Dr. Norma F. Safransky is a psychiatrist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is affiliated with University of North Carolina Hospitals. She received her medical degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Norma Safransky, MD is a board certified psychiatrist and a certified group psychotherapist. She is co-director of Triangle Area Dialectical Behavior Therapy (TADBiT). She has been in private practice since 1992. For the past decade she has been studying Systems Centered Therapy.

Natasha Donnelly is a PMHNP-BC, MSN, with a Ph.D. in Suicide Prevention. Natasha is a passionate mental health advocate and was a proud recipient of the Mind Millennium Fellowship. This is a lifetime achievement award by the Millennium Commission for her work involving developing new mental health strategies. Natasha trained at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital/ City University, London, Reading University and as a PMHNP-BC at East Carolina University here in NC. Natasha has enjoyed many years of working in psychiatric settings with at-risk populations including children and adults, in England, Africa and now the USA. Natasha has been an active collaborator in many statewide multi-disciplinary initiatives in North Carolina.

As well as enjoying her time as a PMHNP-BC, Natasha is passionate about designing initiatives to promote Trauma-Informed/Focused Care and has been involved in therapeutic designs of indoor and outdoor spaces since 2004. In 2018, Natasha founded the charity, TFTC Gardens, to design therapeutic spaces to promote resiliency skills for those living with emotional challenges including addiction. Natasha is proud to be a Board Member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and an advisor for the Legacy Committee for the new Dix Park in Raleigh, NC.

For Natasha, life is about celebrating the little things, which, when gathered, become the most valuable things. They are the essence of what creates shared happiness.

Natasha enjoys spending time with her family and pets which include two “sausage” dogs, a cat and two mini donkeys!

“When we have the courage to allow ourselves and others to shine we can connect, grow and flourish together. Living our best life takes courage, wisdom, and trust. When we allow our roots to become secure then our branches become truly beautiful.”

– Natasha Donnelly, PhD., 2020

Launiece Newton has been a part of the Cedar Oaks Clinic team since 2021. She began her nursing career in 2004, which led to her Nurse Practitioner career working with older adults in primary care in 2018. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Duke University School of Nursing in Durham, NC.  In 2020, she transitioned to working as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Launiece completed her Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner residency at the Durham Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center.

Her work in primary care, psychiatric residency training, and experience at the Cedar Oaks Clinic has allowed her to work with adolescents, young adults, older adults, and veterans to manage a variety of psychiatric conditions. Launiece is also a U.S. Army veteran.

Throughout her nursing career, Launiece has worked and trained in a variety of healthcare settings, which has allowed her to develop a holistic approach to treatment for her patients and their families.

She is a life-long learner and appreciates the opportunity to use her knowledge to advocate and be a resource for the communities that she serves.

Launiece enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends, creating meaningful memories.

“Life is a different experience for everyone, and we are all doing the best that we can with what we have. It is essential that we give ourselves and others a little bit of grace as we develop into our best selves.”

Launiece Newton, PMHNP-BC, 2021

Tracy Schofield received her Master of Science in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University.  Her specialty is as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner across the lifespan.

Throughout Tracy’s 30-plus year nursing career as a Registered Nurse, she specialized in the support and care of women.  This has allowed Tracy to develop an inclusive approach to assessing women and their needs.

Tracy most recently is working towards her certification in Perinatal Mental Health. 

In her spare time, Tracy enjoys being outside and doing anything with her precious mini-Schnauzers!

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”  Nido Qubein

Shari Scott joins the Cedar Oaks team after relocating from Wisconsin. She attended Duke University for both her NP education and her Masters degree in nursing education. She holds undergraduate degrees in nursing and psychology. Shari has worked in a variety of nursing areas including neurology, labor and delivery, sexual assault nursing and insurance. Most recently she was the Director of Nursing at a medical detox facility.

