Jennifer Kennett MA, MBA, LMHC BOARD President Redmond, WA
Jennifer is the owner of a successful private practice (Eastside Couples Therapy) serving couples since 2013. She has over 20 years’ experience as a therapist. She views the therapeutic relationship as central to effective change, and she draws on strengthsbased approaches, narrative theory, attachment-oriented perspectives, existential theory, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence in her clinical work. During her career, she has forged a reputation as a compassionate, caring, and collaborative counselor, helping clients achieve the connections, growth, and change they crave. In 2021, she began the doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision at Antioch University Seattle. She also offers clinical supervision, consultation, and private practice coaching services to mental health professionals. As an educator, she views learning as an intellectual playground; not the sterile, safety-conscious playgrounds we find today, but those of her childhood: the naturalistic, rural “explore-in-the-woods” kind of playground that allows for exploratory free play with an element of potential risk. She believes that learning starts from a place of curiosity; she wants learners to feel encouraged to explore ideas by engaging their prior knowledge and their lived intellectual and emotional experiences.
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Jenny White LMHC, NCC, EMDRPast PresidentVancouver, WA
Jenny is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and meets criteria to provide clinical supervision in the state of WA. She is currently in private practice in Vancouver, WA. Jenny grew up moving around with her family in the US Air Force and is proud to be a member of multi-generational military family.
She has worked in a variety of settings since completing her Masters in Counseling at the University of Colorado, including residential youth; outpatient agencies in Colorado and Washington; and developed and managed a counseling program at a homeless shelter in Pierce County before returning to Vancouver. Jenny has a background in substance use counseling, early childhood education, and EMDR.
Jenny’s passions and areas of expertise are grief, trauma, and supporting families who have made the decision to foster or adopt. She is also passionate about working with new clinicians in the field. It is this desire to support and grow new professionals in the field that has brought Jenny to the WMHCA board. It was within her own search for support and training in best practices, advocacy of the profession and collaboration with other professionals that Jenny found WHMCA. Through her work on the board Jenny looks forward to opportunities to support the profession, grow as a professional and educate others.
Carolyn Russo PhD, LMHCPresident Elect, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & Education Committee ChairEdmonds, WADr. Russo holds a doctorate in Counselor Education from Seattle Pacific University and is a mental health counselor in private practice in the greater Seattle area. Her passion is in education and supervision of counselor's in training. She strives to provide access to quality care within the community by offering low fee services at her community training clinic. Dr. Russo is also a Clinical Training Director and faculty member at Northwestern University. She has taught master's level counselors in the area of ethics, theory, pathology and diagnosis and continues to do research in the area of supervision and training. Dr. Russo has presented at both local and national conferences on these topics. Dr. Russo believes involvement in counseling organizations is critical to the growth of the profession.
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Dominique Avery PhD, NCC, LPC (ID), LMHC (WA), SECRETARY, JUSTICE EQUITY DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIR
Seattle, WA
Dominique Avery is core faculty in the Counseling Department at Saybrook University. She teaches at both the Masters and PhD levels with a focus on culturally responsive counseling and counselor education, crisis and trauma interventions, child and adolescent counseling, psychopathology and diagnosis, and quantitative research. She has extensive scholarship and presentation experience including topics in White counselor antiracist accountability, crisis and trauma education, licensure portability, and mixed methods research. Dominique’s past service on boards includes a position as the founding secretary of Idaho Association of LGBT Issues in Counseling, the Interstate Licensing Agreement Committee for the Rocky Mountain region, and the Institutional Review Board for research at Saybrook University.
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with experience in EMDR counseling with adult survivors of child-hood sexual abuse and working with refugee children and families by bringing play-based therapy into their homes. Prior to becoming a counselor, Dominique spent a decade working with children and adolescents in shelter home settings, wilderness therapy in the deserts of Idaho, and forest schools in the woodlands of England.
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Meg Curtin Rey-Bear MA, LMHC, NCC, National Board Certified Counselor, Certified EMDR Therapist, STATE CERTIFIED SUPERVISOR TREASURER, FINANCE TASK FORCE CHAIR, INSURANCE TASK FORCE CHAIR Spokane, WA
As a therapist with 20 years of experience, Meg has extensive training and practice in complex trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and family dynamics. She is a Certified EMDR therapist. Meg works to help adults and families find pathways to healing and empowerment. Her work as a therapist focuses on identifying strengths and improving connections, understanding, and acceptance. This includes teaching new approaches and skills and empowering individuals and families to create and maintain the change they want to see. Meg works with older teens, adults, and families and offers extensive experience in helping people fully process complex trauma using CBT, EMDR, and somatic and mindfulness practices. She is a trained family therapist specializing in helping concerned family members reduce tension and foster healthy connections that motivate loved ones to seek the help and support they need. Meg offers clinical supervision and consultation for new therapists and those seeking support and consultation while they practice independently. She has over 10 years of experience working with interns and new therapists and is a State licensed Mental Health supervisor. Before starting Wellness Therapies, Meg was the program developer and the Clinical Director for the YWCA’s Alternatives to Domestic Violence mental health program. Her experience working on program development includes multiple years as a Research Assistant and Clinical Research Therapist on NIH, SAMSHA, and NIDA-funded clinical research grants for the Oregon Research Institute and the University of New Mexico.
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Robyn Hansen M.Ed., LMHCA, CTP
Membership engAGEMENT & OUTREACH Committee Chair
University Place, WA
Robyn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in University Place, WA. She earned her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Puget Sound and her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Saint Martin’s University.
Robyn specializes in treating individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, PTSD/trauma, grief, and maintenance counseling after treatment for eating disorders. She is training to be a registered yoga teacher and plans to add trauma-focused yoga to her therapy practice.
