Yvette Ramirez, LPC

Dr. Nicole Martinez received her Master's and Doctorate from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and completed her pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowship at Gateway Foundation in Lake Villa, Illinois. She earned a double major in Psychology and Therapeutic Recreation at the University of St. Francis. Dr. Martinez has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in individual, family, and group treatment. Her therapeutic approach is integrative, combining Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy (CBT) with holistic methods, emphasizing Solution Focused Therapy, Reality Therapy, and Positive Psychology. She believes in the mind-body connection and that exploring various areas of an individual's functioning is essential for optimum physical and emotional health. Dr. Martinez emphasizes a collaborative therapist-client relationship, where both act as partners in designing treatment goals. She values identifying ineffective past modalities to avoid frustration and ensure personalized care. Recognizing that each person is unique, she adapts to the patient's evolving needs, ensuring they feel heard and supported for positive outcomes. Her areas of expertise include health psychology, complex trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, LGBTQIA populations, bereavement, forensics, substance abuse, couples work, MISA, co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, sex offenders, special needs populations, and chronic medical issues and rare diseases. She is skilled in the evaluation and assessment of these populations.

Meredith McMillan is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist with 9 years of experience working in mental health. She specializes in working with individuals who experienced trauma and toxic stress, as well as those with addiction issues, relationship challenges, and adjustment disorders. Ms. McMillan's therapy practice focuses on providing person-centered encouragement and support. She utilizes a trauma-focused cognitive behavioral approach to help you to develop your understanding of yourself and your challenges and enable you to utilize your strengths to facilitate your healing. She received a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University in Orlando, Florida, and established herself as a therapist working in community mental health in the Lakeland, Florida area. She spent several years working at Tri-County Human Services providing co-occurring outpatient substance abuse therapy. Later, she shifted to providing services to children through Tri-County's B-Net program and Children's Home Society. She went on to become the Clinical Supervisor at the Children's Home Society providing care to children and adolescents impacted by trauma and the child welfare system. Before joining Talkiatry, she also served as the clinical supervisor and therapist at The Mary Welsh Foundation, providing care to individuals of all ages and specializing in trauma and family issues. Ms. McMillan has worked with individuals dealing with a variety of mental health issues throughout her years of experience as a therapist. She has worked with people of all ages and has experience working with families and couples. She has had additional training to serve individuals dealing with addictions and with processing trauma. She has had extensive experience working with individuals dealing with mood disorders and anxiety, as well as relationship and parenting issues.

Chelsea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 7 years of experience in the field of mental health. Chelsea studied Sociology at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte North Carolina and obtained a master’s degree in social work at Norfolk State in Virginia. She has experience working with adolescents, adults, seniors, and families in various practice settings, such as psychiatric facilities, crisis stabilization/ substance abuse units, and outpatient agencies.

She specializes in working with individuals challenged with PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Self-defeating thoughts, Communication, Boundary setting, Coping Skills, Parenting, and Life transitions. Chelsea is passionate about providing holistic modalities of treatment to assist clients to manage mental health. She has experience using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered, Solution Focused, and Mindfulness Techniques, Person-Centered and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Chelsea's approach is empowering, direct, collaborative, and solution-focused, and she uses treatment modalities specific to the client's needs and goals. She believes in meeting clients where they are, advocating for clients’ needs, and creating a safe space for individual healing.

Chelsea is aware of the stigma created surrounding mental health in vulnerable communities. Chelsea believes that seeking therapy is a sign of strength and resiliency. Chelsea is honored to be able to support you on your journey toward healing and evolving.

Stephanie McGee, LCMHC, received her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Medaille College in Buffalo, NY, in 2011. She has provided outpatient therapy across a variety of settings, including ACTT services, group therapy focused on substance use, and individual therapy. Stephanie is passionate about creating a safe, unbiased, and nonjudgmental space where patients feel seen, heard, and empowered. She believes that life’s challenges can shift our focus, and it is her privilege to provide support, encouragement, and practical tools to help patients navigate those moments.

Stephanie works with young adults and adults, offering encouragement, guidance, and tools to help patients reach their personal goals. She views therapy as a collaborative process and emphasizes building trust, honoring diverse perspectives, and ensuring patients feel comfortable. New patients can expect a compassionate space to share their stories, identify goals, and gain a clear sense of what therapy with her will feel like.

Stephanie tailors her approach to each individual, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, among other modalities. She balances directive strategies with exploratory work, adapting her methods based on what resonates with patients. Stephanie regularly checks in for feedback, ensuring therapy remains meaningful and aligned with each person’s goals. Above all, she strives to create a supportive, collaborative process where patients feel validated, respected, and empowered.

Leah E. Clary is a Licensed Professional counselor at Talkiatry. She has years of experience working with individuals of all ages from childhood to older adults. Leah E. Clary utilizes an eclectic counseling style. She understands that each and every person is unique and has individual needs, and is willing to adapt to what would benefit the individual. Leah believes that coordinating with all providers is important to achieving successful therapeutic experiences for the length of the engagement. After receiving her master's degree from Liberty University, Leah participated in an internship in Philadelphia working with first responders for crisis debriefing. While participating in this program, Leah also actively worked as an older adult protective services investigator within the city limits. In order to achieve her goal of becoming an LPC, Leah began working with families in a community-based program focusing on relational components. In this program, Leah worked with therapists of different backgrounds, building on her knowledge of communication techniques and team-based therapy, and even training new team members as needed. Throughout her professional career, Leah has worked with individuals with various diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions and adapted to their individual needs. Her passion is to assist the underserved demographic of individuals working through infertility issues and processing the idea of adoption.

Waded Baquerizo-Mahuad is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in the state of Pennsylvania. She received her Master's (M.A.) in Mental Health Counseling from Kutztown University in 2016. She is also a Clinical Psychologist in her home country of Ecuador. She has provided mental and behavioral services to children and their families as a therapeutic staff support and mobile therapist, providing in-home services and services in the community. She has worked in Community Mental Health and Private Practice where she has gained experience treating various Mental health diagnoses that include PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Grief, Adjustment Disorders, etc. As an experienced bilingual counselor, she utilizes an eclectic approach in her practice, taking into consideration the stage and uniqueness of her client's psychological, emotional, and social needs. Some of her approaches in therapy are the person-centered approach, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic approach, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused approach. She integrates Sensory Motor techniques as well as Mindfulness and Grounding techniques. In her practice, she also applies a Strength-Based Modality and Trauma-informed Focus. She also implements Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) interventions.