Kara has been a nurse for over 10 years. She completed her undergraduate work at Bryn Mawr College in classical cultures. Kara went on to complete her nursing degree and graduate work at Yale School of Nursing where she specialized in pediatric primary care. Kara comes to us with a wealth of experience in residential living and is passionate about adolescent care services and care coordination. Kara strives to integrate mental and physical health models into treatment programming and values building relationships with her clients.
Achievements
Education and Training
- Yale School of Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, August 2008
- Bryn Mawr College, B.A. in Classical Cultures and Society, August 2003 – May 2007
- Connecticut State Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, 2010
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Board Certified, 2010
- Connecticut State Registered Nurse, 2009
- Infant, Child and Adult CPR /AED certified, American Red Cross, 2018
- DCF Certified Medication Administration Instructor, 2018
Honors and Recognition
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society member, Delta Mu Chapter, Bryn Mawr College, May 2010
Tammy Platt is a certified teacher in Special Education, Physical Education, and Health. Tammy has Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Rhode Island and completed graduate work at Southern Connecticut State University. Tammy has been in education for over fifteen years and has extensive experience in general and special education. Tammy has a broad range of experience outside academics including coaching youth and high school sports and founding the first Unified Sports Program in region 14.
Tammy oversees the academic and fitness programs at Turnbridge’s Adolescent Boys Residential Treatment Center. Tammy is a consistent, reliable, and compassionate professional who strives for excellence in everything she does. Tammy takes an active role in client’s academic lives and provides assistance and individualized attention to promote each student’s success. Tammy is a fierce advocate for her clients and has fostered a safe learning environment which allows clients to develop meaningful educational goals that are consistent with their personal interests, values, and abilities.
Tammy’s passion for fitness and unwavering commitment to helping youth build a healthy relationship with their mind and body led to the development of our fitness program. The fitness program provides clients with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to empower them to independently navigate any fitness center safely and effectively. Through fitness, clients build the self-confidence and self-efficacy needed to tackle life’s stressors while having fun and building a sense of camaraderie and community with their peers. Clients leave feeling mentally and physically stronger and confident in their ability to tackle the obstacles that lie ahead.
Outside of work, Tammy lives an active lifestyle. She loves spending time with family, sports, and long summer days.
Hiliary Bassett is a Connecticut Certified Teacher that specializes in therapeutic education. She received both a Bachelor of Arts in English Education and a Master of Arts in Education from Fairfield University. Hiliary specialized in secondary education and working with marginalized communities to overcome barriers to schooling.
Prior to coming to Turnbridge, Hiliary worked with students and families in special education and trauma-informed classroom settings, both private and public. Her background in therapeutic education aids in her understanding of our clients and accommodating specific needs that may stand in the way of educational success. She has ample experience creating Social Emotional Learning curriculum and incorporating therapeutic skills into the classroom environment. Hiliary believes in a holistic approach to education and in meeting a client where they are, celebrating successes and supporting setbacks. She creates personalized academic plans for clients while at Turnbridge and works with schools and families to ensure a smooth transition and appropriate services in their continued education.
Hiliary is a Connecticut native with a goal of hiking the highest peak of every state. She is an equine enthusiast and shares her love of horses with many clients on the Killingworth campus.
Ashley Marie Guerrera graduated in May 2016 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Art Therapy from Albertus Magnus College. In May 2019 she graduated with her duel Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Albertus Magnus College. Ashley is a person-centered therapist who has worked with a wide range of populations such as families, young children, teens, adults, and geriatrics. She specializes and incorporates Mindfulness-Based Practices, Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Art Therapy, Systematic Desensitization Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and traditional talk therapy into her practices. Ashley has participated in specialized trainings in meal coaching, MARI (Mandala Assessment Research Instrument), Art Therapy Assessments, Shamanism, and SoulCollage. She has an extensive background in working with the LGTBQ+ community, trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, intellectual disabilities, substance abuse, behavioral issues and cancer. Her mission for her clients is to improve their quality of life and foster confidence in their abilities.
Lindsay Matera is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She earned her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University and Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Roger Williams University. Lindsay has extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, and families struggling with mental health and substance use in a variety of settings, including a therapeutic group home, intensive and partial hospital programs, and outpatient programs. Lindsay has specialized experience in the areas of trauma, crisis management, generalized anxiety, depression, interpersonal relationships, and attachment. She incorporates multiple treatment approaches to best meet each individual’s needs, including applying skills from Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, and DBT. Lindsay strives to provide a safe and non-judgmental environment using empathy and a person-centered approach to help individuals meet their personal needs and goals.
