Meet Our Clinicians

Hi, I am the owner of Tompkins Community Counseling and also a clinician here at TCC. I was inspired to open up a mental health clinic in Ithaca, NY based on knowing that it could be done better. My goal is to remove all the barriers associated with getting mental health services.

I am licensed in the state of NY to provide clinical counseling and have worked in a variety of settings and with different populations for over 27 years, providing individual, group and family counseling.  I've worked with children, adolescents, and adults, helping them make the necessary changes in their lives to reach their goals.  I've worked in Group Homes, Residential Placements, Hospitals, Community based programs, and Wilderness based Therapeutic Programs in the following diverse roles: Case Manager, Caseworker, Individual and Group Therapist, and Clinical Program Director. I worked at Cayuga Medical Center as a Psychiatric Evaluator, providing crisis intervention and making clinical assessments for patients with a wide range of issues and demographics.  I worked with Elmira Psychiatric Center providing in home counseling in Tompkins and Schuyler County, working with diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Bipolar, and mood disorders to support my clients staying out of the hospital and living fulfilled lives.  I am bringing my many years of experience providing individual and family counseling to a variety of clients dealing with multiple stressors. I use a variety of treatment modalities in session, but mainly draw from EMDR, CBT, CDT, and IFS. I follow the lead of my clients during session, asking for feedback and tailoring my therapeutic approach based on the needs and goal of my clients. I especially enjoy providing Psychodynamic therapy to address trauma.  

In my personal time, I enjoy being in nature - canoeing, camping, hiking; I also love to travel and make things in my woodworking shop. In college I traveled a lot, volunteered on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota, climbed a lot of mountains and spent some time in Yellowstone National Park. After college I followed my dream out to live out West; I moved to Utah where I worked with youth by taking them on backpacking treks in the desert. Soon after, I met my wife, moved with her to beautiful Montana to receive my Masters in Social Work.  Wanting to find the perfect community to start our family, we moved to beautiful Ithaca.  My experiences had taught me that nature provides us with the space to release and relax, and nature's natural consequences can teach us so much.  My life has been enriched by helping others; I especially enjoy working with clients one-on-one.

Hi. I'm Justin Miller, a Licensed Master Social Worker in New York State. After I returned home from my last combat zone deployment as a Marine infantryman, I experienced challenges adjusting. I received help from a trusted MSW therapist, which inspired me to eventually pursue a mid-life career change and complete an MSW degree with a concentration in advanced clinical practice.

I am a strong advocate for individuals seeking mental health support. I believe in a client-centered, collaborative, holistic approach to my practice. I have worked with children, adolescents, adults, families, couples, Veterans, and members of the LGBTQA+ community. I ardently believe in supporting people to navigate their mental health challenges, including their traumas, so they can move forward in their lives and reach their maximum potential. My experience includes working in an elementary school-based mental health program, an at-risk adolescent center, a homeless shelter agency, and a community mental health organization. Most recently, I worked at Family Services of Chemung County as a Mental Health Therapist, providing intake, assessment, psychotherapy, and crisis management. I also worked in different roles within the US Department of Veterans Affairs. I am passionate about helping my fellow Veterans who struggle with adjustment issues and PTSD. Before becoming an MSW therapist, I worked for several years in the New York City area business world. For a few years before that, I worked as a middle-school teacher in PreK–8 summer and after-school programs.  

I counsel individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents, and Veterans seeking help with anxiety, depression, trauma, post-traumatic stress, interpersonal problems, psychological distress, and social anxiety. The treatment modalities I utilize are Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Supportive-Expressive Therapy, and Non-Directive Play Therapy. My goal is to assist my clients in acknowledging, understanding, and ultimately managing their issues. 

I enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and just about anything outdoors in my free time. I greatly appreciate and advocate for the therapeutic value of being out in nature. My wife and I grew up in New Jersey, but the beauty of the Finger Lakes lured us away, and we moved here full-time in 2018, where our three adult sons visit as often as their schedules allow. She and I are also history nerds and love seeking out local history wherever we travel. 

My name is Gabriel Hoff, LPMHC, and I will focus on collaboratively discovering what works best for you. We will work on both short term and long term goals, and we will work with your symptoms and their root causes.

I’m passionate about healing from trauma and complex PTSD, loss and ambiguous loss, and other major challenges. These issues can show up as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, anger, grief, substance addictions, process addictions (like gaming or social media), mysterious health issues, and in other ways. I’m also passionate about healing identity issues - “who am I in the face of this?” - such as those coming from life transitions, sexual orientation, severe addiction, spirituality or religion, being in a relationship with an addicted or narcissistic person, or from having a long-term diagnosis like ADHD or Borderline Personality Disorder.

