Therapy Austin

Training Opportunities

Counseling is one of those professions where you don’t learn everything you need to know in graduate school. Not even close. And, it’s one of those professions that requires ongoing training to keep your practice effective, fresh, up-to-date, stimulating, interesting, and ethical. A large part of our mission at Therapy Austin is providing that rich tapestry of training opportunities that all therapists need.

How do we do it???

Well, it starts with six days of New Hire Training and continues ongoing throughout employment at Therapy Austin -  monthly mentoring, multiple open Clinical Consultation Groups, Specialized Consultation Groups, and over twenty CEU-earning Clinical Trainings every year. We even offer one-on-one clinical consultations with our Clinical Director for staff struggling with particularly challenging or complicated cases.

Featured Training Programs & Consultations

CONSULTATION GROUPS

Peer support is invaluable when starting out as a new counselor. For this reason, we are dedicated to hosting a weekly Peer Consultation Group. Jill Hokanson, our Policy & Clinical Manager who has been with us since 2016, has led this group for years. She has a passion for supporting counselors through the vulnerable and uncertain times all counselors face. In this group, colleagues find friends, offer ideas, share their experiences, and grow as professionals.

Our Clinical Director, DeLinda Spain, leads weekly clinical consultation groups that are open to all staff several times a week. DeLinda has engaged in her own extensive training in her more than twenty years as a clinician and the counselors of Therapy Austin are fortunate to have her. In the safe container she creates, Staff Counselors find the support, education, and encouragement they need to grow into the self-confident practitioners they were meant to be. Their clinical acumen deepens and their clients benefit from the investment they make in these hours.

SPECIALIZED CONSULTATION GROUPS

In addition to the general consultation groups we offer, there are also some specialized consultation groups available to Staff Counselors.

Identity Consultation

Therapy Austin began hosting an “Identity Consultation Group” in June 2020 which is open for all staff counselors to attend. The group provides therapists the opportunity to explore the ways identity can impact a counselor and client’s experience in therapy. It was created to cultivate curiosity, reflection and understanding. It is led by Louise Sawaki who has been with Therapy Austin since 2017. Her wise, gentle and insightful presence sets the bar for deep exploration by the members.

EMDR Training

Due to its efficacy and burgeoning applications and despite it’s vague acronym, EMDR has become popular even with clients. Our resident EMDR expert, Christine Molina who has worked with clients at Therapy Austin since 2014, hosts an EMDR Consultation Group on alternating weeks. The great news is counselors don't have to be an EMDR clinician to partake in this informative group. Christine leads the group in EMDR case staffing, where counselors can enhance their EMDR skills or learn about a new modality available to aid their client's trauma work.

Fee Review Workshop

For any clinician who desires to work in a private setting, learning the art of reviewing and raising fees is a critical business skill with a clinical overlay. Lots of feelings come up all around when the idea of fee-raising is introduced! Our Clinical Director, DeLinda, has put together a comprehensive workshop along with meaningful and thought provoking reference materials that will help staff grapple with all the issues that arise around helpers and money. She even presents some varied scripts to try out when initiating this process with clients. All Staff Counselors are required to take this workshop as they enter their second year at Therapy Austin.

Group Leader Consultation

Effectively leading groups, whether for colleagues or clients, requires skill, training and ongoing consultation. Therapy Austin is privileged to have a Clinical Director who is also a certified expert group leader. For those staff leading consultations, teams, or psychotherapy groups, DeLinda hosts an ongoing consultation group where she teaches the basics of group dynamics and shapes the leaders into skillful guides.

Special Interest Groups

Therapy Austin hosts various limited-series, closed groups for our Staff Counselors who are interested in curriculum-based workshops. Over the years, the topics offered have included Couples Counseling, EMDR, and a Basic Skills Training group. 

CEU-Earning Clinical Trainings

Featured trainings include:

Counseling Gender Diverse Clients, Presented by Dr. April Owen, Psy.D.

