Skip to main content

Jessica Brusgul, LMHC

Staff Therapist
Languages
English
SPECIALTIES
Talk Therapy

Education and training

  • SUNY Oswego Master of Science (MS)

Get to know

Jessica Brusgul, LMHC

Jessica Brusgul is a LMHC with over nine years of experience working with individuals with a wide range of mental health challenges. She attended Oswego State and completed her undergraduate degree as an older, non-traditional student. She then pursued graduate school at SUNY Oswego, which she completed in 2016. During this time, Jessica has gained a great deal of experience with clients from various backgrounds who are faced with numerous life challenges. This includes anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and those in need of anger management. Jessica has also worked with those faced with substance abuse related problems, life transitions, career counseling, and parenting education. Her approach is to get to know her clients, their presenting concerns, and some history as well. Through these conversations, Jessica helps her clients feel comfortable in a non-judgmental setting and express themselves freely. Jessica also incorporates a sense of humor, when appropriate, as well as assisting people in identifying their inner strengths and skills. Jessica believes that everyone can overcome their obstacles and make positive changes for themselves. She incorporates such modalities as encouraging clients to maintain a journal and share entries during session, exercise regularly, and begin their journey towards overall wellness. Jessica has found that an eclectic approach, depending upon the needs of the individual, and the client's adherence to this between sessions, can be highly beneficial.

Get matched with a clinician like this one

Ready to book your first appointment? Take our 10-minute assessment. We’ll match you with a clinician who meets your needs, has availability, and takes your insurance.

Get started
More Clinicians

Whitney Cline, LPC

Staff Therapist

Whitney Cline, LPC, has worked with diverse populations ranging from adolescents to individuals serving sentences in correctional settings. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Montana in Missoula and her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Regis University. Whitney also lived abroad in South America for several years, serving as a supervisor for English teachers at a university in Quito, Ecuador.

Whitney values open communication and honesty in therapy and works collaboratively with clients to understand their needs and goals. She believes humor can be a powerful tool in navigating life’s challenges and incorporates it thoughtfully to foster connection and catharsis during sessions.

In the initial session, Whitney focuses on understanding the client, their family system, concerns, and objectives. She then helps develop a personalized treatment plan with measurable milestones to track progress, ensuring therapy is both goal-oriented and reflective of the client’s journey.

Alicia Lakin, LPC

Staff Licensed Professional Counselor

Alicia Lakin has been counseling for over 20 years. She possesses an LPC-MHSP license. Alicia earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Tennessee. She then went on to earn her Master's Degree, with a focus on Guidance and Counseling, at Lincoln Memorial University. Alicia has been trained in Trauma Focused � Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Motivational Interviewing. Alicia's professional career has provided her with the opportunity to work with individuals in a variety of settings. She has provided treatment in residential care programs for children and adolescents, in the family home, community-based mental health center, and substance abuse treatment outpatient services. In these settings, Alicia has been afforded the opportunity to treat all ages, dealing with a wide range of issues including trauma, substance abuse and recovery, and mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therapeutically, Alicia describes her approach as "person-centered”, strength-based, and collaborative. She believes in providing a safe space for individuals to be able to express themselves openly, as well as explore any changes they desire to make in their lives. She believes in building a trusting relationship so that she and the individual can work together to help create change. Her style is reality-based, and she views herself as having many roles as a therapist, including that of a support, teacher, advocate, facilitator, and listener in the treatment relationship.

Ashley Sharp, LPC/MHSP

Staff Therapist

Ashley Sharp is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider
designation, who has experience working in multiple settings within the mental health
field including private practice counseling, school-based counseling, and in a behavioral
health hospital. This has allowed Ashley to work closely with individuals of various
demographics and a wide spectrum of mental health conditions. Ashley obtained her
undergraduate degree in psychology from Bryan College in Dayton, TN, and graduate
degree in clinical mental health counseling from Richmont Graduate University in
Chattanooga, TN.

