Our Team

The clinical team at Forward Therapy Group comprises expert therapists who are passionate about helping others. We have a strong commitment to help you start moving FORWARD into the realm of personal growth and self-awareness. All of our therapists have different strengths and trainings in various therapeutic modalities. Let us assist in finding the right clinician for you.

  • Founder and CEO

    LCSW-R, CASAC

    Marissa Kaufman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor with more than a decade of experience and training in the treatment of mental health and substance abuse.

    Marissa uses an individualized approach in her practice, including various psychodynamic treatment modalities, to create a therapeutic environment with the best interests of the individual client in mind.

    Prior to starting her private practice nearly a decade ago, Marissa worked at the New York Center for Living, where she facilitated an intensive outpatient treatment program for adolescents, young adults and families. Prior to that, she trained and worked at Bridge Back to Life, where her passion for working with young adults began.

    Marissa strives to meet individuals where they are, and help them get where they want to be. Her treatment specialties include substance abuse, anxiety, depression, codependency, adult children of alcoholics, trauma, fertility issues and supervision. In addition, Marissa has extensive training in psychodrama and spent 8 years training with Tian Dayton. She has also completed her Level 1 Internal Family Systems (IFS) certification, which is a trauma informed therapeutic model.

  • Clinical Director

    LCSW, CASAC-T

    Francesca Paparone is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Credentialed Alcohol and Substance abuse counselor trainee. Francesca received her masters degree from Fordham University and throughout her career has held positions in residential, outpatient and private practice settings.

    Francesca has extensive clinical experience working with individuals struggling with substance abuse and mental health concerns. She also specializes in supporting loved ones of substance abusers and people experiencing life transitions and relationship concerns.

    Francesca has an eclectic style, utilizing solution focused and motivational enhancement therapies. Approaching each therapeutic relationship from a non-judgmental and supportive place, Francesca encourages clients to take ownership over their own stories. Francesca’s holistic style of therapy allows clients to better understand their own behaviors and patterns and to take the first steps on their journey of healing.

  • Senior Clinician

    LMSW

    AJ Parr is a Licensed Master Social Worker and a Certified Crisis Counselor. She received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and her BFA in Dance Performance from The Boston Conservatory.

    AJ began her career in addiction treatment, working in Sober Living residences throughout New York City, providing recovery support to the residents. Prior to joining Forward Therapy Group, she worked at the New York Center for Living, an addiction and co-occurring mental health treatment center for adolescents, young adults, and families where she offered individual and group therapy. She has also worked with survivors of interpersonal violence at the Crime Victims Treatment Center, providing individual and group, trauma-focused counseling.

    She is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and has experience providing Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). AJ aims to create safety, openness, collaboration, and a secure base. She uses Psychodynamic and Relational approaches to her work while integrating the principles of Trauma-informed care. In her work with clients, she brings awareness and curiosity toward the impacts of childhood experiences and encourages the cultivation of genuine self-compassion and self-expression. Additionally, AJ specializes in working with artists, supporting clients while they navigate the challenges that come along with having a career in creative arts. She approaches her practice from an anti-oppressive perspective, with mindfulness of the ways oppression and privilege impact each individual client.

  • Clinical Supervisor

    LMFT

    Natalie is a Marriage and Family Therapist, licensed in New York and California. She helps clients to tap into their inherent wisdom, utilizing the nervous system for insight and as medium for change and healing. Natalie works with clients to address the lingering pains that bind them to the past, empowering them to embrace a life that feels genuine and aligned with their true selves.

    Natalie earned her Masters from Pepperdine University and pursued post-graduate training at the Ackerman Institute for the Family and The Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia. She is a Parnell Institute Attachment-Focused EMDR Level 1-3 Therapist, enhancing her expertise in trauma-focused therapy.

    With an extensive background in Substance Abuse and Eating Disorder treatment, Natalie brings diverse experience from intensive outpatient programs, program development for transitional livings in Manhattan, and almost a decade of private practice. Grounded in attachment research, a relational approach, and a deep respect for the body's intuition, her style is integrative and flexible. She acknowledges that the practice of holding space can take many forms and looks forward to meeting each client with curiosity and compassion.

