Shared News

At the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center, we are thrilled to recognize Kim D. as a nominee for the 2025 Marion Lindblad-Goldberg (MLG) Award. This award honors professionals who demonstrate exceptional clinical skill, a commitment to systemic family therapy, and a deep dedication to strengthening families through relational healing. Kim embodies these qualities in every aspect of her work.

A Systemic Thinker and Team Supporter

Kim plays a pivotal role in group supervisions, offering her insight to help teams view cases through a systemic lens. She consistently highlights systemic barriers and influences, ensuring that cases are understood beyond the individual level and within the context of larger relational and structural dynamics. Her ability to support and challenge her colleagues fosters a culture of growth and deeper understanding.

Balancing Boundaries with Compassion

Over the years, Kim has shown tremendous growth in her ability to balance professional boundaries while maintaining strong collaborative relationships. With a genuine and caring heart, she is always willing to support those in need. However, what sets Kim apart is her ability to model boundaries in a way that is both kind and respectful, teaching families how to create healthy relationship dynamics within their own systems.

Connecting Families to Their Communities

Kim understands the power of social ecology and actively works to connect families to their communities and available resources. By helping families tap into their natural support networks, she ensures that they are not only receiving clinical support but are also building sustainable connections that will continue to benefit them long after therapy concludes.

Guiding Families Through Crisis and Change

Kim’s ability to support families through crisis is one of her most defining strengths. She remains calm and grounded during difficult moments, guiding families toward stability and healing. She encourages families to identify and strengthen their positive interactional patterns, fostering long-term change and resilience.

A Master of Case Conceptualization and Intervention

Kim’s clinical insight allows her to conceptualize cases at multiple levels, seeing the complexities of family dynamics with clarity and precision. She is skilled at identifying key enactments and reframes, using them to help families shift perspectives and engage in healthier interactions. Her ability to translate theory into meaningful, real-world interventions makes a lasting impact on the families she serves.

A Well-Deserved Honor

Kim DiPiazza is a shining example of what systemic family therapy can achieve. Her dedication to her clients, her colleagues, and the broader community exemplifies the very essence of Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT).

We are proud to celebrate Kim as a 2025 MLG Award nominee and look forward to seeing her continued impact in the field.

Congratulations, Kim! 🎉

The Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center is thrilled to celebrate Kathy Gasparetti’s nomination for the 2025 Marion Lindblad-Goldberg (MLG) Award. This prestigious honor recognizes professionals who embody the principles of Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) through their leadership, clinical expertise, and dedication to strengthening families.

A Leader Among Her Peers

Kathy Gasparetti is more than just a seasoned clinician—she is a pillar of leadership within PA Mentor. With over eight years of experience in Family-Based Services (FBS), she has earned the respect of her colleagues and serves as an anchor within her department. Her influence is undeniable; when leadership introduces a new policy or initiative, her team instinctively looks to Kathy, recognizing her as both a mentor and role model.

Her leadership has only grown in her new role as supervisor. Though still early in this phase of her career, Kathy has embraced the challenge with an astonishing ability to learn, adapt, and lead with confidence. She not only upholds the integrity of the ESFT model but actively shapes the culture of her department through her guidance, wisdom, and unwavering support of her team.

A Therapist Who Inspires

Beyond her leadership, Kathy is an exceptional clinician. Those who have had the opportunity to observe her work describe it as breathtaking—a seamless blend of compassion and firmness that creates transformative change in the families she serves. She embodies the essence of family therapy, demonstrating deep empathy while holding families accountable for growth and healing.

As a supervisor, Kathy continues to “do therapy” with her teams, modeling therapeutic techniques, providing thoughtful mentorship, and offering steadfast encouragement to newer clinicians. When a struggling therapist recently needed extra support, Kathy volunteered to mentor them, a gesture that left the individual feeling honored to receive one-on-one time with someone they deeply admired.

A Well-Deserved Nomination

Kathy Gasparetti exemplifies the best of family therapy. She is a leader, mentor, clinician, and role model whose impact extends beyond her caseload to shape the future of the profession. Her journey is just beginning, yet she has already demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to systemic work and the families she serves.

We are proud to celebrate Kathy’s nomination for the 2025 Marion Lindblad-Goldberg Award and extend our deepest gratitude for her dedication, passion, and leadership. PA Mentor is lucky to have her, and so is the field of family therapy.

Congratulations, Kathy! 🎉

We are proud to announce that Danitza Ortiz-Rivera has been nominated for the 2025 Marion Lindblad-Goldberg (MLG) Award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the family-based mental health field and her deep commitment to the ESFT model.

With seven years of experience in family-based services, Danitza has proven to be an invaluable asset to her team, families, and community. She has played a key role in supporting her newest supervisor, assisting in the incorporation of the ESFT model into supervision practices. Her strong understanding of the isomorphic process has allowed her to integrate assessment tools, apply knowledge, and continually seek opportunities for professional growth.

