Therapists

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• Chérie was born in Las Vegas and traveled the world for the first five years of her life before she moved to Grand Rapids. Other than a quick stint in Colorado and a few years of living in Marquette in her adult life, she has lived in Grand Rapids for the majority of her life and calls it home. 
• She received both her Bachelor and her Master of Social Work degrees from Grand Valley State University. Chérie chose social work as her profession to help empower and advocate for oppressed individuals and communities. She is passionate about social justice (has a special place in her heart for food justice), dismantling systems of oppression, and decolonization. As a woman of color (who is aware of her white passing), who grew up in poverty, and who was also a teenage single parent, she has a lot of personal understanding about how systems are set up for certain groups of individuals to "fail" in this capitalistic society. In her social work career, Chérie is most proud of creating and facilitating the Thrive Empowerment Program, a program created for women with children, in which she walked alongside mothers as they furthered their education, started a business, built up assets/resources, learned budgeting, created community, built self-confidence, learned new coping skills, etc.
• Chérie strives to create a supportive and safe environment where healing and personal growth can take place. She works with both adults and couples from diverse backgrounds who are seeking support in various aspects of their lives. Whether you're facing relationship difficulties or individual struggles, she is there to support you on your journey towards self-actualization. Chérie is straightforward (in the kindest way possible), nudges you (while respecting your boundaries), and strongly believes in the power of building a trusting therapeutic relationship to facilitate self-exploration that leads to a more fulfilled life. She is passionate about assisting individuals in their pursuit of emotional well-being. Her therapeutic style is collaborative, strengths-based, and rooted in evidence-based practices. She also has training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
• Outside of work Chérie enjoys spending any time that she can with her adult son, her daughter-in-law, and her grand dog. Chérie finds solitude and peace in nature and especially enjoys beach days, hiking in the woods, kayaking, and camping. She finds a lot of joy in traveling, music/going to concerts, and building/strengthening community. 

• Contact Chérie directly: 
• Phone:  (616) 315-0730

Email: celahl@northeastgrcounseling.com

• Elizabeth is a fully Licensed Master Social Worker Clinical (LMSW-C) in Michigan and a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC). 
• She graduated with a master's in social work (MSW) from Western Michigan University in 2018. 
• During her career, she’s worked with numerous non-profit organizations providing reproductive health counseling, harm/risk reduction services, grief and cancer support, mental health care, and substance use treatment. 
• As a member of the LGBTQA+ community, Elizabeth takes pride in providing identity affirming and celebratory care. She lives in West Michigan with her family and is non-religious/secular.

• Contact Elizabeth directly: 
• Phone: (616) 213-3434
• Website: www.elizabethjosey.com
• Email: elizabeth@elizabethjosey.com

• Austin graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2010 with her Masters in Social Work and recently earned a post-graduate certificate in Affirmative Therapy from Widener University in 2021. 
• Austin is enrolled in the University of Michigan's Sexual Health Certificate Program and is pursuing a sex therapist certification. 
• Austin has worked in the clinical social work field for over ten years, with more than six of those years practicing in an outpatient therapy setting. 
• Prior to outpatient, Austin also worked in community mental health, school settings and home based work.
• Austin's favorite part about being a therapist is building relationships with clients. Austin believes that this relationship is one of the most important parts of therapy and she feels privileged to be able to be a part of her client's lives during their work together.
• In her time outside of the office, Austin enjoys running and cooking with her spouse.

• Contact Austin directly: 
• Phone: 517-673-5693
• Website: www.agonzaleztherapy.com
• Email: austing.lmsw@gmail.com

• Rachael is native to Michigan. She graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2010 with her Bachelors in Social Work (BSW). As a BSW she worked for two years gaining experience with adults, children, teens and families providing case management and supportive counseling services to runaway youth, families with children with intellectual disabilities and adults with severe and chronic mental illness. She then graduated in 2013 with her Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) and earned my SPADA graduate certificate (Speciality Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse). 
• Rachael has had the honor to meet many people from different walks of life throughout her career. Some of these experiences include: mental health crisis stabilization, serving as a home-based and community based therapist for individuals and families experiencing significant mental health symptoms, foster youth, medical social work, and outpatient therapy.
• One of Rachael's favorite parts of being a therapist is the honor to hear people's stories and walk beside them for a chapter of it. Rachael says "I believe everyone already has the strength, resiliency, and inner knowledge they need within themselves to reach their goals - I'm here to guide you to discovering it."

• Contact Rachael directly: 
• Phone: (616) 330-5822
• Website: www.rachaelmathiak.com
• Email: therapy@rachaelmathiak.com

• Kim moved to West Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to attend Grand Valley State University where she pursued both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. 
• Kim is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience working with youth, families and adults in their homes and in the outpatient setting. Her areas of practice include, but are not limited to: working with youth, young adults and families with the clinical focus of trauma related disorders, anxiety, depression, mood disorders and adjustment difficulties.  
• In addition to specializing in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) and traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Kim utilizes Psychodynamic therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Mindfulness Based approaches to meet her clients’ needs.
• She is a passionate and empathic therapist who strives to create a safe and comfortable environment to allow individuals to work on becoming their genuine selves.  

• Contact Kim directly:  
• Phone: (616)-951-1161 

Email: kscherencel@northeastgrcounseling.com

• Rachel is a born and raised Grand Rapidian. She graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2013 with a Master’s of Social Work. Prior to starting private practice, Rachel worked with individuals, families, and couples in outpatient clinics, community mental health, and medical settings in a variety of roles, including case manager, therapist, and clinical supervisor. She has been a full-time therapist since 2017.
• Rachel views her role as therapist as that of partner and coach. YOU are the expert on your life, and she invites you to partner with her to reach your goals and move from surviving to thriving. She is a firm believer in each person’s goodness and ability to reach their full potential, despite life’s inevitable changes. Rachel strives to create a comfortable atmosphere where clients can be themselves without judgment.
• Outside of the therapy office, Rachel enjoys spending time in nature, traveling, thrift-store shopping, and practicing yoga. During her downtime, Rachel is often found out in the woods, or curled up with a good book with her dog, Sadie, by her side.

• Contact Rachel directly: 
• Phone: (616) 287-0830

Email: rlettinga@northeastgrcounseling.com