Mental Health Treatment Staff

Nancy believes in the power of the therapeutic relationship, and that everyone has the strength to improve his or her relationship with the world, given the opportunity. In her practice, she utilizes traditional therapeutic and creative therapeutic approaches, which allow for an open dialogue between client, self, and therapist in a non-threatening way. This approach can be effective in learning new coping skills, communication skills, and identifying areas of conflict and strength. Nancy focuses on implementing immediate skills to manage current issues as well as focusing on how to break past patterns of self-defeating thoughts or feelings and where those patterns may stem from. She provides a safe and comfortable environment to explore and learn and from which move forward.

Nancy received a BFA from the University of Arizona and is still an active artist. She received her Master’s degree from Drexel University, where she also taught graduate students for ten years. She is registered and board-certified by the American Art Therapy Association and holds the Licensed Professional Counselor certification in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She is a nationally accredited supervisor and presents at local conferences and workshops on a range of topics. Nancy is an Honorary Lifetime Member and former president of the Delaware Valley Art Therapy Associations and is also the recipient of their “Excellence in Supervision” award.

Nancy knew she wanted to work with the Harmony Bay team as soon as she walked through the doors for the first time. She believes in their philosophy of honoring everyone in their process with dignity and unconditional support.

“We are all broken, that is how the light gets in” – Ernest Hemingway

Jennifer grew up in Bergen County, NJ and relocated to South Jersey during her college years. Not being a stranger to overcoming adversity, she left high school at 16 but later went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from college for both her undergraduate and graduate school programs. By obtaining a Masters in Social Work from Stockton University, she was able to pursue her goal, empowering others to overcome the challenges in their own lives.

Jennifer furthered her education by obtaining her credentials as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (TF-CBT). She attended clinical training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Furthermore, she is a certified trainer in QPR, a model for suicide prevention, and has worked as an advocate for the prevention of suicide as the previous Salem County coordinator for the Traumatic Loss Coalition.

Jennifer has experience working with individuals across the lifespan in a variety of levels of care. After college, she went on to work in supervisory roles in both residential and outpatient services. She provided evidenced-based treatment to children, adolescents, adults, and families in an outpatient setting and worked as an intensive in-community therapist for youth. Jennifer managed programs related to the provision of mental health services for veterans and military families and worked as an advocate in the veteran community for several years.

As the Director of Telehealth Services, Jennifer is excited about the prospect of breaking down barriers to quality mental health treatment by using technology to reach more people in need of these services.

“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” – Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Uros’ interest in mental health grew while taking psychology courses at Goucher College.  He initially worked as a counselor, eventually deciding to pursue a career in nursing after working in a children’s residential treatment center.  He has worked in nursing with a variety of individuals and families since graduating from Salisbury University in 2002.  He started his career as a nurse practitioner at the Philadelphia Prison System in 2007 after graduating with a 4.0 GPA from the University of Maryland.  For eight years, he worked at Rutgers University Behavioral Health, where he developed an interest in working with persons who have co-occurring addiction and mental health needs; while there, he received an award for his clinical work.  Uros has taught at Rutgers University, mentored nurse practitioner students, and has been on faculty at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

He is a Marylander of Serbian descent.  He moved to New Jersey in 2006.  In his free time, he enjoys fishing and being in nature.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another”- Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

Dr. Papa is double board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. She believes in using medications when indicated as well as therapy treatments. She was trained in CBT and was given the Excellence in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy during her residency program. She uses supportive therapy with each client she sees. During her residency, she served as Chief Resident and was awarded the Overall Excellence in Psychiatry Award as well as the Clinical Excellence Award.

Dr. Papa treats an array of psychiatric disorders however, her true passion is treating clients with Substance Use Disorders. She is a strong believer in Medication Assisted Treatment and is certified to treat Opioid Use Disorder with Buprenorphine. She also has vast experience in treating women’s issues such as peripartum mood disorders. She finds it extremely rewarding to watch clients enjoy their lives when symptoms begin to improve. Dr. Papa also has the experience and enjoys working with clients with Eating Disorders and collaborates with their Primary Care Physician to assist them in regaining their health and improving symptoms.

