PRACTITIONERS

Teresa Varanka, MD
Teresa Maria Varanka, M.D., F.A.A.C.A.P., a licensed psychiatrist in Kansas and Missouri, is double board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry. She obtained her training at Kansas University focusing in diagnosis and management of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, A.D.H.D., eating disorders and pervasive development disorders. She has participated in several pediatric studies focusing on obsessive compulsive disorders and manic-depressive illness. Dr. Varanka is a Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She works with children age five and older, adolescents and adults. Dr Varanka focuses on out-patient medication management of psychiatric disorders.  Dr. Varanka is not available via email.

 

Bruce Michael Cappo, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Cappo started Clinical Associates in 1992 and practices as a board certified licensed psychologist in this multidisciplinary private practice setting.  Clinical Associates includes a licensed psychiatrist, licensed doctoral psychologists, nurse practitioners, licensed masters level psychologists, licensed specialist clinical social workers, a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, substance abuse counselors and masters level associates.  Clinical Associates, P.A. frequently hosts interns and post-doctoral fellows.  While the group provides a full range of services to all ages, Dr. Cappo’s practice is limited to evaluation and consultation.  He is a Fellow and Past-President of the Kansas Psychological Association and a Past-President of the Kansas Association of Professional Psychologists.  He presently serves on the University of Minnesota Press Advisory Committee related to psychological assessment and is an Ad Hoc reviewer for several journals.  His practice is focused in three areas: 

Forensic evaluations and consultation, evaluations related to public safety, and evaluations related to diagnosis and treatment planning.  Forensic evaluations and consultation:  Psychological evaluations are offered on an outpatient, inpatient and incarcerated basis.  He provides drug and alcohol evaluations as well as mental health evaluations and sex offender evaluations to individuals who are under the jurisdiction of the United States Court Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services Program as well as to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.  Dr. Cappo also performs evaluations for both the defense and prosecution in federal, state, county and municipal courts.  General psychological evaluations as well as mental status at the time of offense, juvenile waive to adult, competency and other specific evaluations are provided as well as review of relevant documents and consultation regarding trial issues or strategy.

Public Safety:  Dr. Cappo provides services in the field of public safety including applicant and promotional assessment, fitness for duty related issues, consultation and training to various Federal, State and local agencies as well as private entities.  He is currently a consultant for the Overland Park Police Department as well as working with a number of other local and nearby police departments.  He also provides evaluations for DEA, ICE, TSA and other federal agencies.

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning:  Dr. Cappo receives referrals from other practitioners to clarify diagnostic and treatment planning issues through psychological assessment.

Psychology
Expert Witness
Expert Witness  S  Substance Abuse
Expert Witness 

Marc A. Schlosberg, Ph.D.
Dr. Schlosberg is a licensed psychologist (Kansas) with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. He has training and experience in a number of areas including individual, family and group therapies for children, adolescents and adults. He has had extensive training in personality and forensic assessment. He has a great deal of experience working with addictive behaviors and substance abuse. He is certified by the Board of Governors of the APA College of Professional Psychology in the Treatment of Alcohol and Other Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders. Dr. Schlosberg also has experience working with individuals and families who experience psychological concerns related to physical illness and health issues. He frequently performs presurgical psychological evaluations for patients considering bariatric surgery and other medical issues. He works with patients both pre– and post-operatively to help incorporate lifestyle changes as well as maximize mental and behavioral patterns to optimize the overall weight loss experience. Additional areas of emphasis include evaluation and treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and behavior difficulties. Dr. Schlosberg also has an active interest in performance enhancement for both athletes and musicians. He is a past president of the Kansas Psychological Association.

 

Sheila Swearngin, Ph.D.
Dr. Swearngin is a licensed psychologist (Kansas and Missouri) with a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology.   Her training and experience includes individual, family and group therapies for children, adolescents and adults.  She has specialized training in the treatment of eating disorders.  Other areas of training including stress management, women's issues, and psychological concerns related to health issues.

