Suzanne Allen, Ph.D. received her doctorate from the University of Memphis and completed her internship at the Worcester Youth Guidance Center, in Worcester, MA. She has worked for over 25 years in various community settings with children and families who have experienced trauma, particularly around adoption and attachment issues and the impact on physical, family and social functioning. She takes a multi-faceted approach to intervention. Dr. Allen has received training in many different approaches to treating families affected by trauma including Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (Dan Hughes, Ph.D.) and Internal Family Systems (Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.) and incorporates these tools in her work.

Specialized Services provided at MBHC: Treatment of Dissociation, Pathways to Permanency

Suzanne Dirstine, MSW, LICSW is a Staff Clinician at Metrowest Behavioral Health Center. She received her MSW from Simmons College in Boston, MA and completed her clinical training and post-master's fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital in Outpatient Psychiatry. Ms. Dirstine has experience working with children and adults with complex trauma in a range of settings including inpatient treatment, outpatient clinics, sexual abuse treatment teams and adoption services. She provides an attachment-focused, client-centered approach to working with children, parents and families.

Specialized Services Provided at MBHC: ARC, Pathways to Permanency, SMART

Erin Lemire, LICSW is a Staff Clinician and  Supervisor at MBHC and the Clinical Intake Manager at MBHC and the Trauma Center. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in a number of settings including residential care programs, hospital facilities, inpatient substance abuse programs, and outpatient mental health clinics. Ms .Lemire received her Masters Degree in Social Work from New York University in May, 2013. She has an understanding of a variety of trauma-informed therapeutic approaches and has pursued more intensive training in the areas of EMDR, trauma-sensitive yoga, expressive arts therapy, and attachment-based psychotherapy. Ms. Lemire has provided individual, family, and group psychotherapy to clients working through complex and developmental trauma, dissociative disorders, substance abuse issues, anxiety, depression, parenting issues, and self-harming behaviors.

Specialized Services Provided at MBHC: EMDR (Level II), Expressive Arts Therapy, Treatment of Dissociation, ARC, Trauma/Sexual Abuse Evaluation, TF-CBT, CBT, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1)

Greta Schnee, LMHC, LCAT, RDT, holds a Masters in Drama Therapy from New York University. She is a licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts, and a licensed Creative Arts Therapist in New York. Ms. Schnee worked at the Perkin’s residential program for 9 years, with adolescents, children, and families with histories of complex trauma. She completed IFS level 1, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher training. Ms. Schnee is adjunct faculty at Lesley University. She also specializes in embodied drama therapy, practiced widely with children and adults.

Specialized Services Provided at MBHC: Expressive Arts Therapy, Treatment of Dissociation, ARC, SMART, IFS (Level 1), EMDR (Level 2), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1)

Kara Wetzel, LMHC, MT-BC, REAT is a Staff Clinician, Expressive Arts Therapist, Board-Certified Music Therapist at the Metrowest Behavioral Health Center in Acton. Ms. Wetzel received her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Therapies from Lesley University and has also pursued post-graduate studies at Anna Maria College in their Institute for Music Consciousness. Ms. Wetzel has a great passion for the arts as well as mindfulness and meditation and incorporates this expertise into her work at MBHC. Her professional experience includes work in schools, hospitals, outpatient and residential facilities such as Germaine Lawrence in Arlington and McLean Hospital in Belmont. Ms. Wetzel has worked with clients of all ages, facing a broad spectrum of diagnoses utilizing an eclectic, client-centered approach.

Specialized Services Provided at MBHC: Expressive Arts Therapy, ARC, Pathways to Permanency, Meditation/Mindfulness, Social Skills Training, Music Therapy

Ava Lorenzo, Psy.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Metrowest Behavioral Health Center. She is a New Jersey Certified School Psychologist (NJCSP) and received her degree in School Psychology from Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ. Dr. Lorenzo completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Haven in Piscataway High School, a school-based mental health center for children, adolescents, and families, where she engaged in individual, group, and family therapy. She has also worked to introduce school-based social-emotional learning interventions, and studied teacher perceptions of disruptive behavior in students, toward the goal of creating safe and supportive schools.

Specialized Services Provided at MBHC: Treatment of Dissociation, ARC, Trauma/Sexual Abuse Evaluation, TF-CBT, Psychological/Neuropsychological Assessment