Faculty and Staff

Shelley Orren-King

Co-Clinical Director

LCSW-R

Shelley is former Executive Director of The Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training and a psychotherapist in private practice working with individuals, couples and groups. She has expertise in working with women survivors of abuse, neglect and trauma and is the founder of W.I.S.H. (Women in Search of Healing). Her dedication to supporting mental health practitioners in practice building and wellness programs is evident in her private supervision, her workshop programs and consultations with community-based agencies, hospitals and schools. She has advanced training in EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) work.  Shelley can be reached on (646) 831-5272 or at ShelleyOrren-King@gestaltnyc.org.

Hiro Yasuda

Director of Training

LCSW-R

Hiro Yasuda is a psychotherapist in private practice who works with couples and adult individuals. He specializes in providing culturally competent psychotherapy and is interested in how larger contexts affect the  meanings of each client's existence. He has witnessed firsthand how people develop their capacity to give and receive love through his many years of working with marginalized children and families. He feels privileged to be a part of his clients'  journeys whereby they come to their own vulnerability and resilience. Hiro can be reached at (917) 405-0616 or at hiroyasudalcsw@gmail.com. For more information visit his website at www.HiroYasuda.com.

Rick Manista

Co-Clinical Director

PsyD

Rick earned his bachelors in psychology at Fordham University, his masters and educational masters at Columbia University and his doctorate at California Southern University. He completed his post graduate training at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. He is a certified crisis intervention instructor, an approved clinical supervisor, and certified Social Thinking level 1A clinician. 

After working in private special education schools, Rick works in private practice specializing in children and adults with language-based disabilities, high functioning autism, anxiety and social difficulties. He has presented workshops to teachers, parents and medical professionals on anxiety, social skills, conflict resolution and therapeutic techniques.  He can be reached at dr.rick.manista@gmail.com or his website www.rickmanista.com.

Michelle Billies

PhD, LCSW-R

Michelle is an Associate Professor at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York where they* teach critical multicultural counseling courses. Billies' research centers on racial justice, state violence and proactive civilian responses, as wel; as issues in low income, racially and ethnically diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming communities. Billies has been a Gestalt psychotherapist for over 20 years, and teaches sociocultural theory and practice at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training in New York City. They also parent an amazing 7 year old. *Billies uses the pronoun "they."

Elinor Greenberg

PhD, CPG

Elinor lectures and writes extensively on borderline, narcissistic and schizoid disorders. She received her doctorate in psychology from The New School in 1979 and has been a practicing gestalt therapist for over thirty years. Every seven to ten years, Elinor retrains in another form of psychotherapy and integrates it with her knowledge of Gestalt therapy theory and practice.  She is a certified Ericksonian hypnotherapist; she is in the National Registry for Certified Group Psychotherapists and she is a graduate of and former faculty member of The Masterson Institute where she taught and supervised students in a psychoanalytically oriented object relations approach to the theory and treatment of personality disorders. Elinor has been studying kabalistic tarot and the Western mystical tradition for the past ten years and is at present working on integrating spirituality into her practice of psychotherapy. She is a psychology consultant to The Tarot School and is on the editorial board of Gestalt Review. Elinor can be reached on (212) 580-9258 or at elinorg@mac.com and you can visit her website at: www.elinorgreenberg.com.

Kathryn Grooms

LCSW

Kathryn is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with fifteen years of experience working with issues of substance abuse, mood disorders, anxiety, sexuality, gender and trauma. Kathryn has a private psychotherapy practice serving individuals and couples. To her clinical work, Kathryn brings an extensive history of work with the women's and LGBT communities in areas of HIV prevention and education, music and performance production and business management. She holds the degrees of Masters in Social Services and a Master in Law and Social Policy (MLSP) from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She received her advanced training as a therapist from the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. Kathyrn can be reached at Kathryn@kathryngrooms.com or (347) 752-1157. For more information visit her website at www.kathryngrooms.com.

Naaz Hosseini

MA, LP

Naaz is a NYS Licensed Psychoanalyst, Qualified Gestalt Therapist and Voice Empowerment Coach with a private practice in Nyack, NY. She is currently faculty and supervisor at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training and Columbia University Teachers College. Her areas of specialty include anxiety, self-esteem, personal growth, creativity, voice empowerment, and relationships. She offers Powerful Presence Coaching to help entrepreneurial and corporate women step into their vocal power and command the attention and respect they deserve. Naaz can be reached on (845) 353-1974 or at naaz@naazhosseini.com. Or visit her website at naazhosseini.com.

Janice Juwayriah Hassan

LCSW-R, BCD

Janice Hassan is a Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist, a Staff Management Coach and Training consultant with over twenty years of progressive experience in child welfare in the areas of direct care, supervision, management and executive leadership.  Prior to the establishment of her private psychotherapy and Consulting firm (J. Hassan Consulting, LLC.) in 2005, Ms. Hassan worked as a Human Services Executive with a number of public service organizations throughout the city of New York. She was employed with Children's Services as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner from 1995-1997. While in this position, she was responsible for the Day to day operations of the Foster Care-Family Permanency Division and successfully spearheaded the city’s SSPS initiative for the Division which resulted in substantial revenue gains for the agency. Ms. Hassan was also appointed to the position of Vice President at Graham Windham Services for Children and Families where she was in charge of the agency’s Community Based Programs from 1997- 2005.  She has taught as an Adjunct Professor at New York University School of Social Work and is currently on staff as an Adjunct Professor at the Hunter College School of Social Work.

