Julie started out in mental health at a hospital working with people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) while doing her MA in Counseling Psychology at WMU. After graduating, she continued working with people with SPMI and began working with folks with anxiety, trauma, and substance use disorders in a rural community mental health setting.
Julie moved to private practice in Kalamazoo in 2018 where she gained more experience with individuals with anxiety and trauma disorders. During that time, she obtained specialized training in ACT from workshops, conferences, and other training opportunities. She was also trained in prolonged exposure (PE) for trauma at the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at a workshop run by the creator of PE. She is currently training in compassion-focused therapy (CFT).
Julie is passionate about social justice, advocacy, and connecting with people. She values courage, friendship, and compassion.
email Julie: juliecarbajal@kalamazooact.com
David (he/him/his) received his Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Western Michigan University. He started his career working as an intern at InterACT of Michigan on their dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) team. He has 5 years of experience working within the community mental health system and has worked in a private practice setting since 2015. He has since moved to working in private-practice full-time, providing evidence-based therapies for a variety of clients with severe and persistent mental illness.
Since moving to the Kalamazoo ACT team, David is now focusing on providing three evidence-based therapies. These include Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) for a variety of problems including depression and anxiety, Prolonged-Exposure (PE) Therapy for individuals who have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and Radically-Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT) for individuals who struggle with problems of excessive self-control. David specializes in working with adults who are suffering with problems related to mood and anxiety disorders. He also strives to help individuals looking to become more emotionally vulnerable in their close relationships and who would benefit from learning to be more flexible and open-minded.
David strives to create an atmosphere of acceptance and respect for clients regardless of a client’s unique background or identity. All are welcome, regardless of their racial, cultural, sexual, or gender identity.
email David: davidlawrence@kalamazooact.com
Lissa Perkins is a licensed clinical psychologist who graduated from California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. Lissa specializes in using evidence-based treatments to help clients suffering from the effects of trauma in their daily life.
Experiencing trauma is not a sign of weakness; it is a normal change in how brain is working. Because the brain can change, the traumatic impacts on us can be healed.
EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies. Unlike other therapies, EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, along with focusing on the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process.
As well as working with client who have experience traumatic events, Lissa has extensive experience in working with clients with chronic health conditions. Chronic health conditions such as migraines, fibromyalgia, IBS, chronic fatigue, and pelvic pain syndromes are real and “not just in your head”. Real medical conditions can be worsened by daily stress and strong emotions. Lissa works compassionately with clients to make positive changes that are often long-standing and have seemed impossible to change. Rather than learning to just “manage” your pain or illness, Lissa will work with you to resolve current conflicts and past traumas. Using EMDR and other techniques you can learn to safely experience and express feelings while balancing assertiveness and good boundaries.
Lissa loves to learn, laugh and spend time with family and friends. When not at work you might see her running a 5K, singing, dancing and learning to do improv comedy.
email Lissa: lissaperkins@kalamazooact.com
I'm Ashley, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. I'm excited to be able to connect with clients from all over Michigan through telehealth, providing therapy from the comfort of your own space.
I've had the privilege of working in various settings such as community mental health, private practice, and also as faculty at several community colleges. This diverse experience has enriched my understanding and approach to therapy, allowing me to meet you where you are and help you navigate the path forward.
My therapeutic approach is rooted in evidence-based treatments, tailored to your unique needs and experiences. I specialize in stress management, life transitions, women’s issues, perinatal mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. I believe in the power of therapy to help manage life's challenges and transitions, and I'm here to provide the support and tools you need to navigate these times.
As a therapist, I am committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and affirming space for all my clients. I am gender, sexuality, relationship structure, and neurodiverse-affirming, and I have experience working within the neurodivergent, poly/ENM/CNM/erotically expansive, non-religious, foster care/adoption, and LGBTQIA+ communities. I believe in the importance of understanding and respecting each individual's unique experiences and identities.
I work with adults and adolescents aged 14 and up, providing a supportive and empathetic space to explore and address your concerns. I'm passionate about helping my clients find their inner strength and resilience, and I'm committed to supporting you on your journey toward well-being.
When I'm not providing therapy, I enjoy exploring the outdoors, reading a good book, and spending time with my loved ones. I believe in the importance of balance in life, and I strive to bring this perspective into my therapeutic practice. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you and support you on your journey.
email Ashley: ashley@kalamazooact.com
Emily has a Master’s degree in counseling psychology from Western Michigan University as well as a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and anthropology/sociology from Kalamazoo College. Her diverse work, education and training experiences have provided the opportunity for her to work with adults and adolescents in individual and group therapeutic settings. Issues in which she has special knowledge include, but are not limited to, anxiety, depression, adjusting to life changes and transitionary periods, depression, grief and loss, sexual orientation and identity, women’s issues, conflict resolution, self-esteem issues, academic difficulties, social skill development and relationship dynamics. Emily’s specialty is sports psychology, and she enjoys working with athletes to improve upon their ability to perform at a high level while competing.
Emily views her work as a therapist to be an absolute privilege and honor. She strives to create a safe, comfortable, compassionate, and non-judgmental atmosphere in which clients can feel empowered to work towards achieving the positive changes they seek in their lives. Her focus is on getting to know the clients, helping them set achievable and realistic goals, and walking side by side with them on their journey by creating a strong therapeutic alliance. She likes to keep sessions fun and entertaining by utilizing creative interventions that allow the client to make strides towards achieving the desired areas of interpersonal growth.