An Introduction to NARM: The NeuroAffective Relational Model for Transforming Complex Trauma, Presented by Brad Kammer, LMFT, LPCC

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Best Practices for Clinical Documentation, Presented by Catherine Dilger, LPC

Embodied Resourcing: Engaging Ourselves & Our Clients Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Presented by Kelsey Eidson, LPC-Associate, NCC

Intro to Couples, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

The Troubled Waters of High Conflict Couples: Navigating Towards Effective Connection, Presented by Maria Spada, LPC

Transference and Countertransference, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Journey into IFS (Internal Family Systems) - A Deeper Dive, Presented by Jen Braafladt, LPC

Risk Management with Clients, Presented by Molly Mayberry, LCSW

Psychodynamic Theories, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Integrating Culture and Creativity into Counseling Practice and Advocacy Through Liberation and Intersectionality, Presented by Dr. Marlon Johnson, PhD, LPC (TX), LPC-MHSP (TN), NCC

Best Practices for Clinical Documentation, Presented by Catherine Dilger, LPC

Plot Twist: Working with Stories on the Margin, Presented by Akilah Riley-Richardson, MSW, CCTP

Coordinating Care, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Intro to Couples, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Increasing Therapy Success for Adults with ADHD and Autism, Presented by Christine Molina, LCSW

Accessing Witnessing Mind, Presented by Juliane Taylor Shore, LMFT, LPC, SEP

Destigmatizing and Demystifying Dissociation, Presented by Katie Barksdale, LPC

Meet Some of Our Trainers

Akilah Riley Therapy Austin

Akilah Riley, MSW, CCTP

Akilah Riley-Richardson, MSW, CCTP, RLT is a published researcher, therapist, facilitator as well as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She has been in clinical practice for sixteen years and has experience working with couples and persons practicing consensual non monogamy, both in the Caribbean and internationally. Akilah also specialises in work with sexual minorities and racialminorities. As an educator and facilitator, she has provided consultancy services to organizations such as NASTAD (National Alliance for State and Territorial AIDS directors), the Relational Life Institute, I-TECH (International Training and Education Center for Health) and CVC (Caribbean Vulnerable Communities). She has been a Social Work Educator at the University of the Southern Caribbean since 2012.

Angela Jensen-Ramirez Therapy Austin

Angela Jensen-Ramirez, LCSW-S

Angela Jensen-Ramirez is an LCSW-S licensed in both Texas and California to practice psychotherapy. She is an ICEEFT Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist and works primarily with couples/relationships and individuals that need support around relationship dynamics. Angela is also an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and integrates sex therapy and couples work to provide a holistic treatment for her clients. Angela is available for clinical consultation. You can reach her at angelaj@anewtherapy.org or visit her website www.anewtherapy.org.

Dr. April Owen Therapy Austin

Dr. April Owen, Psy.D.

April Owen, Psy.D. (she/her) is a clinical psychologist and gender therapist who obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from Auburn University and her Master of Arts and Doctor of Psychology degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver. After working for/with national, state, and county government agencies for many years, Dr. Owen (or “Dr. O” as her clients call her) began her own private practice in Austin, Texas in 2013, where she provided therapy primarily to LGBTQ+ youth and adults. She also designed and taught a course at St. Edward’s University on counseling LGBTQ+ clients, as well as a course on counseling gender-non conforming persons for the Queer and Trans Affirming Professional program. In 2022, Dr. Owen moved with her wife and son to Denver, Colorado where she took a role as the Director of the Transgender Center of the Rockies. She is currently opening a private practice in the Denver area. Dr. Owen is passionate about championing the needs and rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and she constantly strives to educate others on what these needs and rights are. She has given numerous trainings to professional groups and organizations on how they can become more affirming of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. Dr. Owen also spends some of her time participating in organizations such as Leadership Austin and Leadership Denver. She was formerly the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Out Youth, an Austin area non-profit serving the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, Dr. Owen was a recipient of an Austin Under 40 Award and of an Auburn University’s Women of Distinction Alumnae Award. 

