Wilfred Asamoah

Wilfred Asamoah is a Primary Therapist at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, Wilfred brings a unique perspective shaped by his roots. Wilfred earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Morgan State University. Building upon his undergraduate studies, Wilfred pursued a Master's Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University, solidifying his commitment to making a positive impact on individuals facing substance use challenges. During his time in graduate school, Wilfred further honed his skills by acquiring Addiction Counseling Training Certification through the (ACT) program. This specialized training provided the tools necessary to navigate the complex landscape of addiction treatment.

Wilfred gained an extensive history of working in outpatient substance use treatment, starting from his internship and advanced from a group facilitator to a case manager, and ultimately to his current role as a Primary Therapist at an out-of-state substance abuse treatment facility. This progression has allowed him to witness the transformative journey of individuals as they navigate the challenges of substance use disorders.

At the core of his therapeutic approach is a client-centered perspective. Wilfred believes in creating a safe and supportive space where individuals can explore their unique paths to recovery. His strength-based therapeutic style is rooted in motivational interviewing tactics, encouraging clients to express their own desire for change and fostering meaningful discussions through change talk.

Wilfred’s future interests include expanding his knowledge in trauma-enforced modalities. This aspiration reflects his commitment to addressing the specific needs of marginalized communities, recognizing the interconnectedness of trauma and addiction.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Wilfred finds joy in various hobbies. Whether it's exercising to maintain a healthy lifestyle, playing soccer to stay connected with his roots, or indulging in the immersive world of video games, these activities provide balance and rejuvenation in his life.

Patricia Bunn

Patricia is a licensed clinical social worker associate in the state of North Carolina. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology (2020) and her master’s degree in social work (2023) from Capella University. Patricia currently works at The Healing Point, PLLC as a mental health therapist, within the school system as an assistant for special needs students, and as a caregiver for aging adults. As a mental health therapist, her therapeutic focus centers on trauma, anxiety, and domestic violence/narcissism.

Patricia’s professional goals include becoming certified in Brainspotting and bringing that treatment modality to the community through services provided to the residents of Family Promise, a local homeless shelter that provides short- and long-term housing assistance for many marginalized families in the Raleigh, NC area. Many of these parents/families have experienced multiple traumas throughout their lives that often include racial, class, and/or interpersonal traumas. These traumas can have enduring and generational adverse consequences, therefore making trauma treatment an important element in these families’ ability to maintain sustainable life improvements.

With a passion for understanding how past trauma affects current circumstances and outcomes, Patricia aims to help guide individuals who have experienced previous trauma to realize their own internal wisdom and strength to heal from and overcome past adversity. With a strong belief that every individual should have the ability to create a meaningful life, Patricia understands that some individuals with previous trauma may experience difficulties or roadblocks in their healing journey.

Brainspotting offers an opportunity to aid individuals on their healing journey to make their lives meaningful on their own terms. In her free time, Patricia enjoys spending time with family and friends, and her dog. She hopes to travel the world in the future! She enjoys listening to many styles of music, reading, and trying new foods. She is also excited for fall, pumpkin spice everything, and her favorite holiday, Christmas!

Erika Ware

Erika Ware was born and raised in Saint Louis, MO and is a product of the Saint Louis City Public School system. She continued her education and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Masters of Arts degree in Professional Counseling and Masters of Business Administration. Erika has been a psychotherapist for ten years and is licensed in the states of Missouri (licensure supervisor), Georgia, and Texas and specializes in anxiety, couples, depression, stress, and trauma. She is the owner of BALM Therapeutic services where she offers multiple counseling services to individuals and couples across the life span. Erika’s mission at BALM is to empower and uplift the mental and emotional well-being of Black men, women, and children in underserved communities. BALM is committed to providing culturally sensitive and equitable mental and emotional health support to help Black individuals and families heal, thrive, and overcome the unique challenges they face.  

Although Erika loves what she does in her professional life, her favorite jobs are being a wife and mother to her three beautiful children. Her family is what brings her the greatest and purest joy. Erika says that she gets to be an example to her children by modeling behaviors that break generational cycles that were indoctrinated in her family for years through systematic oppression and racism. This is how her personal and professional worlds collide. 

Jessica Chong

Jessica Chong is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) based in Georgia, practicing at Waystone Therapy in Roswell. Her journey into therapy began with her own story shaped by her experience as a second-generation Chinese-Korean American navigating the complexities of her cultural identity. Jessica is passionate about supporting others in their healing and growth and desires for all individuals to embrace their true selves. She has a specific heart to work with the Asian American community and the broader BIPOC population.

Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree in middle level education from Georgia State University. She was a science teacher in the Atlanta Public School system where her work with middle school students and families deepened her understanding of individuals within their broader systemic contexts. She loved working closely with her students navigating the transformative phase of life of middle school. Inspired by her passion for helping others, she eventually left the classroom to pursue a career more aligned with the work of walking alongside others in life’s challenges. She pursued a second career in therapy, earning a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, along with a certification in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Jessica works with preteens, adolescents, college students, young adults, and working professionals. She supports clients dealing with anxiety, depression, challenges with phase of life and life transitions, identity exploration and development, relationship challenges, and trauma, including childhood intergenerational trauma. Her approach to therapy is client-centered, trauma-informed, and attachment-based. Jessica has completed her Brainspotting Phase 1 training and continues to work to acquire certification as a Brainspotting clinician.

In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, spending time outdoors, reading, and exploring Atlanta’s coffee shop scene.

Laura Prado Lorenzo

Laura is a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She received her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Loyola University New Orleans in 2023. 

Laura began her experience in the mental health field as a Mental Health Technician. After completing her degree, she served the community as a counselor in a variety of settings including agency, non-profit, and private practice. Laura helps clients of all backgrounds and identities, but as a queer, Hispanic person, she is passionate about making services accessible to the Hispanic/Latinx population and people with immigration experiences alike. She likes to use a common phrase to describe her population: “Ni de aqui, ni de alla”, meaning, “Not from here, not from there”. 

Laura is passionate about providing services to people with a variety of concerns such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. Her practice is collaborative, humanistic, and trauma-informed. Laura strives to help clients explore their concerns, understand themselves and their discomfort, clarify their values, and develop nourishing habits with the goal of cultivating an improved sense of wellbeing. She has obtained further training in Trust Based Relational Interventions (TBRI) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Additionally, Laura enjoys integrating expressive arts, solution-focused, and mindfulness-based modalities. By receiving training in Brainspotting, she hopes to offer her clients a new way of healing.

Corrine Mertz

Corrine Mertz is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) practicing in Vermont. She holds a Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree from the Smith College School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wagner College. Corrine practices in Vermont which is the same community in which she was raised. Corrine identifies as a Neurodivergent, Queer, non-bio parent, white, able bodied, and cisgendered therapist. Corrine’s practice focuses on Somatic and body-based healing, working to strengthen the brain body connection. She focuses on working with children as young as three through adults of any age. Corrine also supports families, and often includes parents in her work with children. Corrine supports families of many different configurations (single-parent, co-parenting, poly, or two-parent household).

Corrine practices as a part of Refuge Acupuncture and Somatics, a multidisciplinary small queer owned Neuro-inclusive, Trauma Informed, LBGTQIA2+ Celebrating, and Body Positive practice. Corrine is trained in Attachment Resilience and Competency (ARC), Exposure and Response Therapy (ERP), PCIT, PC-Cares, Psychodynamic theories and other trauma informed methods. Corrine utilizes an inclusive model of practice integrating her learning and providing a multidisciplinary approach to her clients, always having a safe and supportive therapeutic rapport at the center of treatment. Corrine was trained in Brainspotting (Phase 1) in December of 2023 and has been using this modality with children and adults since January of this year. Corrine has seen Brainspotting have a profoundly healing impact on her clients and is excited for the opportunity to learn more.

Corrine is also passionate about supervising and teaching clinical work, specifically with clinicians who are interested in learning about working with children and families. Corrine supervises MSW’s towards licensure within her practice currently, and hopes to expand her ability to offer trainings, consultation and supervision of other professionals in the future!