Emily’s therapeutic approach derives from a relational perspective, and she utilizes cognitive behavioral, person-centered, and holistic health interventions in her sessions. She uses a strengths-based approach to give her clients insight into their self-talk, feelings, and behaviors. This insight can shift self-perception, empower, and strengthen an individual’s capacity to thrive as they learn more about themselves and engage in personal growth. Emily emphasizes the importance of highlighting and building upon the skills that her clients already possess to bring about desired change in their lives and environment. She believes that her clients walk through the door already possessing the necessary skills within themselves to effect change; she helps the process by providing techniques, strategies, and support to help them reach their fullest potential and achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Emily views therapy sessions as a collective effort and interactions as a partnership between equals.
In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing or watching just about any sport, coaching basketball, traveling, swimming in her pool, going to professional and collegiate sporting events, and spending time outside with her dog. Come try out a session with me and let’s get to work!
email Emily: elindsay@kalamazooact.com
I started my work as a licensed school counselor working in multiple elementary schools. This provided me a great deal of experience working with acute stressors as well as developing and coaching students and school staff on supports for children with Attention Deficit Disorder, anxiety, and autism, as well as a variety of behavioral challenges. I enjoy working with children and understand the importance of support across systems of schools, families, peers and sometimes medical professionals.
The transition to an outpatient therapist role followed after having my first child. Working in a community mental health setting for years provided ongoing training in healing trauma, art therapy, play therapy and medical interventions. In community mental health the work was with clients and families. My work grew to include older clients and address a wide variety of mental health goals with creativity and compassion. I really enjoyed being able to work with focus on each client and develop goals with them to fit their situation and hopes for the future.
In therapy I often use a cognitive behavioral approach which considers thoughts and feelings and patterns that may connect to emotional wellbeing. I also strongly incorporate person centered counseling which focuses on listening to clients and allowing them to learn more about themselves as they progress. With younger clients, I believe you must first focus on educating about feelings using games, art and play to build vocabulary and connection to their experiences and internal sensations of feelings. With my older clients I focus more on allowing them to identify and share their feelings with me, and I aim to provide a safe space to normalize and validate feelings. We spend a lot of time looking at coping skills and strategies, what is helpful and what may be left behind to progress wellbeing.
I pride myself in creating a warm and welcoming space for clients to open up and share what they are feeling. Often clients know exactly what changes need to occur. Sometimes we just need a space to feel heard, gain confidence and support, and learn a few more tools to assist in the journey ahead.
I provide individual therapy with children age 4 and up, adolescents and adults, as well as family therapy. I primarily work with family changes, anxiety, anger outbursts, and support(s) with school. I participate in ongoing monthly training specific to informed LGBTQ affirming services.
email Jennifer: jgruel@kalamazooact.com
I often get the question, “How do I know if therapy is right for me?” My answer is simple: Therapy can be helpful for anyone who has something weighing heavy on their heart or their mind (in my opinion that includes all of us). I am a big believer that one of the keys to a successful therapy experience is having the right therapeutic match between client and therapist. Don’t be afraid to “shop around” to make sure that the person you are seeing feels like the best fit for you!
Life is all about relationships. Our interpersonal relationships can be the source of so much joy and also considerable pain. Learning to process and navigate our feelings, even complex ones, can be integral to our ability to cope with our emotions. As humans, we tend to put a great deal of emphasis on achieving happiness. While happiness is a wonderful feeling, it is also important for us to accept a range of emotions which may include excitement, fear, sorrow and contentment. Our most powerful resource lies in our ability to change our lives by changing our attitude and perception. As a therapist, I assist people in learning to transform their lives in a more positive direction.
I tend to utilize an eclectic approach in my work with clients. Cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and psychodynamic therapy are some of the evidenced based therapy modalities that I use. In addition to my years of experience providing outpatient therapy, I also have 8 years of experience working in a hospital setting on an inpatient psychiatric unit and doing emergency department crisis psychiatric screening.
I currently provide individual therapy at Kalamazoo ACT for young adults and adults presenting with a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, anger management, behavioral issues, grief, interpersonal relationship difficulties, self-harm, divorce, LGBTQ concerns, holistic health, substance misuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual issues, stress, women’s issues. I have extensive experience with family therapy and group therapy as well, which is offered at times based on need and availability.
SERVICES
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
Serving adolescents, young adults and adults
SPECIALTIES
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Anger management
• Behavioral issues
• Grief
• Interpersonal relationships
• Self-harm
• Divorce
• LGBTQ concerns
• Holistic health
• Substance misuse
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Sexual issues
• Stress
• Women’s issues
Please inquire about other specialty areas
email Bridget: bridgetnolan@kalamazooact.com
We are committed to antiracist actions at every opportunity and to receiving feedback about our own internalized racism. This includes any action, big or small, to dismantle systems of oppression and to reject and replace institutions that support racism. We support clients struggling against patriarchy, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, and all other systems of injustice. We support antiracist groups in the community and attend antiracist trainings.
One of our efforts is the establishment of a community antiracist study group for mental health professionals. If you are a psychologist, counselor, BCBA/ABA, social worker, or other mental health professional and are interested in examining your own racism and how to be an antiracist ally, click the button below for more information on joining us.
Kalamazoo Act
5930 Lovers Lane Ste 1B Portage MI 49002 / 3503 Greenleaf Blvd Ste 201 Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Copyright © 2022 Kalamazoo Act - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy