Grounded Team
Alex Tomback and Hillary Perlman founded Grounded Therapy as a way to provide accessible support for those in need. We believe the most effective therapy is client-centered and evidence-based and specialize in individual, couples, and group therapy.
Therapists
Hillary Perlman • Co-founder and Clinical Supervisor
Hillary (she/her), an LCSW and originally from Texas, received her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University in 2012. She has a warm, grounded, and authentic style, using curiosity, humor and compassion to encourage healing. Hillary works with individuals and couples to confront and explore trauma, anxiety, depression, complicated grief, sexuality and gender issues, major life changes, and chronic health issues, including HIV/AIDS. She has specific training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), two evidenced-based treatments for healing from traumatic experiences.
Alex Tomback• Co-founder and Therapist
Alex (she/her) is an LMSW and graduate from Columbia University School of Social Work. Alex has been trained in a mixture of methodologies, including Sex Therapy, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed CBT, Family Systems Therapy and Person-Centered Therapy. Her approach is relational, attachment-driven, warm, and collaborative. Moreover, her process with individual, couple’s, and group therapy involves the combination of these different techniques to create a space where collective change and healing can begin.
Alina Augustin• Therapist
Alina Augustin is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) offering compassionate, eclectic, and evidence-based psychotherapy. They attained a Masters from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Alina practices through an anti-racist, LGBTQIA+ affirming, trauma, and neurodivergent-informed approach. They aim to create a comfortable space for people to feel safe, seen, and challenged in a world that can feel isolating. They specialize in working with individuals who are struggling to find a sense of belonging and want to break the cycle of living in a loop between depression, anxiety, fear, and more. In sessions, Alina draws from various modalities such as psychodynamic theory, trauma-informed CBT and motivational interviewing, which they tailor to suit each client’s needs.
Ariel Hayat • Therapist
Ariel (she/her/hers) is a licensed social worker who is trained in trauma-informed, relationally focused, and client-centered approaches. She supports clients in healing traumatic wounds, building stronger relationships with themselves and others, while creating a life where they are not only surviving but thriving. She specializes in working with individuals and couples who experience anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relationship challenges, and family conflict. She is currently studying at the Ackerman Institute, is a certified trauma therapist, and is certified in level 1 of Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Ashley Retta • Therapist
Ashley (she/her/hers) is an LMSW who has worked extensively with survivors of trauma in family/criminal court, child welfare, abuse (emotional/physical) and sexual assault. Ashley specializes in trauma, life transitions and relationship conflict. She received her MSW from Fordham University, and is a NY Native. Ashley takes a warm person centered, strengths based approach when working with clients. Ashley is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed CBT, Person-Centered Therapy, Family Systems Theory, and Healing Centered Engagement. Ashley uses a combination of these techniques to support and empower healing and growth in the clients she works with.
Julian Goldhagen • Therapist
Julian Goldhagen (they/them), is a licensed social worker originally from Jacksonville, Florida. They received their Masters in Social Work from Hunter College in 2018. Julian’s practice experience as a community organizer, theater artist, and sex educator deeply inform their therapeutic approach. They work collaboratively to help individuals and groups tell their stories and develop agency in shifting unhelpful narratives and negative beliefs. Julian offers therapy to individuals and couples around topics including sex, intimacy, relationships, gender & sexuality issues, identity, anxiety, depression and major life transitions. They practice utilizes a range of approaches including narrative therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Julian’s therapeutic practice is grounded in the contexts of social justice and equity and has worked extensively as a sex educator and therapist, and specialize in offering sex therapy to individuals and couples.
Justin Vahala • Therapist
Justin Vahala (he/him/él), is a licensed psychotherapist (LMFT-LP) originally from Texas. He received his Masters in Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies. He is trained in psychodynamic, relational, and transpersonal approaches to therapy as well as hypnotherapy. He also specializes in work with artists and performers. As a therapist, Justin is warm, direct, and creative in his approach. He works with individuals, couples, and families to process anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and questions of purpose. Justin practices a liberation based psychology from a multicultural perspective and is bilingual in English and Spanish and proficient in French and Portuguese.
Justin is also a certified Reiki Master, yoga teacher (RYT 200 hour), performing artist, and tarologist and can bring his experience in these fields to clients seeking more transpersonal and holistic approaches to their healing journey.
Marielle Tawil • Therapist
Marielle (she/her) is a licensed social worker, originally from Brooklyn, NY. She received her masters in social work from Columbia University and takes an integrative, multi-modal approach to working with clients. She draws primarily from psychodynamic theory— prioritizing self reflection and insight to a client’s conscious and unconscious processes. Marielle also specializes in treating OCD through exposure and response prevention (ERP). Marielle has had the privilege of working extensively with the LGBTQIA+ community and creates a warm holding environment to navigate life’s challenges and transitions. Marielle works with individuals and couples and believes that the trust built, and safe attachment forged in the context of the therapeutic relationship can exist as an intervention in and of itself.
Supervisors
Melissa Thoen • Clinical Supervisor (LCSW)
Melissa Thoen, (she/her), is a Clinical Social Worker based in New York City. She is a native New Yorker, who received her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University in 2004. She completed her postgraduate certificate training in Family and Couples therapy at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in 2019. Additionally, Melissa has extensive experience working with teens, adults, families, and couples, and attained her certification as a sex therapist from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (ASSECT). In 2019, she completed sex therapy training at the University of Michigan’s Sexual Health Certificate Program.