I work with teens, young adults, middle aged and the elderly. I’m passionate about practical communication skills and I work with families/couples on this as well as individuals. I use evidence-based modalities including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). I teach skills like problem-solving, empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness, and back them up with theory. My approach to counseling is about: accurate empathy, genuineness, a non-judgmental stance, finding meaning, encouraging hope, earning trust, and working with power dynamics and the structures of society. I emphasize choice, strengths, and values as ways of increasing motivation for change. I have advanced training in IFS, DBT, and somatic/body-based approaches to trauma.

I earned my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University and completed my internship at Mindwell. I’ve worked with clients in a state-funded mental health agency, a college campus, a jail, and a group practice. These clients experienced many of the mental health challenges listed above, plus childhood trauma, sexual abuse, eating disorders, and time spent in jail, probation, and rehab.

Besides counseling, I’ve been a Massage Therapist since 2012 and have advanced training in Biodynamic Craniosacral work. In my personal time I love spending time with my wife, hiking, yoga, meditation, working out, cooking, and watching sci-fi. I’ve lived in the Ithaca area for over 10 years and love the nature that we have here.

Hi!  My name is Jill McCabe.  I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 25 years of experience in the field of Human Services and Counseling. Over the years I’ve had the honor and privilege of working with people of all ages and from all walks of life.  My career aspirations began as a student at Cornell where I received a BS degree in Human Development and Family Studies and followed a few years later with a MS degree from Syracuse University in Counselor Education.   

My scope of practice provides individual, couples/family therapy and parent/child consults using evidenced based practices such as CBT, ACT, DBT and CBT Trauma to address most of the prevalent mental health challenges of the day including Anxiety/Panic, OCD, Trauma/PTSD, Depression, Substance Abuse/Addiction; and First Episode Psychosis. In addition, I combine Compassionate Inquiry with a holistic, developmental approach for addressing transitions and common life span challenges such as Young Adulthood, Divorce/blended families; Parenting Support; Relationship Challenges, Career/Workplace Concerns; Executive/Organization Management and finally the Golden Years/Retirement Issues.  A sampling of some of the settings I’ve worked in includes Neighborhood Outreach and Child Advocacy Centers; Residential Tx for Adolescent Girls; Outpatient Addiction Services including Medication Assisted Tx for Opioid Use; In patient Psychiatric Services and Coordinated Specialty Care for FEP.

I am always inspired by our human capacity for resilience and change in the face of the painful challenges and hardships life can present.  I’ve witnessed repeatedly that even under the direst of circumstances people can overcome obstacles and there is always hope! I strive to provide a comfortable, nonjudgmental space to explore current challenges and patterns of thinking, feeling and behavior that may no longer serve you. Once identified we can look together for new insights and strategies for solutions that work for you and preferred outcomes so you can feel freer to enjoy your life!

Two additional clinical areas of interest:

1. Providing support to family members of loved ones experiencing serious mental health or addiction Disorders. I’ve co-facilitated multi family support groups and know the immense difficulties of trying to navigate the mental health system to advocate for loved ones and the emotional toll it can take.

2. Exploring the interplay between one’s personal psychology and creative processes and energies. I’ve worked with artists, authors and people in film/music/media industry on the value and benefits of personal exploration in support of enhancing and deepening the creative process and productivity.

In my personal life I have a passion for the beauty, and simple elegance of the natural world and enjoy grounding myself outdoors barefoot, in the sun, as often as I can. My husband and I have two amazing grown sons, so the whirlwind of parenting has quieted now!  We spend a lot of time rehabbing our little fixer upper Sears Kit House which I think, like us all, may always be an evolving work in progress!

Hello, my name is Christine Kapral. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York. I have worked in a variety of community based-clinical settings for over 30 years, providing child, youth, adult individual therapy as well as group and family counseling. I received my master’s degree in Psychology from Seattle University. I was first granted a Mental Health Counselor license in the state of Washington where I also earned certifications as a Child Mental Health Specialist and as a specialized Therapist providing trauma-informed care. I’ve worked in school and college counseling settings, medical-hospital based settings and on various urban and rural mental health crisis teams where I provided crisis intervention and clinical assessments for individuals of all ages presenting with an array of challenges, trauma and mental health diagnostic concerns. I’ve also worked as a Clinical Program Manager for both child and adult outpatient mental health clinics as well as providing in-home counseling through intensive evidence-based therapy models and with marginalized populations living on Indian Reservations-Country in the state of Washington.

Private practice allows me to utilize my skills and clinical experience to help individuals and families push through the hard stuff to find hope, recover, and succeed. I work with a variety of experiential challenges and diagnoses. I am experienced in providing clinical counseling in the areas of adoptee issues, anxiety, child development, chronic mental illness, co-occurring disorders, culture identity conflicts, depression, relationship struggles/divorce, domestic violence trauma, grief and loss, post-trauma issues, maladaptive behaviors and trauma associated with sexual assault. My clinical area of focus also centers on working with college-aged students, LGBTQ youth and gender-affirming care. I provide a collaborative, relational approach in therapy to assist individuals and families meet their goals. I utilize evidence-based treatment modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy and Trauma-Focused CBT. I work with children ages five and older, youth, adults of all ages and couples. I honor culture and I honor difference.