Kate Mezick received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Minor in Psychology from Quinnipiac University. Kate has spent her career crafting exceptional skills in communication, empathy, and advocacy in the mental health field. She has over 8 years of diverse experience both clinically and with case management for clients of all ages throughout multiple levels of care.
Prior to joining the Turnbridge family, Kate was a Senior Counselor with an intensive in-home program working with adolescents and their families. This role primarily involved collaborating with outside providers and meeting with educational facilities to advocate for appropriate services needed. Kate has also maintained a Per Diem position as a Telephone Counselor for the Accessline since 2018. Accessline is a statewide program supporting individuals seeking treatment resources for substance use. Additional experience also includes working in an outpatient setting as an Art Therapy Mentor for youth and case management of Special Needs Trusts for adults and elders with disabilities. Outside of work Kate enjoys traveling, seeing live music, and playing in seasonal bowling and softball leagues.
Autumn Chase is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and Art Therapist. She received her dual Master’s Degree in clinical mental health counseling and art therapy from Albertus Magnus College, and her Bachelor’s in Art and Psychology from Albertus Magnus College.
Autumn is a person-centered therapist who uses evidence-based practices, including Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Art therapy, as well as other techniques to help clients feel empowered and have the tools they need to manage and cope with life stressors through self-awareness and the creative process.
Over the course of her career, Autumn has worked with adolescents, young adults, adults, and geriatric populations in multiple settings; such as in-home, outpatient, inpatient, and therapeutic day treatment programs. Autumn is experienced in working with individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, mood disorders, personality disorders, intellectual disabilities, and terminal illnesses. In her spare time, Autumn spends her time hiking with her dog, creating art, and spending time with family and friends.
Tyler is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Fordham University and continued on to Fairfield University’s School of Education and Human Development, earning his Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Tyler has clinical experience working with the young adult population and has an appreciation for working specifically with college age adults, around helping them gain skills and tools to manage through the stressors to come to appreciate and thrive in this transition age range. He also has experience working in the substance use and recovery field, specializing both previously and currently in individual and group therapies. Through running therapy groups, Tyler believes in the knowledge and growth that his clients can gain through interaction, universality, and psychoeducation. In individual therapy, Tyler uses CBT, DBT, and solution-focused interventions to help his clients gain insight into their potential, increase their sense of self-worth, and build a healthy well-rounded lifestyle in recovery by gaining more self-awareness of personal hobbies and interests. Tyler also works with clients toward supporting them to develop and work toward achieving recovery, mental health, and life goals.
In his free time, Tyler likes to go camping, play the bass guitar, and play board games with his friends. He has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and is currently the Assistant Scoutmaster of his town’s first all-girls unit of the program.
Lee Girion is a Licensed Master of Social work specializing in trauma-informed, strengths-based individual and group therapy. In long-term recovery himself, Lee understands the importance of relearning one’s identity in sobriety and rediscovering what makes life worth living.
When providing psychoeducation in group settings, Lee prides himself on explaining “the why behind the what.” Not only is it important to offer useful tools with which to navigate life’s challenges, but it is important to explain how and why they work, and to deliver this information from multiple angles so as to accommodate a variety of learning styles. Furthermore, the environment must be nonjudgmental and engaging. To that end, Lee seeks to foster a safe and fun learning experience.
When working with individual clients, Lee combines elements of CBT, DBT, insight-oriented therapy, parts work, as well as other evidence based therapeutic modalities. He strives to make every client feel seen, heard, and appreciated for who they are. His mission is to subvert shame and stigma and to walk alongside clients on their journey to wholeness.
Lee earned his MSW from the University of Southern California and a BA in Music from University of California Los Angeles. He is a singer-songwriter and an avid hockey fan.
Liam O’Mahony is a Marriage and Family Therapist. He earned his Bachelors at Binghamton University where he majored in Psychology. Liam received his Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Connecticut University. He uses evidence based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy along with other techniques in order to help clients increase their understanding of the problems, and subsequently empower them to manage in a healthier way.
Prior to working at Turnbridge, Liam worked in MCCA’s Intensive Outpatient Program, helping adults achieve and maintain sobriety while learning new and helpful life skills. Liam also worked in the Southern Connecticut Family Therapy Clinic, where he conducted therapy sessions with both families and couples. Here he helped them gain awareness of their own unhealthy patterns and work towards healthier relationships.
When Liam is not working, he is often spending time with friends and family, reading, or playing soccer.
