Marriage and Family Counseling New York Long Island Manhattan

Counseling Corner for Marriage and Family Therapy, P.C. (CCMFT), opened its doors in March of 2003. It was originally The Relationship Enhancement Center. Our mission is to provide the community with the education and tools necessary to maintain healthy families, marriages and relationships. Our founder built this company with relationships in mind and takes pride in being able to say we help many people improve their lives on a daily basis and now in two counties. Since opening we have grown to two locations, Manhattan and Rockville Centre (Long Island) and are staffed with six therapists. All of our therapists are trained in Family Systems and Couples Therapy. Providing a unique approach to therapy is what keeps us excited about what we do and keeps the people that continue to work with us feeling hopeful in a way they never thought imaginable.

Many people who come to CCMFT for services have tried therapy before and had little success. Many times they have brought their family, spouse or partner in and did not feel the therapist was able to help. We feel that not every therapist is skilled in working with more than one individual in the room and this can be a difficult task if not trained appropriately. This is why therapists at CCMFT are unique in that each therapist is trained to do just that--to work with more than one person. Our therapists know how to deal with high conflict issues between spouses/partners, parent-child/teen, siblings, etc. Having this confidence provides hope and opportunities for new experiences. So, we encourage you to get to know our staff and see if CCMFT is the right place for you.

At Counseling Corner for MFT we are dedicated to help our clients to build and maintain healthy relationships. We believe that healthy relationships add to our satisfaction in life and one's overall health. Our approach is systemic in that we view each person in the context of his or her relationships. We assume that people exist in relation to one another and are part of the same system. It is within the context of these relationships that problems exist and our goal is to create change throughout the entire system (or relationships) rather than within the individual. With this type of work, where each person is working together, we believe change is more lasting.

I have carefully selected therapists to be part of a team that delivers high quality therapeutic services. All therapist at CCMFT are trained in Family Therapy and Couple Therapy theories and have received intensive training and supervision providing therapy to individuals, couples and families. Our therapists regularly attend trainings and professional conferences to make sure they are up to date with the latest techniques used in psychotherapy. It is our utmost concern that our clients receive services of the highest quality.

I hope that you will enjoy your visit of our website and welcome you to contact us for help with your relationship.

Cari L. Sans, M.A., LMFT, Counseling Corner for Marriage and Family Therapy, P.C. founder and director, is a New York State licensed marriage and family therapist. She holds a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Cari opened her private practice in 2003 while also working in a non-profit agency providing her services to clients with substance abuse and criminal issues. She was dedicated to not only seeing services provided in the public sector but also the private, where she found there were many people who wanted a safe place to come with their partners/spouse and family that was confidential. Since 2005 she has solely focused on her private practice and has recruited other therapists to join her team.

Cari has worked within the social service/mental health arena since 1995 in various roles. She has experience working with couples, families and individuals providing psychotherapy both within non-profit agency settings and private practice . She has provided groups dealing with issues of weight loss, anger management, couple enhancement, parenting, and substance abuse. Cari has also presented workshops on anger management, families and chronic Illness, parenting during divorce, and eating extremes. In her career, Cari has worked with children, adolescents and their families both in residential treatment and early childhood programs. Additionally, she has worked with adults in correctional and substance abuse treatment.

Cari is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the Long Island and Metro New York chapters of the organization. She is an AAMFT approved supervisor, a member of the New York State Board for Mental Health Practitioners, and a trained Parenting Journey© and PEACE facilitator. Cari is also currently a candidate to become a certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor (CASAC). She has lectured at City University of New York’s Hunter College School of Education and has been called upon as a relationship expert for local media outlets including the Long Island Press, Metro New York, BronxNet as well as a documentary about families filmed for the Korean Broadcasting System.

Dorothy Pompi, M.S., LMFT, is a New York State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, having received her training in marriage and family therapy from Iona College. She is an associate member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and is an active member of the NYAMFT Metro Chapter.

Dorothy’s experience includes working with couples, families and individuals concerned with issues of intergenerational family relationships, changing family life cycle and stressors found in both new and long-term relationships. She has worked with blended families, young adults, and multi-stressed couples in both urban and suburban settings. Dorothy has applied behavioral techniques to aid parents, children and pre-adolescents struggling with anger and lack of self-control; tools are provided to family members, yielding positive emotional expression for all. Dorothy’s collaborative stance used in psychotherapy has enabled her to work with multicultural populations found in New York City. It is her belief that this collaborative style offers a relaxed and knowledgeable atmosphere in which clients can explore and bring about the process of change.

Dorothy currently practices at our Manhattan location on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Ami Bhalodkar-Haque, MPH, M.S., LMFT, is a New York State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, having completed her MS in marriage and family therapy at Iona College and holds Limited Permit to practice Marriage and Family Therapy in New York State. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in public health from Emory University and bachelor’s degree in South Asian studies from Columbia University. As a therapy intern, Ami has been working with individuals, couples, families, and children for the past year at a private practice in Manhattan, a high school in Queens, and pre-school in the Bronx. She brings five years of experience as an ordained interfaith minister to her work with clients. In this role, Ami provides spiritual counseling to couples and also designs and performs wedding ceremonies. In addition, she brings ten years of experience at various NYC hospitals, health departments, and community-based agencies as an educator, counselor, and researcher in the HIV/AIDS field. Ami is a Certified Gottman Educator and offers parenting workshops to couples who are making the transition to parenthood. In addition, she is a certified PREPARE counselor and offers premarital counseling to couples who are making the transition to marriage.

Ami strives to create a safe space for her clients to share, explore, heal, and grow. Her style of working with clients is systemic, holistic, collaborative, and creative. She deeply believes in a client-centered and strengths-based approach. As someone who grew up in America as part of a tight-knit Indian family, Ami is particularly sensitive to the impact clients’ family of origin, culture, and/or religion have on shaping their beliefs and informing their day-to-day choices. In addition, because of her work in the HIV/AIDS field, Ami is able to connect with clients regardless of their race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and/or life experiences. Her areas of interest and expertise include working with interfaith and intercultural couples and incorporating spirituality and creativity into therapy (as appropriate and desired). In addition, she is comfortable integrating play therapy into her work with families who have young children.

Shari D. Siegel, MA, CFT, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of New York. She has earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the State University College at Oneonta, New York, and a Master of Arts degree in marriage and family therapy from Hofstra University, New York (Magna Cum Laude).

Shari is a Certified Family Therapist, a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a member of the New York Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (Long Island Chapter). She has been working extensively with couples, families and individuals for the past eight years. She has owned and operated a private practice for psychotherapy for the past 3.5 years, and has also worked in consultation with various practices/agencies over the years.

Shari has experience working with individuals, couples, and families who have presented with difficulties in setting or reaching goals, getting into a routine, time management, becoming clutter-free, feelings of stress, self-esteem issues, communication difficulties (in any of their relationships), identifying triggers or repetitive patterns as to heal old hurts and get their needs met, roles, rules, and expectations of self and partner, division of tasks, dual-career management, relationship enhancement, positive discipline/parenting issues, sibling rivalries, lack of structure within the family, parents of children of divorce (effects on children, telling your children, parenting roles) and many more. Shari works from a strength-based approach incorporating solution-focused and Imago therapy principles. She has also run groups and workshops on the above listed topics in the community.