Janice maintains her Psychotherapy, Training and Consulting Practice in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn. She works with individuals, couples and groups with a specialization in Women’s Issues and Trauma. She can be reached at 718-622-4192 for psychotherapy, consultations and training.

Robert Mauksch

LCSW

Robert Mauksch, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and Gestalt Therapist.  He earned his Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College, and was trained in Gestalt Therapy at the Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy (NYC).  Robert works with individuals, couples, groups, and organizations to effect meaningful interpersonal and cultural change.  He has extensive experience working with sexuality, gender, and race, as well as a background in both addiction and mental health treatment. He has led workshops and courses on issues, including: group dynamics, leadership skills, social movements, and dialogue for cultural change.  In addition to his private practice, Robert has been an adjunct instructor for the City University of New York (CUNY), and a clinical supervisor for psychotherapists in private and public practice.  Robert can be reached at rmauksch@gmail.com, 917-714-5219, or through his website: http://robertmauksch.com.

Michael O’Brien

LP

Michael is a licensed psychoanalyst with almost twenty years of experience working with individuals and couples and supervising therapists. A graduate of the Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy (GAP), he also graduated from programs in Wilhelm Reich's Orgonomy, Arthur Janov's Primal therapy and Peter Levine's trauma model, Somatic Experience (SE). He integrates his experience with expressive body-oriented therapy, Adult-Child issues, 12 Step work, as well as meditation and Spirituality into the Gestalt framework. Michael can be reached at meo.1@icloud.com or on (917) 991-0930.

Marla Silverman

PhD

Marla is a psychologist with a private psychotherapy and supervision practice in NYC and Rockland county, and is former Director of Training at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training.  She has worked with couples and individuals for over 40 years, and offers courses and supervision in the art of couples work. Marla can be reached at (845) 623-0807 (daily) and at (212) 580- 8419 (Wednesdays).  For more information visit her website at www.marlasilverman.com.

Daniel Tisman

LCSW

Daniel is a New York state licensed  psychotherapist in private practice in Manhattan and Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. He has been a long time student of yoga and Vipassana meditation and comes to his practice with a 15-year background in theatre and the dramatic arts. He received his clinical training from the Hunter School of Social Work where he was honored with the Phyllis Caroff Award for Outstanding Clinical Social Worker. He received his post-graduate training at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. Daniel was the Expressive Arts coordinator at the Youth Counseling League at JBFCS.  He works with individuals and couples and has a particular passion for working with adolescents. Daniel can be reached on (917) 848-5474 or at danieltismanlcsw@gmail.com. For more information visit his website at www.becomingpresent.org.

Marilyn Varsa

LMHC

Marilyn is a psychotherapist in private practice on Mahattan's Upper East Side. For 23 years she concurrently treated a diverse population as an on-site therapist at Goddard Riverside Community Center. 
A graduate of the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training, Marilyn has expanded her therapeutic approach through ongoing work in Body-Centered Gestalt Therapy with the Hartford Family Institute.
Marilyn can be reached on (212) 861-1168 or at mvarsa@aol.com. 

Matthew Whaley

LCSW-R

Matthew Whaley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in New York City and at the Jersey shore – working with issues of trauma, anxiety, mood disorders, sexual diversity, and recovery. He is a Certified Gestalt Therapist trained at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. Pursuit of integration of Body and Spirit first led him to study with One Spirit Learning Alliance and become an Ordained Interfaith Minister. Subsequently, he became a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and teaching assistant for the Somatic Experiencing Institute (with a certificate in Somatic Touch in trauma resolution). He has trained in Hypnosis and continues to study new modalities in body-oriented psychotherapy. Matthew can be reached on 646-234-6515 or at eMatthewWhaley@yahoo.com.

Vivien Wolsk

PhD

Dean Emeritus

Former executive director of the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training, Vivien is a retired clinical psychologist with over fifty of practice as a psychotherapist, teacher and supervisor. Vivien received her BA in psychology at Barnard College in 1962 and her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Adelphi University in 1970. She completed her postgrad training at the Gestalt Center in 1981, joining the faculty in 1983, and was Executive Director from 1985-95. Along with her private practice Vivien was a consultant and media contributor. Retired since 2020 she is a widow after 55 years of marriage and a doting mom and grandmother, as well as a music lover, enjoying singing and songwriter as an avocation. 

M’lou Caring

PhD

M'Lou brought her ongoing search to meet the present moment with awareness and compassion to her practice and teaching of Gestalt therapy and theory. She was a licensed psychologist and a full member of the NYIGT. Her therapy and supervision practice, begun in 1973, was informed by years of exploring meditation, bodywork, improvisational dance, and consciousness/sub-consciousness in healing.

The M’Lou Caring Diversity Scholarship program is intended to promote in our student body diversity of race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ability, age, looks, socio-economic status, citizenship status, as well as other forms of diversity outside of our current awareness. This program will award one or more partial scholarships for our training programs. Donations for the scholarship fund are accepted at the link below.