Our Network 

A Professional Network of Independent Practitioners Providing a Collaborative Approach To Treatment

Melissa Sornik, LCSW PLLC is a clinical practice of independent mental health providers who work collaboratively to provide clients with a comprehensive and holistic approach to treatment. The clinical practice is the central pillar of the Smart Practice Network, which offers a range of services specifically designed to support neurodivergent individuals, including those who are gifted and twice-exceptional. The goal of the clinical practice is to meet the needs of this uniquely diverse population of children, adolescents, adults and families.

In order to meet those needs, the clinical practice seeks out professionals with training and experience in areas that impact our client population across a variety of environments including home, school, work and community. Their professional knowledge and skills has been acquired from their experience in schools, mental health facilities, hospitals, corporations, wellness centers and other settings. They have presented lectures and workshops on gifted and 2e related topics at local and national conferences, published articles, provided training for professionals in the fields of education and mental health, and have taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The clinical practice hosts onsite psycho-educational workshops and events pertaining to relevant topics several times a year. The clinical practice also provides offsite informational and professional development workshops for educators, schools, parent groups and other agencies, as well as training and supervision for mental health practitioners.

All practitioners who work with the practice are required to participate in weekly case conferences and/or direct supervision with Melissa Sornik

Melissa Sornik, LCSW

Executive Director

A licensed clinician, Melissa has been working with gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) children and their families since 2001 and earned her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University with a specialization in children and families. The co-founder of Twice Exceptional Children's Advocacy, Inc., she served as president of the organization from 2002 through 2023. Her clinical practice specializes in support and services for gifted individuals, including 2e individuals who are gifted with social, emotional, and/or learning challenges. Melissa oversees all programs and services, including training and supervision, and works directly with gifted children, adolescents, and adults in a therapeutic capacity.

Believing that resilience and healthy relationships are fundamental to personal and professional success and fulfillment, Melissa has developed the B.E.S.T. model — four key elements she uses in her work with clients. Reflecting upon her educational experience as a gifted artist and writer with certain learning challenges (including struggles with math and memorization), Melissa relived a similar experience as a parent of her gifted child. She has worked with many gifted individuals, especially those whose gifts, talents, and unique emotional needs aren't typically recognized or supported in traditional school or work settings, or those with certain challenges that overshadow their gifts and abilities. Melissa and the collective of teachers, clinicians, and mentors who collaborate with her practice provide onsite and online client services and support. Melissa has provided training and supervision for this eclectic team of professionals, each of whom has been thoughtfully chosen for their own gifts, talents, and abilities. A collaborative sharing of ideas, unique talents, and creative synergy results in the creation of programs, projects, and activities that are as innovative and unique as the individuals they were created for.

Melissa has developed programs for gifted and 2e children and adolescents, conducted professional development sessions for public and private school settings and colleges in the NY tri-state area, has authored several articles on the subject of twice-exceptionality, and has presented lectures and workshops at regional and national conferences. She has served as an advisory board member of GiftedNYS, and has co-authored and co-presented the first online course on 2e for the National Association of Social Workers' NY Chapter. Melissa has served on district and county Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) boards and is a 2e consultant for school districts and private schools. She is a SENG SMPG certified parent support group facilitator and an adjunct professor at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY where she has taught her own undergraduate course on a systems model and approach to working with children with special needs and their families. She has supervised and mentored undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate social workers through training, internships, and licensure. Melissa is also the former director for admissions and outreach at a school for gifted and 2e learners in NYC. She resides in New York City and maintains clinical practices in New York City and Sea Cliff, New York.

  • Jacob Greebel holds a Master of Education degree in General and Special Education and a Master of Social Work degree from Columbia University from Bank Street College of Education and the Columbia School of Social Work respectively. His professional journey was inspired by personal experiences as a 2e student, driving his commitment to diverse learning environments and earning certification as a dyslexia consultant. A compassionate and dedicated clinician, Jacob focuses on empowering individuals and families through the application of a systems-based social work model. Specializing in giftedness, learning disabilities, social/emotional issues, and asynchronous development, Jacob employs evidence-based therapies to foster resilience, self-advocacy and well-being. Guided by principles of empathy, respect and cultural competence, he collaborates closely with his clients, families and other clinicians to achieve growth and healing thgrough a strengths-based approach to treatment.

 
  • Nicole Levine, MA, MFA, LCAT-LP holds a Master of Arts in Creative Art Therapy Counseling from Hofstra University as well as a Master of Fine Art from Stony Brook University.  Nicole has extensive in-person and telehealth art therapy experience with children in medical and educational settings, as well as being an art instructor with students from middle school through college. She finds the creativity, insights and spontaneity of art to be an amazing tool when combined with traditional psychotherapy to help children and adolescents explore self awareness, gain insights and begin the work to be their best selves. Art therapy counseling uses art as a mode of communication between therapist and client, tapping into the creative process and encouraging discovery of self-expression, personal insight and fostering of emotional well-being. She is also deeply interested in post-partum parenting and parent-child dynamics and their effect on the family system. Nicole is a visual artist with painting and pastels as her mediums of choice. She is delighted to bring her experience, creative talents and her passion for working with children and adolescents in individual therapy and with TDC’s group programs to the practice. 