Jessica Hirsch

An agent of change dedicated to empowering all people affected by substance use disorders, Jessica specializes in enhancing clients' authenticity, creativity, independence, and self-esteem. She believes in the value of every voice being heard, every experience being valued, and every person’s wisdom being a part of community conversations. 

Recognized as addiction Professional of the Year 2023 by TAADAC (Tennessee Association of Addiction Professionals) and MTAADAC (Middle Tennessee Association of Addiction Professionals), she guides people through introspection and into goal setting. Jessica’s practices are solution-based and somatic as an acknowledgement and understanding that healing individuals heals communities and community healing heals individuals.

Jessica believes her spirit is here to help repair our world. She is the most fulfilled when in service to others and thereby serving the greater humanity.  In serving marginalized people,  she gets to serve people affected by substance use disorders suffering with confusion, grief, historical trauma, isolation, and loneliness that come along with intergenerational trauma and mental health disorders. What  Jessica has found is the result of helping one person repair their wounds, means that our communities and families repair as natural byproduct. 

She earned her creative writing degree from Emerson College in 1997 and an education master's degree from Vanderbilt University in 2001. After years of teaching middle and high school, Jessica transitioned to working with clients & families in the inpatient treatment setting. In 2013, Jessica founded and established the first Nashville area Alumni program for clients and families leaving residential treatment. This program was so successful that all the Nashville area treatment centers opened alumni programs and modeled those programs after the one she launched. 

Jessica enjoys teaching and speaking, networking, coaching, counseling, empowering, and inspiring. Her philosophies include engaging in ongoing learning, nurturing connections and creativity and meeting clients where they are. 

As a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor and qualified clinical supervisor Jessica’s services include counseling, consulting, supervising, retreats and workshops.  Jessica enjoys cold plunges, writing, painting, cooking, eating, sound healing, singing, drumming, meditation, prayer, and learning. 

Jessica works side-by-side with her co-therapist/therapy dog, Leeper.  Together, they live and play in southeast Nashville with their cat, Gracie.  

Makeya Kinard

Makeya Kinard is a Licensed Social Worker in both South Carolina and North Carolina. She completed her Master of Social Work degree at the University of South Carolina. Initially, Makeya pursued a career in nursing, driven by her desire to assist and serve others. Her passion for advocacy blossomed during her undergraduate studies at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where she minored in children's advocacy studies. It was then that she realized her true calling was in psychology, leading her to embrace social work and explore her interest in the helping profession.

Makeya's favorite quote comes from Leslie Gould, which states, “Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes God lets the storm rage and calms His child.” She believes that many events in life are beyond an individual’s control, often leaving us caught in cycles without a clear way out. As a therapist, she is dedicated to helping others shift their focus from the chaos surrounding them to discovering their inner peace amidst life's challenges. With years of experience working with children and families affected by trauma, Makeya holds certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT). She understands that Her mission is to assist others in discovering the interventions that resonate most effectively with their individual processing needs. 

In addition to her passion for creating a safe environment where individuals can explore their emotions and process their experiences, she recognizes the powerful impact that positive interactions can have on a person's resilience. Throughout her years of experience, she has found a deep connection between faith, spirituality, and religion in the healing process, and she aims to assist others in reconnecting with their faith. She sees it as a wonderful opportunity to guide individuals in examining and strengthening their beliefs as part of their healing journey.

In her free time, she enjoys embracing her introverted side, seeking quiet moments away from the noise. Whether surrounded by nature, nestled in the comfort of her home, or with her family, she values being present in each moment. She is the author of the Bulletproof Luv blog and the book “Good Morning Beautiful: Always Prioritized By The Man Who Is The Standard Of Love.” Engaged and soon to be married, she eagerly anticipates growing in her faith, discovering new places, and making cherished memories with her future husband.