Melissa works with individuals and couples struggling with issues related to sexuality and gender, life stage changes, race and ethnicity, mental health challenges, and trauma. Additionally, Melissa is a clinical supervisor.
She identifies as a multilingual Latina therapist and is a first-generation American. In her free time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband, child, and pets, as well as participating in endurance sports.
Interns
Alyssa Romo • Marketing Manager and Intern Coordinator
Alyssa graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, where she conducted research on stress reactivity in college students and co-rumination in romantic relationships at the Columbia Couples Lab. Being Mexican, Chinese, and Jewish, she prides herself on her ability to connect with people from all backgrounds and resonates deeply with the intricacies that individuals hold within themselves. She has a profound curiosity to learn deeply about the people around her and ensure they feel genuinely understood. She is especially interested the psychology of sex and relationships and hopes to become a couples therapist in the future.
Angel Chuang • Marketing and Research Intern
Angel Chuang (she/her) is currently a first year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and intending to attend medical school after graduation. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, she is passionate about public health and mental wellbeing, especially in underprivileged communities. During the pandemic, she founded Youth for Mental Health, a student-led organization that aimed to support the mental health of vulnerable communities through online programs like Virtual Concert and Mentality Podcast.
As a caregiver to her grandmother, who suffers from depression and anxiety, she has firsthand witnessed the importance of mental wellness. Angel is interested in Psychiatry as well as the applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare accessibility and beyond. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, reading fantasy fiction, and playing volleyball. Angel is fluent in both Mandarin Chinese and English.
Kaija Lopez • Marketing and Research Intern
Kaija is a student at the University of California, Berkeley and is currently pursuing a B.A. in Film and Anthropology, as well as a minor in Journalism. She was born and raised in New York, but has spent the past nine years residing in Los Angeles before moving to Berkeley. Kaija is passionate about storytelling and would like to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking. She is very interested in combining her interests in both mental health and filmmaking to create compelling narratives that promote understanding, empathy and positive change in the mental health sphere.
Manal Siddiqui • Marketing and Research Intern
Manal Siddiqui (she/her), recently earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and is passionate about pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. She was born and raised in California and is now living in Berkeley.
Manal has spent the majority of her college career living at an International dormitory, known for its diverse community, housing students from all around the world. Being part of a diverse community and learning from people with different backgrounds has not only strengthened Manal’s empathy skills but has broadened her understanding of mental health challenges and interventions on a global scale.
Manal is interested in becoming a Clinical Psychologist and is considering a career in cross-cultural psychology, due to her exposure to to various cultures, beliefs, and perspectives. She is interested in learning more about the psychology of romantic relationships and intimacy as well as the impact of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on women. Manal is fluent in both English and Urdu and is currently practicing Spanish.
Mikayla Wong• Marketing and Research Intern
Mikayla is a third year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley majoring in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies. She was born and raised in the Bay Area, where the diverse community has driven her curiosity for healthcare and social change. Some of her greatest interests lie in mental health advocacy and developmental research, with a focus in underserved populations. Her time in college has allowed her to aid in the construction in multiple mental health apps, start initiatives for online healthcare support systems, and engage in her own research on anxiety and ADHD. Pursuing a career in medicine, Mikayla hopes to work with neurodivergent children - promoting empathy and inclusion while reducing social and behavioral stigma. With her unwavering commitment to her medical aspirations, Mikayla hopes to make a meaningful impact in the future of care and compassion.
Zeynep Ilkova • Social Work Intern
To fully grasp our present-day connections and behaviors, it’s essential to non-judgementally delve into our past. Zeynep recognizes the uniqueness of every client. With this in mind, she collaborately designs a personalized, supportive, empathic, and authentic environment for each individual. Zeynep earned her B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Social Work at Columbia University.
Her professional training encompasses trauma-informed care, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She also integrates mindfulness exercises to best address her clients’ specific needs and preferences. Zeynep’s experience is broad, having worked with children and young adults in both educational and clinical settings. She’s assisted clients in navigating transitions, anxiety, depression, identity concerns, and interpersonal challenges.
Fluent in both Turkish and English, Zeynep offers a multicultural perspective. Schedule an initial consultation to determine if she’s the right fit for you!
Zoe Scurletis • Social Work Intern
Zoe is a therapist intern attending Columbia University for her Masters in Social Work. She supports young adults and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, life transitions, emotional difficulties, relationship hurdles, self-esteem issues, and everyday stress. She believes that a personalized and holistic approach to therapy works best and draws on Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, trauma-informed and person-centered approaches, and mindfulness practices. Zoe has previous experience as a crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line, where she worked with over 1,000 texters to help them move from a heated moment to a state of calmness and composure. Zoe feels that therapy is an essential part of wellness and strives to create a supportive, non-judgmental, and collaborative space to help her clients reach their goals and make meaningful changes in their lives. When she’s not in session or in classes, Zoe hosts a podcast where she works to open up the conversation around mental health through authentic conversations with a wide range of guests.