West Hartford Therapy Staff Bios
LCAT’s West Hartford Therapy Staff
Our West Hartford therapy staff includes Amanda Pasciucco — the main sex therapist and owner of the practice — and a team of therapists specializing in communication, trauma, teens (16+), stress and anxiety, depression, and creating a life of more ease and pleasure!
We strive to provide an identity-affirming, trauma-informed environment for all. We are excited to have you consider us in your journey to healing, coaching, and self-discovery.
Amanda Pasciucco, PhD, LMFT, CST
Hello, I am Amanda Pasciucco (pronounced Pa-shoe-ko) and I founded Life Coaching and Therapy, LLC in West Hartford, CT in 2013. My goal is to be a catalyst for igniting passion within romantic and sexual relationships!
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) and CE Provider and Supervisor. I have my PhD as a Clinical Sexologist and I am an author on female sexuality.
I specialize in working with couples and individuals on sex-positive approaches, particularly helping those who have gone through traditional therapy unsuccessfully before.
Using a combination of tantric and psychotherapeutic techniques, I along with my team of therapists work with clients via online and onsite appointments and text therapy to transform their problems into pleasure by teaching them new habits. Additionally, I have created several videos to help provide immediate help with top issues facing couples and individuals.
Over the last 10+ years, and more than 15,000 client hours I have helped thousands of individuals and couples transform their sexual lives, which often carries into a whole life transformation. Because of this success, my clients and colleagues call me “The Sex Healer”.
My belief is that “pleasure is healing” and that sex education and pleasurable sex can be attainable for all adults.
I earned a Bachelor’s from Providence College, and Master’s from the University of Connecticut in Human Development and Family Studies. I have completed my dissertation research on highly sexually satisfied long-term romantic relationships in Clinical Sexology, and have a PhD.
Read Amanda Pasciucco’s complete bio. Check out her latest articles in the media.
Nicole Scrivano, LMFT, IAM-C
Thank you so much for looking at our LCAT staff!
My name is Nicole Scrivano (she/her) and I am the Director of Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) and a licensed therapist (LMFT) at LCAT. I have had the pleasure of working in this practice since 2017 when it became a group practice. I love this practice and what it means to be a therapist. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2013 with a Masters with a speciality in Marriage and Family Therapy.
My passion is to work with people around trauma, relationships, and identity. I approach therapy with each person differently because everyone is different. My belief is through using curiosity, authenticity, and compassion it allows to co-create a space for healing and growth for individuals and their relational systems. Generally, I have found it useful to people to reflect on their emotional reactions and ways that those strategies are or are not supporting their needs and goals. In doing this, often we are able to collaborate towards finding new strategies that are oriented toward their healing and growth.
For as long as I can remember, I have been committed to supporting others and listening to their stories. In therapy, everyone has their own story, perspective, view, or whatever you want to call it… and I work with my clients to learn theirs and explore it. Although, I am trained in a variety of methods (including EMDR and DBT), I am committed to utilizing an intersectional, feminist approach to working with all my clients. I believe that it is vital to the therapeutic process to be mindful of the varying identities that make up and influence people’s stories and empower people within those stories.
In my free time you can find me focused on my connection to my daughter, family, friends, and hedgehogs (Fiona Quillow HufflePuff, Sookie Winifred HufflePuff, Betty Prickles HufflePuff, and Luna Sanderson Hufflepuff).
Mike Saraceno, LMFT, CIMHP, IAM-C
Hey y’all!
I really enjoy facilitating a space where your relationships and communication are tenderly held front and center. Within this space, I believe your roles are to pick the destination and drive, while my role is to be a navigator of hope and change. I act as a curious mirror to reflect how the past informs the present, and compassionate roadside assistant to help get unstuck and back on your journey.
Folks that get the most out of working with me are those who are already seeking and practicing honesty with themselves and their partners. I have particular experience in collaborating with couples and consensually non-monogamous/polyam folks, including those who have the additional role of raising children. I approach everyone with attitudes of kink-awareness, sex-positivity (joyfulness, really), identity celebration, and unconditional positive body-esteem.
For those who are interested, I received my Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of St. Joseph in 2014. My educational background is steeped within the sciences and research, which I weave together with my style of therapy. I am also a Certified Integrated Mental Health Professional (CIMHP), meaning I may offer nutritional and alternative medicine suggestions to complement our work together.
In addition to psychotherapy sessions, I offer polyamory & consensual non-monogamy relationship coaching and expansive masculinity life coaching services.
When I’m not in the office, I’m often unplugged tending to my backyard homestead with my family or waist-deep in some river fly-fishing.