  • LMSW

    Alex is a Licensed Master of Social Work with over eight years of experience working with clients, their families, and a variety of systems within the behavioral healthcare field. Most recently, Alex served as the Director of Client Services at Ascendant New York, a residential facility in Manhattan, where he played a key role in developing and overseeing their programs.

    Alex’s therapeutic approach is rooted in compassion and transparency. He is dedicated to holding space for his clients, meeting them where they are, while also holding them accountable as they work towards their goals. Believing that every client is the master of their story, Alex utilizes a person-centered narrative approach, incorporating Internal Family Systems (IFS) work to help clients highlight and explore specific parts of their stories. He views the process of self-improvement not as a punishment, but as an opportunity to build a life filled with joy and fulfillment. Alex aims to use this method as a way to empower individuals to create meaningful and lasting change in their lives.

  • LCSW

    A lifelong search for meaning, connection and understanding has guided Rob throughout his academic and professional pursuits, which include a bachelor’s degree in theology from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University. In addition to years of experience working with clients, Rob has received additional training in psychodynamic therapy at the William Alanson White Institute as well as extensive training in somatic therapy through the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.

    Rob considers each therapeutic relationship to be a unique and collaborative experience and makes a point of allowing the work to unfold free of any preconceived notions. Any therapist falls somewhere on the spectrum between distant/detached observer to connected, authentic human being. Rob is very much on the latter end of the spectrum. Extensive data shows that the relationship itself is the foundation of any worthwhile therapy. Throughout the therapy’s arc, Rob holds to a client-centered approach. Rather than offering some sort of rigid set of methods, the commitment is to understanding each client and letting that understanding guide the work.

    Rob primarily works with clients struggling with alcohol use, alcoholism and addiction and often works with clients in AA who are looking for outside help. He also specializes in issues around parenting, blended families, and long-term relationships (marriage, etc.)

  • LMSW, RYT

    Alana received her B.A. in Psychology and Public Health from Muhlenberg College and then went on to obtain her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. Alana is a Licensed Social Worker, Substance Abuse Counselor and registered yoga instructor. She believes a foundational piece of recovery is developing appropriate individual, familial and structural support systems. Helping her clients to incorporate these central components into the recovery process is what drives Alana’s passion for the work she does.

    Alana has experience working with a variety of populations within the substance use and mental health field. She has worked for inpatient detox, rehab and intensive outpatient programs. 

    Alana believes it is crucial to establish goals and develop approaches to address emotional issues with her patients; reinforcing skills in coping and communication, improving self-esteem, promoting changes in behavior and striving for improved mental well-being. This collaborative process allows one to increase self-awareness, gain new perspectives, and increase personal strengths. Through her work, she fosters a safe space where clients gain insight into how their experiences have impacted them utilizing various therapeutic approaches.

  • LMSW

    Mackenzie Fauser is a licensed master of social work and a clinical fellow at Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from Columbia School of Social Work and completed her bachelor’s degree at Barnard College.

    In addition to her role at Forward Therapy Group, Mackenzie serves as a substance abuse counselor at an intensive outpatient program, where she offers individual and group therapy with a focus on emotional safety, healthy relationships, and practical skills to support recovery.

    Mackenzie specializes in treating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders. She also works with individuals navigating relational dependency and identity development challenges. Her clinical approach is integrative, incorporating Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Gestalt therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness-based interventions to support clients.

    With over a decade of personal experience in recovery, Mackenzie brings warmth, authenticity, and deep understanding to her work. She takes a collaborative and curious approach to therapy, focusing on the here and now and exploring what presents itself in each session. She helps clients identify patterns that prevent them from living in alignment with their values. She is especially passionate about working with individuals whose struggles with substance use have interrupted the process of identity formation and the development of a meaningful, self-directed life.