are reading this, you are brave in taking your first step. I look forward to working with you to help you build on your strengths and continue to develop the life and peace of mind you desire.
Derek Peterson, MHC Intern
Seeking help for mental health challenges can often feel so daunting, what with the pages and pages of therapists and mental health practices that populate with a simple google search. That being said, I am so glad, and so proud, that you have taken that first step in your journey toward fulfillment and wellness.
My counseling approach is holistic, encompasses techniques from many different counseling modalities, and is primarily informed by person-centered therapy. This is because I value the building of a strong, genuine counseling relationship in therapy over most anything else. It is through such a relationship built on mutual trust, vulnerability, and respect that we will work through or explore your concerns in a safe and judgment-free environment.
It is such a privilege and an honor to be in a position to help people as a counselor, and I am so looking forward to meeting you and getting to work!