“The Triumph Center professionals have helped him immensely, through their consistent guidance and support, helping him to see that he is a good person with a lot of potential…Our son also had many problems forming and maintaining relationships…which as a parent, is very heartbreaking. The staff at the Triumph Center has given him the tools to be able to make friends…” -Parent

The Triumph Center is hiring full-time and part-time licensed clinicians to provide school consultation, individual, family, and/or group counseling. We are also hiring for our summer camp program which have opportunities for clinical hours, supervision, and paid positions. Please send a resume to our office address (36 Woburn Street, Reading, MA 01867) or email triumphcenter@verizon.net.

Jeff Colucci, Ph.D., Psychologist Emeritus (Boston College, 1979)

Dr. Jeff Colucci came to The Triumph Center in 1994 from Franciscan Children’s Hospital where he was Director of Psychology and Vice-president for Clinical Services.  A fellow in the Massachusetts Psychological Association, Dr. Colucci is licensed as both an educational and clinical psychologist.  He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston College and has taught at his alma mater, as well as at University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Fitchburg State College.  Primarily a clinician, Dr. Colucci contributed as a researcher to the norming of the original Vineland Social Maturity Scale.  Dr. Colucci has provided consultation to public schools regarding programming for special needs students.  Expert in issues relating to pervasive developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and effective behavior management, Dr. Colucci has spoken extensively on these topics to parent and professional groups.  A sports enthusiast, Dr. Colucci used his athletic background and coaching of traditional children’s sports to teach cooperative play and social skills.  Also an avid reader with many literary interests, Dr. Colucci dreams of someday writing a novel.  He lives in Acton, Massachusetts with his wife Nancy, an educational administrator.  His two grown daughters Elizabeth (a former Camp Triumph counselor) and Laura live in Barcelona and New York City respectively.

George Marinakis, Ph.D., Executive Director (DePaul University, 1988)

Dr. George Marinakis obtained his doctorate in child clinical psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, where he worked in the college counseling program and in the community mental health center with inner city youth and families. As part of his training, he completed his pre-doctoral internship at Kennedy Memorial Hospital for Children in Brighton. Dr. Marinakis then worked as a child-family therapist and program evaluation consultant on the Cognitive-Behavioral Inpatient Program of the hospital, which was renamed Franciscan Children’s Hospital. In 1991, he founded The Triumph Center and later expanded the program with Dr. Jeffrey Colucci. As the Executive Director of The Triumph Center, Dr. Marinakis works closely with children, adolescents, and young adults as a consultant, therapist, social skills group leader and supervisor of Camp Triumph. Dr. Marinakis is also the Director of Clinical Services and Director of Training for graduate and post-doctoral training. As a supervisor, he has enjoyed training graduate students in counseling, consultation, and sport psychology. He specializes in a number of areas, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, social skills training, bullying prevention, school inclusion, program evaluation, and transition to young adulthood. Dr. Marinakis has been a guest speaker on a range of topics and currently consults to various public and private therapeutic schools in the greater Boston area.

View Dr. Marinakis’s Curriculum Vitae here

Chris Anderson, Ph.D., Associate Director  (University of South Carolina, 1999)

Dr. Chris Anderson obtained his doctorate in Clinical-Community Psychology at the University of South Carolina where he focused on working with children and families.  As part of his training, he completed his pre-doctoral internship at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children which is part of the Medical University of Virginia.  Dr. Anderson began working at The Triumph Center in 1996 and served as a child therapist and school consultant.  An excellent clinician and administrator, he became the Director of Camp Triumph in 1998, and now serves as the Director of Field Training at the Triumph Center.  Dr. Anderson specializes in autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, social skills training, behavioral disorders and program evaluation.  As Clinical Director of the Triumph Center, he also provides psychotherapy to children and families in the Triumph Center’s Reading office.  Dr. Anderson is married and is the father of 2 boys.  He is active as a soccer coach, scout leader and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including golf, running and camping.

View Dr. Anderson’s Curriculum Vitae here

Tim Niemiec completed his master’s degree in Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine in 2006, interning at the Triumph Center under the supervision of Dr. George Marinakis. Upon graduation, he was hired as a full-time clinician and group site coordinator at the Triumph Center and was soon promoted to the Director of the Bedford Camp Triumph Program.  Over his years at the Triumph Center, Mr. Niemiec has served as the Site Coordinator for each location of the Triumph Center Group Program and began serving as the Group Programs Director in 2010.  In addition, Mr. Niemiec provides school consultation to various special needs programs in schools throughout the Boston Metro area. He has also presented at the Boston University School of Medicine, a Fortune 500 Company, various professional organizations, parent groups and schools.  He specializes in the areas of autism spectrum disorder, social pragmatic communication disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, applied behavioral analysis, school inclusion, social skills training, and sport psychology. He became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Massachusetts in 2009.  In 2016, he received his Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification and became a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst (LABA) in the state of Massachusetts.

