Our Team.
Michele Grethel, PhD, LCSW
Founder & Director
Dr. Grethel has a private practice on the UWS in Manhattan & Connecticut, as well as offers telehealth services, group and retreat experiences for both clients and mental health providers. Additionally, Dr. Grethel is a faculty member at USC Suzanne-Dworak Peck School of Social Work, and clinical researcher.
All of Dr. Grethel’s professional endeavors begin with her love of working with people, regardless of the struggles, but particularly because of their desire to grow and thrive. The privilege to have worked with individuals with mental health conditions, those who are adolescents and young adults, exploring their identities as LGBT, not-parent expected (NPE), donor conceived or adoption, her goal is to remove the internalized stigmas and societal barriers associated with these identities and to support living their best life.
Dr. Grethel uses an interdisciplinary trauma-informed approach in her direct practice. Clinically trained in utilizing diverse evidence-based practices including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness Based Therapies. She also integrates Relational Therapy, Narrative and Trauma-Informed treatment into her work.
As the principal investigator of the FAIR project, Dr. Grethel has overseen the research project from its inception to the most recent article, Discovery of Unexpected Paternity After Direct-To-Consumer DNA Testing and Its Impact on Identity. In the Spring of 2023 we will begin our 360° interviews of the family constellation (family of origin, new NPE family, and the family we create) to best understand the NPE journey from a holistic perspective.
Dr. Grethel received her PhD in Social Work at New York University and her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University.
Jennifer Lewis, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Lewis is the Director of the Masters of Social Work (MSW) and the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) Program in Los Angeles and the Virtual Academic Center at the University of Southern California. Her pedagological interests include specialized neurobiologically informed treatment for individuals who have lived experience with trauma and addiction. Dr. Lewis’s current research interests include her work with the FAIR project, collaborating on the design of the study and interviewing participants. Most recently, she co-authored a book reducing access to lethal means for suicide prevention at the Golden Gate Bridge. Her book was selected to be showcased at the upcoming LA Times Festival of Books. Her professional interests include the intersection of complex co-occurring disorders such as addiction, trauma, suicide prevention, stress and resilience.
Dr. Lewis has held a private practice in Arizona and San Diego, California.
Dr. Lewis received her Phd in Social Work from New York University, and her MSW from Boston University.
Lily Ross, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Lily Ross has been an instructor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work since 2011. She has taught a broad range of courses focusing on children, youth, and families. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she has used an interdisciplinary, trauma-informed approach in her direct practice, supervision, consultation, and program management. Lily has worked in schools, community-based programs, nonprofit organizations and Department of Mental Health contract agencies. Lily’s doctoral studies focused on the ways increased social support and belonging can impact students’ motivation in schools. Using the family stress model, her dissertation study deepened understanding about connections between parents’ stress, supports, and perceptions of children’s behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.