About Nourish Your Mind

Nourish Your Mind provides Mental Health and Mind-Body Nutrition services in the Hudson Valley area. Our mission is to provide hope, help and healing to those in need through a unique and integrative approach to emotional and physical wellness. 

The state of health in our country is in crisis. Nourish Your Mind was created by Jessica Sullivan with the primary goal of supporting those struggling with chronic physical and mental health issues. Nourish Your Mind will fight back against society’s degeneration of health, providing knowledge and resources to the community and helping to pave the way for the mental health and nutrition movement. 

Nourish Your Mind is proud to offer the following services to the community:

• Counseling & Psychotherapy
• Mind-Body Nutrition
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Eating Disorder Treatment
• Group Psychotherapy
• Educational Classes & Workshops

It is our sincere hope that our clients will go forward and share the knowledge and life-skills learned at Nourish Your Mind in order to support a more successful and healthy future for our children and subsequent generations.

About Jessica Sullivan

After obtaining her Master’s degree in Social Work from New York University, Jessica went on to provide counseling and psychotherapy services within the Hudson Valley area, specializing in treating anxiety and depression. Through her clinical work and her own experience, she began to recognize the immense connection between mental health and nutrition. Curious to expand her knowledge and share this with others, Jessica completed two different nutrition certifications with a unique approach to health – Nutritional Therapy and Eating Psychology. The combination of mental health and nutrition expertise allows Jessica to offer a well-rounded, integrative approach to helping her clients meet their individual goals. Jessica is also a certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist and incorporates these evidence-based skills regularly into her sessions. Jessica constantly seeks to expand her knowledge and attends continuing education seminars frequently in order to provide the most influential and up-to-date information to her clients.

Jessica established Nourish Your Mind with the hopes of sharing her knowledge, passion and experience with others. For Jessica, the journey into the field began as a personal one when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition at age 16. Jessica had suffered with chronic pain, digestive issues, depression and anxiety in connection with her condition and has used the techniques that she shares with her clients to heal her body. Jessica has found balance within her physical and emotional health – despite her diagnosis. Nourish Your Mind is derived from the belief that with the proper support, knowledge and determination, YOU can do the same.

Jessica resides in Monroe, New York with her husband, Move Physical Therapy’s Dr. Justin Sullivan and her two step-sons. Outside of Nourish Your Mind, she enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga, traveling, reading, and experimenting in the kitchen.

About Kristen LoBianco

Kristen received her Masters of Social Work from Fordham University, with a concentration in Clinical Practice and a certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  Kristen began her career providing individual therapy to adolescents and adults with anxiety, depression, trauma and eating disorders. Throughout her career, she has expanded her knowledge by attending trainings on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and has received certifications specializing in eating disorders.

Kristen has also completed training through Eat Breathe Thrive, a non-profit organization that aims to prevent and help individuals overcome food and body image challenges through integrative mind-body programs. Incorporating a blend of yoga-based practices, meditation and mindfulness with therapy has proven successful for Kristen’s clients.

Kristen’s gift as a therapist is her passion for working with eating disorders. Her own life experience includes anxiety, body image struggles and defining one’s self are now realized and conquered every day. Kristen is dedicated in supporting your journey as you rebuild a pathway back into your body while restoring self confidence in who you are. Together we will work towards creating a positive and strong relationship between mind and body.

Kristen resides in Monroe NY with her husband and 2 children. She enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga, interior decorating and traveling.

About Kara Bucci

Kara received her Masters of Social Work Degree from New York University with a clinical focus on individuals and families. At the start of her career, Kara gained invaluable training as an FFT Therapist while providing Functional Family Therapy (FFT), an evidence-based therapy model, to families in New York City. Seeing the incredible examples of resilience and motivation in families became the foundation for Kara’s desire to continue training in alternative methods of therapy.

Kara moved to Connecticut with the opportunity to become a Senior Residential Counselor at Silver Hill Hospital, a psychiatric hospital dedicated to patient treatment. Kara received various trainings in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), including the Foundations Training, DBT Skills for Adolescents, and Mindfulness Practice from the Linehan Institute. Kara provided therapeutic services to adults in recovery from addiction, adults with severe and persistent mental health disorders, and adolescents with co-occurring disorders.

Kara is currently enjoying her work in the Westchester County School District as Student Assistance Counselor, providing confidential clinical services to at-risk adolescents and their families.

Providing psychotherapy and counseling to others has been the most humbling and rewarding experience in Kara’s life. The ability to help others connect to their life’s purpose, work through difficult experiences, and find meaning in their relationships resonates on the deepest level of Kara’s being.

Kara lives in the Hudson Valley where she is able to nurture her lifestyle as an active hiker, hot yoga student, soccer player, and weekend-adventurer with her family and friends.