Brad Kammer Therapy Austin

Brad Kammer, LMFT, LPCC

Brad Kammer, LMFT, LPCC, is a California Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Professional Clinical Counselor.  Brad trained as a Somatic Psychotherapist and has worked in the field of trauma for over 20 years, specializing in working with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD).

Brad began his career as a Humanitarian Aid Worker in Asia which introduced him to personal and collective trauma. He became passionate about supporting individuals and communities in the transformation of trauma. Brad has since focused his work on the integration of Somatic Psychology, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Relational Therapies and wisdom from Spiritual Traditions and Traditional Cultures. He has a special interest in the fields of developmental, cultural and intergenerational trauma.

Brad is passionate about bringing trauma-informed work to individuals and communities outside the clinical setting.  For nearly 20 years, Brad taught as a college professor at both undergraduate and graduate levels.  He has been involved in community education, outreach and consulting to numerous communities and organizations.  Brad has also been a trainer for Somatic Experiencing® (SE®).  And more recently, he began producing a podcast entitled: Transforming Trauma.

Brad is a Senior Trainer and Training Director of the NARM Training Institute.  He teaches the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) internationally and has provided consultation to thousands of therapists and other helping professionals around the world.

Brad lives in a small town in Northern California with his family where he enjoys anything involving nature, travel, music, food, and learning about and connecting with new people.

Websites: www.body-mindtherapy.com www.narmtraining.com

Email: bradkammer@narmtraining.com 

Christine Molina Therapy Austin

Christine Molina, LCSW

Christine Molina has been providing psychotherapy to adults since 2014 and specializes in EMDR therapy, neurodiversity, attachment and trauma. She loves helping people heal on a deep level and helping neurodiverse individuals thrive and love their brain!

In addition to counseling, Christine loves supporting therapists in their professional development and growth. She leads the biweekly EMDR consultation group at Therapy Austin and provides consultation and training through her private practice.

Christine is an EMDR Certified Therapist, EMDRIA-Approved Consultant, Senior Training Facilitator with Dr. Christie Sprowls, and Facilitator for an Advanced EMDR training on integrating EMDR with Ego State Therapy with Farnsworth Lobenstine.

Since moving to Austin in 2005, she has worked in social services, inpatient centers and outpatient settings—including the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Settlement Home, Austin State Hospital, Seton’s DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) Intensive Outpatient Program, Therapy Austin, and private practice.

Discover more about this Therapy Austin alum and her private practice here.

DeLinda Spain Therapy Austin

DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Senior Clinical Director

DeLinda Spain is an expert clinician and an enthusiastic educator. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Social Work, she has been honing her clinical skills in Austin for more than 20 years. DeLinda has always had a passion for learning and growing and has completed the DBT Intensive Training Program, attended the Center for Group Studies in New York City and is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist. Over her career, she has presented at several international conferences, covering a variety of clinical topics. Never one to back away from a challenge, DeLinda has also served as an adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Social Work, presented a training on group psychotherapy in St. Petersburg, Russia and in Romania, and co-founded an eating disorder clinic here in Austin. 

In 2018, she accepted the position of Clinical Director at Therapy Austin where she is deeply committed to providing support, consultation and encouragement to all of our counselors.  In her role, DeLinda offers clinical consultation to our counseling staff, both one-on-one and in groups, presents at multiple trainings throughout the year, and provides professional development mentoring to our Senior Counselors. With the gifts of experience, wisdom, approachability and compassion, she is a cherished director in our agency. Staff need never feel lost in a challenging case, because DeLinda is readily available, with a bright light to guide their way and a shoulder to lean on.

Jen Braafladt Therapy Austin

Jen Braafladt, Ma, LPC

Jen Braafladt is a licensed professional counselor in private practice working with adult individuals and couples.  She began studying and training in the Internal Family Systems (!FS) in 2019 and loves sharing her enthusiasm for IFS with others.  Jen is also passionate about working with couples and has trained in The Gottman Method (Levels 1 & 2), in addition to the IFS model of couples counseling, Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO).  

Juliane Taylor Shore Therapy Austin

Juliane Taylor Shore, LPC-S, LMFT-S

Jules has been in private practice specializing in trauma recovery and couples counseling for over 10 years. She is the Founder and Clinical Director of IPNB Psychotherapy of Austin, which is a post graduate training center for therapists in South Austin. She teaches Interpersonal Neurobiology, Trauma Recovery and Couples Counseling in many venues throughout Austin. Jules loves talking about therapy and teaching as much as she loves being with clients. She promotes relational and experiential work and is so thrilled to be a part of Therapy Austin's training team to help their budding clinicians improve their skills and confidence. When she is not in the therapy chair, she can be found having outdoor adventures with her husband and daughter, taking in a silly movie or reading the Harry Potter series again (yes, she's obsessed). Learn more about Jules and her practice here.

Katie Barksdale Therapy Austin

Katie Barksdale, LPC

Katie Barksdale is an individual and couples therapist specializing in complex trauma and dissociative disorders utilizing Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Internal Family Systems, Trauma-Focused Therapy, STAIR Method, attachment theory, and parts work. She is passionate about supporting survivors through their healing journeys as evidenced by over fifteen years of experience working with survivors of abuse and sexual assault. She has co-facilitated consultation groups centered on clinical work related to Trauma in Couples Therapy and has presented at the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors Conference. She is a walking library and enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge of trauma therapy, and discussing the intersections of trauma and sexuality. She's excited to empower therapists and clients with knowledge and curiosity.

Kelsey Blair Eidson Therapy Austin

Kelsey Blair Eidson, LPC Associate, NCC

Kelsey is an embodied and relational therapist artfully weaving somatic and movement therapies into her work with individuals and groups. In addition to a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling she completed a 3-year graduate level training program, Embodied Neurobiology, providing her extensive knowledge and skills in Dance/Movement Therapy (D/MT). 

This speciality has imbued Kelsey with insight from somatic psychology, creative arts and expressive therapies. With heart-full acknowledgment of the ancient and indigenous ways dance and movement have always been healing, D/MT also offers a bridge between ancestral wisdom and current research in neuroscience. Dancing in the space between art, science, and soul, Kelsey draws from these intelligences to harness creativity in the healing process through the sophisticated framework D/MT offers.

Kelsey holds the position of Senior Counselor at Therapy Austin and maintains a small private practice in ATX. She currently works with individual clients from a variety of backgrounds and frequently facilitates groups for mental health professionals focused on embodied self-care. She finds joy in creating spaces for others to engage with their own curiosities and experience their bodies as a resource for healing, inspiration, and growth.  Connect with Kelsey about workshops, groups, trainings and more: www.embodiedwillow.com

View Kelsey Blair Eidson's Profile
Maria Spada Therapy Austin

Maria Spada, LPC

Maria is a Senior Counselor at Therapy Austin specializing in couples. She earned her MA in Professional Counseling from Texas State University, interned at the YWCA of Greater Austin, and is certified as a Trauma Informed therapist through the Trauma Care Institute. Maria’s extensive Couple Therapy specialization trainings give her the ability to draw from several models including  EFT - Emotionally Focused Couple therapy, the Gottman Method, PACT - Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy, and RLT - Relational Life Therapy. Maria has always had a passion for teaching and training. In an earlier life chapter, she founded several businesses in the higher education field in Paris and London, where she created and administered educational curricula and training programs. Currently, Maria works exclusively with couples, a calling which she finds incredibly rewarding. She’s even been given the nickname “the couples whisperer” by a number of her clients.

View Maria Spada's Profile
Marlon Johnson Therapy Austin

Marlon Johnson, PH.D, LPC-MHSP, NCC

Dr. Marlon Johnson (He/Him) serves as licensed professional counselor at his private practice, Johnson Counseling and Consulting in Austin, Texas. Dr. Johnson’s clinical work centers Black mental wellness, queer and trans-inclusive mental healthcare, and community mental wellness activities. He utilizes Narrative and Quare theories to help clients feel seen and safe to explore their identities and experiences within the counseling environment. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, where he prepares individuals to become culturally-inclusive and spiritually-integrated Mental health professionals. Dr. Johnson trains students and scholars to think critically about cultural inclusion and advocacy, assessment methods, and career interventions. As a researcher and advocate, he integrates an intersectional framework while exploring Black and Queer identity development, gay male relationship longevity, strategies for racial healing, and mental health access and equity.

Mary Lynn Marinucci Therapy Austin

Mary Lynn Marinucci, LCSW-S, MBA

Mary Lynn Marinucci, LCSW-S, MBA is a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. Through her psychotherapy practice, Work.Life.Therapy, she helps clients cope better, feel more satisfied and enjoy more balance, at work and in life. With a focus on work and career issues and personal growth, Mary Lynn takes a holistic approach and recognizes that addressing issues in one area of life can have a profoundly positive impact on other areas. Mary Lynn is a former corporate professional and brings a unique and informed perspective on the realities of work life and their implications for the work of therapy. Her work is relational and grounded in Modern Analytics, interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, trauma-informed care and mindfulness. Clients describe Mary Lynn as curious, open, genuine, creative and pragmatic. Mary Lynn is inspired by everyday acts of courage, consideration, curiosity and integrity - qualities that often bring clients to the therapy room. Learn more about Mary Lynn and Work.Life.Therapy. at www.worklifetherapy.com.

Molly Mayberry Therapy Austin

Molly Mayberry, LCSW

Molly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and loves providing individual and family therapy in her Austin-based private practice. Molly’s 10 years of clinical experience includes working with adults, teens, families, and children in a range of settings including psychiatric inpatient and outpatient settings, non-profits, agencies (Molly is a TA alum!), and now private practice. Molly works with clients from an attachment, interpersonal neurobiology, and DBT lens, and specializes in complex, developmental trauma and how it tends to manifest in our day-to-day lives including people-pleasing, perfectionism, shame, anxiety, and crisis management. With these specializations, Molly tends to work with clients who often feel suicidal or in crisis. As a result, Molly has developed a strong passion for training and consulting with other clinicians regarding crisis management, safety planning, and decreasing the stigma and discomfort in therapy often associated with suicidality. You can learn more about Molly’s therapy services and consultation resources for clinicians here.

Ty David Lerman Therapy Austin

Ty David Lerman, PhD, LPC-S, CST, QTAP, Cht

Ty (he/him) is a clinical sexologist and sex therapist with a great passion for helping folks explore and celebrate their authentic selves, be it around sexual orientation, relationship structure, or being more comfortable with their sexual desires and expression. His clinical experience (starting in 2007) includes both private practice and agency settings, leading to an expansive clinical experience in numerous treatment topics, with an emphasis on issues pertaining to Gender, Sexual, and Romantic Diversities (GSRD) and anxiety. Ty completed his PhD in Clinical Sexology in 2023, is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, and holds numerous certifications: dual certification (AASECT and IICS) as a Sex Therapist (CST), a Queer and Transgender Affirming Professional (QTAP), and as a clinical hypnotherapist (CHt). He serves as Director of Curriculum for the QTAP certification, 3rd Vice President on the Board of Directors for Houston Group Psychotherapy Society (HGPS), and on the advisory board for the Contemporary Relationships Conference. His expertise has been sought out by publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Men’s Health, and Refinery29. Ty has been seen on television on “Great Day Houston with Deborah Duncan”, The Nightcap on FOX, and various news spots on ABC, NBC, and KHOU stations. He is honored to have been recognized as the “Best Male Mental Health Therapist” by OutSmart Magazine for five years. Outside the clinical world, Ty is truly blessed to have two amazing partners, is father to three Australian Shepherds, and proudly wears the moniker, “the orchid whisperer”. 

Work with us!