The Kentucky Psychologist

Episode 22: Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an internationally-known expert on personality change.Dr. Sauer-Zavala is an author, speaker, and scientific consultant. As an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky, she runs clinical trials testing cutting-edge interventions that harness the power of personality change to alleviate common mental health conditions, particularly borderline personality disorder.Dr. Sauer-Zavala received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UK in 2011; she completed her predoctoral residency at Duke University Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University. Dr. Sauer-Zavala is well-regarded in her field. She has co-authored over 120 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and an academic book on personality. Her research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Canadian Institute of Health Research, and the Templeton Foundation. Her work is internationally respected – in 2023 alone, Dr. Sauer-Zavala was invited to give keynote talks at mental health conferences in Sydney, Australia and Cambridge, UK. She also has also worked closely with the Canadian government to develop a mental health prevention program from cadets training to become Royal Canadian Mounted Police (i.e., “Mounties”) officers.Dr. Sauer-Zavala is also the Founder and Director of Compass Mental Health Training & Consulting, through which she has been invited all over the country and the world (Ireland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Canada) to train therapists in the potent, parsimonious interventions she tests in her research. She also maintains a small private practice through Compass.

Where to find Dr. Sauer-Zavala

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Episode 21: Dr. Kyrai Antares

Bio:
Kyrai (key-rye) Antares earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University. She also earned her Master's Degree in Depth Psychology and her Bachelor's Degree in Eating Disorders Counseling. Anti-racism and anti-oppression are at the heart of Kyrai’s professional work in private practice, consultation, and in teaching/training. Kyrai's specialties include complex post-traumatic stress disorder, disordered eating, racial identity development, adoptive/foster narratives, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and perfectionism. Her integrative treatment modalities include depth and psychodynamic approaches, polyvagal theory, A.R.T. (Accelerated Resolution Therapy), attachment theory, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), relational-cultural theory, multicultural feminism, parts work, and cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition to private practice, Kyrai teaches counseling theories at Midway University.

Description of your current work setting:
I work in private practice and I teach one course at Midway University

What is your involvement with KPA?:
I am a KPA member and I am a board member for KPF

Episode 20: Dr. Demi Lincoln

Dr. Demi Lincoln (she/her) completed her Psy.D in Clinical Psychology at Spalding University in 2023. Dr. Lincoln currently works as a Psychologist at Compass Counseling and Psychological Services, a private practice in Louisville, KY. Her clinical interests include interpersonal and complex trauma, interpersonal dysfunction, anxiety, depression, gender and sexual identity development and working with LGBTQIA+ folks. Dr. Lincoln takes an interpersonal and collaborative approach to therapy with the goal of staying curious, guiding clients to find autonomy in their life choices, and developing and utilize skills to live a meaningful life. Dr. Lincoln serves as adjunct faculty for Spalding University where she teaches courses such as Social Psychology, Introduction to Intervention, and Introduction to Therapy Practicum. Additionally, Dr. Lincoln is proudly part of the KPA board of directors, currently serving as the At-Large Member. Outside of work, Dr. Lincoln loves to spend time with her husband and dog, thrifting, and taking care of her garden and worm farm.

Description of your current work setting:
I currently work at Compass Counseling and Psychological Services private practice in Louisville, KY where I see adults with a variety of presenting concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, interpersonal difficulties, phobias, and identity exploration.

What is your involvement with KPA?:
I was the KPA graduate representative (2021-2023). I have attended Psychology Day at the Capitol twice as a graduate student. I am currently an At-Large Board member and I serve on two committees; the Early Career Psychologist committee and the Convention committee.

Episode 19: Dr. Ashley Belcher

Dr. Ashley Belcher is originally from a small town in West Virginia. She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. She was active in several campus groups and voted president of the university’s chapter of Psi Chi National Honor Society her senior year.Dr. Ashley moved to Louisville to attend Spalding University and earned her Masters of Arts and Doctor of Psychology degrees from Spalding University School of Professional Psychology. During her time in graduate school, she gained valuable experience working in a wide array of settings including schools, inpatient psychiatric, memory care, forensic residential, and a university counseling center. During her training at Spalding University, she specialized in Health and Pediatric Psychology and developed integrated clinical skills in interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) while delving into attachment theory research and completing her dissertation on the effects of attachment styles and health behaviors, which has informed the care she provides as well.As her formal education came to a close, she sought out a pre-doctoral internship in health psychology, and thus completed her Pre-Doctoral Internship at WellSpan Health in York, Pennsylvania. There she spent half of her time in a rural integrated primary care setting and the other half in an urban community mental health setting. During this year, she trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI). Dr. Belcher and her family moved back to Louisville to settle and develop strong relationships within the Louisville Community. She completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Pediatric Psychological Associates, a private practice here in Louisville, and remained employed there as a full-time psychologist for a year and half. She has enjoyed the privilege of working with a diverse clientele, and each person with a unique story and problem set. Additionally, she has had the freedom to expand her clinical practice to include supervision of assessment practicum students, integrating aspects of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) into her clinical work, and attending specialized training in perinatal psychology.Most recently, Dr. Ashley sought specialist training in treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, achieving her Perinatal Mental Health Certification through Postpartum Support International. After working in several different healthcare settings, she recognized the healthcare disparity for this vulnerable population, especially LGBTQIA+ families and families of color. This stoked her passion to provide people in these groups with the most informed treatment possible. Dr. Belcher’s belief in resilience of the human spirit drives her passion for providing care. She dedicates herself to developing a strong collaborative and empowering relationship with her patients. She is also skilled in collaborating with parents/caregivers, schools, and other providers and professionals to understand how problems arise within the context of each unique situation.

Description of your current work setting:
Clinical psychologist at Be Well Kentucky, a private practice in Louisville, Kentucky.

What is your involvement with KPA?:
I am the Clinical Interest Representative and was recently involved in a focus group geared toward increasing membership and value of a KPA membership.

Episode 18: Dr. Lucille Garder

Dr. Gardner is an alumna of Rutgers University where she studied psychology and music. She earned a MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Indiana State University, and a MA and PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University. She completed her internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she worked with college students and survivors of political torture, before completing her postdoctoral fellowship within Student Wellness at The University of Chicago. Dr. Gardner has trained in a wide array of mental health settings including residential treatment, juvenile detention, community mental health clinics, private practice, and college counseling centers; settings in which she has used her strong generalist skills and training to wedge herself in between trauma and multiculturalism. Dr. Gardner is an integrationist. She believes in the nature of collective healing and the value of being grounded in both identity and community. Thus, her approach to therapy (thinking about, teaching about, and doing) is collaborative, contextually informed, trauma informed, justice oriented, affirmative, and prioritizes liberation. She seeks to center those marginalized by systems that have far long deferred fault. Dr. Gardner works to reconcile the relationship between evidence and practice for oppressed people as she establishes her place in the field of psychology through clinical work, leadership, and in the classroom.

Episode 17: Dr. Katie McBride

Katie McBride (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Psychologist with an integrative psychotherapy practice in Louisville, Kentucky. Since receiving her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Miami University, she has cultivated a number of clinical specialties that include PTSD, Complex PTSD & developmental trauma; dissociative disorders, anxiety, and mood disorders, as well as divorce consultation and therapy. She has been passionate about applying innovative, evidence-based and emerging treatment approaches to highly complex and daunting clinical problems. She has completed training across a range of therapy modalities that integrate mindfulness and somatic-emotional processing approaches to access the deep brain and body. Most recently, she has pursued the integration of yoga into therapy practice. She participated in a 200-hour yoga teacher training (2016-2017) and in 2022 completed a 300 hour certification course for Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY).Dr. Katie McBride served on KPA’s Board of Directors since 2014 in various capacities, including as Interim Executive Director and Director of Professional Affairs. She especially enjoyed discovering the broad and tangible reach of KPA’s advocacy to protect broad areas supporting health and mental healthiness, as well as to preserve the unique professional identity of psychology in Kentucky. In 2021 she received the Schuster Advocacy Award and in 2022 she received a KPA Presidential Citation for extraordinary leadership during a time of significant turmoil.

Current work setting:
Independent practice

Involvement with KPA:
Minimal currently, history of lots :-)Convention Committee 2023; (various other years)DPA 1/2019-12/21; Interim Executive Director 08/19-11/20; Presidential cycle BoD 01/2016-12/2018; Regional Rep 01/2014-12/2015

Episode 15: Brenda Arellano

Brenda Arellano, M.S., L.P.A., is a bilingual (Spanish and English) Licensed Psychological Associate. At Be Well Kentucky, Brenda specializes in providing empirically-supported treatment for individuals of all ages suffering from OCD and anxiety. Brenda also treats individuals suffering from eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trichotillomania, excoriation and behavioral difficulties. She is trained in delivering various empirically supported interventions, including Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Interventions. Outside the therapy room, Brenda enjoys advancing psychological science. Brenda is embedded in the psychological community and has been invited to speak on topics related to mental health, OCD treatment and child treatment, as well as asked to review research articles for publication, and has been published in the Courier Journal.

Description of your current work setting:
Be Well Kentucky (BWK) is a group private practice specializing in evidence-based care for individuals with OCD, anxiety and eating disorders and intensive treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders. BWK has physical locations in Louisville and Lexington and serves individuals throughout the commonwealth via telehealth and in various states via PSYPACT.

What is your involvement with KPA?:
Brenda serves as the at-large representative on the Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA) board of directors, serves as Chair of the KPA continuing education planning and development committee and is an active member of the KPA communications committee.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arellanobrenda/

Episode 16: Dr. Laurie Grimes

Dr. Laurie Mount Grimes was most recently the Director of Professional Affairs and Legislative Agent for the Kentucky Psychological Association. She served as DPA from 2013-2018 and returned to the KPA staff in September 2022 to take on the Legislative Agent position, then resumed the DPA post in July 2023. Dr. Grimes is a pediatric psychologist in Louisville, Kentucky where she has had a private practice, served as the Director of Psychological Services at Open Arms Children’s Health, and started an integrated behavioral health program in an outpatient pediatric rehab clinic. From 2019-2020 Dr. Grimes held the post of clinical child psychologist through the Department of Defense (DOD) school system on the NATO Air Force Base in Aviano, Italy. Dr. Grimes earned a BA at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, completed an MPH at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, and was awarded a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Vanderbilt University Department of Psychology and Human Development.

Episode 14: Dr. Collin Davidson

Collin Davidson, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and Certified Financial Therapist-I who specializes in helping people to navigate financial stress, anxiety, and conflict. Dr. Davidson aims to provide the highest quality evidenced-based care and is an active participant in scientific process, having published over 20 peer-reviewed articles. He is licensed to provide care in Minnesota and Kentucky and is the Ohio River Region Representative on the Board of the Kentucky Psychological Association.

Current work setting:

Dr. Davidson works for a mental health tech company, Lyra Health, that provides evidenced-based therapy services worldwide. He also has a private practice focused on financial therapy and anxiety treatment.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-davidson-phd-lp-abpp-2b118684/

Episode 13: Dr. Ben Birkby

Dr. Birkby is a clinical and sport psychologist. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Spalding University in Louisville, KY and went on to complete his internship at the acclaimed Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. He received undergraduate and graduate level training in sport psychology and is a certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Making use of his research, clinical, and sport training, Dr. Birkby currently holds three positions. He is the director of the research and program evaluation team at REACH Evaluation, a company dedicated to creating a world informed and empowered by data for the greater good. As a child and adolescent clinician, Dr. Birkby provides therapy in an outpatient clinic called StrongMinds one day a week. He treats a wide variety of conditions and challenges, often focused on anxiety and OCD. And he co-founded and co-owns a part-time sport psychology consulting company called Strive, where he provides mental performance coaching to athletes, teams, coaches and parents.

Where to Find Dr. Birkby: 

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-birkby-psy-d-3aa853133

X (formerly Twitter):
@StriveSkills

Instagram:
@Strive_Mental_Skills

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/StriveMentalSkillsTraining