Our Team
LAUREN SUMMER, MA, LPC
she/her
Owner, Clinical Director
Lauren is an Arizona native living in Portland. She completed her Master's in Counseling at Lewis & Clark College with a focus on LGBTQIA studies. Lauren uses DBT, ACT, Gestalt and Existential modalities in her practice, and has worked with a wide variety of issues including anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, ADD/ADHD, borderline personality disorder, chronic pain, and grief and loss.
BYRD MCDONALD, MA, LPC
he/him
Clinical Supervisor
Byrd’s approach is grounded in existential-humanistic, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and narrative frameworks. He supports individuals navigating depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, body image issues, and trauma—including PTSD and complex trauma. He has deep experience affirming queer and neurodivergent clients, as well as those whose identities and lived experiences fall outside dominant cultural narratives. Byrd also brings a particular sensitivity to working with men who feel out of step with societal expectations, helping them navigate self-discovery, emotional openness, and personal growth. His previous work in documentary filmmaking informs his deep respect for each person’s unique narrative and fuels his belief in the healing power of being truly seen and heard.
Byrd also works with couples, including those in polyamorous and non-traditional relationship structures, supporting partners in strengthening communication, navigating challenges, and building resilient relationships.
As a clinical supervisor, Byrd’s approach is responsive to each clinician’s stage of development, blending practical support with opportunities for personal growth and therapeutic innovation. He helps supervisees build confidence, sharpen their skills, and discover their unique clinical voice.
LEAH SOBIECK, MA, LPC
she/her
Licensed Professional Counselor
Before becoming a counselor, I was engaged in community development and affordable housing work across Oregon. I practice from a humanistic, relational-cultural framework and incorporate principles from acceptance and commitment theory (ACT) in my work. Inspired by my certified yoga and somatic training, I integrate body-based movement, nervous system and emotional regulation, and mindfulness skills to help clients understand what feels supportive in their bodies. My clinical practice has focused on serving those experiencing grief and loss, complex trauma, chronic pain/disability, life transitions, anxiety, depression, chronic shame, ADHD, and psychosis. My own experiences have taught me to appreciate how challenging and transformative growth can feel. As someone with an invisible disability, it brings me joy to support disabled folks and others, in establishing congruent connections to themselves. I bring my full self into counseling by creating a warm, adaptive, and creative environment that allows folks to unfold and be their authentic selves.
NAVYA JANAPATI, MA
she/her
Professional Counselor Associate
I approach counseling using a Relational-Cultural approach (RCT) and the Internal Family Systems model (IFS), with some somatic integration as needed. I aim to help clients in their exploration of relationships and their social/cultural context to guide our collaborative work and identify values or goals. It is important to foster acceptance of ourselves, to heal from self-doubt and to give ourselves grace. My clinical experience focuses on areas such as caregiver of origin issues, shame, identity work (including varied cultural values/influences), family, relationship conflicts, and trauma processing. As a woman of color myself, I hope to center people of color and those with multicultural backgrounds. Being a child of South Indian immigrants in the U.S, I've been immersed in Eastern and Western cultures. Life is uniquely challenging for us all, and I hope to re-establish a sense of comfort and or re-empowerment in oneself and in one's resilience.
MADDIE CURTIS, MA
she/her
Professional Counselor Associate
Maddie is compassionate and curious, utilizing a collaborative approach grounded in existentialism, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and somatic psychotherapy. She supports clients in exploring the intersection of their holistic selves and environment by using a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, and social justice-oriented framework. Having a particular interest in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Maddie brings a nuanced understanding of how OCD can manifest. She has professional experience working with neurodivergent, queer, and polyamorous folks as well as individuals navigating complex trauma and various life changes. Through her integrative approach, Maddie encourages clients to create meaningful change by embracing uncertainty, fostering psychological flexibility, and promoting the embodiment of their authentic selves. She prioritizes creating a safe space for growth, healing, and empowerment. Prior to counseling, Maddie taught yoga for local shelters and supported various therapy processes for autistic kids.
MEGHAN MILLS, MA
Professional Counselor Associate
With a background as a pelvic floor therapist and health coach, Meghan takes a biopsychosocial (body-mind-relational) approach to counseling. She blends somatic therapy with internal family systems (IFS)/“parts work” and integrates modalities from attachment, existential, and feminist theory. Meghan works with clients navigating chronic and persistent pain (including pelvic pain for all genders), anxiety, complex PTSD, family-of-origin trauma, peri/menopause, chronic illness, and neurodivergence — especially gifted and highly sensitive people (HSPs). She strives to create a warm, collaborative space where clients feel deeply understood and can build self-trust and resilience.
she/her
CAM COOK
he/they
Counseling Intern
Cam’s approach is grounded in both Existential-Humanistic and relational perspectives. They draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as it encourages personal growth through recognizing our inherent strengths and resilience as well as exploring meaning and alignment with our values. Cam brings humor and authenticity to therapeutic spaces and enjoys using art and creative expressions in their approach. They support clients in the exploration of the complexity of their life with curiosity, respect, and compassion grounded in gender-affirming, trauma-informed, and social justice frameworks. They have professional experience working with individuals in recovery from eating disorders, as well as navigating body image concerns, identity exploration, depression, anxiety, and suicidality. They are very passionate about body liberation and creating an affirming space to foster identity exploration.