Her background includes receiving a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College in Latin American Studies. She went on to receive an M.A in Educational Psychology from New York University. While at NYU she was given the opportunity to spend the summer in Geneva, Switzerland studying child development. Dr. Papa received her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, which taught her to integrate mind, body, and spirit when designing a treatment plan for a client.  She completed my residency at Drexel University College of Medicine. Her training consisted of extensive inpatient and crisis training as well as four years of training in CBT and psychoanalysis.   Upon completing my residency Dr. Papa has worked in partial hospitals, intensive outpatient settings, residential treatment, and outpatient clinics.

Dr.  Masry is Board Certified in both Adult and Addiction Psychiatry and has been practicing since 2005. He completed his residency from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and his Fellowship in Addictions from the Robert Johnson Wood Foundation. In 2014, Dr. Masry was named SJ Magazine’s top addiction psychiatrist.

He has experience working with adults as well as adolescents suffering from both addiction and psychiatric diagnosis and has extensive experience working in both out-patient and in-patient settings. Dr. Masry has held many administrative roles, including acting Chief of Psychiatry at Ancora State Hospital. He has a passion for teaching and is an adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry-Rowen School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Growing up in South Jersey, Melissa was a creative, introspective, and curious child who loved to read, write, and learn. She moved to New York City at 18 to pursue her dream of studying at NYU. During her studies in speech therapy, Melissa became deeply interested in her psychology classes and developed an enthusiasm for learning about the inner workings of the human mind. She graduated with a B.S in Speech Therapy in 2014, but realized she felt a stronger pull to the human development field. It was at this time she began a new journey on the path to personal development and spiritual growth, and subsequently discovered her true passion: helping others to reach their highest potential as individuals.

Melissa is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) specializing in the treatment of trauma and addictions. She is passionate about walking clients through the healing journey and believes that through facing our struggles we are able to find and embrace our unique strengths and purpose.

Melissa’s approach treats the root of presenting symptoms and addresses the core belief systems that drive problematic patterns. She is trained in EMDR, an evidence-based trauma treatment model designed to reprocess memories that may be leading to symptoms. Melissa integrates EMDR with other treatment modalities (CBT, DBT, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing) to meet the individualized needs of the client.

“We will discover the nature of our particular genius when we stop trying to conform to our own or to other people’s models, learn to be ourselves, and allow our natural channel to open” – Shakti Gawain

Diana is a licensed professional counselor that has been working in behavioral health for over 20 years. She is a lifelong resident of South Jersey and obtained her Bachelors/Master’s degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia.

Diana has been fortunate to have backgrounds in both addiction and mental health at all levels of care, including inpatient residential, IOP and outpatient. Diana ‘s approach to therapy is client centered, using a variety of modalities including CBT, DBT and family systems therapy. She believes in the mind/body connection and offers guided imagery as a stress reduction technique.

She is compassionate towards her clients, while encouraging them to be independent and self-reliant. She believes that when clients bravely work through their trauma-their lives can be transformed.

Diana is grateful to be a part of the team at Harmony Bay and doing what she loves!

Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself – St. Francis De Sales

Danielle grew up in Toms River New Jersey and received her master’s degree in Art Therapy from Drexel University in 2000.  She joined Harmony Bay as a primary therapist in June of 2020 after providing counseling services in a variety of settings over the past 20 years, including community-based outpatient, IOP and partial care, private practice, and mobile therapy programs.  She has worked with children and families involved in child protective services and the Philadelphia Family Court system, with adults suffering from mental health and co-occurring substance dependence and individuals suffering from various traumas and major life events such as divorce and bereavement.

Danielle is experienced in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy models and is inspired by the potential of the human brain and the capacity individuals have for improving their emotional well-being when they are enabled to consciously alter patterns of thought toward more positive/helpful cognitions. Danielle is also passionate about identity, personal growth and interpersonal patterns through the stages of life and seeks to motivate her clients to develop and enhance their emotional intelligence, their personal achievements and their attachments to family members and significant others.

Danielle finds happiness in most creative endeavors including photography, cooking, and drawing and enjoys fostering creativity in her clients as well.  As a fitness enthusiast, she adheres to a fitness and nutrition regimen she considers essential to her own well being and stress management. Danielle is excited to be part of the Harmony Bay team as her beliefs align with the culture of integrated wellness, emphasizing the health of the whole person, including physical fitness, self-care, creativity and the importance of human connection/support.  She believes these components all work together as critical factors contributing to one’s overall physical and emotional health, and satisfaction with life.

