Approachable Support to Help You Make Sense of and Cope with the Hard Stuff in Your Life
Our Story
We’re Sarah and Allie – the co-founders of Kind Minds: Space for the Hard Stuff. We met several years ago, working as licensed clinical social workers at a large NYC children’s hospital. We became fast friends, bonding instantly over our passion for helping children and families cope with illness, our senses of humor, our personal histories, and our callings to make a difference. We each had a vision to start a private practice – one that would feel warm, relatable, and full of hope. As the world was shutting down in 2020, we combined forces and Kind Minds Therapy was born. We’ve spent the last several years growing our practice, making big moves, working on important projects, creating, collaborating, presenting, learning, adjusting to parenthood, and laughing along the way. Through our friendship and business, we’ve continued to adjust to life’s challenges, celebrate life’s joys, watch our kids grow, and enjoy special moments. We’ve grown through enduring loss and embracing new changes, stepping out of our comfort zones, and leaning into big ideas together. We are so excited that all of the twists and turns have led us to this next phase of Kind Minds, and we’re so honored you’re here.
Alexandra (Allie) Finkel, LCSW
Sarah Roffe, LCSW, CCLS
Hi! I’m Allie and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, therapist, parent coach, mom and co-founder of Kind Minds: Space for the Hard Stuff.
My Why
When I was 12, an accident led to my mom developing a chronic nerve condition – shifting my family dynamic in life altering ways for many years (including the present). An already anxious child, I struggled to cope with and make sense of these changes – falling into cycles of perfectionism, grief, shame, and anxiety. I didn’t know it then, but my path would lead me to continuously seek to understand the human experience, to help make sense of hard things for kids, and to help people with all types of challenges feel more confident, secure, and hopeful. As an adult, finding the right therapist allowed me to finally understand and truly accept every part of myself, teaching me the power of my own insight and awareness. My personal journey continues to inform the way I relate to and show up as a therapist for my clients.
My Story
I have always been drawn to help others, working with kids from a young age. Ever curious about human behavior, I fell in love with my first psychology class in high school. I spent my college years pursuing this type of knowledge – trying to understand why people do the things they do, feel the way they feel, and act the way they act. My passion for learning and for working with children led me to Teach for America, where I taught first grade in Newark, NJ. As a young teacher, I learned more than I could have ever taught – and knew that I needed to understand more about how different systems impact how people become who they are. This desire drove my decision to obtain my MSW. I spent many years working as a pediatric oncology social worker at New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell where I supported patients, caregivers, and families through the emotional, financial, logistical, and relational challenges of navigating cancer treatment, medical trauma, and grief. I knew I wanted to help people explore their own experiences in a deep and meaningful way, which led to launching Kind Minds! I took the leap at the start of the pandemic, and haven’t looked back since. I have specialized expertise and training in palliative care, bereavement and end of life support, critical incident stress debriefing, and designing and running support groups and wellness curricula for medical professionals. I am especially passionate about creating a supportive space for people touched by cancer in some way.
More About My Approach
I hope therapy with me feels like a big hug and a gentle push forward at the same time. My style is relaxed, relatable, active and supportive. Our sessions will be heavy at times – filled with challenging and sometimes uncomfortable work – and also full of humor, levity, and genuine connection. I use a combination of tangible strategies, exploration & insight, and compassionate presence to create a space where you will feel empowered to truly get to know yourself in a way you haven’t before. We’ll explore how your individual history impacts the present, and heal old wounds while using practical tools to help you feel more confident and fulfilled in your everyday life. Bearing witness to your story is one of my greatest privileges.
Allie’s areas of focus
Parenting Support | Coping with Cancer | Anxiety | Grief | Executive Functioning Coaching
Credentials and Certifications
Certification in Dr. Becky’s Good Inside Parent Coaching Method
Certification in Child and Family Therapy from NYU
MSW from Columbia University
K-5 Teaching Certification from Relay Graduate School of Education
BA in Psychology and Child Development from University of Wisconsin-Madison
Featured in publications such as The New York Times, Today, Parents, Healthline, Huffington Post, and more as a mental health and parenting expert
Medical content contributor and advisor to Roon, an online platform that offers trusted and expert created content to help navigate serious health conditions
More About Me
I live with my husband and 3 year old daughter in Long Island, NY, and am expecting a baby boy in July. Being a mom is my hardest and proudest role.
