Tracey Masella
I am a licensed clinical social worker treating adolescents, adults, and families using behavioral, solutions-focused psychodynamic therapy. Intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I incorporate the concepts and skills of DBT throughout my practice. Additionally, I have received training in Internal Family Systems and Mentalization Based Therapy. My experience includes advanced assessment of and treatment for a full range of diagnoses, including mood disorders and personality disorders.
As part of a multi-disciplinary clinical team at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT, for close to 10 years I worked with adults and adolescents at all levels of care, including acute inpatient hospitalization, short-term residential treatment, and outpatient programs. Most recently, I was the Program Manager for the Adolescent Transitional Living Program (ATLP) at Silver Hill. I worked closely with members of the highly trained clinical staff and hospital administration to evaluate and enhance the impact of mental health treatment in our community. I continue to work with Silver Hill in community outreach and education. As a panelist and presenter, I have collaborated with many schools and community organizations to decrease the stigma about mental illness, increase awareness about adolescent minds, and improve the lives of adolescents and families. (link to presentations) My colleague and friend, Dr. Aaron Krasner, MD, and I established our professional collaboration beginning in 2013 at Silver Hill Hospital, and we are proud to be the co-founders of the Krasner Adolescent Institute. We have collected a team of expert faculty in all areas of mental health; our unique approach to assessment is a more practical, personalized, and sustainable treatment plan that yields enduring and positive results.
Prior to joining the field of social work, I enjoyed a career in academic publishing. I worked with Prentice Hall Publishing in sales and marketing and then at the New School University as the Managing Editor of the Social Research journal. In 2005, I became the Program Manager for the Journal Donation Project (JDP), also at the New School University. The mission of the JDP was to build archives of scholarly journals in countries that for political and/or economic reasons have been unable to do so on their own. The journals served to connect scholars, students, and professionals to a global community and improve the social well-being of all. My work on this global welfare initiative led me to pursue a degree in social work. I graduated from the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, earning the Dr. Edward L. Curran award for highest achievement in academics, practical experience, and school service.
While earning my master’s degree, I worked at New Haven Family Alliance in New Haven, CT, helping to develop an adolescent court diversion program. The community-based program worked with adolescents who were first-time misdemeanor offenders and their families through mediation, family therapy, and case management. Having grown up in the New Haven area, this was a project that allowed me to give back to a community close to my heart.
In addition to my clinical work, since 2004 I have had the honor to serve as a board member and currently as the Board Chairperson of Medical Relief Alliance (MRA). MRA is a non-profit organization working with women and children in rural Kenya who are affected by HIV/AIDS by offering medical help, education, and our micro-finance program, Goat Hope. Since 2019, I have volunteered with the scholars at the A Better Chance House in New Canaan, CT.