PHILLY HEALS PROGRAM MANAGER

215-516-9429 | rachel.essy@phila.gov

Rachel (she/her) is a Marriage and Family Therapist and previously worked with people and families from all walks of life. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, Rachel has learned the importance of understanding how systems and relationships can affect a person's grief.

Rachel’s approach to therapy is one of warmth and empathy. Rachel understands that change and growth have its fair share of ups and downs and every client has their own journey. Rachel previously worked at Thomas Jefferson NARP, a methadone clinic in Philadelphia, where she got to know amazing people who influenced her approach to grief and loss. Through her work at NARP she gained an understanding of the complicated journey that is grief. Rachel believes that self-care and goal-setting are important parts of mental well-being, and she incorporates those into her practice.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT COUNSELOR

Olabisi.Adams@phila.gov

Olabisi (she/her) delivers care that prioritizes the needs, personality and circumstances of children and adolescents who are grieving. Olabisi graduated with her M.ED in Counseling Psychology from Temple where she received training in the mental health treatment of children, adolescents and young adults. As a Philly native with the knowledge of the needs of children in the community, delivering bereavement counseling through Philly HEALs hits very close to home and is very important to Olabisi. 

Olabisi uses a person-centered approach where she centers her care around learning the unique needs and background of her clients to provide counseling that best fits them. She will incorporate a blend of therapeutic art, therapeutic play (for younger kids) and other therapeutic activities that promote healthy development and expression of emotions for children or teens as they move through grief. Olabisi is patient, calm and will embrace all sides and phases of the bereavement journeys that children and adolescents move through. She openly works with children while communicating with their caregivers and families, school counselors and the community to bridge gaps and strengthen a network of support. Currently, Olabisi is pursuing her LPC and is receiving supervision towards licensure. Outside of work, Olabisi is a hiker, runner and lover of art, games and nature.

BEREAVEMENT CARE PROVIDER

Talia.Jones@phila.gov

Talia (she/her) is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson University’s Community and Trauma Counseling program, where she focused her studies on trauma, addictions, and recovery. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is an LPC candidate receiving supervision toward licensure.  

Prior to joining Philly HEALs, Talia worked at Northeast Treatment Centers where she helped connect families to substance abuse treatment and harm reduction resources. She also managed the Parenting Collaborative program, which provided free parenting education classes to Philadelphia residents of children under the age of 18.   

Talia is passionate about working in settings that service people of color and people from marginalized communities. Talia brings a commitment to advocacy and social justice to her work by addressing the impact of systems on grief, trauma, and toxic stress on individual, family, and community health. She believes that unprocessed grief or trauma can lead to adverse mental, physical, and spiritual conditions over time and generationally; thus, she sees grief counseling as prevention in addition to healing. Talia believes that counseling much be tailored to meet each individual’s needs, background, and values, and integrates therapeutic approaches that support the individual’s holistic wellbeing.  

BEREAVEMENT CARE PROVIDER II

Joseph.E.ODonnell@phila.gov

Joe (he/him) is returning to the team after completing his internship and MSW program. In his new role with Philly HEALs, Joe will be supporting adults, children, teens, and families. Joe is passionate about supporting people as they grieve loss, primarily through closely listening to and honoring personal stories and experiences of surviving loved ones. He is most guided by a person-centered approach, seeing people as experts on their own lives and grieving journeys, while also believing in the power of community support and healing through group connection and working with clients to connect them with any additional supports they may need. Joseph strives to help grieving clients identify the activities and practices that are most meaningful and helpful to them.

Joe is a recent graduate of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to pursuing clinical social work and counseling, he worked in various chaplain roles as a Master of Divinity (MDiv) student, providing spiritual care and support in both hospital and university settings, ranging from deaths of loved ones to emotional crises to adjustment challenges.

Outside of work, Joe enjoys reading and learning new things, listening to and discovering music, and spending time outside.

BEREAVEMENT CARE PROVIDER

Jonathan.Arneman@phila.gov

Jonathan van Arneman is a somatic grief counselor from the Caribbean island of Soualiga. He is a Registered Dance/movement therapist (R-DMT) and Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC). He views grief as a complex and embodied experience and his work weaves together movement, counseling, and cultural memory to support healing and liberation. He holds a Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University and is receiving supervision towards BC-DMT and LPC licensure.

In his role as Bereavement Care Provider with Philly HEALs, Jonathan offers both individual and group counseling options. He uses a Liberation Psychology approach to ground clients in the nuance of their present realities by interrogating the evolution of past systemic and personal events while providing a space for clients to imagine a pathway forward into a desired future. He draws from the languages of ritual, improvisation, and ancestral knowledge to explore themes of identity, trauma, and transformation.

Outside of his work with Philly HEALs, Jonathan does Psychoeducation and Wellness engagements as well as choreography and movement workshops. He has partnered with organizations like Black Men Heal, Urban Movement Arts (UMA), Earthside Services and UNESCO.

BEREAVEMENT CARE PROVIDER

Victoria.Pham@phila.gov

Tori (she/her) is a graduate from Temple University’s School of Social Work Bachelor of Social Work program and University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2) Master of Social Work Advanced Standing program. She completed her undergraduate placement at Abington Jefferson Hospital as a patient advocate and her master’s practicum placement at a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic in the heart of Kensington, Philadelphia. At this clinic, she provided brief treatment and mental health support to adults receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). She also offered a variety of individualized resources to address the intersecting social needs of her clients. Her training experience in this placement has deepened her understanding that grief is a complex, multi-dimensional journey that ebbs and flows.

In her new role at PhillyHEALs, Tori offers individual and group counseling to adults, families, children, and teens experiencing drug-related grief and loss. Her approach to therapy is fostering a person-centered, collaborative, and non-judgmental space for individuals to sit with and process their grief in ways that they feel are most helpful to them. Whether that is exploring therapeutic techniques or spending time commemorating those who have passed, she works to personalize therapy to clients’ needs.

Since the beginning of her academic career at Temple University onto her Master’s program at SP2 to now, social justice and intersectionality have always been the foundations of her work. She is passionate about bridging gaps in access to mental health services for marginalized communities and addressing individuals’ mental health challenges with respect to their identities and values. Ultimately, she believes in the importance of integrating cultural competence and the knowledge of clients’ socioeconomic circumstances into mental health care