This edition of The Art of Healing brings together moments of connection, insight, and support from across the Cadenza Center community. From attending the CARD gala alongside colleagues and peers, to a thoughtful look at hypengyophobia and how responsibility can feel overwhelming, and a free guide designed to help parents better understand early childhood behavior.
Cadenza Center at the CARD Gala
Members of the Cadenza Center for Psychotherapy and the Arts team recently attended the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) gala.
With over 25 years of involvement in the South Florida therapy community, opportunities like this continue to hold real value. They provide a chance to step outside the rhythm of clinical work and spend time in a setting where shared purpose naturally brings people together.
The evening offered a thoughtful balance of music, conversation, and a welcoming atmosphere, all within a community connected through a shared commitment to autism services and support.
Attending together as a team added another layer of meaning. In a field where the focus is often on supporting others, these moments create space for internal connection and reflection on the larger purpose behind the work.
Grateful to be part of a community that continues to show up, contribute, and make room to recognize the importance of coming together along the way.
Hypengyophobia: When Taking on Responsibilities Feels Overwhelming
Some people assume avoidance is a lack of effort or motivation. In reality, it can sometimes be something much deeper.
In a new blog by Maria Guasone, MS, RMHCI, a lesser-known experience is brought into focus: hypengyophobia, the fear of taking on responsibilities. It’s often tied to anxiety, perfectionism, or past experiences where mistakes carried emotional weight.
This article takes a closer look at how this pattern can show up in daily life—through hesitation with decisions, procrastination on important tasks, or feeling overwhelmed when expectations increase. What may look like indecision on the outside is often internal pressure and fear on the inside.
Maria also outlines how this experience is approached in therapy, with an emphasis on understanding thought patterns, working through fear without judgment, and taking manageable steps toward confidence and self-trust.
For anyone who has ever wondered why responsibility can feel heavier than expected, this piece offers both clarity and reassurance.
Is it a phase — or something more?
Parenting a young child comes with a lot of questions. Is this normal? Should I be worried?
Cadenza Center’s licensed child psychologists created a free guide, Phase or Pattern?, to help parents of children ages 2–8 find answers. Inside, you’ll discover which behaviors are developmentally typical, which warrant closer attention, and the three signs that often point to a professional evaluation.
All written in plain language, without pressure or clinical jargon.
Because you deserve a clear answer, not more uncertainty.
Our Team
Margarita Fajnwaks recently celebrated her 5-year anniversary with Cadenza Center, marking her important role in the organization’s growth. As Human Resources Generalist, she has helped build the systems and support structure that allow the team to thrive. Her work spans hiring, staff development, and payroll, impacting every part of the organization. She has also contributed to fostering a culture rooted in respect, accountability, and care.
Cadenza Center is excited to welcome Kathryn Headley back as Director of Operations. A former team member, she returns with nearly a decade of expanded experience across multiple therapy disciplines. Her expertise in practice management, revenue cycle operations, and patient navigation brings added strength to both clinical support and organizational systems. Her leadership will help bring greater clarity, structure, and continuity to the care Cadenza provides.
Cadenza Center is pleased to welcome Joanna Schiller as the newest Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She brings a strong academic background in Applied Behavior Analysis and Speech and Hearing Science, along with hands-on experience supporting individuals across home, school, and community settings. Having started as an RBT, she understands the work from a practical, day-to-day perspective. Her additional experience in coordination and client relations makes her a valuable addition to the team.
Now Accepting New Clients – Immediate Availability
Cadenza Center currently has immediate availability for psychoeducational testing and evaluations, as well as therapy services for children, teens, and adults. Music therapy services are also available for individuals who benefit from a creative, integrative approach to care. If you’ve been considering support or waiting for the right time, this is an opportunity to get started without delay. Our team is here to provide thoughtful, personalized care to help you or your loved one move forward with clarity and confidence.
B.E.L.L.S. Program
Many parents notice small differences in how their child plays, communicates, or connects with others.
Sometimes it shows up as preferring to play alone, having difficulty expressing needs, or not engaging in the same way as other children their age. These moments can be easy to overlook or quietly wonder about.
The B.E.L.L.S. Program (Building Early Learning Life Skills) is designed for children ages 2 to 4 who may benefit from additional support in early development, communication, and social interaction.
Grounded in evidence-based approaches from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and developmental psychology, each program is thoughtfully tailored to your child’s pace and individual needs.
We focus on building strong foundations in:
🧠 Cognitive development
🗣️ Communication and language
🧩 Sensory and motor skills
💛 Social-emotional growth
Early support can help create more ease in everyday interactions, while supporting confidence, connection, and development over time.
If these are things you have been noticing or wondering about, it may help to explore what support could look like for your child.
Autism Investor Summit West
The autism services landscape is no longer just a growth story—it’s a pressure story.
Autism prevalence is now 1 in 31 children, which continues to drive demand at a level the system is still trying to keep up with. At the same time, the business side of autism services is undergoing significant strain—reimbursement pressures, workforce instability, increasing regulatory scrutiny, and the aftereffects of rapid private equity expansion.
In recent years, private equity firms have acquired hundreds of autism service providers across the U.S., accelerating growth—but also, in some cases, prioritizing scale over sustainability. We’ve already seen what can happen when those models are pushed too far: after the acquisition of Center for Autism and Related Disorders, more than 100 sites were closed, and the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy.
At the same time, states are tightening oversight and reimbursement, and access to care is being disrupted in certain regions as providers contract or close. All of this is happening while more families than ever are seeking services.
This is the reality of the field right now.
And when there is pressure to be profitable in a system that directly impacts people’s lives, the risk is that decisions begin to drift away from clinical integrity and long-term outcomes.
That’s not what we’ve built at Cadenza.
For 25 years, Cadenza Center for Psychotherapy and the Arts has been a psychologist-owned, clinician-led practice, grounded in thoughtful growth, clinical quality, and doing right by the families we serve. We’ve weathered multiple shifts in this field—and we’re preparing for the next one.
That’s why I’m attending.
Not as an investor—but as a leader who understands that the next phase of autism services will require more than growth. It will require durability, accountability, and a model that can hold both clinical excellence and business reality at the same time.
We’re paying attention. And we’re building accordingly.
See The Difference We are Making
