Sunny Bowers, LPC

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.

Kelvin is an experienced Licensed Independent Social Worker who has worked in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings. Kelvin's years of experience include work as a case manager, mental health therapist, substance use and mental health group facilitator, a lead clinician for a school-based services program and coordinator for adventure-based programming. This experience has allowed Kelvin to serve in a variety of settings, including: schools, homes, hospitals, and outpatient clinics, as well as working with individuals from nearly every age range; anywhere from kindergarten-aged school children to adults in a nursing home and almost everywhere in between. ‍Kelvin places great importance on making treatment a unique experience for every individual, strongly believing that there is no single uniform answer to an individual's problems and solutions should be tailored to that person's specific life circumstances. Kelvin has a foundation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but utilizes practices as appropriate from a variety of treatment styles, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Informed Care, Behavioral Activation, Play Therapy and many more.

Sheena Mammen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with seven years of experience in various aspects of mental health. She earned her undergraduate degree from Nyack College and her Master's from Stony Brook, which deepened her understanding of the field. She specializes in treating clients with anxiety, depression, ADHD, interpersonal issues, and perfectionism. Sheena employs culturally sensitive and person-centered approaches to tailor treatments for each individual. Her eclectic therapeutic style is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Attachment Therapy. She also incorporates communication skills, mindfulness, executive functioning, and social skills training into her sessions, fostering comprehensive support for her clients.

Brenda Keirns, LPC, NCC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling from Bellevue University and has extensive experience across inpatient, outpatient, and telehealth settings. Brenda is trained in EMDR through an EMDRIA-approved program and brings over six years of licensure experience. With a multicultural upbringing and more than 18 years as a military spouse, including Command Team involvement, she has a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by diverse individuals and families. Brenda also serves as a Committee Member for Integratus, the academic journal of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association.

Brenda values open communication and creates a warm, non-judgmental environment where patients feel respected and supported. She tailors treatment to each patient’s unique needs and utilizes an eclectic, evidence-based approach drawing on CBT, EMDR, SFBT, REBT, DBT, attachment-based theory, trauma-informed care, and faith-based therapy rooted in Thomistic Psychology. Brenda helps patients address depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, relational challenges, personality disorders, and life transitions.

Brenda partners with patients to develop practical coping tools while building on strengths and resilience. She emphasizes collaboration to ensure that patients actively shape their therapeutic goals. With a balance of compassion and clinical expertise, Brenda integrates evidence-based practices with individualized strategies to promote emotional well-being, personal growth, and improved daily functioning.

Meet Alex Starmer, LMHC, your friendly mental health counselor here at Talkiatry. She's not just a counselor; she's your partner on your mental health journey. Alex earned her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Syracuse University in 2020 and has been in the field since January 2021, working closely with clients facing mental health and substance use challenges. Alex believes in the power of the mind-body connection, and she loves to share polyvagal exercises and mindfulness techniques to help you better understand yourself. She's always learning and growing, with ongoing training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Her go-to tools for therapy are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). With her, you can expect a compassionate and comprehensive approach to your mental well-being. You're in good hands with Alex.‍

Lisa Mazzotti is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Addiction Professional in Florida. She earned her bachelor’s in Psychology and a master’s in Human Development Counseling from the University of Illinois. With more than 30 years of clinical experience, she has worked with adolescents, adults, and older adults in individual, couple, family, and group settings. Lisa also served as an adjunct professor, teaching psychology and sociology courses for over a decade in high schools, colleges, and correctional facilities. Her extensive background includes treating addictions, trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, OCD, ADHD, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Lisa meets each person where they are, creating a safe space where clients feel heard, valued, and respected. She emphasizes open communication, collaboration, and mutual trust, encouraging patients to share what feels most comfortable and meaningful to them. Lisa’s goal is to empower clients to identify and pursue their personal goals at their own pace, fostering lasting growth. She brings compassion, positivity, experience, and humor to her sessions, reminding patients that change begins with understanding and acceptance.

Lisa tailors her approach by exploring each patient’s history, strengths, and priorities to create an individualized treatment plan. Drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy, she adapts her methods to meet each client’s needs. Lisa has facilitated Intensive Outpatient (IOP), Partial Hospitalization (PHP), and inpatient group therapy for co-occurring disorders. She supports clients with a broad range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief, self-harm, abuse, and both physical and psychological addictions.