View Tim Niemiec’s Curriculum Vitae here

Allison Jekogian, Psy.D., Associate Director (William James College, 2016)

Dr. Allison Jekogian is a Licensed Psychologist who earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from William James College in 2016.  Throughout her training, she focused on working with children and families in a range of community and school-based settings.  She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Franciscan Children’s, where she provided outpatient and school-based psychotherapy for children and adolescents with a range of social, emotional, and behavioral disorders, and conducted psychological and neuropsychological evaluations.  Prior to joining the Triumph Center, Dr. Jekogian was a staff psychologist at a therapeutic day school and was the Director of a summer program for children with ADHD.  Her clinical work focuses on utilizing cognitive-behavioral interventions and evidenced-based treatments to help children and adolescents learn skills to effectively modulate their emotional and behavioral experiences across settings, and she uses similar techniques to help parents effectively address behavioral and emotional challenges at home.  She is also passionate about psychological evaluation, and her evaluations focus on how a child’s unique profile of strengths and vulnerabilities impacts his or her cognitive, academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning.  Dr. Jekogian is the Director of Counseling and Assessment Services at the Triumph Center.  Dr. Jekogian also provides individual, group, and family therapy, serves as a school consultant, and conducts psychological evaluations.

View Dr. Jekogian’s Curriculum Vitae here

Mimi Bix-Hylan, MSW, LICSW (Simmons College, 2006)

Mimi Bix-Hylan is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and a licensed School Adjustment Counselor/Social Worker through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. Mimi also has a Master’s in Education and an earlier career as a teacher. Mimi has linked her two graduate degrees by providing clinical services to children and adolescents in public and therapeutic schools. She has also provided clinical services to clients of all ages in community mental health clinics, in- and out-patient hospital settings, and hospice. Mimi is a bilingual and bicultural clinician. She has expertise working with clients engaged in ethnic and racial identity formation, as well as with clients struggling with institutional inequities. She provides individual and family services across the lifespan, as she attends to the clinical and developmental needs of each constituent. Mimi is a wildlife photographer in her spare time. She is passionate about conservationism and nurturing native wildlife habitat.

Allison Broughton, MSW, LICSW (Salem State University, 1999)

Allison Broughton is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who received her master’s degree in Social Work from Salem State University.  She is also certified as a School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Ms. Broughton works full time as a school counselor supporting student with social/emotional challenges and has worked for many years in the field of child and adolescent mental health.  She has a special interest in working with foster/adoptive youth and has volunteered at a number of orphanages around the world.  Ms. Broughton completed the Social Thinking clinical training program in 2016.  She specializes in the areas of autism spectrum disorders, social communication challenges, anxiety, depression, and foster care/adoption.  As a clinician with the Triumph Center, Ms. Broughton provides individual and family counseling.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends in addition to traveling and outdoor adventures.

Jarrett Clayman, LMHC (Lesley University, 2014)

Jarrett Clayman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) who completed his master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lesley University in 2014.  During his graduate training as an intern at the Triumph Center, Jarrett took part in school consultation, co-led social skills groups, and provided individual therapy to students.  Following graduation, Jarrett worked at the Dearborn Academy STEP Program, a comprehensive 45-day assessment site to determine the academic and therapeutic needs for students who experienced significant social/emotional/behavioral difficulties in their school settings.  In 2018, Jarrett transitioned to the Judge Baker Children’s Center Manville School as a milieu counselor, while also rejoining the Triumph Center team to co-lead a young adults group.  Jarrett continued with the Triumph Center in 2019, transitioning his current role to focus on child and family therapy at their Reading and Beverly sites.  His clinical work focuses on using a relational, client-centered, and strengths-based approach with both children and their families, which incorporates cognitive-behavioral techniques, various expressive therapies, and collaborative communication to support movement towards success at home, school, and in the community.  Jarrett specializes in areas including Autism Spectrum Disorder, social skills training, anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges.  In his spare time, Jarrett is a singer/songwriter/musician in addition to enjoying a variety of sports and casual outdoor and indoor activities.

Kristen Connor, LICSW (Boston University, 2016)

Samantha Cohen, LMHC (Salem State University, 2016)

Samantha Cohen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who received her master’s degree in Counseling and Psychological services from Salem State University in 2016. Samantha works full time in a residential care facility working with children and families who have significant mental health, behavioral and trauma related needs.  In her work, she focuses on children with anxiety management, depression, ADHD, and trauma. She also has experience with family therapy and assisting families to better understand their children’s mental health/social emotional needs.  As a clinician with the Triumph Center, Samantha provides individual and family counseling in both the Reading and Beverly offices.

