A Pathway to the
Authentic Self
Evidence-based therapy, clinical supervision, and professional development services guided by compassion and expertise
Dr. Sheila Mashack
Comprehensive Services
Professional support for personal growth, clinical development, and organizational success
Individual Therapy and Coaching
Evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, relationship issues, and identity exploration. Personalized approaches tailored to your unique needs and goals.
The Pathway Framework
A transformative approach integrating self-awareness, emotional regulation, and authentic living. Discover your true self through this evidence-based therapeutic framework.
Clinical Supervision
Professional guidance and mentorship for mental health professionals seeking licensure or continuing education. Develop your clinical skills with expert support.
Executive Coaching
Strategic leadership development for executives and professionals. Enhance your leadership presence, decision-making skills, and organizational impact through personalized coaching.
Grant Writing Services
Expert grant writing and funding strategy development. Leverage 25+ years of experience to secure funding for your organization with compelling, results-driven proposals.
Dissertation Support
Comprehensive guidance for doctoral candidates navigating the dissertation process. From topic selection to defense preparation, receive expert mentorship every step of the way.
Therapy Insurance & Payment
Individual therapy sessions do not accept insurance and are private pay only. This allows for greater flexibility, privacy, and personalized care without insurance limitations. Other services have their own pricing structures as detailed in their respective sections.
25+
Years Experience
Dedicated to Healing,
Empowerment & Impact
Dr. Sheila Mashack is a seasoned mental health professional and grant writing expert with over 25 years of experience managing behavioral health programs. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor.
Therapeutic Approach & Specialties
Dr. Mashack's work includes counseling, coaching, teaching, career development, and clinical supervision. She supports individuals and couples facing anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, substance use concerns, relationship stress, career challenges, and major life transitions.
Her approach is person-centered and trauma-informed, drawing from CBT, DBT, Internal Family Systems–informed strategies, mindfulness, and practical skill-building. She focuses on helping clients understand their emotional patterns, strengthen self-awareness, and develop healthier ways of coping with stress and life challenges.
Dr. Mashack also integrates inner child and self-esteem work, anger management, and career-focused counseling, believing that healing begins with understanding how early life experiences shape our emotional world and adult relationships.
Throughout her career, Dr. Mashack has demonstrated exceptional leadership in recruitment, onboarding, and supervision of multidisciplinary health teams, including psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, and recovery coaches.
A highly skilled grant writer, Dr. Mashack has secured over $2,000,000 in funding for behavioral health initiatives, enabling the expansion and diversification of program portfolios. She is the author of "The Eyes that Grant You Vision: Getting the Money You Deserve," a guide to successful grant writing and resource acquisition.
Currently, Dr. Mashack serves as the President of Futuristic Goals, PLLC, a consulting firm specializing in therapy services, grant writing, training, and program development. Under her leadership, the firm has become a certified Education and Training Provider for the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).
Dr. Mashack earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from City College and her master's degree in rehabilitation counseling from New York University. She recently completed her doctoral studies in the EdD Program in Executive Leadership at St. John Fisher University, where her research focused on the youth mental health crisis and proactive measures within New York State public schools.
Known for her proactive and hands-on approach, Dr. Mashack is not only a skilled grant writer, practitioner and administrator but also a mentor to emerging professionals in the mental health field. Her dedication to empowering others and advocating for mental health has left a lasting impact on the field and the communities she serves.
Evidence-Based Framework
Understanding the
Pathway Frameworkđź§
The Pathway to the Authentic Self is a trauma-informed, attachment-based framework that explores how early experiences, emotional wounds, and survival strategies shape identity, relationships, and behavior.
This work begins with the Four-Box Assessment, which maps the Inner Child, Teen Self, Critical Self, and Healthy Parent Self. It then integrates the Three Levels of Awareness, attachment patterns, and the Seven Selves to show how unconscious pain, protective strategies, and conscious behaviors influence how we think and relate.
Healing unfolds as awareness deepens and the Authentic Self begins to lead. This framework is supported by evidence-based practices, including trauma-informed cognitive behavioral approaches, Internal Family Systems, mindfulness-based regulation, and attachment-focused interventions.
Video Series
Healing Through Awareness
Explore the Pathway Framework through our comprehensive video series. Each video offers insights into trauma-informed healing and authentic self-discovery.
A Story of Transformation & Growth
Hear from someone who walked the path to healing and success
"Dr. Mashack's compassionate approach helped me navigate through one of the most challenging periods of my life. Her evidence-based methods and genuine care made all the difference in my healing journey."