 
  • Ashley Bove, LMSW, is excited to bring her life-long passion for engaging with neurodivergent youth to her work with the clinical practice. Ashley has worked in both school and inpatient settings, and is able to forge meaningful connections with her tween and teen clients. In addition to her work in the clinical practice, Ashley also works as a school counselor at FlexSchool, a school serving neurodivergent students in Bronxville, NY. At FlexSchool, she has developed and facilitated social skills groups for neurodivergent youth, using a strengths-based approach. An advocate for the children she works with, Ashley has led and co-led several workshops on the relationship between neurodivergent and neurotypical siblings, and the influence of technology on twice-exceptional children. Ashley earned a master’s in social work from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work and her undergraduate degree from James Madison University. Between her studies, Ashley joined the Peace Corps as a Youth in Development volunteer in rural Thailand, an experience that profoundly impacted her understanding of the importance of interdependence, respect and open-heartedness in relationship building.on text goes here

 
  • Kae Peterman(they/them) is a neurodivergent graduate student currently pursuing a Dual Master of Social Work and Public Health Program at New York University. They currently provide administrative services for the clinical practice of Melissa Sornik, LCSW PLLC and are a social work intern with Equality Mental Health, where they work with a largely LGBTQ+ client-base. Additionally, they are a Graduate Research Assistant in the Complex Public Health Disasters Lab. They have previously worked with neurodivergent youth at Tech Kids Unlimited as a social work intern. Prior to starting their degree, they gained experience volunteering with the Trevor Project and the Pride Center of New Jersey, as well as organizing mutual aid through a Little Free Library in New Brunswick, NJ. At the same time, they were working as a copywriter in healthcare advertising. They have also tutored young people, taught free dance classes, and contributed to molecular biology and neuroscience research. They hope to use their diverse background to support and advocate for neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ individuals, communities, and families.

 
  • Maratea Cantarella is a social worker providing clinical and parent coaching services and is affiliated with the clinical practice of Melissa Sornik, LCSW PLLC. She has a particular interest in working with parents of children who are gifted, twice exception, and neurodivergent. Mara graduated with honors from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College’s MSW program in 2022. Prior to that she served as the executive director of Twice Exceptional Children’s Advocacy (TECA) from 2015 through 2023. At TECA, she developed and facilitated support groups for parents of 2e children and teens, developed and moderated many panels and workshops for TECA’s annual conference, and created a national online database listing services and resources for twice exceptional children and their families. Before joining TECA, Mara spent two decades as a development professional, working and consulting with an array of non-profit organizations. Mara received her BA in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, their two young adult children and three cats.

 
  • Kim Pine Dougharty received her Master of Arts degree in Creative Art Therapy Counseling degree from Hofstra University She has completed a Masters of Arts in teaching coursework and holds a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Studio Art from the University of Puget Sound. Kim has worked as an art instructor in school settings with students in grades PreK through 12. She has also provided art instruction to groups and individuals.  

    Kim has a particular fondness for children with learning differences. She finds the creativity and spontaneity of art therapy perfectly matches the energy and openness of children. Art Therapy counseling uses art as a mode of communication between therapist and client, tapping into the creative process and encouraging discovery of self-expression, personal insight and fostering of emotional well-being. Kim has parented, her own twice exceptional kids, making her keenly aware of the unique challenges this population experiences, and the understanding and modifications they require. She is delighted to offer the option of art therapy for children and adolescents, both individually and in groups to the practice. Kim is a visual artist, with collage and ceramic sculpture as her mediums of choice. She has also been a board member of Twice Exceptional Children’s Advocacy since 2015.

 
  • Max has been working with children and adolescents, including those who are gifted and twice exceptional, since 2006. At the age of fourteen he was a mentor for children and adolescents enrolled in a respite program for individuals with autism. Max earned his Master of Social Work degree from SUNY Binghamton. He provides individual psychotherapy, coaching and mentoring for elementary, middle and high school clients. He is also the co-facilitator of Collaborative Creativity Lab, the clinical practice’s hybrid talent development program. Max provides social-emotional support and uses his creativity, talents and an intuitive understanding of uniquely gifted children to provide program participants with a calmness and predictability that encourages their engagement in projects and activities. A musician and recording engineer with a lifelong passion for music, Max has studied and received his certification in Studio Recording Technology.