Root & Rise Clinical Specialists

🎙️ NEXT WEEK ON LICENSED 2 SPILL: We’re spilling the tea on TEENS + THERAPY. ☕️

What do teenagers actually need from the adults around them? And when does “typical teen behavior” become something worth paying closer attention to?

I’m sitting down with my Root & Rise Clinical Specialists colleague Raven Maldonado, LMHC, an adolescent and family therapist who has spent more than 15 years working in the mental health field.
We’re getting into the stuff parents, teens, and even therapists, don’t always say out loud:

☕️ What adults tend to misunderstand about teenagers
☕️ Anxiety, emotions, identity + growing up in the social media era
☕️ The well-intentioned things parents do that can shut communication down
☕️ Privacy vs. knowing when you actually need to intervene
☕️ Family conflict and better ways to communicate
☕️ What Raven has learned after 15+ years in the field
☕️ And, of course, some therapist rapid-fire because this is Licensed 2 Spill

Host: Kristina Scaglione, LCSW-R
Guest: Raven Maldonado, LMHC

Adolescent & Family Specialist | Root & Rise Clinical Specialists

🎧 The full episode drops NEXT WEEK.

Not following us yet? Now’s a good time to fix that. 👀

Follow Kristina & Jules on Instagram and subscribe to Licensed 2 Spill on YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts so the episode is waiting for you when it drops.

Real therapists. Real talk. Real life. And occasionally, a little tea. ☕️

🌿 You may benefit from a young adult therapist if...

Everyone keeps asking what you're doing next...

And honestly?

You're not sure.

Maybe you're questioning your major.
Maybe you're home from college feeling lost.
Maybe you're trying to figure out your career, relationships, identity, or future.

Or maybe everyone else seems to have life figured out while you're just trying to keep up.

Here's the truth:

You are not behind.

Young adulthood is one of the biggest transitions you'll ever navigate, and it's okay to need support while you're figuring it out.

At Root & Rise Clinical Specialists, we help teens, college students, and young adults build confidence, manage anxiety, navigate life transitions, and create a path that feels authentic to them.

📍 Serving NY • FL • MA • CT
💻 Virtual therapy available



✨ You don't have to have your whole life figured out to take the next step. 💚

You don’t need the “best” therapist.
You need the right one for you.

That’s where most people get stuck in therapy.

They search.
They scroll.
They pick someone based on a profile… and hope it works.

But therapy isn’t supposed to be a guessing game.

At Root & Rise Clinical Specialists, we take a different approach:
✔ curated intake process
✔ intentional clinician matching
✔ trauma-informed, specialized care
✔ built for real, measurable outcomes

Because the difference between some progress and real change is often one thing: clinical fit.

You don’t have to work directly with me to get exceptional care.

My role is to make sure you land in the right place from the start, so you’re not wasting time, energy, or money trying to figure it out on your own.

If you’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t go deep enough…if you’re high-functioning but still stuck in patterns…if you’re ready for something more intentional

This is where we start.

🔗 Apply through the link in bio

You keep telling yourself, "That happened a long time ago. I should be over it by now."

But certain memories still feel surprisingly close.

You replay conversations.
You struggle to trust.
You react more strongly than you want to.
You feel stuck in patterns you can't quite explain.

Trauma isn't always about what happened.

It's often about how those experiences continue to impact your nervous system, relationships, self-worth, and sense of safety.

The good news?

Healing is possible.

At Root & Rise Clinical Specialists, our trauma-informed clinicians utilize evidence-based approaches, including EMDR, RTM, CBT, and other specialized therapies, to help clients process the past and move forward with greater freedom.

📍 Serving NY • FL • MA • CT
💻 Virtual therapy available



💬 Have you ever realized something from your past was affecting you more than you thought? ❤️

RAVEN MALDONADO, LMHC

Adolescents don’t always need another adult telling them what they should be doing. Sometimes they need someone who knows how to actually reach them.

Meet Raven Maldonado, LMHC, an experienced adolescent and young adult therapist on the Root & Rise team.

Raven works with adolescents 13+, young adults, and new or postpartum moms, helping clients navigate anxiety, emotional regulation, identity development, relationships, self-esteem, family changes, and major life transitions.

