At Blueprint, we have hand selected the most authentic and clinically driven therapists on the planet! We are a comprehensive team that provides the absolute highest quality of clinical care. While we all have our own specialities, we all take a proactive and real world approach to counseling. We meet regularly as a team and provide feedback to each other on every single client that comes through our practice. So while you will have your own individual therapist that will be selected based upon your needs, know that you have an entire team of clinicians working to ensure you have the support that you need on your journey. We look forward to seeing you at 73 West End!
JOHN MOPPER
LPC. Co-Owner / Therapist
Meet John
John got started in the field of mental health a little later in life. After having a series of different jobs in his 20’s, from different sales positions to working in the music industry, he eventually decided to go back to school to obtain his graduate degree at the age of 30. He went on to work at one of New Jersey’s largest partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, obtaining trainings from everything from DBT to Ericksonian Hypnosis. Now at 45 years old and the owner of Blueprint, John takes an extremely eclectic approach to counseling, pulling from a number of mental health modalities. He prides himself on forming an authentic connection with his clients, while also challenging them to move towards their pain. In his spare time, he enjoys firearms training, volunteering as an EMT for his local rescue squad, and most recently, training in mixed martial arts. He’s also into music, cooking, reading, and spending time with his pups, Toby and Charlie. This eclectic mix of extracurriculars combined with a pure love for his clients and their wellbeing, earned him the title from his staff as the Tactical Buddha. He’s a firm believer of never judging a book by its cover.
MICHELE MOPPER (LEVIN)
LPC, LCADC, ACS, SAC. Co-Owner / Therapist
Meet Michele
Michele is the co-owner of Blueprint along with her husband John. Prior to Blueprint, Michele spent six years at one of the largest child and adolescent outpatient programs in New Jersey, moving through various clinical and supervisory roles including Program Director. Through her experience Michele found herself gravitating towards family therapy and specifically helping parents to better understand their kid’s behavior while strengthening the family relationships at home. She went back to school in 2015 to train at the Ackerman Institute for the Family in NYC and since then has continuously expanded her expertise to include speaking engagements, providing professional trainings to clinicians, and most recently accepting an Adjunct Professor opportunity within Kean Universities’ Graduate Mental Health Counseling Program. She supervises other clinicians and together she and John oversee all of the clinical operations at Blueprint.
Clinically, Michele is the jack of all trades. While she still sees teens and young adults individually, her work is now more geared towards providing family therapy, parent coaching, and couples therapy (specifically, couples with kids). When kids are struggling, they often shut down or act out which leaves a parent feeling lost as to what’s happening with their kid and how to talk to them. When working with Michele, she helps parents to better understand what’s driving their kid’s behavior and identify patterns within the family that often fuel anger, sadness, or resentment, while at the same time helping parents to get on the same page and improve their own relationship with each other. She helps people talk to each other (instead of at each other) differently so that they all feel listened to and understood. Basically, she helps people like each other again. Her sense of humor, directness, and ability to really join in with the families she works with helps people to feel comfortable to be honest with what’s really going on at home.
Working with Michele also means working with Charlie, her Golden Retriever sidekick. When he is at Blueprint he is, literally, always at her side and typically steals the show.
When she’s not in the office, you’ll find her watching Friends (the sitcom, not stalking her friends), eating sushi (Yoshi Sushi in Martinsville is her favorite), and facetiming her friends constantly. John is convinced she was born in the wrong decade because of her love for Bon Jovi. When she was growing up, she played soccer competitively and recently got back involved with the sport, both playing in her own league and assistant coaching an elementary girls travel team. She loves all animals, especially baby elephants and lion/bear cubs. Her favorite thing to do is settle into the couch with a good movie, John and the pups with the fireplace going while Sunday Sauce is cooking.
JASON MARCHITTO
LPC, LCADC, ACS. Therapist & Blueprint Clinical Advisor
Meet Jason
Jason Marchitto received his undergraduate degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Arizona. Upon returning to NJ Jason completed his MA in clinical counseling psychology and from there proceeded to become licensed as a licensed professional counselor. Jason began his work at an outpatient partial care agency as a group facilitator and clinical specialist/case manager for the adults suffering with addiction and severe and persistent mental illnesses. Working his way through a variety of positions, Jason ultimately worked as a clinical program director at an outpatient partial care facility for several years while starting to work in private practice. Looking for a change and a desire to help others directly, Jason left the agency in 2008 to work as a student assistance coordinator (SAC) in a public high school for 14 years. During this time, Jason also received his LCADC and certificate to supervise associate counselors.