About Gina Pellrine

After receiving her Masters of Social Work from New York University, Gina became a licensed social worker for New York State and New Jersey. Although she has worked with individuals aged five to nearly one hundred, she has a special niche for working with children and adolescents, having provided mental health services within a school environment and nonprofit organization. Gina has seen both personally and professionally how stress and trauma experienced at a young age can impact development, and as a result, strives to help kids and teens manage the negative effects of adversity and develop effective coping skills.

Gina often practices from strengths-based, person-centered, psychodynamic models of treatment, but is flexible in her approach. She incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness techniques and expressive arts such as creative writing and art therapy in her work with clients when thought to be useful. Since becoming a social worker, Gina has learned however, not to underestimate the value in being present in the moment with clients, to listen and be someone clients can share their narratives with.

Gina also specializes in grief and bereavement, as well as oncology social work. She has worked in outpatient oncology treatment settings and a nonprofit organization, providing socioemotional support for cancer patients, those in remission, caregivers and family members of all ages.

Gina recently moved to the Orange County area. She enjoys writing (especially for Nourish Your Mind’s blog), coffee and exploring Orange County’s charm.

About Michelle Nagel

Michelle attained her Masters of Social Work from Fordham University with a concentration in Clinical Practice. She began her career counseling children and adolescents in therapeutic foster care within Westchester County. Michelle went on to provide psychotherapy to adolescents and adults with anxiety and depression in the Hudson Valley region. She has attended trainings on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness. Currently, Michelle also works at a dialysis facility in Peekskill, NY where she provides therapy and supports her clients as they create a new, abundant way of life.

After her mother’s diagnosis of breast cancer, which is now in remission, and with her own experiences with chronic illness, Michelle became fascinated with the body, mind and spirit connection. She went on to participate in several trainings to learn more about this all-inclusive connection. Michelle has since overcome her chronic illness and she is passionate about helping others do the same. Michelle utilizes a holistic approach tailored to meet your specific needs. You are more powerful than you think and healing is possible. Michelle is here to support you as you peel back the layers, discover root causes and uncover your true potential to thrive in every area of life!

Michelle is currently working towards her yoga teacher training certificate to help her clients reconnect to their bodies, rediscover their breath and process through their life experiences.

Michelle resides in Chappaqua, NY and enjoys trying new recipes, hiking, practicing yoga and spending time with friends and family.

About Rachel Spear

Rachel attended Fordham University, receiving her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. She is licensed in New York State. Rachel has worked extensively in a variety of modalities with adolescent girls and young women, as well as their families. In addition to experience in group work and individual counseling, Rachel has co-facilitated several spiritual and mental health retreats. She has attended trainings in compassion fatigue and trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

A primary pillar of Rachel’s practice style is focused on client comfort and empowerment. Rachel starts where the client is and invites individuals to come as they are. Through art, narratives, and other forms of self expression, Rachel provides the space for clients to heal traumas, cultivate self esteem, awaken one’s sense of identity and address obstacles such as anxiety, family/ work related stress, and depression.

Rachel loves to volunteer and has done so as a coach for CYO basketball and Girls on the Run Hudson Valley. As of June 2018, Rachel is completing a 200 hour yoga instructor training, with which she hopes to incorporate the movement and philosophy into her current therapy practice. In her free time, Rachel likes to blog, write poetry, and spend time in nature.

About Stephanie Sommers

Stephanie attended Iona College earning her Bachelors Degree in Psychology. During her time at Iona she was part of the Division 1 Soccer Program, while she spent the majority of her time on the field, most of her free time was spent rehabbing nagging injuries. After college, Stephanie spent about 3 years working for a few different companies looking for her true calling in life.

Stephanie realized her true passion was Health and Nutrition after spending many hours in the kitchen as well as in the gym. In 2013, She enrolled in the Holistic Health Coaching Program through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), and has not looked back.

While going through IIN’s Nutrition Program, Stephanie made the connection that through healthy eating and functional movement she was able to stay healthy and more specifically out of pain meaning less inflammation and less time rehabbing reoccurring injuries. It was in that moment that she realized she wanted to use nutrition to help people in similar situations.

Stephanie has since worked as a Nutritionist in several different settings from a Functional Training Gym to a Functional Doctors Office. She has worked with clients with a variety of different nutritional issues including weight loss, inflammation, hormone balance, and gastrointestinal issues. While most clients have similar goals or ailments, Stephanie takes the bio-individuality approach when it comes to seeing patients, “one size does not fit all.”

Stephanie is a long time resident of the Highland Mills, NY area and enjoys finding easy ways to stay healthy in the kitchen as well as outside in nature. She enjoys going to the gym, yoga, hiking, spending time with loved ones and her dogs.