Shari has a special interest in the rapidly evolving area of psychedelics in mental health, as well as addiction. She is board certified across the life span.

'I believe that each of us has the ability to work towards being the best version of ourselves, but we need to make the choice to do so, with the support of those around us. Each of us matters and is worthy, however it is so easy to get caught up in everything happening in the world around us and stop listening to our own needs and our choices. I will work WITH you to find the best combination of services for you personal needs. This may mean therapy, education, exercise, medication or all of the above, but I will support you along your journey.'

And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling This is important! And this is important! And this is important!
You need to worry about this! And this! And this!'
And each day, it's up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, 'No. This is what's important.'
lain Thomas

Jasmine earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her board certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She previously worked as a registered nurse, where she focused on child and adolescent psychiatry. Here, she noticed the shortage of mental health providers across multiple settings and the profound impact this had on the mental well-being of the patients she cared for. Thus, she was inspired to further her education and pursue additional training to increase access to quality, patient centered care. 

In addition to her clinical experience, Jasmine possesses a unique ability to connect with individuals, a capacity to understand them, and the desire to meet them where they are. She is genuine, warm, empathetic, and believes that everyone is capable of recovery and success. Jasmine believes in collaboration when creating an effective and individualized treatment plan, which includes involvement from interdisciplinary team members, other healthcare providers, the patient, and their family. She applies the principle of the biopsychosocial model in her patient care. She is qualified to serve patients of all ages.. It is important to her to provide a caring, empathetic, and non-judgmental environment, where they feel comfortable discussing mental health concerns. Jasmine has a mission to support, advocate and educate the community, with a goal to end the stigma surrounding mental health. 

In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family and snuggling up with her Dachshund. She loves to travel and spend time by the water. Jasmine is excited to be a part of the team at Cedar Oaks and looks forward to meeting you!

Liz Vaughan is a Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with a specialty focus in Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health. Originally from Sun Prairie, WI., she earned her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Duke University in 2019 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing also from Duke University in 2014. Liz has over 3.5 years of previous experience in Pediatric Mental Health as a Nurse Practitioner in the area launching an outpatient medication management program, as well as being the first medical provider during the relaunch of BrightPath Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program. She also has 7 years of previous pediatric RN experience, ranging from intensive care, to cardiac, to pediatric oncology/bone marrow transplant, to outpatient neurology and mental health. During her MSN coursework at Duke, Liz was one of the first students to take part in the Pediatric Mental Behavioral Health Specialty program to expand access to mental care for children and adolescents. 

 Liz is licensed to work with children and adolescents age birth – 21 and has experience in Autism, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, PTSD, Substance Use, Eating Disorders, and Behavioral concerns among other pediatric mental health conditions. Liz practices with the approach of being as patient/family centered as possible, integrating the patient and family, school, and community into treatment. She seeks to combine medication management with other therapies and treatment modalities and strongly abides by the most updated research.
 Outside the office, Liz enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, watching sports, traveling, and cheering for the Duke basketball team!
 “I take this warmth within and send it up and out, goodbye to dark and fear, let’s fill this world with light and love.” ~Caissie Levy, Frozen Broadway

Dr. Melissa Jackson-Westbrook is a licensed clinical psychologist in North Carolina. She was born in Alaska and grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a concentration in forensic psychology. She completed her internship at the Federal Correction Complex in Butner, North Carolina.

Dr. Jackson-Westbrook has worked in a variety of settings including jails and prisons, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and outpatient private practice. Her main passion is psychological assessment. She has extensive experience with forensic assessment, general psychological evaluations, and psychoeducational testing. Many of her reports have been used for possible school accommodations. 

In regards to therapy, Dr. Jackson-Westbrook utilizes mostly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) but believes in an integrative approach. She also sometimes incorporates DBT principals and enjoys assertiveness training. She is a firm believer that motivation is the key to success within the therapeutic process. 

In her free time, Dr. Jackson-Westbrook enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with loved ones, including her husband and dog Ollie.