Mindy Davin, MSW, LICSW (Boston University, 1986)

Mindy Davin is a Licensed Independent Social Worker who has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in public and therapeutic schools, mental health clinics, adolescent and adult day-treatment programs, and in private practice.  Ms. Davin specializes in treating children and adolescents experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, social skills and behavioral difficulties, executive functioning deficits and learning disabilities.  Her collaborative approach working with children, adolescents and families is integral to developing a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s and family’s strengths and areas for growth.  Ms. Davin uses an eclectic approach to treatment including play therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness and acceptance-based therapy to support individuals in accomplishing their goals.  She is trained in Ross Green’s Collaborative Proactive Solution Approach (formerly known as The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach).  In addition, she is trained in the Act Raising Safe Kids Program, which educates and empowers families to create safe, stable, nurturing and healthy environments for raising safe children and building strong families.

Samantha Martin, LMHC, MT-BC (Lesley University, 2018)

Samantha Martin is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) who completed her dual degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with specialization in Music Therapy at Lesley University in 2018. After graduation, Sama worked for Eliot Community Human Services in their CBHI program as an In-Home Therapist working with children and families with MassHealth who were experiencing mental health crises. She transitioned to the Dearborn STEP Assessment program, a 40 day out of district school evaluation program that supports children struggling in their home school districts by examining their social, academic and emotional needs, and what supports they require to be successful in a school setting. Sam first worked for Camp Triumph the summer of 2022 and enjoyed the experience so much, she decided to join the Triumph Center full time. Sam provides school consultation, group and individual counseling, and is the Reading Site Coordinator for the group program. She specializes in children and teens with autism, ADHD, the LGBTQIA+ community, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Sam’s clinical work utilizes expressive arts therapies, play therapy, and a client-centered strengths based approach to provide clients with a safe space to be themselves, which in turn allows for skill building and integrating new strategies to improve mental health and wellbeing. In her free time, Sam enjoys spending time with friends and family, hanging out with her cat, reading, listening to podcasts and music, and watching TV.

Dominie O’Neill, LICSW (Salem State University, 2002)

Dominie O’Neill is a licensed independent clinical social worker who received her MSW from Salem State University in 2002. Mrs. O’Neill has been affiliated with The Triumph Center for over ten years and currently provides psychotherapy for children, adults and families in the Triumph Center’s Reading office. She has also been a school based social worker, working with severe and moderate special needs children ranging in age from preschool to post-secondary, since 2002. During her career as a social worker, she has enjoyed facilitating social skills and psychoeducational groups, providing psychotherapy, and working collaboratively with teaching staff and families to develop positive behavioral support programs for a wide range of school age children. As a psychotherapist, Mrs. O’Neill specializes in the areas of autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorders, Prader-Willi syndrome, social skills training, and cognitive impairments, as well as family therapy and consultation.

Eric Pegnam, LICSW (Simmons College, 1999)

Eric Pegnam is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with over 15 years’ experience working with children in school, clinical and residential settings.  Mr. Pegnam was a clinician and clinical supervisor at The Walker School for 14 years.  He co-created and directed Stepping Stones, Walker’s Program for children with significant social disabilities including Autism.  Mr. Pegnam has been recognized for his efforts by the Westborough Sped PAC, AANE, and National Alliance on Mental Illness.  Mr. Pegnam is also an accomplished speaker on the topics of autism, behavior management and a range of other clinical concerns.  He has presented at programs, agencies and conferences throughout Massachusetts including Harvard’s Autism Conference, Plymouth County Juvenile Detention Center, Communities for People and the Department of Mental Health.  Mr. Pegnam has provided consultation on individual students, classrooms, and programs to school districts in the great Boston area.  For many years, Mr. Pegnam has run social skills groups for children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, as well as children with a broad range of social and developmental delays.  At the Triumph Center, Mr. Pegnam provides consultation to schools, co-facilitates groups, and provides individual and family counseling.  He also has completed the Autism Certificate Program from Antioch University.  In his spare time, Mr. Pegnam enjoys improvisational acting, book collecting, cats and spending time with his family and friends.

View Eric Pegnam’s Curriculum Vitae here

Samantha Tilton, LMHC (Suffolk University, 2015)

Samantha Tilton is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who received her master’s degree from Suffolk University in 2015.  Samantha is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT).  She is currently undergoing training to become certified in the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA) to address substance use in the adolescent population.  Samantha began her work at the Triumph Center as an intern in 2014.  She completed her internship and continued to co-lead groups in the Triumph Center Group Program.  Samantha then transitioned at the Triumph Center to individual and family counseling.  Outside of Triumph Center, Samantha has experience working with children, adolescents, and families in many different areas.  She as worked on an inpatient unit, with schools in various capacities, and in community and home settings.  Samantha is passionate about helping children and their families reach their full potential by learning skills to improve their overall well-being.  Samantha’s therapeutic style is client-driven and strengths-based.  Samantha is adept at tailoring her treatment to meet the individual needs of her clients and has versatile interventions to fit the preferences of all clients.  She has experience working with anxiety, trauma, ADHD, anger management, and behavioral disorders, among other interests.  In her personal life, Samantha spends her free time teaching yoga, traveling, and spending time outdoors.