Jason started worked part-time at Blueprint as a therapist with a small case load in 2019 and ultimately deciding to make a career change, left working in a public education setting after 14 years to join us full time!
In his role at Blueprint, Jason sees a full-time caseload of clients as well as serves as the groups’ therapist Clinical Advisor, where he often assists and advises our staff on client issues relevant to those 14 and older. Additionally, Jason enjoys leading a team clinical round once a month to advance the teams’ clinical goals.
Jason currently works with individuals ages 14 and up, providing individual counseling to adolescents, young adults, college students and “adulting adults”, as well as supportive counseling to couples and families. Jason is also available for parent drop-in sessions.
In his sessions, Jason applies his personal wealth of knowledge from life experiences and his training to approach his clients from a person-centered empathy based style while applying the concepts of CBT and essential humanistic compassion.
Jason also has a deep understanding of the treatment for anxiety disorders and is experienced in the use of a form of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in its application for the treatment of OCD, including its less understood subtypes/manifestations (“Pure-O” obsessions and mental compulsions).
When not working as a therapist, Jason advocates for those with OCD, and enjoys good food, good movies (all things Star Wars), the beach and spending time at home with his wife and children.
CARLY ANZALONE
LCSW. Therapist
& Blueprint Client Concierge
Meet Carly
Carly is a pre-teen, adolescent, and young adult therapist who has worked in a variety of mental health settings over the past four years including inpatient rehabilitation, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. Carly earned her Master’s in Social Work from Binghamton University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Carly spent some time working in the substance use disorder field and noticed that many of the deeper-rooted issues that her clients were dealing with had stemmed from childhood. She decided to shift her career to working with children, teens, young adults and adulting adults in order to play a role in early intervention, helping to build coping skills and gain support earlier on in their lives. Carly has worked with pre-teens and adolescents struggling with a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, social anxiety, family and peer conflict, suicidal ideation and self-harm, gender identity and LGBTQ-specific issues, and more. Carly believes that each client is unique with their own specific needs and challenges, and reflects this in her therapeutic work. Carly takes a very warm, supportive, and understanding approach while also empowering clients to identify their own strengths and utilize them to achieve their goals. Carly pulls from a variety of treatment approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, structural family therapy, motivational interviewing, and even art therapy!
Carly is originally from Syracuse, NY, and moved to New Jersey right before COVID hit, so she is still enjoying exploring the area, trying new local restaurants, and going on scenic hikes. Carly also enjoys spending time with her new golden doodle puppy Willow, who may make appearances in the background of any telehealth sessions!
LINDSAY ALVAREZ
LPC, Therapist
Meet Lindsay
Lindsay is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has been a member of the BP Fam since 2020. You’ll typically find her around Blueprint with a contagious smile and welcoming energy. Prior to Blueprint, Lindsay came with years of experience working in a variety of settings ranging from partial hospitalization to outpatient with teens and young adults. She is trained in EMDR and working towards becoming fully certified. Throughout her work, she’s found that whether it be “big T” or “little T” (in clinical lingo) trauma, many clients have experienced something in their lifetime they consider to be traumatic. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses rapid eye movements to help the body reprocess and heal from trauma. Using EMDR helps people to better understand and manage symptoms they’re experiencing triggered from trauma. In addition to EMDR, Lindsay uses other modalities such as DBT, CBT, and Solution-Focused therapy, and feels strongly that there’s no “one size fits all approach” to counseling.
Lindsay is passionate about working with people throughout their whole therapeutic process at Blueprint and encourages them to find the strength to grow, develop, and achieve their personal goals. She has a very down to earth, calm and comfortable vibe that helps clients who are on the fence about therapy (or who haven’t had the best of experiences before) typically leave their first session feeling relieved and hopeful for the process. She’s laid back, has a hint of sarcasm, and can balance both being gentle and direct. In her free time, Lindsay loves to spend time with her husband, children and dog, hand embroider sweaters, binge a good streaming series, and listening to Taylor Swift!