Catherine Busam is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Supervisor. She has over 20 years of experience working with families and children struggling with emotional and behavioral issues. Catherine has worked in multiple settings including the school system, juvenile justice, psychiatric hospitals, and foster care. She has both professional and personal experience with healing families in crisis. Catherine Busam’s primary model of treatment is client centered, family systems approach. She tends to favor experiential learning with role plays, play therapy and gestalt techniques but she also uses cognitive behavioral therapy and psycho education. She is best known for her ability to work with resistant children in therapy. As a supervisor, Catherine hopes to train more Counselors in working with families and serving children from hard places.

Catherine has specialized training in Family Systems and structure Therapy, Triple P (Positive Parenting), Christian Counseling, Heartwork Journaling, Play therapy, Trauma Focused Therapy, EMDR, DBT, ABA, Crisis and Assessment, Critical Incident Stress Management, Behavior management, sexual abuse treatment, and sex offending treatment and risk assessment of juvenile offenders. Catherine is committed to helping families understand and treat mental health and behavioral problems and assisting parents in advocating for their children. Her motto is, “I’ll hang onto hope until you are ready to take it back.”

Kristen Baez graduated in 2015 from Lesley University with a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Music Therapy. Kristen has 5 years of experience working with adults and children at an inpatient psychiatric facility, and has additionally worked with children and teenagers in schools and doing in-home counseling. She is passionate about helping the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups. As a Board Certified Music Therapist, Kristen is also able to offer a creative approach to therapy. Kristen believes that the therapeutic relationship should be built on trust and authenticity, and she is committed to helping others navigate through life’s challenges. When not working, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her dog, and being outside!

“Therapy and Counseling for the rest of us”

Jeff is certified in grief, loss and trauma, interpersonal neurobiology and somatic action methods, and Psychosocial Oncology.

Jeff maintains a non-judgmental and a supportive environment for those seeking support in grief, loss, relationships or with break ups. Jeff also specializes in and works with the LGBTQi population. Providing a safe and supportive space is a crucial aspect to Jeff’s work. He is relational and heart-centered in his approach. Warmth, non-judgement, authenticity, and empathy are a staple of Jeff’s approach. No mysteries and sharing within reason are the norm. It’s all about the connection.

Parrot Assisted Therapy
Occasionally and when appropriate, Jeff brings his two parrots to sessions. Jeff has done informal animal assisted therapy for 15 years. He is an experienced parrot enthusiast and trains others in caring for their birds. Feel free to ask him about his birds. If you become a client, you’ll definitely meet them at some point if you would like to.

Madalyn Miller holds a Master of Arts in Child and Adolescent Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy.

She has worked with adolescents in the only state run Residential Psychiatric Treatment Facility as an LRT/CTRS (Licensed Recreational Therapist/Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist) where she runs trauma informed groups in areas such as life skills, stress, and frustration management, social skills, as well as, teaching the adolescents how to cope effectively in a positive manner rather than engaging in maladaptive behaviors.

Trauma informed care is a different approach that considers what someone has been through and creating interventions to be used without re-traumatizing that person. Madalyn works with the entire treatment team to create interventions and help become a place for adolescents to be able to cope better with their traumas. This can be done through modalities such art, collages, everyday activities that have a therapeutic twist to teach frustration management, self-esteem, anger management, self-confidence, and overall regaining a sense of purpose of one’s life.

“Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, be the awareness behind them.'

-Eckhart Tolle

Tyler Royal received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017 with a double major in Exercise Science and Communication. Following graduation, he worked under Kevin Guskiewicz in a study for Behavioral Modification in High School Athletes (BEMOD). Tyler went on to receive certifications from NASM, ACE, and Original Strength, and began training at local athletic clubs and gyms, building his name as a trainer.