 

 

Lynn Lieberman, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Lieberman is a licensed psychologist (Kansas and Missouri) with a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology.  She is Board-Certified in Clinical Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology and is a Certified Forensic Examiner in the State of Missouri.  She was a member of the medical staff at a state psychiatric hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri School of Medicine for 14 years.  Areas of specialization include forensic assessments including competency, responsibility, dangerousness, sexual predation, and risk assessment; neuropsychological evaluation for patients with neurological diseases, head injuries, chronic substance abuse, and memory difficulties; geriatric issues and assessment of dementia, dementia versus depression, and matters of  competency; and psychological evaluations including psychological functioning and differential diagnosis, cognitive and intellectual functioning, readiness for various medical procedures and adaptations to life-changing illness/disabilities. She has training and experience providing services to patients with chronic mental illness including affective disorders, conducting care-giver support groups, providing individual and group psychotherapy, and addressing work related issues. 

 

Amelia S. Davenport Gosal, Psy.D.
Dr. Davenport Gosal is a licensed psychologist (Kansas & Missouri) with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.  She has training and experience in the areas of diagnostic assessment, individual psychotherapy, research and consulting.  She has a special interest in the area of addictive behavior and is on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependence.  In addition to serving as a research associate for the University of Missouri, she is an adjunct faculty professor for Avila University, and an approved mediator for the Kansas Supreme Court.  Dr. Davenport Gosal emphasizes cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness based techniques in her work with individuals, groups and organizations.

 

Emily E. VanLeeuwen, Psy.D.
Dr. VanLeeuwen is a licensed psychologist (KS & MO) with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.  She has training and experience in group, individual and family therapies for children, adolescents and adults. Her experience also includes assessment of intellectual, personality and disability issues.  Dr. VanLeeuwen has received training through the National Health Service Corps directed towards meeting the specific needs of underserved populations.

 

Elizabeth K. Babcock, Ph.D.
Elizabeth K. Babcock, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology.  She specializes in women’s issues including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, work stress, self esteem, weight, childhood trauma and other issues confronting today’s woman.

 

 

  Melissa Chiasson, Ph.D.
Dr. Melissa Chiasson received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kansas and her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.  She is a licensed psychologist in Kansas and has experience conducting various psychological assessments, including ADHD, personality, and IQ assessments.  She performs disability assessments for clients referred from Kansas Disability Determination Services to assist in determining eligibility for disability benefits.  She has worked in university counseling centers and community mental health centers with adults of all ages coping with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, health difficulties, and identity and adjustment issues.  She enjoys working with diverse clientele and is especially interested in working with multicultural populations.

 

Wayne C. Witcher, Ph.D., LCMFT
Dr. Witcher has a doctoral degree in Counseling and Guidance and has been practicing since 1977 in the areas of individual, adult, child and family therapy.  He has worked extensively with blended and stepfamily issues as well as with issues of violence and abuse. One of his specialties is marriage counseling.  He also works in the areas of men's issues in regard to anger, depression and violence.  He also has extensive experience in working with substance abuse issues and is a Registered Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor in Kansas.  He is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.  He is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in Kansas and practices independently in these areas.

 

Ciloue Cheng Stewart, Ph.D., MSE., LCMFT
Passionate about her clinical work, Dr. Stewart considers herself a mentor and partner in her client's journey towards greater sense of wellbeing.  She works with individuals, couples, children and families with a wide variety of emotional, relational and neurological concerns.  Each client's challenges/needs are unique and important, as well as their strengths.  Dr. Stewart's clinical expertise includes helping individuals develop stronger sense of self and working with couples through challenging and normative relational stages.  She also has extensive experience in addressing parenting concerns, including those compounded by single parenthood, divorce, and stepfamily, etc.  In addition, Dr. Stewart specializes in working with ADHD and Learning Differences.  She serves on the Advisory Board of KS/MO branch of IDA (International Dyslexia Association) and has in-depth knowledge of the multi-faceted challenges facing her clients and families.  Dr. Stewart is an experienced instructor at undergraduate and graduate levels and enjoys speaking on family-related issues, locally and regionally. She takes pride in incorporating her training in both Education and Psychotherapy to assess, teach, and empower her clients in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships with 'self' and others.

 

Stella J. Fernandez, LPC, Psy.D.
Dr. Fernandez is a licensed clinical psychotherapist (Kansas and Missouri) and holds a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.  She has training and experience working with underserved populations in both correctional and inpatient psychiatric facilities.  She is also trained in diagnostic assessment of intellectual and personality functioning.  Her experience includes psycho-educational groups as well as individual and family psychotherapy with children, adolescents, adults and couples.  Dr. Fernandez has a special interest in the areas of forensic assessment, police psychology, mood disorders, and substance abuse issues. She is a certified mediator (Kansas) and provides services in the Spanish Language. 

 

Nancy Casado, APRN, BC 
Nancy Casado earned a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing from the University of Kansas in 1977 and worked on the Mental Health Unit at Shawnee Mission Medical Center for eleven years.  In 1991 she earned a Master’s of Science in Nursing with a concentration in psychiatry and mental health from Wichita State University.  Since that time she has devoted herself to private practice, providing psychotherapy and medication management to clients with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses.  She has particular expertise in the treatment of adults with mood, anxiety, and thought disorders.  She is certified as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner by the Kansas State Board of Nursing and as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing by The American Nurses Credentialing Center.  She serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nursing at Wichita State University and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society.

 

Lila Peckham-Wichman, APRN, BC
Lila Peckham-Wichman, ARNP, BC is a nurse practitioner who has been in practice for several years in the Kansas City area.  She is both a Psychiatric and Adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner.  Lila attended her undergraduate studies at St. Francis School of Nursing and Emporia State University.  She completed both graduate programs at Kansas University.  Lila has experience as a Nurse Practitioner in home health settings; adolescent and child psychiatry; community mental health settings; inpatient psychiatric hospital units; outpatient psychiatric settings; intensive outpatient treatment programs; partial hospitalization programs; and long-term care facilities.  She enjoys working with geriatric patients and her practice is with patients aged 13 and above.

 

 

Valerie Jansen, APRN, BC

Valerie Jansen, APRN, B.C. is a nurse practitioner whose practice includes children, adolescents and adults.  Valerie provides psychotherapy and medication management to her patient population.  That population includes stress related disorders, mood disorders and substance abuse disorders.  Valerie has experience in psychiatric home health, inpatient psychiatric settings along with inpatient substance abuse treatment.  She is certified by the Kansas State Board of Nursing as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. 

 

Renee Palermo, APRN, BC

Renee Palermo, APRN, BC, is a nurse practitioner who has worked in the Mental Health field since 1981.  She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at Rutgers University and her Master’s in Nursing at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Renee has extensive experience in inpatient psychiatric units, private practice, community mental settings, and child, adolescent and adult psychiatry and in the academic field and provides education programs.  She works with children, adolescents and adults and provides both medication management and psychotherapy to clients.

Mike Crowley, LSCSW
Mike Crowley is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social worker and has experience working with children, adolescents, couples and families.  He also has experience with anger control and substance abuse groups.  He has been working in the field since 1993.  Mike has presented workshops on domestic violence and is AAPS certified in the State of Kansas.  He also works with court-related adolescents, families, and adults. 

 

 

Leonor Ibarra, LSCSW
Leonor Ibarra is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (Kansas and Missouri).  She has experience working in outpatient and inpatient psychiatric facilities providing individual, family and group psychotherapy.  She has training and experience with anger management and substance abuse issues and is AAPS certified in the state of Kansas. She also has training in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).  She offers services to children, adolescents and adults, and also conducts court assessments and treatment groups.  In addition, she offers services in the Spanish language.

 

 

Gary M. Christ, LSCSW

 Gary M. Christ is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker.  He has extensive experience working with adolescents, young adults and families.  He has many years of experience working with court-involved youth and children in foster care.  He also works with adolescents who are seriously emotionally disturbed and young adults with a serious and persistent mental illness.  Areas of specialization include anger management, self-esteem, depression and family conflict.  He offers individual, family and group counseling.  

 

 

 

Rennie Shuler-McKinney, LCP
Rennie has a Master's degree in Psychology and is licensed with the Behavioral Science Regulatory Board as a Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist.  She has been working in the field since 1985 with a primary focus on the adolescent population.  She actively involves the family in the treatment process.  She has experience in issues related to substance abuse, depression, self-esteem, anger management and behavior difficulties.  Rennie offers individual, family and group therapy for adolescents.

 

Jeff Cowan, LMLP
Jeff Cowan has a Master's degree in Psychology and is licensed with the Behavioral Science Regulatory Board as a Master's Level Psychologist.  He has been working in the field since 1993 with a primary focus on anger management for both the adolescent and adult populations.  He has experience in issues related to substance abuse, self-esteem, depression and behavior difficulties.  Jeff offers individual, group and family therapy.

 

 

Amy Lauterbach, LMLP, AAPS, LAC
Amy Lauterbach is a licensed Master’s Level Psychologist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.  Her training and experience includes individual therapy with adolescents and adults with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and substance abuse disorders.  She has training and experience in providing substance abuse evaluations for adolescents and adults as well as IQ and achievement testing for children, adolescents, and adults.  She also has training and experience in providing ADHD evaluations for children, adolescents and adults.

 

R. Todd Johnson M.A., LMFT
Todd Johnson has a Master's degree in Counseling from Mid-America Nazarene University and is licensed with the Behavioral Science Regulatory Board as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  He has been working in the field since 2008 with a primary focus on sexual abusers and families.  He has experience in issues related to marriage, family, adoption, parenting, premarital counseling, self-esteem, depression and behavior difficulties.  Todd offers individual, group and family therapy. 

Joseph R. Wilner, M.A.
Joe's education includes a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Management and Leadership. He is in the process of getting licensed in Kansas as a master’s level psychologist. Joe is currently an intern at Clinical Associates involved with coordinating the ChoicePoint program. He has extensive experience working with adolescence and families as a coordinator and tutor for college success programs, a vocational/educational case manager, and cognitive trainer at Learning Rx, where he provided training to students to build executive functioning skills. Joe has specific expertise in emotion regulation and management, professional development, and stress and anxiety reduction. Joe is also involved with education as an adjunct instructor for National American University and University of Phoenix teaching courses in psychology.

 

Seth Wescott, M.S. LMLP
Seth Wescott received his Bachelor of General Studies degree in Psychology in May 1999 from the University of Kansas.  He received his Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology in May 2001 from Emporia State University.  Mr. Wescott then began working full-time in community mental health.  He soon began to specialize in forensic evaluations and treatment.  In 2002, he began devoting his career to the field of sex offender treatment.  He has worked in maximum security prisons for both adults and juveniles.  In addition, he has worked with offenders in various community-based settings.  Mr. Wescott has remained dedicated to the treatment of sexual offenders for the past 8 years.  He has received advanced training and continuing education in forensic evaluation and treatment, and has presented at numerous conferences throughout the years.  His history includes professional affiliations as an Associate Member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a Clinical Member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).  Mr. Wescott has been relied upon to provide testimony as an expert witness on numerous legal occasions in matters regarding sexual offenders.  In 2009, he was appointed by the State of Kansas Secretary of Corrections to the State’s Multi-Disciplinary Team, responsible for evaluating potential sexually violent predators.  In addition to his work with adult offenders, Mr. Wescott has served as the Director of Mental Health at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex. 

 

Nick Macaluso (Psy.D. expected June 2012) Postdoctoral Fellow
Nick Macaluso’s education includes a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.  He is presently completing a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialty in Marriage and Family treatment. He has extensive experience in working with couples, families, adults, children, and adolescents in therapy as well as substance abuse, domestic violence, anger management, depression, and anxiety related issues. He firmly believes that you are the expert in your own life and hopes to develop a strong working alliance so that you may accomplish the goals you have in mind.

 

Laura Thornton
Laura Thornton received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Maine and her Master's Degree in Counseling from Webster University.  She began working in the forensics field in 1995 while obtaining her specialty certification in addiction counseling.  Ms. Thornton spent the next six years working as an addiction counselor at Lansing Correctional Facility in substance abuse programming, to include two years at their Therapeutic Community.  She began working as a Sex Offender Therapist and Clinical Coordinator for the State Sex Offender Program in 2001.  Beginning in 2003 and for the next 8 years, Ms. Thornton was the Program Coordinator for the state's Northern Region Community Based Sex Offender Treatment Program.  As a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment Of Sexual Abusers (ATSA), Ms. Thornton has gained specific knowledge in the area of cybersex behaviors.  This knowledge has grown into seven years of experience in counseling  those with all ranges of problematic internet sexual behavior.  Ms. Thornton has specific expertise in forensics, sexual abuse treatment, psycho-sexual evaluation, substance abuse, anger management, and counseling for adults with unique responsivity issues.  Ms. Thornton is licensed as a LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in both Kansas and Missouri, as well as a RAODAC/LAC (Licensed Addiction Counselor) in Kansas.

 

Diahann Suchan
Diahann Suchan is a licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and received her degree at Friends University in Wichita, KS. She is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).   Her training and experience includes individual, family, couple and group therapies for children, adolescents and adults.  She has specialized training in the treatment of sex offenders.  Other areas of training including mood disorders, personality disorders, victims of abuse and perpetrators of abuse.  She has experience in issues related to marriage, family, adoption, parenting, premarital counseling, self-esteem, depression and behavior difficulties.  She has worked in maximum security prisons for both adults, as well as with offenders in various community-based settings.  In addition, Mrs. Suchan has worked as adjunct faculty for Butler County Community College in the Behavioral Sciences and Addiction programs.

 

Robert Reed
Robert Reed is a Licensed Master Social Worker.  He has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults.  Mr. Reed has training and exerience working with individuals in the community diagnosed with Severe and Persistant Mental Illness (SPMI).  Robert began working as a Sex Offender Therapist in 2009 for the state's Southern Region Community Based Sex Offender Program where he gained experience conducting psycho-sexual evaluations as well as therapy with individuals and groups.    

 

 

Hannah Benger
Hannah Benger has a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Saint Mary.  She is in the process of becoming licensed in Kansas as a master’s level psychologist. She has experience working in a children’s psychiatric hospital and residential treatment facility providing individual, family, and group psychotherapy. She has worked with individuals with anxiety, mood, and developmental disorders as well as behavioral difficulties. Her primary focus is the treatment of sexual offenders. She has training and experience providing psychological evaluations as well as personality and IQ testing for children and adolescents.

 

 

Debora Dias Ferreira, LMSW
Debora Dias Ferreira received her Master’s in social welfare at the University of Kansas in 2010 with an emphasis in mental health care. She is a licensed masters level social worker in the state of Kansas and Missouri. Her internship was at a psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents as an individual and group therapist, and at Truman Medical center as an emergency room social worker. Debora has nine years of experience in the medical field and has a bachelors degree in organizational communication.

Debora strongly believes in simultaneously utilizing objectivity, empathy and client’s strengths in the helping process.

K. Ranee Canada , LMFT 
K. Ranee Canada received her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and her Master’s of Science in Family Therapy from Friend’s University.  She is licensed with the Behavioral Science Regulatory Board as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  Her training and experience includes individual, family, couple and group therapies for children, adolescents and adults.  Her primary focus is the treatment of sexual offenders and she has training and experience providing psychosexual evaluations.

 

Becca Maltby
Rebecca Maltby, LMLP, received a Master of Science Degree from Emporia State University in Art Therapy (1997) and later she received a second Master of Science Degree in Clinical Psychology (2001). She has experience working with corrections both at the adult and juvenile level. She also has experience working with adults in a community setting including intakes, psychological evaluations, therapy, evaluations for violent offenders and domestic violence treatment.

 

Amy Ruse-Cheung, LSCSW, LCSW
Amy earned a BA in Psychology and a BA in Philosophy from William Jewell College and later earned a MSW from the University of Kansas; she currently holds clinical licensure in Kansas and Missouri. Amy has extensive experience in the area of adult sex offender specific assessment and treatment in both facility and community based programs. Her social work experience and practice has also consisted of work with adolescent sexually acting out behaviors, family therapy, group therapy, individual therapy, and end of life issues. Amy has growing interest and study in the area of combining the use of spirituality and alternative treatment modalities with traditional psychotherapy practices.

Charmetrea L. Bell, LPC
Charmetrea Bell received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Kansas State University and her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology: Counseling Specialization from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She became a Licensed Professional Counselor for the State of Kansas in 2009 and began working with sex offenders in the community soon thereafter.  As a sex offender therapist, she gained training and experience on conducting psycho-education, psychotherapy individual and group session with adult male offenders and psychosexual evaluations on men and women. Charmetrea interned while in school for a year in at Nicasa Women Services in North Chicago, IL where she gained experience working and diagnosing women with substance disorders. She has mastered the skills of interventions working with children, adolescents, and adults with SED (Severe Emotional Disturbance) or SPMI (Severe and Persistent Mental Illness) diagnoses while working as a part-time therapist for Sedgwick County Crisis Intervention Services for the past year.  This has allowed her to become a Qualified Mental Health Screener.

