Our Clinical Team
Anthony A. Cernera, LPC-A
Executive Director & Trauma Therapist
Anthony Cernera is a trauma-focused psychotherapist with a reputation for blending deep clinical expertise with warmth, intelligence, and compassion. As Executive Director of Everwell, he provides organizational leadership while working directly with clients across the lifespan. He specializes in trauma, PTSD and Complex PTSD, attachment wounds, depression, anxiety, grief, and relational patterns that keep clients feeling stuck.
Anthony’s approach is trauma-focused, evidence-based, and transformative. He integrates EMDR with parts work and ego state therapy to help clients heal deeply from painful experiences and reclaim a stronger, more connected sense of self. Clients often describe him as equal parts intelligent and kind, a therapist who brings both clarity and warmth to the healing process.
Before joining Everwell, Anthony spent 18 years in leadership roles in nonprofit organizations, with a focus on human resilience and behavior change. His doctoral research explores habit formation and behavior change, giving him a unique lens on how people can not only process trauma but also build lasting patterns of healing in their daily lives.
Anthony’s work is also deeply informed by 12 years as a hospice volunteer, where he supported patients and families in some of life’s most vulnerable moments. His personal commitment to service extends to being a three-time altruistic organ donor. His story has been featured on Good Morning America, in Men’s Health magazine, and on Apple News, where his example of compassion and resilience has inspired a national audience.
At Everwell, Anthony brings all of this experience, clinical, personal, and professional, into the therapy room. Whether in weekly sessions or intensive formats, his work helps clients not only heal from trauma but also transform how they live, relate, and grow.
Anthony is currently accepting Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Husky as well as individuals who are self-pay. Anthony has a waiting list for new clients. Individuals may email the Everwell administrative team to inquire about availability.
Melissa Murphy, LPC
Clinical Director & Psychotherapist
Melissa Murphy is a seasoned psychotherapist, group facilitator, and former program director with a deep passion for helping people move through life’s transitions with clarity, courage, and purpose. At Everwell, she serves as Clinical Director, guiding the therapeutic vision of the organization while providing expert, compassionate care to clients.
Melissa brings extensive clinical experience and a uniquely holistic perspective to her work with young adults, women, and anyone navigating change, disconnection, or emotional overwhelm. She believes that healing and growth are possible for everyone, even when they feel out of reach. Her approach blends traditional psychotherapy with spiritually informed, trauma-responsive, and adjunctive group modalities that help people reconnect with their core sense of self and begin living in alignment with their values.
Clients often describe Melissa as caring, clear-eyed, and grounded, a steady, emotionally attuned presence who brings both depth and direction to the therapeutic process. She is known for her ability to hold space for difficult truths while also helping clients access new motivation, insight, and resilience.
Before joining Everwell, Melissa served as a program director and therapist in a variety of levels of care, from outpatient to IOP, PHP, and residential. She later founded Growth & Resilience Group, where she supported hundreds of clients, especially those:
Transitioning from home to college or post-college independence
Recovering from eating disorders or emotionally taxing relationships
Moving through grief, divorce, or major life transitions
Seeking a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and self-trust
Her clinical expertise includes anxiety, depression, OCD, emotional regulation, boundary work, and healing attachment wounds. Whether working one-on-one or leading groups, Melissa brings a deeply integrated, whole-person approach to every session.
At Everwell, Melissa is dedicated to cultivating a therapeutic community where expert-led care, prevention, and personal transformation go hand in hand.
Melissa accepts UnitedHealthcare, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Magellan, and Husky, as well as individuals who are self-pay. Melissa is not currently taking new clients, so individuals may email the Everwell administrative team to be added to her wait list or inquire about another provider.
MEGAN FREYER, MA, LCSW
Director of Clinical Education & Psychotherapist
Megan serves as Director of Clinical Education, where she brings deep clinical expertise, a commitment to training excellence, and a passion for advancing the quality of mental health care across Connecticut. Since 2017, she has cultivated a strong referral base built on her exceptional ability to attune to clients of varying ages and presenting concerns. Megan practices from a client-centered, strengths-based framework, utilizing the therapeutic relationship to empower individuals to move toward meaningful change while ensuring they feel seen, heard, and supported.
