Maureen Schafer, LCSW

founder of Presence of Mind Therapy

Maureen Schafer, founder of Presence of Mind Therapy, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 16 years of experience providing mental health support to individuals at multiple levels of care. Maureen’s background in Social Work has afforded her opportunities to advocate for marginalized and oppressed populations. Maureen is passionate about empowering others and advocating for the betterment of the larger society. We function in the context of the larger systems we are a part of, and therefore must reject the notion that we are individually flawed.

Dawn Awakening,

Reiki Master Level III

Dawn is a Level III Reiki Master and holds various certifications in the Somatic Arts. Dawn integrates the training of evidence-based practice with Reiki energy healing work. The intention of Dawn’s classes, workshops, and sessions is to guide people through their wellness journey utilizing the body’s innate energetic wisdom and the mind-body-spirit connection. Her work helps support the body’s intelligence guiding it to come back to a state of balanced homeostasis. Dawn has completed training with renowned Reiki and Somatic practitioners including Jane Clapp’s Movement for Trauma Level II, Lune Innate’s Innate Healing Arts Traditional Usui Reiki Level III, William Lee Rand’s Holy Fire Usui Reiki Level I & II, Somatic Embodiment & Regulations Strategies, Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, Deb Dana, and Bessel van der Kolk’s Polyvagal Theory The Master Series, and Somatopia’s Relational Skills Trauma Certificate.

“When we have chronic health symptoms there is no one magic pill, there is no one solution because there are multiple components that cause its development.”

“When we practice listening to our bodies with mindful, compassionate curiosity, we begin to have access to our embodied healing. My goal is to provide as many people with a safe and comfortable space to experience restorative Reiki healing.” – Dawn Awakening

Erin Guzman,

LSW

Erin is a Licensed Social Worker with a Master’s in Social Work degree, as well as two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Psychology, all from Rutgers University. Erin understands that mental health is important at every stage of life and impacts everyone’s physical health and overall functioning. She will work to meet you where you are in the present moment and help you to identify treatment goals that will help you get to the place you want to be. Erin aims to empower her clients to create the space, balance, time, and strength to process and embrace their emotional and mental needs through the utilization of a strengths-based approach combined with various evidence-based treatment therapies. 

Rachel Christensen,

LMSW

Rachel (she/her) is a Licensed Social Worker who received her Masters degree at New York University, and has been selected to train at Ackerman Institute for the Family in the Fall of 2024. Her experience includes individual and group work with children, teens, adults, families, and couples. She is passionate about perinatal health, as well as helping adults recover from childhood trauma. Rachel approaches therapy with warmth and humor. She believes that everyone is capable of healing. She works hard to make her clients feel safe, comfortable, and curious about themselves. For those who like jargon, her work is primarily a blend of relational, psychoanalytic, psychodynamic,

attachment-based, and systems-oriented modalities. Before changing careers to become a therapist, Rachel spent 18+ years running social media teams for major brands, publishers, and nonprofits, including the American Civil Liberties Union, where she spent three years during the Trump administration fighting for immigration rights, racial justice, abortion rights, human rights, LGBTQ+ rights, disability justice, voting rights, and free speech.

Zoe Alekel,

LSW

Zoe is a Licensed Social Worker with a Master of Social Work degree specializing in Advanced Clinical Social Work from Columbia University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Montclair State University. Zoe has diverse experience in crisis counseling, addictions, anxiety, depression, and grief using strengths-based and trauma-focused approaches with emphasis on mindfulness and the mind-body connection. Zoe spent the early part of her career in both Hospital Emergency Department and Partial Hospitalization Outpatient Program settings. Zoe is passionate about working with adolescents and young adults while honoring individuality and Self exploration. She understands healing looks different for everyone and believes in meeting the client where they are, guiding and supporting clients as they develop self-awareness and self-confidence to move through past traumas, and create future goals. Zoe works to help young people build a positive relationship with the Self and to then foster healthy, fulfilling relationships with others. Most importantly, Zoe is dedicated to providing a safe and trusting environment for clients to build upon strengths and resiliency.

Angelina Holden

Intern

Angelina is a student with an aspiring interest in Psychology and Social Work adding to her experience in the field as she supports Presence of Mind Therapy via professional community outreach and psycho-education. Angelina is an affiliate with National Alliance on Mental Illness, has received a certificate from National Council for Mental Wellbeing for USA Teen Mental Health, and is an active participant in Mental Health Awareness club. Angelina often spends her free time exploring current psychological research findings and doing deep dives on psychology theory. Angelina aims to create a welcoming view of Presence of Mind Therapy and what the practice has to offer, educate those in need through various social media outlets, and assist with administrative tasks as needed.