Shortridge Academy is pleased to have recently welcomed three new wonderful additions to its community: therapists Brandon Chiapuzio, MSW, MS, and Susan Bullivant, MSW, Ph.D., and Admissions Coordinator Olivia Therrien, B.A..  

Brandon Chiapuzio arrived at Shortridge after spending two years working at a residential treatment center in Utah. He received a Master’s in Social Work and a Masters in Outdoor Education from the University of New Hampshire. Brandon strongly believes in the power of milieu therapy and enjoys the opportunity to interact with students outside of his office. He believes in finding a balance between nurturing and supporting teenagers, while also challenging them on maladaptive patterns of thinking and behavior. Brandon has worked with a variety of populations, but mostly with adolescents and their families struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, attachment difficulties, and other mental health challenges. Brandon is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and regularly uses the DBT framework in his practice with students and families.

Susan Bullivant has worn many hats at Shortridge from Residential Mentor, Clinical Intern, and now as a full-time Therapist.  She holds a Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of New Hampshire and a Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Human Development from the University of Chicago, where she completed a dissertation on the effects of pheromones on how people perceive emotional facial expressions. Her clinical internships included hospital neuropsychology assessment and university counseling center placements. Susan utilizes strengths-based, client-centered and trauma-informed perspectives with students. Prior to coming to Shortridge, Susan worked in several residential treatment settings including a halfway house for inmates and community mental health for people with severe and persistent mental illness. Following that, she worked for John Ratey, M.D., coauthor of Driven to Distraction, a book on ADHD, as a research assistant at Medfield State Hospital in Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Shortridge, Olivia Therrien spent over 8 years working with children, adolescents, and families providing home-based therapeutic support and services, sparking a desire to explore macro-social work. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Colby-Sawyer College and is currently working towards her Masters of Social Work at Boston University. Olivia has always enjoyed working closely with families and recognizes the value of youth and family voice. As Admissions Coordinator, Olivia does it all, including speaking to referral sources and families and facilitating tours and enrollments, but most importantly she serves as the executive functioning for our Admissions team, providing much appreciated organizational support.

“Opportunity exists amidst ‘the Great Resignation,’ and while change can be hard, I am thrilled to have Brandon, Susan and Olivia join our strong and continuously improving Shortridge team. In their short time at Shortridge, we have already experienced their positive impact on our school and community which gives me significant optimism for a great 2022!”  Mik Oyler, M.Ed. Head of School. If you have questions

Please contact Head of School, Mik Oyler, M.Ed. at moyler@shortridgeacademy.com if you have any questions.

 About Short Ridge Academy

Shortridge Academy is a private co-ed Transitional Boarding School, founded in 2002, emphasizing challenging yet supportive college prep academics within a therapeutic community. Located in southeastern New Hampshire with close proximity to both the seacoast and the mountains, Shortridge’s setting and Positive Youth Development model provides students with an ideal environment to further develop their sense of self and strengthen family relationships in an intellectually stimulating learning environment reflective of a traditional boarding school.