TAYLAR KELLY
LSW, Therapist
Meet Taylar
Taylar is a Licensed Social Worker working primarily with children, tweens, teens, young adults, and families with us at Blueprint. She graduated with her Master’s in Social Work from Rutgers University with a certificate in Promoting Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Taylar also holds Stockton Universities Understanding the Grieving Client: Familial & Traumatic Loss Certificate. She is naturally down to earth and easy to talk to, which allows her to build connections with kids and teens that might not be….let’s say “excited” for therapy. She specializes in grief and loss, normal life challenges/adjustments, depression, anxiety, relational challenges, body image, and establishing healthy boundaries. In a world that doesn’t always recognize different types of loss, Taylar is especially passionate about supporting clients through their grief journey. This means validating all emotions that accompany all losses, including the loss of a loved one. Taylar can appreciate and see the importance in helping clients navigate the feelings brought on by other losses, such as the loss of a pet, relationship loss, estrangement, life-altering events, and more.
Her sessions include interventions and techniques from Psychodynamic therapy, CBT, play, and creative arts therapy. Taylar also uses interventions from the Gottman Method when working with teens and families to promote increased empathy and understanding within their relationships.
Because Taylar is so comfortable with the topics of loss and difficult childhood experiences, she often uses psychodynamic therapy to help clients increase their self-awareness and support them in gaining more control over their own mental health. When working with Taylar, she will be a guide as you identify and recognize how past experiences (often from childhood) affect current emotions and patterns. Her down-to-earth personality and ability to empathize with clients of all ages helps build the trust necessary for the therapeutic relationship.
For “littles”, Taylar combines a creative lens with attachment-based techniques to create a safe, judgment-free space to explore big feelings. She has worked in various school settings and residential treatment programs and has always felt passionate about empowering clients. When she’s not at Blueprint, you’ll find Taylar playing darts (yes, darts!), navigating life as a new mom, obsessing over dolphins and sea turtles, cuddling with her giant Labrador Louie, eating penne vodka or pierogies, and unwinding by listening to good music (especially Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen!)
HELEN SANTANA
LSW, Therapist
Meet Helen
Helen Santana earned her Master’s in Social Work with a clinical specialization from Rutgers University, following receiving bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social work. Prior to receiving her LSW and completing her degree, Helen spent two years at Blueprint within the Client Relations Team.
Helen has always had a desire to be an emotional support as well as advocate for those in need. She incorporates therapeutic skills, psychoeducation, and a client-centered approach to help adolescents, teens, and young adults cope with challenging events in their everyday life. Helen also uses a multimodal approach with her clients including pulling from CBT, trauma-informed care, mindfulness, solution focused, etc. Helen sees each client as unique in their experiences and tailors her therapy sessions to meet each client’s individual needs. Being bilingual herself, Helen also believes in using a multi-cultural inclusion approach when working with clients and their families. She believes in empowering her clients to help them feel confident in who they are and in their mental health journey!
When not at Blueprint, you can find Helen playing with her dog Stella, dancing, at the gym, or trying out new restaurants with family and friends!
SCOTT SHANLEY
LAC, Therapist
Meet Scott
Scott Shanley is a Licensed Associate Counselor who earned his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Kean University, specializing in helping teens, young adults, and adulting adults reach their mental health goals.
Scott found his way into counseling after a multi-year career in the television industry that was full of excitement, adventure, and novelty, but ultimately left him searching for more balance, meaning, and purpose in life. This search led to spending lots of time in the psychology aisle at Barnes & Noble reading about mental health, and he eventually became well-versed enough in the topic to get into grad school and officially make his passion his profession.
Scott’s approach to counseling blends elements of mindfulness, CBT, ACT, and DBT. In other words – exploring the inner workings of our minds to understand the role our thoughts play in creating our emotions, behaviors, and shaping our overall experience of the world.
While empathic, compassionate, and truly understanding of his client’s challenges and experiences, Scott is not just a “listener” – he is equally adamant about equipping his clients with tools they can bring to their everyday lives to surf the waves life throws at them.
Outside of sessions, Scott enjoys being active outdoors (fun fact: he once whitewater rafted the Grand Canyon), reading and writing, watching pro wrestling (AEW/WWE), and catching up with friends for the occasional horror movie marathon! He grew up playing the drums in heavy metal bands (fun fact: Tool’s “Lateralus” album was his initial inspiration to become a therapist one day) and swears he’s going to pick up his sticks again one day, much to his neighbors’ collective disappointment.
SAMANTHA ZELNOCK
LAC, Therapist, Lead Client Relations , & BP Social Media Creator
Meet Samantha
Samantha (Sam) Zelnock, is a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC), who is passionate about counseling children and adolescents. Sam earned her master’s degree in mental health and rehabilitation counseling from University of Alabama. She has experience working within multiple different mental health settings such as inpatient, partial hospitalization, non-profit and outpatient. Sam has also worked behind the scenes for Blueprint as well for some time, as our Lead Client Relations Specialist.