Chastity Rodriguez, LMFT, MEd, EMP, PC, CME
Most people know the first letters after my name – LMFT, which mean I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist, and I earned my degree from Central Connecticut State University. The rest usually require some explaining. MEd means I earned a Master of Education. An EMP is an energy medicine practitioner, which is someone who has learned how to work with the energy present in all of us humans to optimize physical and mental health. A PC is a pastoral counselor, a mental health professional that provides psychological therapy and spiritual guidance to individuals who are experiencing mental distress or dysfunction because of religious beliefs or issues with their faith. A CME is a certified mindful educator, or a person trained to teach others how to use mindfulness in their daily life both professionally and personally.
My education and experience enable me to be a skilled and compassionate listener and facilitator of space where you can feel safe to bravely unpack your baggage so you can consciously choose that which you want to keep, and lovingly release that which is no longer serving you. I use humor, metaphors and myth, personal stories and deep, active listening to what is said and left unsaid to illuminate the forces keeping you stuck. I trust that you have the answers to move through those stuck spaces and that those answers are temporarily blocked. I guide you through the process of identifying those blocks and dissolving them with love, gratitude and understanding. My goal is for you to leave knowing how to access the wisdom within yourself.
In addition to therapy, I also provide one-on-one executive DEI coaching as well as coaching to young adults with inherited wealth who want to be restorative and reparative with that money and need support as they cross family loyalties and/or struggle with guilt, shame or anger.
Tiffany Torok, LCSW, IAM-C
I find that taking that first step and searching for a therapist can be scary and intimidating. It is difficult to open up to someone about whom you feel you know very little. I am a no-nonsense therapist who uses humor and wit while providing honest and sometimes direct feedback. My aim is to guide individuals in the direction of acceptance and love of themselves, regardless of the “norms” that society has placed upon them. Rather than focusing on “labels” or “diagnoses” that may have been given to you in the past, I focus on the symptoms that are currently causing the most stress in your life and the roots of those symptoms to prevent them from returning in the future.
Music has been a passion of mine since I was a child. In my experience, music has always moved me deeply, and I have always felt a profound connection to the words of songs I listen to. My interest in the music scene and my growing awareness of the issues of mental health and substance abuse are intertwined. This realization, combined with the loss of many talented musicians, has inspired me to dive headfirst into mental health and substance abuse treatment for those involved in the music industry, from performers to stage crew and everyone in between. As a musician’s therapist, I can help with stress management, burnout, depression/anxiety, perfectionism, work/life balance, interpersonal conflict resolution, and other issues.
In 2010, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in mental health at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. I then went back to Southern and received my Master’s Degree in Social Work. I also completed a year long course on the Inner Aspects Method in 2021, which taught me how to identify the different parts that make up our minds and how we interact with the world, our past that created these parts of us, and the strategies these parts use to get their needs met.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and many pets (2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 fish tanks, and 4 guinea pigs), working on fitness through lifting weights and attending acroyoga classes, and spending my weekends at rock or hiphop concerts around New England.
Sarah FitzGerald, LCSW, IAM-C
Hi! I’m Sarah FitzGerald and I am here to connect with you as you go through your journey. If this is your first time looking for a therapist, you are making the right choice (even though it is hard). If you are returning to treatment, you know the value of connecting to supportive professionals during difficult times.
LGBTQIA+ affirming, sex-positive, and open to alternative relationship styles! Connection through storytelling, a touch of humor, and compassion is my go-to style in my sessions with people who come through my (virtual) door.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social work with my Master’s in Social Work from Binghamton University. Although I have many eclectic skills, historically my strengths are working with teens, young adults, and adult – caregivers specifically.
My interests in different American sub-cultures and lifestyles creates an affirming, safe place to explore your thoughts and feelings. Many of us inhabit more than one sub-culture and discussing these intersectional identities can bring about insight into ourselves and our world!
Olivia Pace, LMFT
My name is Olivia Pace (she/her/hers), and I am a marriage family therapist. This means that I have been systemically trained to help you find the root of your challenges and process your experiences. I received my master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University, and I completed my internship at an agency specializing in family outpatient care. I have experience working with individuals, couples, and families.
I enjoy working with young adults, primarily those who identify as women; however, I am open and excited to work with all gender identities. It is my goal to make everyone who enters my therapy room feel validated, appreciated, and seen. I am passionate about helping and guiding others through their journeys and building a relationship of mutual respect and trust.
I am a silly and expressive person, and when I am not wearing my therapist hat, you can find me snuggled up with my dog (Remy), traveling with my husband, patio sitting, and listening to true crime podcasts.
Melody Atkinson, LMFT-A
My name is Melody (she/her), and I am an LMFT-A, and graduate from Southern Connecticut. I am under the direct supervision of LCAT’s owner and founder, Amanda Pasciucco. My specialization is in trauma-informed practices, alternative methods to explore ADHD, LGBTQIA+ relationships, and identity.
I enjoy utilizing an integrative approach to therapy that focuses on stories and how the different parts of us show up in the world. I studied Musical Theatre for my undergraduate degree, and I believe that art and humor can be an integral part of the healing process. I utilize narrative therapy, parts theory, and post-modern approaches to help people integrate themselves and their identities. I enjoy working with folks within the LGBTQIA+ community, young adults, people with ADHD, and people with anxiety.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two sweet puppies, Juniper and Peach!