Ashley has been working in the mental health field for 4 years and
focuses on mood and anxiety disorders, as well as personality disorders,
challenges in relationship dynamics, and difficult life transitions such as grief and
divorce. Ashley tailors her treatment modalities for the greatest benefit of the individual,
being considerate of the background and needs of each client.
Ashley uses an eclectic approach to therapy founded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
and incorporates elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy such as mindfulness,
distress tolerance, and emotional regulation.

Renee Belew-Dycus, LCSW

Staff Therapist

Renee Belew-Dycus, LCSW, brings a deep commitment to service shaped by early work with individuals experiencing homelessness, supporting job readiness, housing stability, emotional regulation, and self-esteem. She later served as a supervisor within Los Angeles County Mental Health, overseeing long-term locked psychiatric facilities and ensuring high-quality, standards-based care. Since opening her private practice in 2007, Renee has devoted her work to trauma and PTSD, Autism Spectrum and ADHD support, transgender and LGBTQ+ clients, and individuals seeking clarity and direction at any stage of life.

Renee is not a “one-size-fits-all” therapist. She works creatively and collaboratively, offering tools gathered over years of practice while honoring each client’s autonomy. Rather than assigning homework or giving directives, she invites exploration and reflection to discover what truly fits. She believes clients often already hold the answers they seek, and her role is to help them recognize and trust their inner wisdom. Above all, she prioritizes emotional safety.

In the first session, Renee allows clients to set the pace and focus, creating space to assess comfort and connection. Clients are invited to share their reasons for seeking therapy, goals, and past therapy experiences. From there, Renee and the client collaboratively develop a treatment plan and work together as a team throughout the therapeutic process.

Jodie Gardner, LPC

Staff Therapist

Jodie Gardner is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Texas and California. She works with individuals, couples, and families ages 12 and older and has clinical experience addressing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, addiction, and life transitions. Jodie is certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and has extensive experience supporting clients from diverse backgrounds and identities, including providing affirming care for LGBTQ+ individuals, those in non-traditional or complex relationships, and individuals navigating mood disorders, caregiver stress, and intimacy concerns.

Jodie believes every person has a unique story and deserves an individualized approach to care. She views therapy as a collaborative partnership grounded in open communication and mutual respect. Jodie creates a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can explore thoughts and emotions at their own pace, using thoughtful questions to help clients uncover insight, strengths, and meaningful solutions.

In the first session, Jodie invites clients to share their story and what brings them to therapy. Together, they identify goals and begin developing a personalized roadmap for treatment. Her approach integrates evidence-based practices such as CBT and DBT with trauma-informed care and mindfulness to support lasting growth and change.

Paul Hogate, LCSW

Staff Therapist

Mr. Hogate is a skilled therapist with over 25 years of experience providing psychotherapy in a broad range of clinical settings. He is licensed both as a Clinical Social Worker and a Professional Counselor. Mr. Hogate has provided private counseling services since 2001 and additionally has worked in a vast range of clinical settings including outpatient counseling for individuals and families, inpatient services for children and adults, outpatient treatment for individuals with co-occurring substance use and other behavioral health concerns. Mr. Hogate is driven by a deep belief in the centrality of human relationships and the benefits clients can gain from a deep connection with a skilled clinician.

Mr. Hogate has a balanced and informed perspective on therapy and seeks to draw from patient experience and strength in partnership toward a common goal of reducing stress and symptoms of various life challenges such as depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, life transitions and others. His clinical perspective is practical and informed by various clinical orientations, yet unique to each individual. Mr. Hogate is collaborative and integrative in his approach to therapy and seeks to build connections with client’s medical providers or others to enhance clinical outcomes.

Typically, Mr. Hogate starts work with clients as a conversation in the context of an enduring interest and belief in the capacity of individuals to make meaningful changes in their lives. Interventions are an important aspect of Mr. Hogate’s clinical work, often rooted in CBT, Narrative Therapy, Systems Theory, ACT and elements of Positive Psychology. Mr. Hogate approaches clients from a biological, psychological and sociological perspective seeking to understand individuals from each of these domains.

Ready to get matched?

Start our short assessment
Specialties
Talk Therapy
States
Connecticut
New York
Languages
English
Takes insurance
Virtual visits
years experience