Sam helps children and teens learn how to process big emotions, develop lifelong coping skills, all while helping their parents achieve peace of mind. Sam has a very bright, positive, and empathetic personality that radiates into her work with clients.
Sam’s counseling approach blends CBT, ACT and client-centered therapy. Additionally, Sam uses to a strengths-based perspective and strives to highlight her client’s strengths and utilize them to facilitate change. She often integrates art, writing, role-playing and games into sessions. All while allowing her clients a safe, non-judgmental space to explore and express their feelings, leading to breakthroughs that create healing and lasting change. She has experience working with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and disabilities.
Sam has experience working with disordered eating, body image and self-esteem struggles. Embracing the Health at Every Size, and weight inclusive frameworks, she is dedicated to helping to promote body positivity.
When Sam is not at Blueprint, you can catch her searching for the newest restaurants in New Jersey. She spends a lot of time listening to Taylor Swift (potentially too much), watching reality tv, playing with her two doodle pups; Luna and Quinn, and her personal favorite – shopping.
NICOLEA (NIKKI) SUTOR
Client Relations Specialist
Meet Nikki
Nicolea (Nikki) is a member of the Client Relations Team so she just might be one of the first people you speak to when you reach out to us at Blueprint. She is a current graduate student enrolled in the extended social work program at Kean University and obtained her bachelor’s in psychology through Kean University as well. She has always had a passion for helping others and has a natural warm energy that helps people feel comfortable opening up to her. Nikki believes that advocating for those who are vulnerable is extremely important. Once she graduates, her goal is to obtain her license as an LPC and become a licensed mental health therapist. When not at Blueprint, you can find Nikki rescuing wild animals, reading Colleen Hoover books, attending concerts, spending time with family and friends, teaching her dogs new tricks, cooking, or hiking.
DEONNA POWELL
Blueprint Practice Administrator
Meet Deonna
Deonna is the newest member of the Blueprint Family! As part of the Client Relations team, she’ll be one of the first people you speak with. She earned her Dual Degrees of Psychology (B.A.) and Health Sciences (B.S.) as well as a minor in dance from Stockton University. Since the age of 9, she has been immersed in the psychological field and found an immense passion for helping others. Her ability to connect with others and provide emotional support are the bases for what she envisions her purpose and career as being. She plans to go to graduate school to continue to learn more about child therapy and grief. When she isn’t at Blueprint, she can be found raising her new puppy named Ransom, reading, spending time with family and friends, rock climbing, or dancing with The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble.
TOBY
Blueprint Mascot
Meet Toby
Hello, humans. My full name is Tobias Chad Mopper but my friends call me Toby. I am a three-year-old “American Yellow Lab”, and Blueprint’s Therapy Dog In Perpetual Training. See there is a difference between American and English Labs. English labs are shorter and stockier than I am. As an American Lab, I am taller, leaner, and according to everyone I meet, “such a beautiful dog” (You may have already thought that when you looked at my bio picture). My humans John and Michele own the place, which allows me to be at Blueprint whether I have my therapy dog certification or not. It’s not that I’m not capable of passing the test, I just refuse to conform to their fascist policies and what a “good therapy dog” should be like. In my spare time, I love hanging with my baby kitten sister Penny (she was an accident), Monday nights (steak nights), kickin it with my homies at the dog park, posting my thoughts on our Instagram, and invading my human’s personal space. All kidding aside, my number one favorite thing in the world is putting smiles on people’s faces, especially when there are treats involved. Look forward to seeing you at 73 West End.
CHARLIE BLUE
Blueprint Mascot
Meet Charlie
Hi guys! My name is Charlie Blue and I’m the newest addition to the Blueprint Fam. My mom and dad, who are the owners of the practice, are those people that you might have heard about that decided to get a dog during quarantine. Because they have been home with me every day since the day I came to my forever home, I am constantly in desperate need of human interaction and snuggles. When I’m not busy warming the hearts of all who come in contact with me or posing for my personal Instagram account, I enjoy chewing on my big bro, Toby’s ears, following my mom everywhere she goes and pimping myself out for belly rubs whenever possible. I really hope that I get to meet you soon over at 73 West End so that we can become friends forever.
