Our Team

Paul Reinhardt
Founder

Nick deSpoelberch, LPC
Facilitator

Cole Duncan, PsyD
Facilitator

Melissa Smith
Parent Advisor

Liza Pohle
Parent Advisor

Eric Thunem
Parent Advisor









Paul Reinhardt is the Founder of the New Canaan Parent Support Group (NCPSG). He started the NCPSG in 2016 as a way to honor his son Evan, who died of an overdose in 2015, and pay it forward to help other parents. In the years since, NCPSG has held more than 450 support meetings, 60 Pathway Sessions, and 9 Community Addiction Awareness Vigils.
Paul grew up in Albany, NY, and attended the Albany Academy, Hartwick College, and Columbia Business School. Before founding NCPSG, he spent 35 years as an investment portfolio manager at GE Asset Management in Stamford, CT.
A resident of New Canaan for more than three decades, Paul now lives in the Silvermine area of Norwalk. He has three living children — Evan's sister, Andrea, and Evan's brothers, Karl and Peter. He is a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church of New Canaan, Silvermine Golf Club, and the New Canaan YMCA, and he likes golf, biking, hiking, or skiing depending on the season.

Nick deSpoelberch is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the owner of ND Counseling for Hope and Growth, a therapy practice in Stamford, CT. Nick is trained in CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and EMDR therapy. Having worked in psychiatric hospitals, schools, residential treatment programs, intensive outpatient programs, and private practice, Nick has expertise in helping individuals with depression, anxiety, trauma (PTSD), and substance use disorders, and in couples & family therapy.
Nick is an individual in recovery who shares his story often and is the author of a memoir/guide called A Second Act in Life. Nick has facilitated the weekly meetings of NCPSG since 2017, and volunteers for both Liberation Programs and the Fairfield County Trauma Response Team, where he is a Clinical Director.
Prior to his counseling career, Nick worked as Dean of Students for Regis High School, NYC, He has an M.S. in Guidance and Counseling from the College of New Rochelle. Nick lives in Rowayton, CT, and is the proud father of three children: Liam, Quinn and Shay.

Cole Duncan is a PsyD and therapist who maintains a private practice in Darien, where he primarily takes a behavioral approach to therapy (CBT/DBT) and specializes in treating dual diagnosis (addiction with a diagnosed mental health issue), personality disorders, mood/anxiety disorders, OCD, and psychotic spectrum disorders.
Cole is a New Canaan native, graduating from NCHS in 2010 as captain of the football team and member of the wrestling team. In addition to his private practice, he is a substitute facilitator for the New Canaan Parent Support Group and a contract psychologist at Silver Hill Hospital, where he provides psychotherapy for PTSD.
Dr. Duncan has a BS from Bowdoin College in 2014, a Master’s in psychology and doctorate in clinical psychology from Xavier University. He currently lives in Wilton, CT, and is planning to be married to Jillian later this year.

Melissa Smith began attending our support group meetings in 2019. She has 2 sons and a daughter. She has been an active volunteer for local charities and for New Canaan youth sports.
After a career in enterprise and operational risk management at several financial firms, Melissa retired in 2026 . She has a BA in History and Asian Studies from Dartmouth College and and MBA from Columbia Business School.

Liza Pohle began attending our support group meetings in 2021. She and her husband, Chris, have been blessed by opportunities to volunteer with organizations in New Canaan including the YMCA, their children’s schools and sports teams, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, New Canaan Community Foundation, and the Congregational Church. They have three adult children.
Prior to starting their family, Liza worked on U.S.-Soviet programs for the U.S. Department of State and had the good fortune to be part of a transformative time in international relations. Liza has a BA in History and Political Science from Colorado College; she serves on the Colorado College Board of Trustees and on the National Council of the National Park Foundation.
For self-care, Liza enjoys reading, skiing, adventure travel, E-Bike trips, and spending time with her immediate and extended families.

Eric Thunem began attending our support group meetings in 2019. He and his wife, Cynnie, are active members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and they have two adult sons. Eric is a community volunteer who holds positions on several local boards, including the Gridiron Club and the Town Players of New Canaan. He is also a member of the New York Regional Advisory Board for Caron Treatment Centers.
Eric retired at the end of 2021, after spending twenty-five years in private capital fund-raising, and twelve years in the U.S. domestic oil and gas industry. He has an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a BA, Cum Laude, from the University of Connecticut.
Eric enjoys reading (history and biography), crosswords, cooking, exercise, and travel.

Tiffany Aldana joined us as our Social Media Intern in June 2026. Tiffany is set to graduate in May 2028 with a BS in Financial Management and a minor in Economics from the University of Connecticut Stamford. She recently completed an internship with Principle Wealth, where she gained hands-on experience in the financial services industry. Tiffany plans to pursue a career in wealth management while continuing to create social media content on the side.
Tiffany was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In her free time, she enjoys investing, creating social media content, traveling, volunteering in her community, and staying active through health and fitness. We are grateful to have her on our team.