Journey Home West is excited to announce the addition of Toni Mazzaglia to the clinical team. Toni will be leading the clinical team and working as the primary therapist for our students. Toni earned her Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in education from University of New Hampshire and her Masters in Clinical Mental Health from University of Phoenix. She has worked with adolescents for nearly 20 years.
Toni began her therapeutic career in wilderness settings but has worked in residential treatment as well. She is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and has experience with trauma work. She is excited to implement all she’s learned into the transitional setting of Journey Home West. “If a kid has something coming up but they also have to work and they have to do school, then that’s a life skill; figuring out how to deal with our life stuff when it’s coming up, but also keeping our life on track is important,” Toni said. “Whether it’s focusing on tools, like containing those emotions in an appropriate way rather than repressing them, there’s a lot of ways that EMDR can help with that.”
She has experience working with complex trauma, attachment issues and family systems. She believes in holistic wellness and helping clients heal as well as build skills and confidence in navigating life. Her focus on helping clients gain long term, repeatable life skills will make her a great resource for the Journey Home West team.
Journey Home West is a step-down community-based program for females ages 16-21 that provides structure for students while they learn independent living skills. Much of the structure and support provided by our 24/7 staffed home is managing electronic devices, managing free time and social life appropriately, and budgeting, shopping for groceries and cooking meals. Clients enrolling at Journey Home are transitioning from a therapeutic placement into young adulthood. They are provided with a therapist in the home to work on individual and family issues while attending school or working in the community.