Meet Our Team

Shafeena Khan-Jagan
MS. Ed,  LMHC-D, CCTP, NIDHW

Founder of Breakthrough Mental Health Counseling
Director of Clinical Services

Shafeena is the Clinical Director at Breakthrough Mental Health Counseling. Of Indo-Caribbean heritage, Shafeena brings a culturally responsive and compassionate approach to therapy, offering specialized support to individuals from Indo-Caribbean, West Indian, and Caribbean communities. She works extensively with clients navigating generational trauma, betrayal trauma, identity-related stressors, and the emotional patterns shaped by family and cultural systems.

Shafeena also integrates a digital wellness–informed approach to treatment, recognizing the impact that technology, social media, and constant connectivity can have on emotional regulation, self-esteem, and relational health. Through mindfulness-based strategies and intentional boundary-setting, she helps clients “unplug” from unhealthy patterns of technology use and reconnect with presence, balance, and meaning in their daily lives. This holistic focus often leads clients toward their personal breakthrough moments—where insight turns into real, sustainable change.
Her therapeutic style is collaborative, trauma-informed, and highly individualized. Shafeena draws from evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Solution-Focused Therapy, allowing her to address both immediate concerns and deeper emotional wounds while empowering clients with practical tools for growth and healing.
In addition to her clinical work, Shafeena is dedicated to leadership and mentorship within the mental health field. She serves as a clinical supervisor to interns at Breakthrough MHC and remains actively involved in professional development and education. As an alumna of St. John’s University, she is a proud member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, where she continues to contribute to the advancement of ethical, culturally competent mental health care.

• Holds Diagnostic Privledge 
• Certification in Trauma Treatment
• Certification in Tech Addiction and Digital Health

Therapeutic Focus:

• Individuals navigating generational trauma, cultural identity concerns, and family-of-origin dynamics
  
• Clients experiencing betrayal trauma, trust ruptures, infidelity, and attachment-related wounds
• Adults facing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and relationship stressors connected to past or present experiences
• Clients looking for a collaborative, culturally responsive therapy experience that supports mindful living, digital wellness, and meaningful personal growth

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Nicole Buffolino, MS. Ed, LMHC

Affiliated Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Therapeutic Focus:

• Adolescents and young adults navigating the long-term impact of childhood emotional abuse
• Adults processing parental abandonment, trauma, or relational wounds
• Young adults and adults living with the emotional impact of early abuse or trauma
• Individuals looking to reclaim safety, strengthen coping skills, and restore self-trust

Nicole works to support individuals as they navigate the long-term effects of childhood emotional and psychological abuse, as well as the profound impact of parental abandonment.  She works with adolescents and adults, helping clients understand how these early experiences often shape patterns of anxiety, depression, grief, and challenges with substance use.
Nicole utilizes a range of evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), while maintaining a holistic, integrative perspective. She works collaboratively with clients to reframe deep-seated negative thoughts, develop healthier coping strategies, and strengthen resilience in the face of life’s challenges.
In her work, Nicole creates a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard and understood. She believes that meaningful change comes from empowering clients to process their history, reconnect with their personal values, and build a life rooted in growth, self-trust, and emotional wellbeing.

Aasma Nuzzi, PhD, LMHC-D

Clinical Supervisor

​Dr. Nuzzi is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over a decade of experience providing culturally responsive care to diverse communities across New York City. She earned her Master’s and Doctorate in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University.
Fluent in Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi, Dr. Nuzzi specializes in serving immigrant and AMEMSA (Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian) populations, integrating person-centered, cognitive-behavioral, and trauma-focused approaches to promote healing and resilience.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Nuzzi serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Clinical Director at the Council of Peoples Organization (COPO), leading initiatives that expand access to mental health services for underserved families. She is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity, advocacy, and wellness at both individual and community levels.

• Holds Diagnostic Privledge 
• Certification in Trauma Treatment​

Ciara DaSilva, MS. Ed., MHC-LP

Mental Health Counselor - Limited Permit

Therapeutic Focus:

• Teens overwhelmed by trauma, emotions, or family dynamics
• Young adults processing relationship trauma and life transitions
• Adults healing from betrayal, abuse, or long-standing relational wounds

Ciara is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of her clients. She specializes in working with individuals who have experienced relationship trauma and family trauma including infidelity, domestic violence, and other relational wounds—as well as clients navigating trauma and mental health challenges. In this work, Ciara utilizes evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Solution-Focused Therapy to help clients process trauma, build insight, and develop healthier coping and relational patterns. She also has experience supporting clients through concerns including anxiety, depression, family issues, and life transitions.
Ciara tailors her therapeutic approach to meet the unique needs of each client and believes that meaningful change begins within. Through her empathetic and nonjudgmental presence, she creates a safe and supportive space where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to grow at their own pace.
Outside of counseling, Ciara is also a dance teacher and choreographer, working with children and teens ages 2–18. This experience has deepened her understanding of youth development and further strengthened her passion for fostering resilience, confidence, and growth across all stages of life.

​Aroona Hussain, MS., MHC-LP

Mental Health Counselor ​- Limited Permit

Therapeutic Focus:

• Teens and adolescents impacted by emotional neglect, family stress, or cultural pressure
• Young adults working through childhood emotional or psychological abuse
• Adults healing from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or depression
• Multicultural individuals navigating intergenerational, spiritual, or religious trauma

Aroona works with her clients in creating a safe, supportive, and culturally responsive space for healing. She specializes in supporting individuals who have experienced childhood emotional and psychological abuse, as well as those impacted by spiritual or religious trauma. She approaches these experiences with deep care and validation, helping clients rebuild a sense of safety, strengthen self-trust, and reconnect with their personal sense of empowerment.
Aroona utilizes a compassionate and collaborative therapeutic approach, offering practical coping strategies from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, and Person Centered Therapy alongside deeper trauma processing to support long-term emotional wellbeing. Her work is grounded in respect, empathy, and an understanding of how past experiences shape present-day patterns.
In addition to her clinical work, Aroona is deeply passionate about multicultural counseling. She is committed to creating an environment where clients from diverse cultural backgrounds feel genuinely seen, understood, and respected. By honoring each client’s cultural identity and lived experience, Aroona supports meaningful growth and healing that aligns with clients’ values and goals.

The Interns

Meet some of the field's newest clinicans-to-be!
​At Breakthrough, our interns are graduate students working directly with their supervisor in order to 
​provide the best treatment to our clients!

Nicole Sperling

Alecea Todisco

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