HEATHER DALE
she/her
Counseling Intern
You are the expert on your own life. I believe in working together to create change that feels authentic and meaningful to you. Your unique background, relationships, and experiences are valuable parts of who you are, and I want our work to honor all aspects of your identity. I work from a relational and psychodynamic approach, which means we'll explore not just what's happening now, but also look at patterns in your relationships and how past experiences might be showing up in your present life. Sometimes understanding these connections can help you feel more in control of your emotional responses and relationships. While we'll certainly address challenges and struggles, I'm equally interested in your strengths and what's already working in your life. I also believe our bodies hold important information about our emotions and experiences. Paying attention to what you notice in your body can be a powerful tool for understanding yourself and staying present. I hope to create a space where you feel seen and understood while keeping your values and hopes for change at the center of our work. I recognize that broader systems and social forces impact all our lives, and I aim to acknowledge these realities while supporting your personal growth and healing.
ERICA-RENEE CROPPER
she/her
Counseling Intern
Erica-Renee takes a person-centered, trauma-informed approach to therapy. She believes each client’s lived experience is the foundation of the work and views clients as the authorities on their own lives. She strives to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients can explore emotions, identity, and relationships at their own pace. Her work is collaborative and grounded in emotional safety, pacing, and regulation. Erica-Renee supports clients in building awareness of their emotional and bodily experiences and gently reflects patterns that may support clarity and understanding. She is attentive to how family systems, religion, and past experiences can shape emotional well-being, particularly during times of transition, grief, or uncertainty.
Erica-Renee works with individuals navigating anxiety, disordered eating, negative body image, religious trauma, grief and loss, identity exploration and relational or family stress. She brings warmth, curiosity, and steadiness to the therapeutic relationship and believes healing happens through understanding, empowerment, and meaningful connection.
ANGELA BRISTOW
she/her
Counseling Intern
Everyone has a story shaped by their complex identity, cultures, and experiences. Many of us have been told we are not good enough or have been made to feel that our pain and full personhood make us “too much.” How do we find our way in a system that continues to harm us? Developing intentional understanding and connection with our story is vital to regaining agency, authenticity, and purpose. I support clients coming into their present, full experience in a way that honors their journey and in building a meaningful life.
My approach to counseling is collaborative and relational, and I incorporate warmth, creativity, and humor. I practice within the theories of Gestalt, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and Narrative therapy with somatic integration. I work with adults around life transitions, values, highly sensitive persons, environmental grief, religious trauma and deconstruction, high achievers, anger, third culture kids, depression, and anxiety. My prior experience is in birth work, hospice care, and environmental education.
LEAH STONE
she/her
Counseling Intern
Leah is completing her Master’s in Counseling at Lewis & Clark College, and earning a certificate in Ecotherapy. She takes a holistic, collaborative, client-centered approach to counseling with a deep respect for the complexity of being human and the healing power of nature. Her work is grounded in humanistic existentialism, transpersonal therapy, ecopsychology and Indigenous perspectives and teachings. Leah integrates Internal Family Systems with somatic, creative and Earth-based practices, supporting clients in processing past experiences while attending to how they show up in their current lives, and building reliable foundations for facing life’s challenges. Believing people are inherently good and doing their best with the resources they have, Leah meets clients with deep presence, compassion, curiosity and non-judgment. She holds a safe and grounded space for her clients to be fully witnessed on their unique healing path.
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With a background in Wilderness Therapy, Leah supports clients experiencing grief, loss, trauma, shame, anger, depression and anxiety. As an immigrant herself with an international background, she is attuned to diverse cultures and especially passionate about supporting those navigating traumatic grief, ambiguous loss and multicultural identities, including immigrants and Third Culture Kids. Outside of work, Leah enjoys time in nature, playing with her puppy and exploring new foods.
SALENA KEYS-KUKORICZA
she/her
Counseling Intern
My therapeutic approach is rooted in an integrative, humanistic, and schema theory lens. I believe we are essentially made up of the stories that we tell ourselves. With that as the foundation, I see not only the stories that comprise our lived experiences but also the layers and stories that have accumulated across generations, cultures, and societal norms. I have experience working with shame, complex trauma, ADHD, depression, and anxiety. As a biracial queer person, complexity and intersectionality have shaped my lived experience and allowed for flexibility within my practice. I support my clients through curiosity and nuance, helping them explore acceptance in all aspects of themselves and creating a safe space for true authenticity.
ZOOEY HATJES
they/she
Counseling Intern
Zooey is an Indigenous, queer, non binary therapist who graduated from Portland State University with a major in psychology and a minor in Indigenous Nations Studies. They pursued additional education in Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK). Zooey worked at Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) for three years fostering healing through Indigenous cultural knowledge for adults living with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) and as a Youth Peer Support Specialist. In their current masters program at Lewis and Clark, Zooey has received training through the Transcendence Project, providing gender affirming therapy for trans, non binary and gender diverse clients.
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Zooey works within liberation psychology, relational cultural therapy and restorative justice frameworks. Using a trauma informed lens they have experience working with C/PTSD, grief/loss, anxiety, depression, identity formation, suicidality, self harm and racialized trauma. Zooey incorporates an understanding of the intersectionality of systemic violence and how it interacts with generational and historical trauma. Zooey brings their humor, curiosity and compassion into the therapy room creating a safe, collaborative environment to develop resiliency and empowerment.
Non-Clinical Staff
AERYKA DENTON
she/they
Operations Manager
With 15+ years of public and private office operations experience, I've made a career out of making people's jobs easier and improving operational efficiency at organizations from education, finance and tech to government. This has given me a treasure trove of niche technical, leadership, and organizational skills which converge at Holistic Healing PDX and serve to meet the constantly evolving demands of managing the back-office operations of a mental health group practice. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to play a small role in supporting this great organization and our awesome clinical team as they provide a valuable service to our clients and community.
