Foundation Team
Welcome to The Nourished Nest Foundation IOP. We concentrate on providing mental health services to the Philadelphia area, with a focus on helping those in our community.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
Foundation Team
The Nourished Nest Foundation is led by a team of experienced professionals with experience helping expertise in establishing community-focused mental health programs & providing client-centered services. They are dedicated to bringing accessible mental health resources to the people of Philadelphia.
Monica Mehalshick, LCSW
she/her/hers
Foundation Director
Monica has over 18 years of experience providing individual and couple's therapy for adults and late teens. Her primary focus is on adults struggling with addiction, anxiety, and depression. Her goal is always to provide resources and a path forward to grow and nurture her client’s spirits and unlock their mental empowerment.
Monica is a graduate of Alvernia University where she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Addiction Studies. She also earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently a PhD doctoral candidate at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Andi Langford Snyder, MA, LCSW
she/her/hers
Chief Operating Officer
Andi is an experienced non-profit professional with over 25 years of experience as both a direct service provider and director. She brings a wealth of knowledge in the management of not-for-profit organizations and day-to-day operations. Driven by a passion for social impact and a commitment to client success, Andi seamlessly blends her expertise in non-profit management with hands-on client engagement.
Andi earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from Gordon College, her Master of Arts in Applied Sociology at UMass, and completed her Master of Social Work degree at Columbia University.
Brie Scott, LCSW
she/her/hers
Clinical Director
Brie comes to the Nourished Nest Foundation with over 15 years as social worker, and 9 years as a clinician and supervisor. In her most recent role, she was the clinical lead for a group practice. Brie brings a wealth of knowledge in community mental health and private practice. She has in-depth experience in treating those with complex mental health conditions & guiding them to wholeness.
Brie is committed to making sure services at the Nourished Nest Foundation are accessible to all people and that The Nest is a safe place for clients of all genders, ages, disabilities, identities, and sexual orientations. She believes in harm reduction, and allowing the client to lead their treatment. Brie believes that therapy is not the only way you can heal but it can be a life changing resource for many. She is an Adult and Children's Yoga Teacher and believes in connecting the body and mind toward holistic healing. Having been deeply changed in her own experience with Yoga and Therapy, Brie enjoys coming alongside clients in their own work & enacting lasting change.
Brie earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Eastern University and completed the Master of Clinical Social Work at San Diego State University.
OUR CLINICAL THERAPY TEAM
Talia Golden, LSW
she/her/hers
Talia combines a master's degree in Social Work with specialized training in yoga and mindfulness, offering a holistic approach to healing. With expertise in addressing trauma, mood disorders, and relationship conflicts, she creates a safe, supportive environment for clients to explore emotional well-being. She has an eclectic therapy approach, drawing from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and an exploration of childhood/developmental wounds and traumas.
Talia enjoys facilitating therapy groups and emphasizing community/social support. She is currently offering DBT and CBT groups. She incorporates creative therapies, such as art therapy, mindfulness, and yoga therapy. She aims to empower each group participant to share openly and freely to their comfort levels, encouraging a brave safe space.
Committed to ongoing growth, she blends compassion and evidence-based interventions to guide clients toward resilience, and joy and gain personal insight. She believes each client has the ability to help themself, and her role is to help each person discover how to do so.
Talia earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Penn State University and completed her Master of Social Work degree at Florida Atlantic University.
Veronyca Rodriguez, LSW, VSW
she/ella
Veronyca sets out to establish psychologically safe bubbles wherever she goes, to enhance security for processing, growth, and transition management. Veronyca uses culturally responsive principles and practices to develop anti-racist frameworks with the use of relational value systems. She believes in the power of the therapeutic alliance to empower individuals and their communities through compassion.
She hopes to encourage and collaborate in building spaces of joy and wellness for those around her. Her person-in-environment centered approach encompasses topics such as harm reduction, co-occurring experiences including selective mutism, the human-animal bond, latine/immigration trauma cycles, and crisis response to experiences including suicidal ideation/self-injurious behaviors.
Veronyca earned her Bachelor of Social Work and her Master of Social Work degree from Temple University. She completed a postgraduate certificate program in Veterinary Social Work through the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
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Jacob Thomas, LSW
he/him/his
Jacob has over five years of experience providing therapy for individuals and families within different levels of care, including inpatient, and outpatient settings. His approach as a therapist is to always provide a compassionate therapeutic safe space that promotes the importance of balance, structure, and accountability throughout the therapy process.
Jacob's areas of focus include life transitions, grief and loss, motivation building, LGBTQ aspects, identity challenges, and aspects related to self-esteem and self-worth. Jacob is a Gotman Level 1 certified counselor focusing on relationship dynamics with family and intimate partners.
Jacob earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Montclair State University and completed his Master of Social Work degree at Stephen F. Austin State University.
OUR SUPPORT TEAM
Sarah Pethick, BA
she/her/hers
Clinical Director
Sarah is the Foundation’s administrative assistant and also runs our social media. Sarah is a graduate of Temple University with a bachelor's in advertising and has lived in Philadelphia for the past five years while she completed her degree. She believes that her background in advertising will be valuable in promoting the Foundation's mission and raising awareness about mental health issues. Sarah is passionate about using social media as a platform to educate and connect with others and she hopes to make a positive impact through her work.
