Connika Green, LCSW

Rutanya Simon, LCSW, earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma and has over eleven years of experience supporting children, families, and couples. She has worked with the courts, including mental health and substance abuse programs, and with families involved in child protective and adoption services. Rutanya integrates Gottman techniques to strengthen communication between couples and applies family systems theory to help families identify and improve maladaptive patterns and behaviors.

Rutanya is a solution-focused therapist who has worked with diverse populations throughout her career. She provides insight from a non-biased and compassionate perspective, helping clients create practical solutions for life transitions and personal healing. Her approach encourages introspection and self-compassion, empowering clients to focus on what is within their control while fostering growth and resilience.

In the initial session, Rutanya works to build rapport and trust while gaining a clear understanding of each client’s needs. She collaborates with clients to identify small, achievable steps toward their goals and uses these to guide the development of individualized treatment plans that promote meaningful progress and lasting change.

Lauren Mingle is an outpatient therapist at Talkiatry. She is dually licensed in Colorado as a LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist). Lauren earned her master's degree in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling/Therapy from the University of Northern Colorado. Before joining Talkiatry, Lauren held roles in a diverse array of settings including community mental health, crisis services, and outpatient therapy. Her previous specialty focuses included youth, adolescents, adults, and couples. Lauren uses a variety of evidence-based approaches including, but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Dialectal Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing to meet people where they are at and work with them to best reach their personalized therapy goals.

Racquel Ellis is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of New York with extensive experience working with the BIPOC community. She provides inclusive mental wellness services to individuals and families. Racquel has been providing mental health services to individuals and families for over a decade and has been a licensed mental health counselor for the past four years. She specializes in working with the BIPOC community and women, offering therapeutic support for mood disorders, trauma, life transitions, and other chronic challenges impacting overall well-being.

Gretchen attended James Madison University for her undergraduate studies and graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University and Boston University. She has practiced for three years in various settings, including residential facilities for children, acute care facilities, and private practice, where she successfully supported clients with neurodiversity in improving executive function, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships. Recognizing the complexities of neurodiversity beyond traditional clinical frameworks, Gretchen collaborates with medical professionals, educators, and families to create inclusive environments that foster success for individuals with neurodivergent traits.

Clients can expect to gain a deeper understanding of their thought patterns and uncover the underlying meanings behind their reactions. Through a collaborative and reflective process, they’ll develop greater self-awareness, challenge limiting beliefs, and gain clarity in their personal growth journey. This approach empowers clients to make more informed, intentional choices in their lives.

Gretchen takes a direct yet supportive approach, evident from the very first session. She integrates psychoeducation, somatic techniques to enhance body awareness, and strategic reframing to help clients uncover core beliefs that may be contributing to their challenges.

America Calderon is a bilingual, National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York with experience providing services for children, adolescents, and adults. America specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment disorders, life transitions, stress management, and other comorbid disorders. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and a MSEd. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St. John's University in New York. America provides patients with a genuine, nonjudgmental, and supportive environment to help empower them and recognize their potential. She utilizes various treatment modalities which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and Relational-Cultural Therapy techniques. She practices from a person-centered and multicultural approach to build a meaningful, therapeutic relationship. Prior to becoming licensed as a psychotherapist, America was an educator in the state of Florida and New York with over 5 years of experience in the field. She is passionate about providing psychoeducation as it increases our insight into various mental health issues.

Kenny Londono is a Staff Psychotherapist at Talkiatry and been practicing in the mental health field since 2008. Kenny studied psychology at the University of Central Florida and received his master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Kenny has worked directly with adults adjusting to life transitions related to medical issues, relationships, work, becoming a parent, and other life cycle changes. Kenny's services address stress management, relational health, effective communication, and conflict resolution.

Kenny fully embraces whole-person care and is passionate about understanding and supporting a client's lifestyle by exploring the six pillars associated with a client's well-being: healthy eating habits, physical activity, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, restorative sleep, and social connection. This passion for lifestyle medicine stems from his personal story of living with a chronic medical condition and overcoming many challenging obstacles.

Over the years, Kenny has enjoyed seeing clients grow in confidence, experience new levels of peace, and start to flourish in their relationships and careers. Kenny is Gottman Level One and Two trained and is a certified relationship educator. Other modalities that Kenny uses includes solution focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness coaching.

Kenny's mission is to be a source of hope for his clients, while walking with them and exploring the roads that illuminate their life story.

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