Richard, LMHC/CASAC
Executive Director
Extension 10

My name is Richard and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor practicing in the State of New York. I received my degree in Mental Health Counseling from Medaille College and my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.  I am also a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor through the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services providing DWI/Impaired Driver Screening and Assessments. .

I fell in love with clinical work in my undergraduate program at Buffalo State and transitioned to completing my Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Medaille College. 

Many people go into this field for many reasons and I went into this field not as a recipient of Mental Health services but to better understand the role my childhood events had on my own development. I describe myself as a resilient, adaptive and compassionate individual who has overcome many barriers. 

In mental health counseling, I use an integrative approach combining Existential, Reality, and Person-Centered therapies to promote growth and empowerment, allowing clients to make their own decisions when facing life's challenges. My goal is to challenge long-standing negative beliefs that hinder individual growth and encourage clients to overcome self-doubt and uncertainty.

Richard's approach to substance abuse counseling integrates the interconnected aspects of mental health and substance use, along with the neuroscience underlying addiction. He explores biological factors, brain development, and the concepts of free will, determinism, and existentialism to understand and influence current behavior. Richard delves into the roles of dopamine, reward and reinforcement mechanisms, and motivation. His method also involves examining the history of impulsivity and risk-taking behavior and addressing sensation-seeking tendencies. Richard emphasizes that recovery is a personal journey requiring multiple levels of treatment, including understanding how addiction occurs, exploring the biology of addiction as a disease, and addressing behavior patterns that lead to relapse. He focuses on modifying maladaptive coping strategies, correcting cognitive distortions, managing challenging emotions, setting life goals, and working towards self-autonomy. Additionally, he advocates for breaking down goals into realistic timelines, typically spanning the next 3-5 years, to provide clear and achievable milestones for individuals on their path to recovery.

Treatment with Richard involves personalized therapy sessions where clients engage in cognitive-behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, and re-writing our future by increasing self-awareness. He incorporates psychoeducation about the brain's reward systems and develops individualized coping strategies.