“In order to empathize with someone’s experience, you must be willing to believe them as they see it, and not how you imagine their experience to be.”  Brene Brown

Shannon was born and raised in Southern New Jersey, where she has spent most of her time dedicated to identifying and following her passions of integrative medicine within the context of mental health treatment. Shannon has more than a decade working in the substance abuse field, where she excelled at assisting individuals who have co-occurring disorders in all levels of care including residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient treatment. During this time, Shannon focused on the treatment of trauma in substance abuse and became a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.

Following a true desire for understanding the mind body connection and the impact in which nutrition has on our wellbeing and functioning of the brain, Shannon went back to school to become a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.

Shannon believes in an integrative approach to exploring and treating the root causes to mental health symptoms which includes DBT, Mindfulness CBT such as grounding and progressive muscle relaxation, and Motivational Interviewing. Shannon believes that the client-therapist relationship is by far the most important aspect in which encourages internal growth and exploration and should be nurtured throughout the therapeutic process.

“The best way out is always through.”- Robert Frost

Rebecca is a Licensed Social Worker with a passion for decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health and promoting the health and wellbeing of her clients. For her undergraduate degree, Rebecca moved from Central Jersey (Yes! It exists!) to South Jersey to attend Stockton University. Rebecca received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work with a Minor in Behavioral Neuroscience from Stockton, and then moved on to attend graduate school in Philadelphia. Rebecca received her Master of Social Work Degree with a clinical concentration from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice in May of 2020.

Even though she loves life in the city, Rebecca could not stay away from her home state of New Jersey. As a recent graduate, Rebecca is looking forward to starting her career as an LSW with Harmony Bay Wellness. Rebecca embraces a strengths-based orientation in her clinical work, creating a safe, trauma-informed, and welcoming environment for all incoming clients.

“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.” Brene Brown

Denise received an MA in Creative Arts and Therapy from Drexel University in 2004 and studied Movement Therapy. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of NJ and PA and is an Approved Clinical Supervisor. Her experience includes working with individuals with mental illness, addiction, trauma, grief, and disordered eating and has worked inpatient hospitalization, outpatient programming, emergency room screening, and individual therapy. She has spent her career dedicated to serving consumers with mental illness and has recently focused her studies on Women’s Health. Denise was trained in W-TREM (Women’s Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model) and has implemented this model into her practice.  She has more recently focused on Perinatal Mood Disorders, Post-Partum Depression, Anxiety, and Psychosis.

Denise knew that working at Harmony Bay was the right choice for her as they projected an aura of safety and acceptance to all.  Their mission serves as a pillar of strength to support those in need and de-stigmatize mental illness and addiction. The organization consists of a variety of talent unified with the same ambition to serve those in need without stigma or shame to support a better quality of life.

Denise’s favorite quote “It’s always easier to be nice then it is to be mean and you never have to feel bad about it”, author -My Dad

Dr. Shah is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with over 18 years of experience diagnosing and treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions.

Dr. Shah obtained her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-SOM and completed her residency training in adult psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. During her residency, she received extensive training in psychopharmacology and various types of psychotherapy including CBT, psychodynamic therapy, and supportive therapy. In addition to her expertise in medication management, Dr. Shah incorporates psychotherapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, nutritional psychiatry, trauma-informed care, and other evidence-based strategies in her treatment plans. Prior to her work at Harmony Bay, Dr. Shah worked as the staff psychiatrist at Montclair State University and was in private practice. She currently serves as the part-time staff psychiatrist at Stevens Institute of Technology and is passionate about college mental health.

Dr. Shah is deeply devoted to providing psychiatric care to stigmatized communities. During her psychiatry residency training at Robert Wood Johnson, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and traveled to India to deliver care to underserved patients struggling with serious psychiatric conditions. Also, prior to medical school, she volunteered at a tribal medical facility in India providing services to those that could not afford medical/psychiatric care. During her undergraduate studies at Rutgers, she was granted a scholarship and went to New Mexico to do anthropological research on medical issues impacting Native Americans at Picuris Pueblo. She also provides volunteer psychiatric services to first-line responders struggling with mental health issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic.