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:

An Updated Model to Understand and Treat Addiction, Presented by Dr. Daniel Hochman

Subtle Acts of Exclusion, Presented by Briona Jenkins

 Inclusive Disordered Eating Treatment, Presented by Neathery Falchuk, LCSW-S, CGP

Best Practices in Clinical Documentation, Presented by Gena St. David, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT-S

Suicidality & Self Harm, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Introductions to Internal Family Systems, Presented by Lindsey Lucius, LCSW-S

The Gottman Approach to Relational Trust Recovery, Presented by Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD

Understanding Non-Monogamy and BDSM, Presented by Adam MacDonald, LCSW 

A Brief Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Presented by Jonathan McNutt, LPC

A School of Unlearning: A Therapist's Guide to Trauma Recovery, Grief and Healing, Presented by Juliane Taylor-Shore, LPC-S, LMFT-S

Gender and Sexuality: A Review and Putting It into Practice, Presented by JP Cardenas, LPC-Associate

Introduction to the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), Presented by Lindsey Lucius, LCSW-S

Depersonalization: A Deeper Look at a Misunderstood Phenomenon, Presented by Julia Shirar, LPC-Associate

DBT Part 1: Acceptance Skills, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS 

Couples Panel, Presented by Amelia Canally, LCSW, CGP, Toya Foster, LPC, Sara Miller, LPC-A, Maria Spada, LPC-Associate

The Counseling Advocate: A model for therapeutic alliance through the Counselor-Advocate-Scholar model​, Presented by Marlon Johnson, Ph.D., LPC-MHSP, NCC

Disenfranchised Grief: The Underappreciated Loss Experience, Presented by Emily Harrison, LPC

Current Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Culture versus Disability​, Presented by Scott Allen, PsyD

DBT Part 2: Change Skills, Presented by DeLinda Spain, LCSW, CGP, CEDS

Meet Some of Our Trainers

Akilah Riley Therapy Austin

Akilah Riley, MSW, CCTP

Akilah Riley-Richardson, MSW, CCTP 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.

Amelia Canally Therapy Austin

Amelia Canally, LCSW, CGP

Amelia has been working in private practice and agency settings as an individual, couple and group therapist since 2000. She enjoys the ongoing learning and evolution within a private practice and the vitality and flexibility that come with the work. She loves working with couples because there is never a dull moment-so much potential for connection, attunement and repair. And it can be fun! She is trained in Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT), Somatic Experiencing and EMDR. She is married with three kids and has called Austin home since 1998. Learn more about Amelia's private practice here

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.

Christine Molina Therapy Austin

Christine Molina, LCSW

Christine has been practicing psychotherapy since 2014 and brings a broad range of experience to her work as a counselor, consultant and trainer. Before becoming a therapist, she worked for social service agencies and medical centers where she discovered a passion for mentoring, training and helping others succeed professionally. In her clinical roles, Christine has worked in inpatient, intensive outpatient, and outpatient treatment centers—including Settlement Home, Austin State Hospital, Seton’s DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) Intensive Outpatient Program, Therapy Austin and private practice. Christine loves helping people heal on a deep level and helping those with ADHD thrive. She is EMDR Certified, an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and a level 2 AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) therapist. Discover more about this Therapy Austin alum and her private practice here.

Daniel Hochman Therapy Austin

Daniel Hochman, M.D.

Daniel Hochman, M.D. is a nationally recognized Psychiatrist who brings a holistic approach to addiction. He understands that addiction is driven by underlying issues, and incorporates several therapeutic modalities into his treatment.

He is board certified in General Adult Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Hochman has worked in and taught addiction in a range of clinical settings, including private residential programs, the University of Colorado, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is the Past President of Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility. Dr. Hochman has been invited to train and speak for a range of organizations, including Whole Foods and NAADAC, the largest organization for addiction-focused healthcare professionals. His NAADAC lecture remains the most attended in its history. He is the creator of self recovery.org, a revolutionary online addiction recovery program for people looking for holistic, affordable, evidence-based help from the privacy of their home. He has a private practice where he treats people that have not fully responded to other forms of treatment, and serves as affiliate faculty at Dell Medical School.

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.

Gena St. David Therapy Austin

Gena St. David, PH.D., LPC-S, LMFT-S

Dr. Gena St. David, LPC-S, LMFT-S specializes in Trauma Therapy, EMDR, Play and Filial therapies, Relational Cultural Theory, the Enneagram, and Spiritual Health. Gena's background includes agency and private practice settings, working with veterans, Spanish-speaking families, juvenile justice, child welfare, and supervising behind the one-way mirror. Her current work includes consulting with pastors, families, and faith communities on reconciling LGBTQ affirmation with Christian scripture, in addition to serving as Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Christian Ministry and Vocation and teaching in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree (CACREP-accredited) program at the Seminary of the Southwest.

Jonathan McNutt Therapy Austin

Jonathan McNutt, LPC

Jonathan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and considers himself to be a “hybrid” counselor, in that his approach to counseling integrates dynamic relational work with behavioral and skills training methods. His eclectic approach to counseling is shaped by a wide range of experiences in and outside of the helping field, including his previous work as a crisis hotline advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline and as a freelance musician and composer, his extensive practice of mindfulness meditation including attendance of 15+ silent meditation retreats ranging between 1 and 10 days in length, and his personal experience with a wide range of therapy methods and self-help approaches. Jonathan has formal training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and David Burns’ TEAM-CBT. Jonathan’s professional experience as a counselor includes facilitating groups in intensive outpatient settings for substance use and mental health issues, as well as providing counselling to individual adults in outpatient settings. 

At Therapy Austin, Jonathan has provided individual counseling to adults as well as  mentoring and training to fellow therapists. Trainings Jonathan has created and presented at Therapy Austin include an introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and an 8-week CBT Skills Training course, which provided training in cognitive therapy methods as well as  communication skills training methods. 

Jonathan’s is passionate about integrating different models of therapy as well as creating training and handout materials that make complex concepts related to therapy and mental health practical and accessible.

View Jonathan McNutt's Profile
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.

Kara Nassour Therapy Austin

Kara Nassour, LPC

Kara Nassour is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in anxiety, depression, self-esteem and LGBTQ+ issues. She is especially passionate about promoting acceptance and clinical competency for asexual and aromantic clients, and is an organizer for Aces in Austin, an asexual support and social group. Kara has worked or volunteered at Therapy Austin, Out Youth, the Austin Center for Grief and Loss, and Capital Area Counseling, and is now focused on private practice at Shaded Bough Counseling.

Lindsey Lucius Therapy Austin

Lindsey Lucius, LCSW-S

Lindsey Lucius, LCSW-S is an attachment-focused therapist working primarily through the lens of IFS and EMDR. She spent 6 lovely years at Therapy Austin as a Therapist and Staff Coordinator.   After having a child in 2017, she ventured into private practice, where she works individually with adults who have relational trauma and/or Complex PTSD.  Her time mentoring staff at TA inspired a passion for providing Clinical Supervision to LMSWs.  Warm, genuine and down-to-earth, Lindsey leads with her highly sensitive heart.  She is excited to return and train on two of her favorite models of therapy:  IFS and NARM!  You can learn more about Lindsey here.

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 serves as a faculty member at Seminary of the Southwest. He grounds his work as a therapist and counselor educator through both a Narrative and a Critical Pedagogical framework respectively. Marlon’s clinical background includes community mental health counseling for families within the foster care system, Child-Centered Play therapy, group interventions for adolescents experiencing resistance and trauma, and college and career readiness counseling within rural communities. Marlon remains passionate about mental health access and equity, counselor identity development, and the intersections of faith, race, and sexuality within the counseling space.

Mary Lynn Marinucci Therapy Austin

Mary Lynn Marinucci, LCSW-S, MBA

Mary Lynn Marinucci, LCSW-S, MBA is a psychotherapist based in Austin, TX. Through her practice, Work.Life.Therapy, she helps clients find meaningful ways to address problems that show up at work and make the most of their work and life. As a former corporate professional, she brings a unique and informed perspective on the realities of work life and their implications for the work of therapy.

Neathery Falchuk Therapy Austin

Neathery Falchuk, LCSW-S, CGP

Neathery Falchuk (they/them) is a queer, genderqueer, Latinx therapist, licensed clinical social worker and supervisor, certified group psychotherapist, certified Body Trust® provider, and certified meditation teacher. Neathery is the owner of Ample and Rooted, an inclusive psychotherapy, consulting, and training practice specializing in working with LGBTQ+ communities, eating disorders, body shame, sex and sexuality, gender, relationship concerns, trauma, mindfulness, giref and loss, and substance use. Neathery is a past President of Central Texas Eating Disorder Specialists, past board member of Austin Group Psychotherapy Society, and past board member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health. Neathery lives in Austin, TX with their wife and pups and enjoys hiking, meditation, sipping coffee on patios, and starting and never finishing books.

 Ample + Rooted, as an inclusive therapy practice, cultivates a safe and welcoming space of compassion and connection. At Ample + Rooted, we believe it is our birthright to inhabit, trust and honor our physical and emotional selves without shame. We believe in cultivating a healing home for the whole you and that this healing and belonging is profoundly vital in creating a more equitable and just world. We believe compassion, pleasure and embodiment lead the way toward healing and liberation.

 The practice is rooted in Health at Every Size®, Body Trust®, fat-positive, sex-positive, LGBTQ+ affirming, harm reduction, trauma-responsive, culturally responsive, and anti-oppressive frameworks. 

 For more information, please visit: www.ampleandrooted.com and follow us on IG: @ampleandrooted

Noah Garcia Therapy Austin

Noah Garcia, LPC-S

I am a Latinx, neurodiverse, queer, nonbinary trans man (more specifically, bigender), and therapist. I operate from a trauma informed perspective with a social justice lens and anti- oppressive framework. I am also fat positive, sex positive, neurodiversity affirming, LGBTQIA+ affirming, poly, ethical non monogamy, and kink affirming and am allied with those engaged in sex work. I also strongly believe in harm reduction.

I studied at the University of Texas at San Antonio for both undergrad and grad school, graduating with honors from the honors college with a BA in Psychology and BA in Criminal Justice in 2006 and a MA in Counseling in 2010. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Board Approved Supervisor (LPC-S) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) with over a decade of experience providing individual, group, family, and couple’s therapy across a variety of levels of care including in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, mobile crisis outreach teams, community mental health agencies, and non-profit organizations. I have also worked as a utilization reviewer for a PHP/IOP program and as a utilization manager at a health insurance company.

As a member of several marginalized groups, I both understand and appreciate what it means to struggle. In my work with clients, my goal is to assist those who don't have a voice find theirs and support those who would otherwise not seek therapy for a fear of judgment. I currently provide both individual and group therapy to adults. I specialize in working with the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly the transgender and gender diverse community, although have come to realize that my actual specialty is what I call “unf**king our socializations.” In addition to this, since we are more than our gender and sexuality, and as a result of my previous professional experience, I work with a variety of mental health concerns. Some of my most favorite to work with are general life transitions, issues of identity, mood disorders, neurodivergence, anxiety disorders, PTSD & trauma, and grief and loss. Although working with clients is my primary passion, providing consultation and education to other clinicians on gender is a real close second. I am passionate about facilitating the gender journey of therapists of all genders who would like to gain a more nuanced understanding of this work, to create more options for competent and affirmative support for my community. I also run a weekly therapy podcast, NextQuest Podcast (available on all major podcast providers!), however am currently taking a break from recording new episodes in favor of work on other projects. In my free time, I thoroughly enjoy saltwater fishing, being the keeper of many spreadsheets, and a dog dad to my two loving pups, Batty and Zion.

Vagdevi Meunier Therapy Austin

Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD

Vagdevi Meunier, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas. She has a private clinical and consulting practice in Austin where she specializes in relationship therapy, intensives, and retreats, professional training and supervision, and organizational consultation. Vagdevi has extensive experience with multicultural psychology, especially eastern influences on psychological practice, and cross-cultural research on relationships. Vagdevi has over 30 years of experience as a therapist, consultant, and educator. Vagdevi has been a certified Gottman Couples Therapist and workshop leader since 2006. As a Master professional trainer for the Gottman Institute, Vagdevi has presented workshops and retreats to professional and lay audiences in the US and abroad. Vagdevi incorporates mindfulness, relational neuroscience, and positive psychology into her presentations on relationships, and has published several book chapters and articles on the Gottman method of couples therapy.

Vagdevi is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Relationships, a community counseling, training, and outreach center that specializes in promoting flourishing relationships in all spheres of life based on best practices in relational neuroscience. The Center for Relationships is committed to public and professional education and outreach through innovative programs such as Care Week and AskTheSexperts.

Vagdevi is also the founder and President of Sukha International, Inc, an international coaching, consulting, training, and wellness travel organization that specializes in holistic psychology, spiritual growth, and eastern wellness practices. Through Sukha International, Vagdevi offers retreats, workshops, and consultations to helping professionals with a focus on integrative and holistic perspectives on wellness and self- development. She is passionate about helping individuals, partners, teams, and organizations develop flourishing and authentic relationships to self and others. 

Work with us!