I was born and raised in central NYS. I spent my early, foundational years of life in Ithaca and the beautiful, surrounding Finger Lakes Region. In my personal time I actively enjoy traveling, hiking, swimming, and spending time in nature with my family, friends, and beloved animals. I am passionate about the gifts animals and nature provide. Helping others brings great joy, purpose and meaning to my life.

Hello, my name is Heather MacNeill, LMSW. First of all, I want to applaud you for your decision to seek counseling. I know that for many this is an extremely difficult decision, and I want to commend you for taking this step to support your personal wellbeing.

I believe in a collaborative approach to therapy. I will work with you to develop treatment goals, and I welcome feedback so that I can provide you with the best experience possible in therapy. I have worked at Cornell University, Cayuga Medical Associates, and Cerio Clinical Counseling Services in Elmira, as well as interning at Tompkins County Mental Health Services in their PROS program. I feel fortunate that I have been able to work in both medical facilities and private counseling agencies, as I have gained valuable knowledge from both settings. I enjoy working with a wide range of ages from 14 year old teenagers to above on issues like anxiety, and depression and provide couples counseling. I also enjoy supporting people as they navigate difficult life transitions and challenging relationships. I utilize a blend of modalities including elements from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Psychodynamic therapy, Somatic therapy and more to find the approach that will feel most helpful to you.

Counseling is a second career for me. I spent my twenties and early thirties as a professional modern and ballet dancer. I toured both nationally and internationally, performing in countries such as Austria, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Germany, Malaysia, and many more, as well as teaching and performing for a year in an Indian dance company located in Chennai, South India. I finally had to retire due to multiple injuries, and decided to go to college in my thirties to pursue my undergraduate degree. I ended up receiving a bachelor’s from Cornell University, a master’s in teaching from Ithaca College, and I earned my LMSW at Binghamton University. It was a very painful transition for me to leave a job I loved so much to go back to school, and this emotional struggle was part of what inspired me to pursue a career in counseling. Now in my forties, I feel so deeply grateful to have the chance to help others and work in such a rewarding field. I will be there for you to help support you as you work through your emotional and mental health challenges as well as to support you in your journey to bring your dreams and goals to fruition.

I graduated from SUNY Oswego with an MS in Mental Health Counseling in 2015.  Since then, I have studied the following evidence-based modalities: IFS, Psychodynamic therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, and CBT. Currently, I am digging into Deliberate Practice.I have become board certified which is the NCC part of the alphabet soup.  I earned my diagnostic privilege this past fall, the D in the LMHC-D.  None of this information will tell you who I am in the room, so let's do that....

My mission is to support individuals on their journey.  I have worked with a variety of lifestyles, ages, and stage issues.  I have worked with LGBTQ+ individuals, and children as young as 1.5 years. adolescents, adults, couples, and families.  Through this work, I have learned that understanding how you see the difficulties you are having, and what you want to achieve in therapy is key to finding the way to achieve these goals.  Working together, with your vision always in sight, is the priority.

I bring to my work breadth and depth of experiences because of my own journey. No one gets out of this human experience without pain.  That is why working with me, you will find I am real with you.   I can support you and dig into those scary, shadowy parts that you may have avoided until now.  This is crucial to the work I do with those who have experienced trauma in interpersonal relationships.  I will support you in fostering a kind and compassionate relationship with yourself.  The relationship with yourself is the most important one you will ever have.   I aim to help you to find the authentic you, the real you that won’t judge you.  Being okay with who you are is essential for being okay in all of life’s circumstances.

My philosophy of psychotherapy is based on valuing the human condition.  In addition, attachment and connection are essential for all of us. Interpersonal connections are one of the most influential parts of our lives. Our early relationships model our future relationships. Connection is a basic human need, but sometimes our relationships can be fraught with misunderstandings, anger, or jealousy. These very human emotions can sometimes get in the way of our ability to connect. Relationships can be painful, and if we have not learned the skills to assist us in managing relationships and attachment, then relationships can be a source of pain and frustration.

Psychotherapy is an evolving process that is also developmental. By working on the issues you face, you will learn different skills and techniques to cope with life’s difficulties. Additionally, psychotherapy involves gaining insight into the personal patterns you have developed to manage life’s difficulties. Within these patterns of coping are both strengths and weaknesses. We will focus on your strengths as we continue to build them and explore the patterns that may be setting you up for difficulty. 