Her style brings together clinical skill, education, mindfulness, and an understanding that younger clients need a therapist who can build genuine rapport, not simply check boxes.

Raven is bilingual in English and Spanish and currently provides telehealth therapy in New York.

Finding the right therapist for yourself, or your teenager, is personal. At Root & Rise, we help make that match thoughtfully.

Raven is accepting new clients. Visit the link in bio or DM us to get started.

🏆 WE'VE BEEN NOMINATED! BEST OF LONG ISLAND 2027!

We're excited to announce that Root & Rise Clinical Specialists' Co-Founder, Kristina Scaglione, LCSW-R, has been nominated for Best Marriage Counselor in the FourLeaf Best of Long Island 2027 awards!

A quick note about the nomination: Kristina was nominated under her former private practice name, K. Scaglione Therapy, which has since merged into Root & Rise Clinical Specialists.

While the practice has evolved, Kristina's commitment to helping couples navigate relationship challenges, rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and make meaningful decisions about their futures remains at the heart of her work.

We're incredibly grateful for this recognition and for the clients, colleagues, and community who have supported Kristina throughout her professional journey.

🗳️ HOW TO VOTE:

1. Visit bestoflongisland.com
2. Select Health, Wellness & Beauty.
3. Find Best Marriage Counselor.
4. Vote for Kristina Scaglione, LCSW-R (K. Scaglione Therapy).

📅 Voting: October 1 – December 15

You can vote once per day, every day!

Thank you for supporting Kristina and the continued growth of Root & Rise Clinical Specialists. Your support means so much to our entire team! ⚓💙

📍 Port Jefferson, NY | Boca Raton, FL

🌐 www.rootandrisecs.com

🌿 You may benefit from an anxiety therapist if...

Your mind never seems to shut off.

You replay conversations.
You overthink decisions.
You prepare for worst-case scenarios.
You struggle to relax, even when nothing is wrong.

From the outside, you may look like you're handling everything.

Inside, you're exhausted.

Anxiety isn't always panic attacks.

Sometimes it looks like perfectionism.
People-pleasing.
Constant worry.
Over-responsibility.
Or feeling like you're always "on."

The good news?

You don't have to live that way forever.

At Root & Rise Clinical Specialists, we help clients understand anxiety, develop practical coping tools, and create lasting change—not just temporary relief.

📍 Serving NY • FL • MA • CT
💻 Virtual therapy available



💬 What's harder for you: turning your brain off during the day or at night?

JEAN O’HEHIR, LCSW

You can be the person everyone depends on and still be exhausted from carrying all of it.

Meet Jean O’Hehir, LCSW, a Root & Rise therapist whose grounded, holistic approach creates room for people who are used to holding everything together.

Jean works with adults navigating anxiety, chronic stress, grief, caregiving, women’s mental health, and significant life transitions. Her approach is person-centered and thoughtful, with space to slow down, understand what’s happening underneath the overwhelm, and begin making meaningful changes.

You do not have to wait until you’re falling apart to deserve support.
Jean offers in-person therapy in Port Jefferson, NY and telehealth throughout New York and is currently accepting new clients.

Not sure whether Jean, or another Root & Rise clinician, is the right match? That’s exactly what we help with. Visit the link in our bio or DM us to start the conversation.

RootAndRise

You still love each other.

But something feels different.

Maybe conversations turn into arguments.

Maybe you're living more like roommates than partners.

Maybe trust has been damaged.

Maybe intimacy, connection, or communication isn't what it used to be.

Here's what many couples don't realize:

You don't have to be on the brink of separation to benefit from couples therapy.

In fact, some of the strongest relationships are the ones where both people are willing to ask for support before resentment, distance, or disconnection become the norm.

At Root & Rise Clinical Specialists, we help couples strengthen communication, rebuild trust, deepen emotional connection, and navigate life's challenges together.

Because healthy relationships aren't built by avoiding difficult conversations.

They're built by learning how to have them.

📍 Serving NY • FL • MA • CT
💻 Virtual therapy available



❤️ What's one thing that helps you feel most connected to your partner?