When she’s not in the office, Robyn is committed to her personal growth and well-being. She enjoys reading, meditating, working on home improvement projects, spending time with her family and friends, and taking leisurely walks with her 2 old Labradors. These personal interests help her stay balanced and bring a unique perspective to her practice.
Bree Sutton M.A. LMHCJUSTICE EQUITY DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAIRSPOKANE, WA
Bree Sutton is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist in Washington state. Bree graduated with a Master's Degree in Clinical Counseling from Alliant International University in San Francisco, CA in 2013. She has experience working in a variety of treatment and academic settings in multiple states, and is happy to have established a private practice in Spokane, serving all of WA State. Bree works personally and professionally toward anti-racist thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, in order to create a safe space for her clients and interrupt oppressive systems. Bree specializes in working with athletes as well as high-achieving women with anxiety. As a Certified HeartMath Practitioner, she is passionate about using mindfulness practices, biofeedback, and Brainspotting as her main modalities.
Sharon Shadwell MS MPA LMHC LMFTPOLICY & PROFESSIONAL ADVOCACY CHAIR
Sharon Shadwell has worked with children, adolescents, and their caregivers in various roles, settings, and countries throughout her career. She is passionate about the importance of relationships to our emotional wellbeing as humans. As a result, she is committed to supporting families with young children who are dealing with intergenerational trauma and problematic social determinants of health caused by oppressive systems to create communities and environments in which they can thrive. She also believes in the idea that, as professionals, our own wellbeing impacts our relationships with our clients; so she is committed to supporting the wellbeing of workforces who support children, youth, and their caregivers through the services she provides and through legislative advocacy. Sharon is independently licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in Washington State and as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California. She is a past fellow (2021) of the Napa Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship program through University of California, Davis. In addition to providing clinical mental health services through her private practice, she provides business and clinical supports for behavioral health professionals, with a focus on those in private practice. She is the behavioral health representative appointed to the Pierce County Birth – 25 Advisory Board and is a member of the statewide Prenatal – 25 Behavioral Health Strategic Planning Advisory Group. She is the parent of a young child who has brought more joy and love into her life than she ever imagined possible.
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Sivie Suckerman LMHC, ACS
POLICY & PROFESSIONAL ADVOCACY VICE-CHAIR
SEATTLE, WA
Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS has been a mental health counselor for 17 years and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Saybrook University. She is the Chief Clinical Director at Protea Wellness, a large group practice based in West Seattle. Sivie has also worked in school-based mental health, community mental health, crisis services, residential treatment, and private practice.
Cristina Louk PhD, LMHCPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIRCristina holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and is a licensed mental health counselor and registered hypnotherapist. She owns PeaceHumanistic Therapy in Monroe and works with women and teens. Dr. Louk offers individual psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and assessment services. She uses humanistic, energy, and positive psychology modalities and specializes in neurodivergent disorders.
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Ellie Lovde graduate student, clinical counseling intern
GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
Ellie Lovde is currently a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) program at Antioch University in Seattle, pursuing a certificate in Addiction Studies to become a Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP). They are a clinical intern at Save Point Behavioral Health, offering a special focus on the mental health needs of geeks and gamers while integrating therapeutic gaming into practice. Ellie received their undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University, with a bachelor’s in sociocultural anthropology and a minor in psychology. They have professional experience in a variety of healthcare roles, including five years in emergency medicine. Ellie is a member of the Omega Mu Gamma (OMG) Chapter of the Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Honor Society and involved in the mentorship program for fellow graduate students. Their approach is integrative, holistic, and process focused, with a goal to empower clients through collaboration, reframing negative internalizations, and fostering self-congruence.
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Dennis McCarthy MA, LMHC
BOARD MEMBER SEATTLE, WA
Dennis sees counseling as a way to help people step into their power and contribute to social change. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has been in private practice since 2006 with a special focus in his practice on the LGBTQ+ Community. Prior to his transition to counseling he worked in the nonprofit sector where his focus was on developing civic engagement strategies and community building working primarily with the environmental and LGBTQ+ communities. Other past careers include work in the software industry and as a city planner. He lives and practices in Seattle.
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Katie Schmitz Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, Currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision
BOARD MEMBER
Katie has been a Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington State for eight years and has worked in Community Mental Health, private and group practice settings. She is currently a Clinical Supervisor at Salveo Counseling Center and supervises assiociate counselors and therapists and inters. She works via telehealth with young adults, families, and couples, with a passion for working with newly launched college students, and those navigating neurodivergent issues in their relationships and families. Katie uses family systems theory, solution-focused narrative and client-centered approaches. Katie is adjunct faculty in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Antioch University Seattle where she is currently a Ph.D candidate and finishing her Dissertation on Multicultural Leadership in Counselor Education. Katie lives in Marysville Washington with her husband and 20 month old son.
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Shannon Thompson MA LMHC CMHSExecutive Director and AMHCA Western Region DirectorShannon is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and a child and adolescent mental health specialist (CMHS). Shannon graduated from Argosy University with a Master's in Mental Health Counseling in 2006. She spent many years in community mental health before opening a private practice in 2013. Her career has primarily been focused on serving children, adolescents, and their families. Shannon has been part of the WMCHA board since 2016. She joined originally as a volunteer and was the workshop chair. In 2018 she became the Education and Advocacy Director and more recently has been promoted to Executive Director of the WMHCA board.
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Sara Oppler
Business Operations Director
Sara Oppler has 10+ years of Human Resources experience in a wide variety of organizations, primarily non-profits. She was previously the Interim Human Resources Director at a Community Mental Health Center. Sara is the past chair of the City of Kirkland Salary Commission and the past Board Secretary for the Perfect Push Foundation.
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