All these explorations and learnings will be done in an atmosphere of trust and safety, allowing you to become increasingly honest and trusting. Trust and vulnerability are strengths. When we have experienced relationship trauma, we protect and separate ourselves from others. While necessary at times, this can also hinder our relationships with family, friends, and significant others.

Therapy is an amazing journey of awakening that takes courage and bravery. I honor your courage in this endeavor.

Hi, I am Lana Vorobyeva, a Licensed Master Social Worker based in New York. I have several years of experience in the mental health field dedicated to combating mental health stigma and promoting the importance of mental well-being for a fulfilling life. I provide a holistic and individualistic approach, taking into account the unique needs, trauma history, cultural background, and comorbidities of each individual.

I have worked with clients facing challenges such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use, and anger management. I have experience working primarily with adults and the elderly, offering individual and group counseling services. I believe that regular progress assessments and adaptable treatment strategies are essential for supporting clients on their healing journeys. My background includes roles at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services, an internship at Tompkins County Mental Health Services, and Harvard MedTech as a Vx Therapy Navigator where I focused on adult and geriatric populations. I also provided behavioral support to veterans using innovative techniques like virtual reality to help manage their symptoms.

I employ various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (ACT). As a Trauma-Informed practitioner, I am committed to helping individuals realize their potential for a healthy life. I earned my Masters Degree of Social Work from the University of Denver with a concentration in Mental health and Trauma then became a Licensed Master Social Worker because I genuinely believe in my ability to assist clients in reaching their goals and becoming their best selves.

I appreciate spending my leisure time in nature. My interests include: running, hiking, swimming in the lake, boating, biking, traveling, candle-making, and enjoying moments with family and friends. I hold the belief that nature offers healing properties. Recently, I found great joy in exploring the outdoors, particularly during my time in the Adirondacks, where I climbed Algonquin Peak, the second highest mountain in New York. Additionally, I have embarked on two solo cross-country trips while residing in California, seeking new adventures. I consider myself an adventurous, compassionate, and empathetic person, always ready to offer support to others.

Meet Our Administrative Team

Hello! My name is Elizabeth (Liz) and I am the Administrative Assistant for Tompkins Community Counseling. My role here at TCC is to take you through the Intake process from start to finish and get you connected with the clinician to begin counseling. I am here to answer any of your questions along the way to make the process easy and successful. I will usually be the first person you speak to once we receive a request from you for services. I am available by phone and/or email.  Along with taking you through the intake process I also will assist you with any questions you may have regarding our portal, billing and any other concerns you may have.

I pride myself on my people skills. I enjoy working with people and helping to make them feel comfortable in any situation. I have over 30 years of customer service experience along with an AAS in Paralegal Studies from Nassau Community College on Long Island where I grew up. 

On a personal note, my partner Mike and I moved up to the Finger Lakes in 2016 and as much as I miss the hustle and bustle of downstate life (and the beach), the Finger Lakes have been good to us ! I have 2 grown sons and a beautiful granddaughter in Florida, however, moving up to Burdett has allowed us to live our dream. Horses!  My 1st pony ride at 3 years old was the start of something wonderful. I was hooked. My parents weren’t completely sold on the idea of me riding, but they supported me throughout the years by sending me to pony day camps, sleep away equestrian camps and allowed me to take riding lessons for many years. Although Mike and I had 2 horses on Long Island at a boarding facility, having them at home is a dream come true! We have built ourselves a beautiful farm on our property where we now house our 5 lovely equines. Babies included as we have bred 2 ponies and another baby is on the way! I enjoy riding and working with them at home as well as riding the gorgeous trails, taking them camping and attending equestrian clinics. Our pooch Napoleon and cat Polly are also part of our fur family. 

I look forward to being a part of your healing journey and making your experience with Tompkins Community Counseling a pleasant one.  

Hi! I'm Kim Scholl, the billing specialist here at TCC. Besides being a co-owner of the business with my husband Adam, I also teach writing at Cornell and am busy raising 2 beautiful boys (and our dog, Willie). Before Cornell, I taught writing and literature at Ithaca High School for 16 years.  I love helping Adam with his clinic because I get to see just how much positive impact he and the other clinicians are having on so many people in our community!

In my free time I love nothing more than traveling and have traveled to over 15 countries (and all continental US states) and even lived long-term in a few. My favorite places on Earth are the Southwest US (Arizona and Utah), Southern France and the US Virgin Islands. When not traveling, while home here in Ithaca, I love cooking, reading, camping, working out and doing yoga, and kayaking with friends.

My role at TCC is to submit your claims to insurance and help you navigate anything related to billing. If you ever have any billing or insurance questions, feel free to reach out to me. Happy to be a part of it all and welcome to TCC!

Hi, I’m Alex and I’m the Tech Support Specialist with TCC. I work behind-the-scenes providing support and assistance to our wonderful team. I firmly believe in the importance of mental health and I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to such an significant and positive mission.