TreSina Steger, LPC

Valene, pronounced (Val-leen), is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has worked in the mental health field for 7 years. During this time, she has worked with clients from various backgrounds and cultures with a variety of mental health conditions. Valene's experience ranges from an inpatient psychiatric facility to private practice to telehealth. Valene attended the University of South Florida for her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Florida International University for her graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling.‍Valene believes each therapeutic interaction should be individualized and client-centered, thus she uses an eclectic therapy approach. An eclectic approach means assisting clients by drawing from various therapeutic approaches and techniques, thus tailoring treatment to each client's needs. Valene considers the therapeutic relationship to be extremely important and strives to be a collaborative, empathetic, non-judgmental, person-centered therapist. Valene's professional interests include working with young adults, Caribbean Americans, and the BIPOC community. Within mental health she enjoys working with anxiety, depression, women's issues, adjustment disorders, and relationship issues, just to name a few.

Dominika is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has been in the field for ~20 years performing individual, group, and family service. During her education, Dominika focused on various forms of treatment modalities including DBT, ACT, CBT, trauma informed, family systems, motivational interviewing, and substance abuse treatment. Dominika has been an active remote, mental health therapist for the past several years, and has experience with working with diverse populations providing services to adults and children in mixed settings.

Dominika has an extensive background working with survivors of trauma, depression/bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, grief, PTSD, schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis, gender/sexual identity difficulties, eating disorders, substance abuse, domestic violence, life transitions, as well as combinations of multiple problems. Dominika is a firm believer meeting people at their own pace to accomplish their objectives at their own speed.

Dominika’s initial appointment is an assessment, gathering the client’s background information and reason for seeking treatment, focusing on the client's own specific goals/desires for therapy and helping ct envision what this would look like for them in order to establish a general roadmap on moving towards their aspirations. After the first session, Dominika concentrates on what complications exist to ct’s objectives and how ct can utilize supportive tools/resources to help overcome these barriers. Dominika then helps cts establish weekly, smaller goals that can lead cts to their larger scale aspirations.

After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa in 2014, Kendrah worked at a non-profit organization that focused on substance abuse and mental health. She worked there from 2014-2021 initially as a substance abuse counselor and later transitioned into a Clinical Director position. Most recently, Kendrah has been serving patients in a private practice mental health therapist role. Kendrah's interests and specialties are Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Marriage and Family, Culture and Diversity, Dual Diagnosis, Meditation and Dating Violence/Abuse. She also has an interest in Self Image/Self-Esteem and Addictive Behaviors with Substance Use and Gambling.

Keren Salcedo graduated from SUNY Oswego in 2019 with a degree in Mental Health Counseling. While in school she interned at an outpatient addiction treatment center which sparked her interest in working with adults. After graduation she moved back to New York City. Keren continued her work in addiction by working at a rehab facility. She later transitioned to an outpatient clinical where she had the opportunity to work with clients across a wide of diagnosis for three years. This experience has made her more comfortable and confident supporting individuals with diverse mental health needs.

It is important to Keren that every client feels safe, heard and supported. She is passionate about creating a comfortable and friendly environment where you can speak openly and feel at ease. Keren is easygoing and approachable, and she believes in meeting clients where they are. Her goal is to build a trusting relationship where you feel comfortable to explore your thoughts, feelings, and goals at your own pace.

In the beginning, Keren's approach would be Person Centered Therapy to help build a strong therapeutic relationship and for clients to feel supported. Once we’ve established a foundation, she would tailor her approach based on the clients' presenting concerns. Keren often incorporated techniques that she has experienced and feels comfortable using, such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Motivational Therapy. She also believes in being flexible and adapting her methods to fit each client's situation.

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Cody Zaiontz is an LPC in the state of Texas. He has been providing counseling services to a variety of clients, who have sought help for many different types of mental health conditions, for over 5 years. Cody completed his undergraduate education in San Marcos, Texas at Texas State University and earned his bachelor's degree in psychology. He went on to complete his graduate school training in Counseling & Guidance at Texas A&M University San Antonio. His practicum training took place at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas where he was trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and crisis management. Upon graduating with his master's in counseling, Cody worked for 2 years helping individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.) in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. He then learned how to provide outpatient counseling services, both in-person and through a secure telehealth platform. In his private practice, he worked with adults dealing with substance abuse, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and family issues. He also helped his clients work towards weight loss goals, learn ways to improve sleep, learn ways to increase their social support system, and learn other skills that will help them live a happier, more fulfilled life. Cody operated his private practice until he joined Talkiatry in the fall of 2024.

Lily Mudry is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, a Certified Clinical Supervisor with the Substance Abuse Board, a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, a Master in Addictions Counselor, and a National Certified Counselor. Lily specializes in mental health practice and addictions counseling, with a particular focus on trauma-informed care. She offers individual, couples, and family counseling, utilizing a variety of evidence-based treatment interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing.

Lily has extensive training in trauma-related therapies, including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Polyvagal Theory, Emotional Freedom Technique, Brain Spotting and Mindfulness-Based Strategies. She believes in a holistic approach to therapy, recognizing the importance of understanding the brain and the autonomic nervous system, as well as the role of symptom management and prevention. Lily’s therapeutic philosophy emphasizes body awareness and the cyclical patterns of thoughts and emotions that influence overall well-being. Her focus is not only on healing and stability but also on inspiring and empowering clients to continue growing and evolving into their true authentic selves.

Lily’s approach integrates trauma-focused therapy, CBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Reality Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and EMDR to help clients make meaningful progress in their therapeutic journey. She works primarily with clients experiencing depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and trauma-related issues. Lily strongly believes in empowering clients through psychoeducation, self-advocacy, and collaboration, ensuring that therapy is driven by motivation, direction, and progress.

Her first sessions with clients are focused on establishing a safe and comfortable environment, building rapport, and understanding each client’s challenges and goals. By creating a space for open communication, Lily works alongside clients to identify their needs and develop a personalized approach to therapy.