 

Jackie Pulaski, LCMFT
Jackie Pulaski has a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Friends University in Wichita, KS and is licensed with the Behavioral Science Regulatory Board as a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist. Jackie has experience working with adolescents and adults and has worked as a residential therapist in a psychiatric residential treatment facility engaging in individual, family and group therapy.   She has experience working in high crisis situations dealing with issues related to self-esteem, depression, anger, behavior difficulties and parenting. She also has experience working with juvenile sex offenders in a residential facility.

Jennifer  Williams, LMSW
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2009 and her Master's Degree in Social Work in 2011, both from Wichita State University.  She is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Kansas as of 2011.  She has experience in sex offender treatment with both adults and juveniles.  She also has experience in working with survivors of sexual abuse.  She conducted her research in graduate school specifically on the efficacy of sex offender treatment programs.  She also has experience as a Social Worker in an inpatient psychiatric facility, gaining insight in the treatment of severe psychiatric issues and personality disorders.  She has been a student member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapist (AASECT), and is currently working towards becoming a licensed Sex Therapist.

 

Marilyn Fronk, LBSW, LPC
Marilyn received a Bachelor of Social Work from Wichita State University and a Master’s of Science Degree in Counseling from Fort Hays State University.  She has experience working with corrections at the juvenile level, at the Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility. She also has extensive experience in the area of adult sex offender specific assessment and treatment in a inpatient setting, working with adults in the Sexual Predator Treatment Program at Larned State Hospital providing group and individual therapy. In addition to Sex Offender Therapy groups she has also facilitated groups in Aggression Replacement Training, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Relapse Prevention, Anger Management and Trauma.

 

Hilary Van Patten, LSCSW, CCHP
Hilary Van Patten received her BA in Psychology and her Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas. She is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker in Kansas and a Certified Correctional Healthcare Professional. Since 2003, Hilary has worked as a supervising clinician in the correctional mental health field, providing assessment and individual and group psychotherapy to clients with a broad range of diagnoses and psychosocial concerns. She also has experience in the areas of domestic violence counseling, advocacy and support; parenting training; relationship coaching; university counseling; critical incident stress debriefing; suicide risk assessment and prevention; policy development; accreditation; and instruction of staff in various topics. Hilary is passionate about empowering clients to meet their goals through a strengths-based, solution-focused approach.

 

Sierra Wright, Intern
Sierra received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas in May of 2011. She is currently working on her Social Work Masters degree from the University of Kansas Advanced Standing Program. Sierra is currently an intern at Clinical Associates, assisting with providing services to adolescents in the ChoicePoint program. Prior to her internship with Clinical Associates, Sierra was an Intern for Johnson County Juvenile Field Services. While at Field Services, Sierra supervised Johnson County youth on Intensive Supervision Probation. Sierra has a strong interest in working within the field of corrections. 

 

 

 

Jeff Lubsen, Intern

Jeff Lubsen is a pre-licensed professional counselor in training who is currently under supervision.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies/Sociology from the University of Iowa.  He is completing his Masters of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling and will continue his education with a Ph.D. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  Jeff has a significant amount of experience working with diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic populations.  He works with individuals, couples, and groups ranging from adolescents to older adults.  His practice is focused on sexual and gender identity issues, past trauma, and spiritual conflict.  Using mindful presence, self-compassion, and resilience-based techniques, Jeff helps clients develop healthier and more fulfilling relationships.  

 

 

Lauren A. Thompson, Intern  

Lauren is currently working on her Masters in Counseling and Guidance at the University of Missouri – Kansas City with an emphasis in mental health. Lauren received her undergraduate degrees from UMKC as well, which included a BA in Psychology, a BFA in Dance, and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Lauren has enjoyed her opportunities to work with diverse populations. Specific areas of diversity that Lauren has experience with include race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identity, and socioeconomic status. Her counseling experience includes working with persons involvong mood disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders. Lauren is certified in both yoga and Pilates and enjoys incorporating mindfulness techniques she has learned from these areas in her counseling practice. Lauren also utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy in her practice.

 

 

 

 

Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Masters Level Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Psychotherapists, and Social Workers have not attended medical school and are not authorized to practice medicine or surgery nor are they authorized to prescribe medication.  Please be advised that certain mental disorders can have medical or biological origins and you should consult with a physician if you have not already done so.  Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Specialists are available to discuss medical issues.  Inpatient referrals can also be facilitated as needed. If our work together leads to problems beyond our expertise, we will help you to obtain the necessary services from the appropriate specialist. All vitae are available for review.