Counseling Staff

Named Director of Counseling Services in 2010, Mark Vogel has been a consulting psychologist with the school since 2007. He was previously the chief clinician of a private group practice specializing in child, adolescent, and family therapy. His areas of expertise include teen alcohol and drug issues, parent/teenage relations, learning disabilities, diagnostic testing, and psychological and vocational assessment. He is a frequent consultant to attorneys, courts and schools on psycho-educational issues, and is an authority on the relationship of adolescent alcohol and drug use to achievement motivation, future goal orientation, and parent supervision and control.

Dr. Manley is an associate professor of psychiatry and the director of Medical Student Education at New York University. He joined the counseling department as a consulting psychiatrist at The Family Foundation School in 2009. He has worked extensively with adolescents and addictions as part of multi-disciplinary treatment teams, and in his clinical practice. An outstanding educator, Dr. Manley has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, which explains his exceptional rapport with the FFS students.

Jeff joined The Family Foundation School in 2004 as a psychologist specializing in counseling adolescents and young adults with social, emotional, behavioral and developmental disabilities and their families. In 2005 he was named Vice President for External Relations and Director of Admissions, and became Dean of Admissions in 2011. The school's Anger Management program was developed by Jeff, and as a Certified Trauma Specialist, he currently leads the grief support group as well. He previously provided clinical oversight and leadership to programs serving individuals with special needs and challenging behaviors, and was senior clinical administrator with Volunteers of America. Jeff and his wife Debbie enjoy hiking and backpacking, and are the proud owners of two certified therapy beagles, Jack and Jake.  

Susan joined The Family Foundation School in 1988 and was the principal architect of today's counseling department. She has served as family leader, student and family counselor, and from 1996 to 2010 was the Director of Counseling Services. Her specialties include counseling adolescents with addiction problems and working with parents and families of high-risk adolescents. She has designed programs to help FFS parents develop more effective parenting skills, and has organized student groups for dealing with special issues including eating disorders, anxiety, loss and adoption, and sexual abuse. Susan's outside interests include writing and traveling.

Marcia joined the counseling staff at The Family Foundation School in 2007. She was previously a counselor with the Delaware County (New York) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. A certified New York State school counselor, she has worked as a special education counselor and play therapist with emotionally disturbed and learning disabled students. She has also held positions as academic tutor, New York Gear-up mentor, college-level instructor in play therapy, and has counseled individuals, groups and families as a private practitioner. Away from the school, Marcia loves hiking with her Old English Sheepdog, Cami, as well as reading, swimming, meditating and traveling.

Mary joined the FFS Counseling Department in 2010 just as it launched a new individual counseling program, and is among the Masters-level staff that conducts these private therapy sessions with students. She also directs three of the school's weekly group counseling sessions. Prior to FFS, Mary spent more than 20 years at Tri Valley Central School in New York providing individual and group counseling to elementary school students. Off campus, Mary is a performing arts enthusiast and an animal lover who is especially fond of cats.

Rick joined the staff of FFS in 2007 as Executive Director of The Family Foundation, Inc., and was named Development Director at the school in 2010. An abiding interest in psychology led him to the C.G. Jung Institute of New York where he is completing training to become a psychoanalyst. He currently works with clients in the city as well as with individual students here as both counselor and sponsor. His positions prior to FFS included executive director for non-profit organizations, school principal, and English teacher. In addition to his counseling duties, Rick leads the school's outreach efforts across the internet and is involved in community building with various school constituents. He also continues to oversee administration of The Family Foundation. The father of two, Rick and his wife Judith enjoy rural living in the surrounding Catskills.  

Sephiratu ("Sephi") joined the FFS counseling staff in 2011. She previously worked with the Lourdes Hospice Program providing social work support services to terminally ill individuals and their families, and with the Broome Developmental Center, Binghamton, NY, where she counseled aging, medically frail and developmentally disabled individuals living in long term residential facilities. A native of Ghana, Sephi and her husband arrived in the U.S. in 2005. Her experience transitioning to a new culture with a different language and customs has given her a special empathy with students adjusting to the therapeutic boarding school environment. The mother of two young children ages two and five, Sephi and her family live in Binghamton.

Peter joined the FFS counseling staff in 2011 with previous counseling experience with the ACBC Addiction Center of Broome County (NY).  Before that he taught English composition and philosophy for three years at Broome Community College.  He holds both a B.S. in human development and an MSW from Binghamton University, and is especially interested in post-modern approaches to psychotherapy.  A musician who played with a nationally touring band throughout the 1990s, Peter still enjoys traveling and performing music.  He currently lives in Windsor, NY.