Marcus T.
Clinical Supervision & Professional Consultation
I provide clinical supervision and professional consultation for mental health professionals seeking thoughtful, supportive, and developmentally focused guidance. This work is grounded in over 25 years of leadership and clinical experience and is designed to support ethical practice, clinical judgment, professional identity, and long-term sustainability in the field.
All supervision engagements begin with a brief consultation to assess fit, supervision needs, and regulatory requirements.
Engagement & Fees
Flexible options to support your professional growth and development
Individual Supervision
$15060-minute session
Monthly Supervision Packages
Structured packages available based on frequency and scope
Engagement Options
Request a Consultation
Let's discuss your supervision needs and determine if we're a good fit
Executive & Identity Coaching
Structured, Discreet Work for Leaders Navigating Identity, Power, and Presence
This is not therapy. It is structured, discreet work for individuals who take leadership seriously and are ready to examine how identity, power, and presence shape their effectiveness. Sessions are designed for executives, senior leaders, and professionals navigating high-stakes transitions, organizational complexity, or the internal work required to lead with clarity and integrity.
Inclusive Leadership Approach
I work with leaders across diverse backgrounds and identities, recognizing that leadership is not identity-neutral. Navigating authority, visibility, and belonging requires different strategies depending on who you are and the organizational cultures you operate within.
This work honors the complexity of leading while holding multiple identities, managing authenticity in professional spaces, addressing subtle biases, and building genuine leadership presence in environments that may present unique challenges.
What This Looks Like
Focused Engagement
Time-limited, goal-oriented work with clear outcomes and accountability structures
Complete Confidentiality
All sessions are held in strict confidence, with no organizational reporting or disclosure
Identity & Leadership Integration
Exploration of how personal identity intersects with professional role, authority, and decision-making in complex organizational environments
Relational & Systemic Awareness
Understanding how you show up in systems, how power operates across difference, and how to lead with intention while navigating organizational dynamics
Who This Is For
- Leaders navigating visibility, authority, and authenticity in organizational cultures where they may be underrepresented
- Professionals managing the balance between personal identity and professional expectations in leadership roles
- Executives and senior leaders managing organizational change, team dynamics, or strategic pivots while maintaining authentic presence
- Professionals navigating career transitions, role changes, or questions of fit and purpose in complex environments
- Leaders working through challenges related to subtle biases, organizational dynamics, or the experience of being different in leadership spaces
- Individuals seeking structured support to clarify values, strengthen presence, and lead with greater alignment
Investment
Professional coaching engagement
60-minute individual sessions
Initial consultation available to discuss fit and goals
Grant Writing Services
From Strategy to Submission
My grant-writing services support nonprofits, schools, and mission-driven organizations at every stage of the funding process, from early exploration to complex city, state, and federal proposals. Engagements are structured in phases to ensure readiness, alignment with funder priorities, and efficient use of time and resources.
Consultation and Funding Readiness
The entry point for all work. This phase assesses organizational capacity, program goals, and funding history to determine the most appropriate funding path. Together, we identify realistic opportunities and clarify whether the next step is a Letter of Inquiry, a simple proposal, or a public funding application, while defining scope, timelines, and deliverables.
Letters of Inquiry and Concept Development
Provide a strategic introduction to funders and allow organizations to test alignment before pursuing full proposals. These concise documents clearly present the need, proposed solution, anticipated outcomes, and a high-level budget when required, increasing the likelihood of invitation-only opportunities.
Simple Grant Proposals for Private and Local Funders
Focus on streamlined, narrative-driven applications. Support includes full narrative development, articulation of program goals, activities, and outcomes, basic budget support, and coordination of required attachments and submission.
City and State Grant Proposals
Require greater precision and compliance. These engagements emphasize measurable outcomes, strong program logic, and clear implementation plans, with support that includes RFP analysis, logic models, detailed narratives, budgets, and documentation coordination.
Federal Grant Proposals
Involve comprehensive, highly competitive applications requiring advanced strategy, evidence-based framing, evaluation planning, and strict adherence to guidelines. Engagements include full narrative and budget development, sustainability planning, and final compliance review with submission support.
All grant-writing engagements are scoped individually based on complexity, readiness, and timelines, with consultation required prior to proposal development.
Request a Consultation
Let's discuss your funding goals and determine the best path forward
Navigating the Storm: Youth Mental Health in Public High Schools
A Phenomenological Study
The Crisis
Youth mental health challenges have escalated nationwide, marked by rising rates of persistent sadness, suicidal ideation, and psychiatric concerns among adolescents. Public high schools have become a critical access point for mental health support, yet many lack the capacity, resources, and confidence to meet the growing needs of students effectively.