Megan has advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Play Therapy, among other evidence-based modalities. She specializes in Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health as well as grief and loss counseling. Her clinical work emphasizes the integration of mind and body, teaching mindfulness practices to help clients regulate emotions, deepen self-awareness, and strengthen adaptive coping skills. She collaborates closely with each client to design individualized treatment plans that reflect both clinical rigor and compassionate care.
Beyond her direct clinical and educational leadership, Megan is deeply committed to policy development and advocacy as mechanisms for systemic transformation. She believes that sustainable change in mental health requires thoughtful regulatory reform, ethical practice standards, and equitable access to care. Her work in policy and advocacy is grounded in the conviction that mental health services should be accessible, accountable, and responsive to the needs of all Connecticut residents. Through both clinical education and systems-level engagement, Megan strives to elevate the standard of care and contribute to a more just and effective mental health landscape statewide.
Megan received her Master’s degree in General Psychology from The New School for Social Research and her Master of Social Work from Fordham University. She also holds a Certificate in Child and Adolescent Trauma Training from the National Center for Trauma and Social Work Education.
Christine Powers, LPC-A
Trauma Therapist
Melissa Murphy is a seasoned psychotherapist, group facilitator, and former program director with a deep passion for helping people move through life’s transitions with clarity, courage, and purpose. At Everwell, she serves as Clinical Director, guiding the therapeutic vision of the organization while providing expert, compassionate care to clients.
Melissa brings extensive clinical experience and a uniquely holistic perspective to her work with young adults, women, and anyone navigating change, disconnection, or emotional overwhelm. She believes that healing and growth are possible for everyone, even when they feel out of reach. Her approach blends traditional psychotherapy with spiritually informed, trauma-responsive, and adjunctive group modalities that help people reconnect with their core sense of self and begin living in alignment with their values.
Clients often describe Melissa as caring, clear-eyed, and grounded, a steady, emotionally attuned presence who brings both depth and direction to the therapeutic process. She is known for her ability to hold space for difficult truths while also helping clients access new motivation, insight, and resilience.
Before joining Everwell, Melissa served as a program director and therapist in a variety of levels of care, from outpatient to IOP, PHP, and residential. She later founded Growth & Resilience Group, where she supported hundreds of clients, especially those:
Transitioning from home to college or post-college independence
Recovering from eating disorders or emotionally taxing relationships
Moving through grief, divorce, or major life transitions
Seeking a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and self-trust
Her clinical expertise includes anxiety, depression, OCD, emotional regulation, boundary work, and healing attachment wounds. Whether working one-on-one or leading groups, Melissa brings a deeply integrated, whole-person approach to every session.
At Everwell, Melissa is dedicated to cultivating a therapeutic community where expert-led care, prevention, and personal transformation go hand in hand.
Melissa accepts UnitedHealthcare, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Magellan, and Husky, as well as individuals who are self-pay. Melissa is not currently taking new clients, so individuals may email the Everwell administrative team to be added to her wait list or inquire about another provider.
Jamie Koniuszewsky, B.A. Graduate Level Clinician
Jamie is a graduate level clinician with a strong passion for helping adolescents navigate the emotional, social, and developmental challenges of this important stage of life.
Her work creates a supportive, nonjudgmental space where teens feel safe, understood, and empowered to grow. While her primary focus is adolescents, she also enjoys working with individuals across the lifespan. Her work is grounded in empathy, collaboration, and evidence based practices, and Jamie believes that healing and self discovery are lifelong processes that everyone deserves.
Jamie holds a bacholor’s in psychology and is currently completing her master’s in clinical mental health counseling, both from Post University.
Jamie is accepting new clients with Anthem BCBS, United Healthcare, Aetna, and Husky. Pro bono and sliding scale sessions are also available. Schedule a session with Jamie here.