Newtown Native To Lead Newtown Therapy, a Southbury Counseling Practice Opening This Week

NEWTOWN, CT — A Newtown native whose life was shaped by both personal mental health challenges and the community's response to the Sandy Hook tragedy is returning home to help lead a new counseling practice serving local families.

Newtown Therapy, a Southbury Counseling practice, will officially open Thursday, June 4, at 14 Commerce Road, Suite 105, bringing expanded mental health services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families to the community.

Leading the office will be Alexandra Ferris, LPC-A, Senior Therapist and Clinical Outreach Specialist, who grew up in Newtown and says her own experiences inspired her career in counseling.

Ferris was in eighth grade when the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School unfolded in 2012. With siblings attending neighboring elementary schools, she witnessed firsthand how deeply traumatic events can affect individuals, families, and entire communities.

"Growing up in Newtown, the Sandy Hook tragedy had a lasting impact on me," Ferris said. "It showed me how important access to mental health care is for individuals, families, and entire communities."

Ferris also understands the challenges families face when searching for mental health support. As a child, she struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) at a time when specialized resources were not as readily available.

"When I was younger, there weren't many resources available for families navigating OCD," she said. "My family worked hard to find support, and those experiences inspired me to enter the counseling field. Being able to help others access the care and support they need is so meaningful to me."

Now, Ferris is excited to bring those services to the town she calls home.

Her appointment as office manager reflects Southbury Counseling's commitment to developing leaders from within the organization. Ferris is a graduate of the practice's leadership development program, which was created to help clinicians expand their skills in management, mentorship, clinical leadership, and team development.

"The leadership development program was something we started organically over time as the practice continued to grow," explained Brendan Stack, LPC, LADC, owner of Southbury Counseling. "As we expanded into multiple locations, it became important to create a pathway for clinicians who showed strong leadership ability, initiative, and alignment with our culture to take on larger roles within the organization."

Stack said the program emphasizes mentorship, operational training, staff support, and clinical leadership while creating opportunities for employees to advance within the practice.

"A big part of it is making sure we continue promoting from within whenever possible, rather than bringing in outside leadership unfamiliar with our values and approach to patient care," he said.

Ferris said she is grateful for the opportunity to continue growing professionally while serving the community where she was raised.

"We're excited to continue expanding access to high-quality mental health care in the community through the opening of Newtown Therapy, a Southbury Counseling Practice," Stack said. "Our goal has always been to create welcoming, supportive environments for both patients and clinicians, and Newtown is another step toward making care more accessible for individuals, couples, children, and families throughout the region."

The Newtown office will offer counseling services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, grief, trauma, and other emotional and behavioral concerns.

Newtown Therapy opens Thursday, June 4, and is located at 14 Commerce Road, Suite 105, Newtown. For more information, visit southburycounseling.com, call (203) 568-5923, or email newpatient@southburycounseling.com.