MEET THE
TEAM
Good Beginnings That Last A Lifetime
Meet The Child + Family Therapy Team
Erika Kohne, LMHC/S
Clinical Director
As the Clinical Director of the Child & Family Therapy services at Forty Carrots, Erika Kohne, is overseeing a group of therapists and supporting the expansion of mental health services throughout the community.
Erika has Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Florida and a Master’s of Sciences in Applied Clinical Psychology from the University of South Carolina. Erika has worked in the counseling field since 2011, primarily working with children, adolescents, and families. She is licensed in Florida as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and as a Qualified Supervisor. She is also a registered Circle of Security® Parenting provider and has earned her Graduate Certificate in Infant-Family Mental Health from the University of South Florida.
After receiving her Master’s degree, Erika remained in the state of South Carolina and accepted a job with the Department of Mental Health working in a community mental health center primarily with children, adolescents, and families with a broad range of emotional and behavioral concerns. She also gained experience working as an adjunct professor, teaching college courses at the undergraduate level.
Erika relocated to Sarasota with her husband in 2017, where she accepted a position as both Parenting Educator and Mental Health Therapist at Forty Carrots Family Center. During her time working for Forty Carrots, she has gained experience co-facilitating Partners In Play® groups at various library locations in Manatee and Sarasota, parenting groups at the CYESIS Teen Parent Program at North Port and Riverview High Schools and at the Teenage Parenting Program (TAPP) in Manatee County, and Circle of Security® groups at First Step Mothers & Infants and Selah Freedom. She also served as a Child & Family Therapist for the agency’s Therapy Department, before transitioning into the role of Therapy Director.
Bonnie S. Cieply, MSW, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Bonnie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Community Mental Health from Webster University, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a Counseling Emphasis from Lander University. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of mental health counseling including individual, group and couples counseling. She has gained diverse career experiences while providing counseling within schools systems, therapeutic foster homes, as well as office settings. She has worked with children and families offering counseling, behavior management, and crisis intervention. In addition to counseling she has provided psychoeducational programs that have included: mindfulness, parenting, life skills, and brain health.
Diana Dusenbury, MSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Certified Case Manager
Diana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Case Manager. Diana earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bucknell University and Master of Arts degree in Clinical Social Work from New York University. She has been working with children and families for over 15 years in both a counseling and case management role. Her experience includes providing individual and group therapy to children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral issues as well as family therapy. Additionally, Diana is also well versed in providing counseling and case management services to children with disabilities and their families and has completed her Infant Family Mental Health Graduate Certificate from USF.
Elena Berry, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
Elena joined our team with a BA in Human Development and a Masters in Social Work. She has a diverse background working with the Safe Children Coalition and various Early Childhood Centers. Most recently, Elena completed an internship at the University of South Florida in the Infant-Family Mental Health Center. Since having joined the Forty Carrots team, Elena has become A Window Between Worlds facilitator and has earned her Circle of Security® certification. Aside from offering individual and family therapy at Forty Carrots, Elena also provides school-based services in several schools, including teen parenting locations in the community.
Heather M. Stelmok, MA, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Heather is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling and her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Family Studies from Campbell University in North Carolina. She has over ten years of experience in private practice providing individual and family therapy to all ages, focused on children and adolescents with various emotional and behavioral issues. While living in North Carolina, she worked in a private practice and provided individual and family therapy to all ages. In November, 2010, she began working as a Parenting Educator and in 2014 as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Forty Carrots Family Center.
Lauren Eskew, MSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Lauren earned her Master’s of Social Work degree and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Florida. In addition, Lauren completed her Graduate Certificate in Infant Family Mental Health from USF. As a native to Sarasota County and bilingual communicator (Spanish), Lauren has cultivated a specialty of working with at-risk youth and their families in Sarasota County Schools and non-profit organizations in the community. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Lauren is well-versed in providing case management and psycho-educational services. She has provided individual, group, and family counseling to children and adolescents experiencing a variety of physical and emotional issues such as sexual abuse, suicidal ideation and self-harm, grief, cognitive impairments, depression, anxiety, body image issues, previous Baker Acts ,and LGBTQIA issues.
Nicole Jones, MSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Master of Social Work from The University of South Florida – Sarasota/Manatee and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The University of Florida. Nicole is a Nationally Certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (TF-CBT) who specializes in working with children and adolescents who have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse. Nicole earned her certification in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International and has a special interest in working with parents through the pregnancy and postpartum period who may be experiencing a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. Nicole has worked with children and families for over 10 years in multiple non-profit agencies in Sarasota County. Nicole is well-versed in working with children, adolescents, and families who present with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues and exposure to traumas. As an A Window Between Worlds facilitator, she loves incorporating art expression and other creative interventions into treatment.
Paola Ferst, MS, MSW-Graduate Student Intern
Paola earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Education and a Master of Science in Health Education and Health Behavior from the University of Florida. Paola is a certified health education specialist (CHES) and has been working in the non-profit sector with diverse populations in Sarasota for the past 8 years. Prior to joining Forty Carrots, Paola provided advocacy and support to survivors of domestic violence and taught trauma-informed and age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health in schools, jails, juvenile detention centers, and substance abuse & mental health treatment centers. Paola has experience working with teens, adults, caregivers, and LGBTQ+ youth and is committed to creating an inclusive and judgement-free space for all clients to feel seen and supported.
Tesha Clark, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
Tesha earned her Bachelors in Social Sciences/Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University and her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of South Florida. As a Parenting Educator she co-facilitates weekly parenting education groups at various partner locations, including Circle of Security® Parenting groups at the Sarasota County Jail, First Step Mothers & Infants program, and at Forty Carrots. As a Therapist, Tesha works with teen parents enrolled in Riverview High School’s CYESIS program in addition to working individually with children, adolescents, and families who enroll in therapy services at Forty Carrots. Tesha is a certified A Window Between Worlds facilitator.
Veronica Graveline, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
Veronica joined our team with a Bachelors in Psychology from Saint Peter’s University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Central Florida. Prior to Forty Carrots, Veronica worked with LGBTQ+ youth and seniors in multiple non-profit settings and has a background in performing arts. Since having joined the Forty Carrots team, Veronica has become A Window Between Worlds facilitator and has earned her Circle of Security® certification. Veronica provides school-based and agency-based counseling services to children, adolescents, and families. She also helps facilitate mental health groups in school-based and community-based settings.