The Study
This qualitative phenomenological dissertation examines the lived experiences of public high school counselors and social workers in New York State as they navigate the delivery of mental health services within school settings. The study centers the voices of frontline school-based mental health professionals to illuminate how mental health services are implemented, where gaps persist, and how systemic, relational, and ecological factors shape service delivery.
Key Findings
Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the research explores how individual, school, community, and policy-level influences intersect to impact youth mental health support in public high schools.
Systemic Gaps and Capacity Strain
Participants reported overwhelming caseloads, insufficient staffing, high student-to-counselor ratios, and fragmented systems that limit schools' ability to provide timely and comprehensive mental health care.
Relational Trust and Access
Trusting relationships between students, families, and school-based mental health professionals were identified as central to effective intervention, engagement, and student safety, often compensating for structural limitations within the system.
Pathways Forward
Findings highlight the need for increased investment in school-based mental health staffing, enhanced collaboration with community providers, improved training, and equitable resource distribution to strengthen prevention, early intervention, and continuity of care within schools.
Research Impact & Global Reach
This dissertation has achieved meaningful national and international reach, demonstrating growing global interest in school-based youth mental health research and its practical applications across educational, clinical, and policy settings.
Total Downloads
December 2024 - February 2026
Countries
Global readership across continents
Key Sectors
Education, Commercial, Government
Geographic Distribution
Primary Readership:
119 downloads from the United States, representing the majority of engagement and demonstrating strong domestic interest in school-based mental health research.
International Reach:
Additional access from United Kingdom, Brazil, Philippines, Canada, India, Vietnam, Argentina, China, and Germany, reflecting global interest in youth mental health systems.
Sector Engagement
Educational Institutions
Universities, schools, research centers
Commercial Organizations
Healthcare, consulting, private sector
Government Agencies
Public policy, education departments
Notable Institutional Access
Downloads from prominent institutions indicate the research is being explored for practical application in academic, clinical, and policy settings:
This growing engagement demonstrates the research's relevance to practitioners, policymakers, and researchers working to strengthen school-based mental health systems nationally and internationally.
Research Resources & Context
This dissertation builds upon and contributes to a growing body of research examining youth mental health challenges in New York State and nationwide. The following resources provide critical context and evidence supporting the urgent need for strengthened school-based mental health services.
Youth Mental Health Listening Tour Report
New York State Office of Mental Health | June 2023
This comprehensive report documents findings from a statewide listening tour conducted by the NY State Office of Mental Health. The tour gathered input from youth, families, educators, and mental health professionals across New York State to understand the current landscape of youth mental health needs, barriers to care, and opportunities for system improvement. The report's findings align closely with the themes explored in this dissertation research, particularly regarding capacity challenges, access barriers, and the critical role of school-based services.
Download Full Report (PDF)Governor Hochul Announces $45M for Youth Mental Health Services in NY
CBS6 Albany News | Recent Policy Development
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a significant $45 million investment in youth mental health services across New York State. This funding represents a direct policy response to the growing youth mental health crisis documented in research and advocacy efforts. The investment aims to expand access to mental health services, strengthen school-based support systems, and address the capacity gaps identified by frontline professionals. This policy development demonstrates the translation of research findings into concrete action and resource allocation to support youth mental health infrastructure in New York.
Read Full ArticleState of Mental Health in America 2025
Mental Health America | National Data & State Rankings
This comprehensive national report provides critical data on youth mental health prevalence, access to care, and treatment barriers across all 50 states. The report includes New York-specific rankings and statistics on depression and anxiety rates among youth ages 12-17, access to school-based mental health services, and the number of young people who needed but did not receive mental health care. These national and state-level findings provide essential quantitative context for the qualitative experiences documented in this dissertation, validating the systemic challenges, capacity strain, and access barriers described by school-based mental health professionals in New York State public high schools.
Download Full Report (PDF)Additional research documents and resources will be added as they become available.
Why This Matters
This research informs my clinical practice, policy advocacy, and training work. It underscores the need for trauma-informed, youth-centered approaches that honor dignity, reduce harm, and build systems capable of true care—not just crisis management.
Request Dissertation Support
Share your research details and let's discuss how I can support your dissertation journey.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
Take the first step toward healing, growth, and lasting change. I'm here to support you through every stage of your therapeutic journey.