Danitza’s impact extends beyond her immediate team—she actively collaborates with outside agencies to ensure families receive comprehensive, systemic support. She is especially skilled in maintaining healthy boundaries and guiding families through positive changes in their Negative Interactional Pattern (NIP). Her ability to engage in the social ecology of families, while also drawing from her own lived experiences, allows her to connect deeply and authentically with those she serves.

One of Danitza’s greatest strengths is her intentionality. She deliberately engages families in therapeutic work outside of crisis moments, encouraging meaningful exploration of their Positive Interactional Pattern (PIP). She utilizes assessments as a tool for transformation, ensuring that every step of the therapeutic process is rooted in the true essence of family-based services.

Danitza’s passion for learning is evident in the way she actively seeks growth through supervision, training, and peer collaboration. She is not only committed to her own professional development but also dedicated to enhancing the field of family-based mental health as a whole.

For her steadfast dedication, systemic insight, and unwavering commitment to the ESFT model, we proudly celebrate Danitza Ortiz-Rivera’s nomination for the 2025 MLG Award. Her work has left a lasting impact on families, colleagues, and the field, and we are honored to recognize her for this well-deserved distinction.

We are thrilled to announce that Beth Anne Keller has been nominated for the 2025 Marion Lindblad-Goldberg (MLG) Award, recognizing her outstanding dedication, leadership, and expertise in the Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) model.

With over 15 years of service, Beth Anne has been a cornerstone of the agency, beginning as a Mental Health Worker and rising to Program Coordinator. Throughout her tenure, she has played a pivotal role in training, supervision, and program development, demonstrating an exceptional ability to translate complex ESFT principles into practical, accessible learning experiences.

Beth Anne’s extensive knowledge of the ESFT model has made her an invaluable asset to both new and experienced staff. She works collaboratively with the Program Director, ensuring that the core values of systemic family therapy are upheld with integrity and fidelity. Whether in supervision, training sessions, or direct support to therapists, Beth Anne consistently provides clarity, structure, and a strengths-based perspective, fostering an environment of learning and growth.

One of Beth Anne’s greatest strengths is her ability to bridge complexity with simplicity—a skill that allows her to break down intricate ESFT concepts in a way that is both meaningful and applicable. She embraces the social ecology of families and teams, guiding staff in assessments, treatment planning, and collaborative interventions with intentionality and purpose. Her leadership ensures that the ESFT model is not only understood but effectively implemented in a way that transforms the lives of families.

Beyond her technical expertise, Beth Anne’s willingness to teach, mentor, and inspire has made her an essential force in the program’s continued success. She cultivates learning through curiosity and integrity, always encouraging therapists to explore, reflect, and refine their clinical practice.

For her unwavering commitment to systemic family therapy, dedication to staff development, and passion for advancing the ESFT model, we proudly celebrate Beth Anne Keller’s nomination for the 2025 MLG Award. Her contributions have left an indelible mark on the agency and the families we serve, and we are honored to recognize her for this well-deserved achievement.

At the Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center, we are honored to celebrate Kristen M. as a nominee for the 2025 Marion Lindblad-Goldberg (MLG) Award. This award recognizes professionals who embody the principles of Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy (ESFT), demonstrating exceptional clinical skills, commitment to systemic change, and a deep understanding of relational healing.

A Master of Joining and Reframing

One of Kristen’s greatest strengths as a family-based mental health worker (MHW) is her ability to join with families in an authentic and meaningful way. Her creativity and out-of-the-box thinking allow her to seamlessly integrate reframes, helping families shift their perspectives while maintaining integrity in the natural assessment process.

Kristen understands the isomorphic process, recognizing how her own growth as a clinician shapes the skills and techniques she brings into family work. She models the same healthy relational dynamics she seeks to foster within families, leading by example and instilling hope.

A Systemic Lens for Lasting Change

With a deep appreciation for social ecology and family systems, Kristen leverages assessments throughout therapy to highlight the interconnectedness of relationships and environments. She helps families identify and strengthen their natural interactional patterns (NIP) while guiding them toward the preferred interactional patterns (PIP) necessary for long-term change. Her strengths-based approach ensures that families feel empowered rather than judged, supported rather than overwhelmed.

Her ability to find clarity within crisis is another testament to her skill. When chaos arises, Kristen remains steady and insightful, helping families navigate challenges with resilience and purpose.

A Leader in Learning and Collaboration

Kristen’s impact extends beyond direct clinical work—she is also a dedicated learner, team member, and mentor. Her attentiveness and engagement during trainings and supervisions set a high standard for professional growth. She brings fresh, innovative perspectives to discussions, enriching the learning environment for her peers.

A Well-Deserved Nomination

Kristen Melendez embodies the heart of systemic family therapy. Through her unwavering commitment to families, her creative problem-solving, and her dedication to ongoing learning, she exemplifies the very best of the ESFT model.

We are incredibly proud to recognize Kristen as a 2025 MLG Award nominee and celebrate her passion, expertise, and impact on the families she serves.

Congratulations, Kristen! 🎉