About Us

Tania C Connors BSN, RN, a first generation Latina, graduated from Felician University cum laude in 2010 with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She has predominantly worked in Pediatric home care. For four years she worked throughout New Jersey as a case manager for infants and children coming home from the NICU/PICU. She was able to observe over a thousand clients and their families come home and noted the levels of anxiety in the children as well as the families. To better help understand and serve her clients better she educated herself about child development, infant/maternal bonds, and PTSD.

In 2012, Tania was sexually assaulted. At the time she was working as a case manager and attending graduate school to obtain her pediatric nurse practitioner certification. Her world stopped. PTSD took over. Thanks to her Nursing education, Tania was able to find herself the mental health assistance she needed within a week of her assault including completing Prolonged Exposure Therapy for the trauma. Although Tania had to withdrawal from graduate school, she never stopped educating herself. In the last 6.5 years, Tania has dedicated her life to healing, learning, and growing after trauma as well as helping/supporting others as much as she can with their trauma along the way. She currently works as a substitute School Nurse throughout Mercer County School Districts.

It is an honor to be part of Better Days PTSD Board. Tania and her husband, Derek, truly believe in the services and support Better Days PTSD aims to provide the community.

Robin is an entrepreneur and mother of three. Throughout her accomplished career, she has owned and operated three successful dance studios in the central New Jersey area. She has been a pillar of her community, helping families and children achieve their dreams.

However, with great success also came a tremendous amount of pain and suffering. After enduring violence and abuse, she unexpectedly lost her husband and was left to raise two children (under the age of five) on her own. Two weeks after the death of her husband, she suddenly lost the closet male figure in her life, her beloved father.

Robin has now endeavored to continue giving back to the community by doing whatever she can to help those suffering from the effects of trauma and sudden loss. She vows to be there for others and help guide them in their individual healing processes. She understands the power that can be gained by utilizing the help of others.

Bio coming soon.

Cayla Bailey is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. She graduated with her bachelors in psychology Summa Cum Laude from Rutgers University in 2018. She has worked with individuals suffering from substance use disorder, trauma, and sexuality concerns including sexual identity and sexual trauma. She is strongly focused on inequality, diversity and multicultural issues and is an advocate for underserved and stigmatized communities.

Cayla has endured and overcame sexual abuse, drug addiction, and mental health issues during her adolescent and young adult life. She has fought her way through adverse life experiences to fulfill her dreams of becoming a Doctor of clinical psychology in hopes to be able to help individuals in the community who have experienced trauma and marginalization. Her main goal is to help survivors feel accepted on their own terms and to help them overcome their ordeals in order to live happy and healthy lives.

It is her strong sense of social advocacy and compulsion to help aide in the plight of others that has lead her to Better Days PTSD where she intends to utilize her educational background and commitment to empowering others to help individuals struggling with adverse life experiences.

Derek Connors is currently a special education instructional assistant working in Princeton Public Schools. Derek began his career in education in 2015. Having attended Bound Brook public schools and worked in neighboring Manville, both Somerset County districts chronically underfunded and the towns economically devastated due to flooding, Derek understands how socioeconomic status and inadequate education can contribute to trauma later in life.

Derek holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Montclair State University and an Associate’s in Education from Raritan Valley Community College. He is also an Eagle Scout.

It’s Derek’s philosophical approach as an educator, his life experiences with trauma and his desire to find ways to overcome, and help others overcome, the PTSD many of us experience in life that brought him to Better Days PTSD.

Tara Lorenzetti is currently a graduate student at Rider University. As a highly empathetic person, she was drawn to the field of psychology and is very passionate about mental health. It is Tara's hope that together we can help each other function day to day and provide support to those in need. As said by Michelle Rosenthal, "Trauma creates change you don't choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose." Everyone has scars that no one else can see, and sometimes those are the ones that hurt the most. Therefore, she is a strong advocate for mental health awareness.

I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to help build an organization whose goal it is to help others. I have survived where so many never stood a chance. I have had a front row seat to abuse, violence, and homelessness. I have survived drug addiction that led down a long dark road. But I am alive. And moreso, I am a living testimony that asking for help can and will save your life. Presently, I work at an outpatient drug and alcohol rehab where I can share in my experiences and hope with others. Furthermore, I am honored to be part of Better Days PTSD.

So many people only recognize how strong they are, when being strong is their only option.

Debra Lorenzetti has a BS degree in Elementary Education as well as being a mother of three grown daughters. She lives in Ewing with her youngest daughter, three cats and her rescue dog, Dixie. Debbie is passionate about helping children and has worked in the field of education for over 25 years. Recently, having discovered she has an inherited medical condition, she has become the unofficial local ambassador for Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), an uncommon condition often misdiagnosed by physicians. She looks forward to helping Harmony Place in its mission to provide support to those in need.

Justin Gitterman is a freelance web developer and graphic designer. He also has an autistic brother named Jake, who has played a very instrumental role in Justin's life. Not feeling fulfilled after graduating from college with a degree in finance, Justin moved to Israel for 2 years to complete a post-graduate fellowship in religious studies. Throughout his journey, he realized he wanted to make the world a better place by helping one individual at a time in whatever way possible.

Justin knew he could do just that with the help of Better Days PTSD and meeting and the wonderful people that are apart of it.