Karissa Ekwall, LMFT-A
Hi! My name is Karissa Ekwall (she/her). I am an LMFT-A and received my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am under direct supervision of Nicole Scrivano, LMFT and Director of Life Coaching and Therapy.
I am deeply curious about the systems throughout your life that have impacted who you are today. I have a special interest in attachment styles, needs, and exploring all parts of who you are! My approach to therapy is collaborative and trauma-informed so I am able to meet each client where they are. I aim to create a safe space through compassion and curiosity that allows for self-exploration, growth, and healing. I believe you have the tools within you to move through difficult times, and my hope is to help you find these strengths within yourself. I have experience working with individuals and couples. I thoroughly enjoy working with those in the LGBTQ+ community, male identifying individuals, and couples (relationships of all forms).
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I understand the importance of self-discovery and I hope to help you gain security and power in your own identity and relationships. I have experience working with and supporting survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence and am acutely aware of the systemic challenges marginalized groups face.
Outside of the office, you can find me spending quality time with my partner and our cats, playing ice hockey, or on my daily walk (with a true crime podcast playing, of course!).
Sage DeLucia, MFT Intern (Supervised by Nicole Scrivano)
Hey there folks! I’m Sage (they/them) and I am currently an MFT student at Southern Connecticut State University.
I have a deep passion for weaving together trauma-informed care, sacred space and transformative justice. With over five years of experience working with women and LGBTQ+ folks in trauma, recovery and health settings, I have found so much joy in holding space to help clients navigate tender relationships (of all forms), gender identity, and just human-ing as a whole.
I’m interested in how intimacy and sex evolve over time in relationships and how we determine what that gets to look like by our own definition. I aim to be a steward for the deep complexities of what it means to be in dynamic relationships – ones where we make mistakes, learn to prioritize connection and understand that we need each other to help us live into the people we want to become.
I aim to dismantle systems of oppression that live inside me and the community at large by showing up in ways that help move the needle. As of right now that looks like providing person-centered care, gender and identity affirming practices, and participating in conversations and movements that get creative with new ways to build an anti-oppressive, transformative justice centered, identity affirming, existence.
I grew up in Southern California and have always been a water baby – give me an ocean, river, or lake, count me in! I’m queer, an animal lover, a committed community member, amateur tarot reader, and lover of all things mystical and logistical. I aim to leave no trace and live sustainably – doing my best to live in right relationship with the land and people inhabiting it.
Liam Griffin, MFT Intern (Supervised by Mike Saraceno)
Hello! My name is Liam Griffin (he/him) and I am a TF-CBT certified MFT intern studying at Southern Connecticut State University.
I welcome families and couples, including those raising children, as well as open and alternative relationship styles such as consensually non monogamous/polyamorous. I am a LGBTQIA+ friendly and inclusive therapist who believes in gender affirmation, cultural humility, body positivity, and sex positivity. I believe in holding clients in unconditional high regard, and I aim to create a comfortable and non-judgmental space. My style is collaborative and trauma-informed, and I will be an active participant in your therapy as well as an active and compassionate listener.
Every client is different, so the exact model we use will differ from person to person. I tend to think and communicate in metaphors and use humor where appropriate. I believe that mental health is social justice, and I am aware of persistent traumatic stress environments as well as the effects they have on mental health. I believe my clients deserve to be fulfilled and joyful, and I would be honored to help you down this path.
In my free time, I spend most of my time with my dog, Fergus, as well as with my close friends and family. I also play the drums and bass, and I am learning guitar. I love music and true crime podcasts and tend to listen to those when I am walking Fergus.
Alex Rodriguez, MFT Intern (Supervised by Amanda Pasciucco)
Hey There! My name is Alex Rodriguez (he/him), and I am a Marriage and Family Therapy Intern at Southern Connecticut State University.
I am so excited at the prospect of being your therapist and tailoring our sessions to fit your needs, desires, goals, and personality. I understand that starting with a new clinician can be both exciting and daunting, and I promise to create a safe space where you feel listened to, understood, and comfortable, no matter what is going on for you outside our sessions.
I have a passion for teaching and practicing mindfulness in sessions and bringing presence to the physical body to analyze, understand, and help heal trauma. I am deeply curious about the relationships and systems that molded you as a child into the person you are today and how the lessons you learned from those experiences may be contributing to your current challenges. I enjoy working with clients from diverse backgrounds, no matter your gender identity, sexuality, relationship type, race, or age.
As a multi-racial (Puerto Rican, Italian, and French-Canadian) individual, I understand on a personal level how it feels to look different and be treated differently because of it. I strive to create an environment where individuals from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds feel welcome. I hope to help guide clients experiencing racism through these difficult times and establish a healthy and loving identity for themselves.
In my spare time, I enjoy playing basketball, pickleball, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