Tyler’s professional experience also includes working in integrative medical facilities, where he also practiced mindfulness methods, accountability, and implemented innovative new strategies for patient care. Currently, Tyler works as an independent trainer and consultant specializing in functional training and pain management.

As a former Tar Heel athlete, he understands the mind-body connection and how pain can limit our daily lives. He has made it his mission to educate people about their own bodies so that they can manage their limitations and realize that there is a world in which we are pain free. Tyler strives to achieve growth by creating a positive and judgement free environment for mental and physical balance by breaking limitations and setting new goals.

“Training the mind with physical results”

-Tyler Royal

Katie Shanaberger is an educational consultant, special education advocate, and parent coach. She is a mom who understands raising neurodiverse children such as those with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities, gifted abilities and more. She joins our team with her teaching expertise and parental education knowledge.

 Katie received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in elementary education at High Point University. She has over 15 years experience working as an elementary classroom teacher, an intervention/remediation specialist, a curriculum specialist, and as an AIG (academically and intellectually gifted) teacher. Katie holds a K-12 license in gifted education from University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). She has expertise with children who are twice exceptional (2e). Twice exceptional children have learning and thinking differences, as well as advanced skills in at least one academic area.

 PARENT COACHING:

Katie specializes in working with parents to support their child's unique social-emotional and learning needs. She has a passion for helping parents with neurodivergent children. She understands what families may be experiencing in their parenting journey as they deal with a wide variety of struggles. Katie uses coaching strategies to create ways for parents to best support their child in the school and home environment. She also creates personalized plans to support wellness for the family.

 EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT:

Katie meets with parents to create a plan with suggestions for school placement based on your child's unique needs. She works with parents to review school records and psychological evaluations to help determine the best educational path.

 Schedule a consultation if you have questions regarding your child about any of the following: has poor grades, school attendance issues, homework battles, difficulty with peer interactions, IEP or 504 plan, speech and/or occupational therapy (OT) needs or school-based disciplinary reports.

 EDUCATIONAL ADVOCACY:

Katie provides advice on matters within the educational setting by working collaboratively with parents and the school system. She personally understands the overwhelming process about where to begin when a school concern arises and how to handle existing conflicts. She provides guidance to help ensure the best possible outcome for the child. She attends informal meetings such as conferences with teachers and/or administration. She also attends formal meetings with school personnel to problem solve and gather data to determine next steps for the following types of plans- Individualized Education Program (IEP), 504, tiered intervention, and Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP).

 In her free time, Katie enjoys spending time at the beach with her husband, four children and three dogs. She also loves connecting with friends and volunteering in her children's school. Katie is active in the local community with coaching soccer as it fulfills her desire to model and develop positive relationships. She loves her soccer family and being Coach Katie!

Joining the Cedar Oaks team in 2022, Sarah-Grace brings over 7 years of healthcare service experience. She recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor's in Psychology and a minor in Biology. Outside of work and school, she enjoys reading, second-hand shopping, and traveling.

Sarah joined the Cedar Oaks team in 2024. She has previously worked in a healthcare office setting for 4 years and counting. She believes community care, hope, and resilience are valuable aspects of mental health care, embodied in the practices of Cedar Oaks Clinic. Outside of the office, you might find her reading a good book, drinking a cup of coffee (hot or iced – she isn’t picky), or baking bread. Bonus if any of the above also includes pumpkins!!

Jennifer joined cedar Oaks in 2021. She has a Bachelors degree in Psychology from UNC Charlotte.
Jennifer has been Working as a billing specialist in mental health for over 6 years.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her 2 children husband and 3 bulldogs, boating, and photography.

Neil joined the Cedar Oaks Team following a successful career in Corporate Finance spanning retail, technology and healthcare industries. He brings a wealth of business and finance knowledge and seeks to develop and build on his healthcare experience to ensure successful and sustainable growth at Cedar Oaks Clinic whilst supporting the critical fundamental elements of the Cedar Oaks Model