My favorite things to do outside of work are to spend time with my friends and family, watch the sunset, be outside whenever possible, travel, drink a glass of red wine, watch 30 minute sitcoms, cook, exercise, learn new things, and laugh!
Hi! I’m Sarah and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, therapist, parent coach, mom and co-founder of Kind Minds: Space for the Hard Stuff.
My Why
As a child I experienced a tremendous amount of uncertainty and change. I grew up in a divorced household and experienced family members who struggle with chronic illness. I have experienced anticipatory loss of several loved ones and sudden, unexpected grief. I learned how through my own therapy work, how to process change, how to cope with loss, and how to navigate the unknown. I was an anxious child and I remain an anxious adult, but I continue to learn how to manage my anxiety in a way that works for me. I continue to learn how to sit with uncertainty, acknowledge when things are hard, and mostly I look for moments and opportunities to find hope, joy, and levity in times of struggle. My goal in my work with clients is to find ways to help manage their anxiety, cope with unexpected change, and learn how to be kind to yourself in a way that feels good for you.
My Story
I’ve always loved people and been curious about the human condition. I love learning about where people come from, how people channel moments of resilience, and what drives them in their everyday lives. As a kid I didn’t always feel heard and knew that I wanted to spend my life working to help others make sure they always felt that they had a voice.
When I was a teenager, a young family member was diagnosed with cancer. She had an infectious energy and an insane fight. She sadly lost her battle with cancer, but left a remarkable legacy that still inspires me everyday. In her memory, I decided to volunteer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and was placed in their Child Life Department. Having no idea about the field, I was instantly drawn to the connections with families, ability to help normalize the hospital environment, and provide education through empowering kids to understand what was happening in their bodies through the use of play. I went to college and pursued my Child Life career spending many years working at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Pediatric Oncology and Nephrology. I loved every second of what I did, but I struggled with wanting to help families in a broader capacity.
I decided to go back to school for my master’s in social work, in the hopes to combine the two disciplines and help families in a way that felt authentic for me. I got a job at a major New York City hospital, where I remain to this day. I am proud to have spent over 17 years working in hospital settings, learning about resilience, fight, coping with illness and loss, and the immense importance of support and human connection. It was there that I met Allie and our combined passion for helping others hold hope, process grief, and understand and learn to sit with uncertainty was formed. From that bond, we created one of the loves of my life, Kind Minds Therapy.
More About My Approach
I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to have someone outside of their world to bear witness to the daily struggles of life, help them hold onto hope when needed, and become their own best advocates. I do not believe that therapy lives inside a one size fits all model. My hope is that through our work together, genuine connection and trust is created and together we figure out what approach feels most comfortable and best for you. There will be moments when our sessions may be challenging, as we explore the past and ways in which it affects your current being and there will be moments of levity, as we move through to feelings of hope. I believe in thinking outside of the box to use tangible skills and techniques that will best work for you in a moment of need. Life is really hard but I believe that you can do hard things! One of my greatest honors in my work is helping people make the heaviness of life feel lighter and help you navigate through the hard times.
Sarah’s areas of focus
Anxiety | Depression | Parenting Support | Coping with Chronic Illness | Grief | Navigating Challenging Life Transitions
Credentials and Certifications
Master’s Degree from Columbia University
Post-Master’s in Clinical Adolescence from New York University
Certified Child Life Specialist
BA in Psychology from Indiana University
Featured in publications such as Healthline, Fatherly, Best Life and more as a mental health and parenting expert
More About Me
I live with my husband and 2 ½ year old son in New York City. Being a parent is the hardest, most exhausting, and biggest joy of my life.
As a born and raised New Yorker, I am super fortunate to have my support system very close by. I love spending time with my family and friends, filling most days with immense laughter. I also have been known to love a good binge TV show and while I love my work, parenting, and my spouse, I relish in moments when I can find pockets of peace to practice self-compassion and care.