Our Providers
Center Director | Clinical Mental Health Therapist
Brittni received her master’s degree in Community Counseling from Winona State University. Brittni is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Brittni is a board-certified counselor through the National Board of Certified Counselors, maintaining her National Certified Counselor (NCC) board certification and credentials. Brittni is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S) through the National Play Therapy Association, representing advanced level expertise and clinical skills, evidenced by ongoing clinical practice and continued education, in the field of play therapy, qualifying her to provide clinical supervision to Register Play Therapist (RPT) credentialing applicants. Brittni is an approved supervisor through the State of Minnesota’s Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, qualifying her to provide clinical supervision to Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) applicants and licensees and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC) applicants applying by the conversion method or general method. Brittni is level one trained in Theraplay©. Brittni is DC 0-5 trained. Brittni is Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) trained. Brittni is currently completing the required PCIT clinical consultation, as she works towards becoming a Certified PCIT Therapist through Parent Child Interactive Therapy International. Brittni has completed her training to include additional advanced level training, cohort consultation, and supervision for Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy®. Brittni was vetted for competencies in trauma, attachment, adoption, and permanency related considerations concurrently demonstrating background, education and practice focus necessary to help those touched by adoption, foster care, and kinship care to connect, heal, and thrive in March of 2016 by the MNAdopt’s Help Program and continues to maintain her adoption competent MNAdopt connected therapist status with the MNAdopt Help program. Brittni is currently one of two MNAdopt Help Program adoption competent therapist in the Southeastern region of Minnesota that encompasses fifteen counties. Brittni has experience collaborating with various state and county level entities as an active contributor to the development of a pilot program aimed at increasing the capacity of early childhood mental health providers serving children birth to five years of age within Olmsted County in the state of Minnesota.
Brittni is a National Board for Certified Counselor International Registered Mental Health Facilitator Master Trainer. Brittni participated in the inaugural Rwanda Mental Health Facilitator Capacity Development Program in Kigali, Rwanda in August of 2015. Brittni co-facilitated the Mental Health Facilitator Training in the 2016 Haiti Trauma Project in Croix-Des Bouquet, Haiti in collaboration with Global Trauma Research Inc. and The Haitian American Caucus-Haiti. Brittni collaboratively developed a level two trauma training with four other clinicians from around the globe in 2017 and was part of the implementation team with Global Trauma Research Inc. that piloted the program in Croix-Des Bouquet, Haiti in December of 2017. Brittni continues to collaborate and work with various domestic and international organizations to implement mental health and trauma informed trainings domestically within USA communities and internationally in countries that have experienced significant trauma or hardships.
Brittni has worked in various clinical settings within the mental health field to include in-home treatment aimed at increasing the daily functioning of adults living with mental health and behavioral concerns, a psychiatric unit within a hospital setting with individuals of all ages experiencing a mental health crisis, clinical research within a university setting, and providing therapeutic services in an outpatient private practice setting to children, adults, and families. Brittni has experience working with many populations including early childhood, elementary aged children, adolescents, adults, and families. Brittni’s training and expertise focus on therapeutic issues include children experiencing out of home placements, adoption, attachment, trauma, self-regulation and an array of mental health and behavioral challenges. Brittni’s special interests are children experiencing out of home placements, children involved with the foster care system, and adoption. Brittni has a passion of integrating play therapy and other experiential modalities and techniques into treatment.
As the Founder and Center Director of Birchlawn Place Counseling Center, INC Brittni provides play therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, parent coaching, reunification work for children and their families, and parenting assessments. In addition to providing clinical services, Brittni provides an array of professional services including professional consultation, case consultation, trainings, continued education, and licensure supervision. Brittni believes that an integral part of providing holistic and innovative services is dependent on providing a safe place while fostering connections, emotional wellness, healing, and a sense of community within the children and families she works with.
Clinical Mental Health Therapist
Michaela received her dual master’s degree in Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Michaela is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Registered Art Therapist. Michaela’s education and training focus includes trauma-informed mental health services, medical art therapy, depth psychology, and exploring the clinical implications of integrating a combination of bibliotherapy and art therapy into service delivery. Michaela is passionate about continued education and professional development and has plans to expand her services upon joining Birchlawn Place Counseling Center, INC by beginning the rigorous education, training, and clinical supervision required to become an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified Therapist.
Michaela began her counseling career in the state of Virginia, gaining clinical experience in diverse clinical settings within the mental health field that include an academic setting, partial hospitalization program, residential treatment program, an acute inpatient hospital setting, and a burn/trauma unit in a hospital setting. It was through these diverse clinical practice experiences in which Michaela provided services to adolescents presenting with severe mental health needs or in crisis, that Michaela developed a passion for adolescent mental health. Through Michaela’s extensive clinical experiences, she identified the need for and importance of integrating adolescents’ mental health journeys into their family systems. Michaela has experience working with adults, adolescents, children, families, and various diverse populations. Michaela’s career has afforded her the opportunity to gain advanced clinical experience working with the military population, the LGBTQIA+ community, the adoption community, and individuals living with complex physical and emotional trauma and diverse mental health diagnoses. Michaela’s time at Birchlawn Place Counseling Center, INC provided her the opportunity to develop clinical competencies in offering reunification services and co-parenting services. Michaela strives to partner with clients and additional service providers when necessary to make art therapy an accessible resource to all individuals.
Michaela integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Informed Therapy, Bibliotherapy, Narrative Therapy, Depth Psychology, and Art Therapy in her clinical approach. Vital components of Michaela’s treatment approach are cultural competency, equality, accessibility, and inclusivity. Michaela values and enthusiastically integrates a person-centered, strength-based, and collaborative approach into care, tailoring her therapeutic approach to each individual and family’s needs. Michaela is passionate about empowering teens in their mental health journey and assisting families in learning, growing, and healing as they unite with their child in a collaborative process.
Clinical Mental Health Therapist
Cadie received her master’s degree in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota. Cadie is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Cadie is a board-certified counselor through the National Board of Certified Counselors, maintaining her National Certified Counselor (NCC) board certification and credentials. Cadie has completed advanced training in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based therapy, that utilizes structure and cognitive-behavioral therapy interventions from a trauma informed lens while working with individuals who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma and stress related conditions. Cadie has extensive training and experience in co-occurring disorders, supporting individuals living with or in recovery from co-existing mental illness and substance use disorder. Cadie has training in LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health services.
Prior to clinical practice, Cadie worked in high schools, adult education centers, and colleges to assist individuals with college preparation and career counseling. Cadie has worked in several clinical settings, including her current clinical setting in an outpatient private practice setting, with historical clinical experiences within outpatient mental health and substance use agencies, residential treatment facilities, and extensive experience offering telehealth services on various online therapeutic service platforms. Cadie has experience working with many populations including adolescents, families, and adults. Cadie’s clinical experiences and expertise includes working with clients with a range of concerns including complex trauma, survivors of abuse and domestic violence, depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsivity, emotion regulation, behavior modification, personality disorders, codependency, relationship issues, stress management, goal setting with implementation of intentional follow through strategies, co-occurring disorders, addressing the complex and individualized needs of individuals and families living with substance use or in recovery from substance use, and LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health services.
Cadie is passionate about providing support, guidance, and empowerment to diverse individuals facing life challenges and transitions. Cadie’s passion for supporting diverse populations within her clinical practice, contributed to the development of Cadie’s passion and special therapeutic focus on providing LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health services. Infusing her passion intentionally into her LGBTQIA+ affirming mental health services by offering a non-judgmental safe place to explore gender identity or expression, explore sexual orientation, thinking about and planning to come out, identifying and managing gender dysphoria, identifying and treating depression, anxiety, and trauma resulting from discrimination or bullying of LGBTQIA+ individuals and the LGBTQAI+ community, and exploring the intersection of individuals living their truth, concurrently honoring their emotional well-being and healing process in pursuit of true authenticity and optimal mental health. Cadie values providing a nurturing and safe space to process, explore, and problem solve together. Utilizing trauma-informed care and evidence-based interventions, Cadie takes a collaborative approach walking alongside her clients to develop therapy goals and objectives that are measurable, assisting individuals in their healing, while working towards fulfilling their highest potential.
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Krissy received her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the College of St. Catherine. Krissy is a licensed Occupational Therapist in the state of Minnesota. Krissy is a board certified occupational therapist through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and holds her Occupational Therapist Registered credential. Krissy is a trauma-informed Occupational Therapist and completed a yearlong psychotherapy training from the Center of Self Leadership where she successfully completed the Level 1 Internal Family Systems (IFS) certification. Krissy is a certified HeartMath Practitioner, who utilizes biofeedback technology to teach the children, adolescents, and adults how the mind, body, brain, and emotions can return to balanced alignment. Krissy has obtained the Therapeutic Listening certification as well as completing Soundsory® training. Both of which are sensory motor based auditory programming and technologies. Krissy maintains a Certificate of Proficiency in the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based Model (DIR®/Floortime™) which promotes the child’s development through a respectful, playful, and joyful process. DIR®/Floortime™ utilizes the power of relationships and human connections to promote engagement, communication, positive behaviors, and thinking. Krissy has extensive background and training in a variety of sensory integration techniques and approaches. Krissy has a special interest in feeding and eating difficulties, having completed a variety of trainings and certifications including trainings focusing on special and complex feeding populations.
Krissy has practiced in several pediatric settings that include outpatient rehab, home care, and the public-school systems. With over fifteen years in the occupational therapy field, Krissy has extensive training, experience, and expertise in treating and working with general developmental delays, visual motor difficulties, and visual processing difficulties, learning and attention disorders, sensory processing difficulties, coordination disorders, functional fine motor, and mental health concerns. Krissy is dedicated in exploring the relationship between the effects of trauma on the nervous system, specifically the sensory system and how that uniquely emerges in the child’s daily activities, relationships, and environments. Krissy is excited to be a part of the multidisciplinary team at Birchlawn Place Counseling Center, INC, allowing her to collaborate with mental health clinicians dedicated to holistically addressing mental health concerns and the general wellness of the children and families they service.
Our Staff
Clayton Timmerman
Chief Operations Officer
Senior Executive Administrative Assistant
Chloey is our Senior Executive Administrative Assistant at Birchlawn Place Counseling Center, INC. Chloey received her Bachelor of Sciences degree in Psychology and Family Sciences from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Chloey is currently a full-time student at Winona State University, working towards obtainment of a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Upon completion of her graduate studies, Chloey, will complete two years of clinically supervised practice within the mental health care field. Upon completion of her clinically supervised practice, Chloey plans to pursue obtainment of clinical licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor through the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy. Prior to joining Birchlawn Place Counseling Center, INC, Chloey worked in various non-profit organizations in program development and case management positions assisting at risk youth and youth experiencing homelessness.