Lasheka Allen

Dr. Lasheka D. Allen has worked for over 18 years as a qualified mental health professional serving adults, children, adolescents, and families.  She is driven by her passion for seeing an increase in others' psychological well-being, particularly those from marginalized groups.  She is a strong advocate and seeks opportunities to aid people in transforming their lives with positive change.  Dr. Allen completed her clinical psychology doctoral program at Prairie View A&M University, earning an M.S. and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.  She completed her APA-accredited internship and postdoctoral training at Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in Evansville, Indiana.  Dr. Allen is currently a North Carolina Licensed Psychological Associate.  

Dr. Allen approaches each therapy session with an integrated person-centered focus.  Theoretically, she believes that early experiences shape personality development and give insight into our present.  She values research-informed care through cognitive-behavioral intervention paired with cultural humility.  As a proponent of the scientist-practitioner model, she implements evidence-based programs that target diverse groups, encourage proactive care for prevention, quality treatment, reduction of mental health crises, and promote wellness.  She seeks to explore the risk and protective factors in systems that impact treatment-seeking behaviors and engagement in wellness services.  Her research interests are psychological well-being, healthy families, and mental health stigma/utilization. 

Paige Sparkman

Paige Sparkman is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan with a diverse background in education and mental health. She began her career as an AmeriCorps College Adviser and later served as a Student Success Coordinator in higher education. Paige then transitioned to a role as a School Counselor with Detroit Public Schools. Her passion for helping others led her to work in a group practice, where she found a true passion for clinical work. Honing in on her interest and expertise in disordered eating and ADHD, Paige eventually moved into private practice to better meet the needs of individual clients, choosing to step away from the constraints of existing systems to provide more personalized care.

Paige works with clients who struggle with food/body, anxiety, self-criticism and people-pleasing, perfectionism, chronic illness, as well as those navigating life transitions while seeking self-acceptance. As a relational therapist, she is dedicated to creating a safe and affirming environment where clients feel seen, heard, and respected. Paige employs non-stigmatizing, compassion-focused modalities, including Relational Therapy, Social-Justice/Feminist Theory, Parts Work, Somatic Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, while addressing systemic factors that impact mental health.

Her approach is collaborative, validating, and conversational, with an emphasis on genuine connection. Paige believes that healing happens through safe, authentic relationships, and she is honored to support her clients on their journey toward healing and self-discovery. 

In her free time, Paige enjoys spending time with her husband and their animals --- a self-proclaimed homebody. She loves bike rides, reading on a hammock, and reality TV. Paige has a special love for Northern Michigan, where you might find her trying out a new winery or restaurant, hiking with her dogs, or taking a dip in Lake Michigan. Recently, she’s been geeking out on perfecting the perfect cup of coffee and exploring new recipes in the kitchen.

Sterling Grissom

Sterling Grissom (they/them) is an Licensed Clinical Social Work - Associate Level (LCSW-A) Mental Health Clinician within the Triad area of North Carolina. Sterling received their Bachelors of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Sterling then moved forward with receiving their Masters of Social Work from the Joint Masters of Social Work (JMSW) Program between North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Sterling primarily assists individuals who are Queer identifying, who have experienced varying amounts of trauma, have dissociative experiences, and are searching for how to create a life worth living.

Sterling utilizes many creative, somatic, developmental, and behavioral evidence based modalities and interventions so that clients can grow in their own understanding of themselves, their symptoms, and how systems at large can impact their own experiences. Sterling primarily focuses on providing care for people where they are from those struggling with intense desires to harm self to those who are finding themselves wondering who they are internally and externally.

Sterling’s passion in life is to help individuals and groups continue to explore their passions, values, and provide the healing they need; including the forward hope and research into how to help even larger groups of individuals of diverse needs and backgrounds find community healing from a strengths based and trauma informed perspective.

Sterling loves exploring in their own life how art, creative expression, and wellness strategies empower their own healing journey as well. Sterling has been a panelist speaking to graduate students within the JMSW program on how research methods can be applied to clinical practice as well as being featured with a podcast “Spark Sessions” on how Social Work field experience has allowed them to meet clients where they are and “sit on the same bench with them”.