East Memphis Team Gallery

Trina Rogers is an associate Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-A). She believes meaningful change happens when people learn to relate differently to their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Trina creates a collaborative and reflective space where clients can explore their internal narratives, gain insight, and make lasting changes that improve their quality of life.

She works primarily with adults from diverse backgrounds and tailors her approach to meet each client’s unique needs. Her work integrates evidence-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Kimberly Wright, MS is a pre-licensed therapist with a decade of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy, talk therapy, and supporting special populations through an approach deeply rooted in research and neuroscience. She utilizes evidence-based methods such as Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI), alongside the creative arts, to help clients process painful experiences and alleviate their daily impact.

Dedicated to guiding individuals through intrusive memories and internal pain, she works closely with clients to enhance emotional regulation, build deep insight, and strengthen long-term resilience. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by past experiences, she provides a compassionate, nonjudgmental safe harbor where processing, growth, and lasting nervous system sovereignty are fully within reach.

Sonia Caram, NCC, is a dedicated mental health counselor committed to supporting individuals as they navigate the complexities of mental health struggles. She possesses extensive experience working with clients across a wide spectrum of needs—ranging from everyday stress and life transitions to more severe and persistent mental health conditions. 

Sonia’s clinical approach is deeply rooted in evidence-based practices. By integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness techniques, she helps facilitate meaningful and lasting change in the lives of those she serves. 

A Collaborative Space for Growth 

At the heart of Sonia’s practice is her commitment to creating a safe, supportive environment where every client feels truly heard, understood, and empowered. She believes that healing is a partnership, and through a collaborative process, she helps her clients:

Explore Experiences: Gaining insight into the personal narratives that shape their current reality.

Develop Coping Strategies: Building practical, real-world tools for daily life.

Master Regulation: Enhancing skills to manage stress and regulate emotions effectively. 

Sonia’s ultimate goal is to help her clients build the necessary skills to improve their overall well-being and move forward with confidence and clarity.

Donya Ahmadian is a medical student at St. James School of Medicine who has been with Forward since 2019 as a part-time coach and Internal Family System (IFS) Level-1 practitioner. Driven by a deep passion for mental health, social justice, and health equity, Donya aims to guide patients through a humanistic, patient-centered, and sacred approach to treatment. She holds a Master's in Public Health and is currently pursuing her Licensed Professional Counseling degree. Donya is excited to be completing her official internship at Forward, where she has experienced significant growth and learning, enabling her to better serve underrepresented populations. Through a unique interest in both psychotherapy and medicine, Donya hopes to serve as an advocate for the holistic health of patients under her care.

Believing in the transformative power of empathetic witnessing and connection, Donya strives to incorporate these elements as fundamental aspects of her practice and supports the development of programs that promote this approach. Her experience includes leading individual and group sessions with clients aged 12 and older, addressing issues such as body image, eating disorders, LGBTQIA+ health and wellness, anxiety, depression, depersonalization/derealization, ADHD, and various mood disorders.

Trained in various modalities, Donya creates individualized approaches based on client needs. Her areas of interest include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma-informed practices, mindfulness, and internal family systems. Committed to fostering a more equitable, inclusive, collaborative, and empathy-led therapeutic environment, she tailors her care model to each client's unique needs. With a heart dedicated to healing and a mind focused on understanding, Donya invites you to embark on a transformative journey toward wellness together.

Angela Knowles, a Licensed Master Level Social Worker, who brings a decade of professional experience in social work and therapy, starting in 2013. As a native Memphian, she understands the community deeply, having earned both her undergraduate degree from LeMoyne-Owen College and her graduate degree from the University of Memphis.

Angela specializes in providing therapy to a wide range of individuals, from children and adolescents to adult and geriatric populations. She is highly skilled in supporting clients dealing with addiction, anxiety, depression, anger management, trauma, and stress management.

Angela believes in building a strong therapeutic relationship and knows that one approach doesn't fit all. She uses a holistic framework, blending evidence-based practices like CBT and DBT with personalized techniques. Additionally, she holds impressive certifications as a Certified Family Trauma Professional and a Board Certified Bariatric Counselor, highlighting her commitment to integrated care.

When not helping clients, Angela enjoys spending time with her family or engaging in creative hobbies like crafting and creating Resin Art.

Angela is a highly valued part of the team as she pursues her final steps toward obtaining her Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) designation.

Kisha Doebler, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) brings a particular interest in those who are experiencing issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She is eager to apply her knowledge and passion for mental health care in a supportive and collaborative environment. She is dedicated to providing patient-centered, holistic care and believes in fostering strong therapeutic relationships to empower individuals on their mental wellness journey. She is excited to contribute to Forward Counseling's commitment to accessible and comprehensive mental health services.

We all experience this world in different ways. Joshua’s focus is to assist in gaining awareness of how internal and external interactions shape the experience. Through a nonjudgmental and compassionate approach, he forms a relationship that encourages trust and safety. In this space, we utilize insight and different perspectives to encourage and challenge you to make your desired changes. His goal is empowerment in discovering authenticity and increased fulfillment with your experiences. With a background in multiple levels of care, he provides a variety of tools for the work you choose to do. Whether you are working through anxiety, depression, trauma, or multiple variations of grief due to life changes, you don’t have to walk alone.

Dr. Marissa Gray joins Forward Counseling as a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She teaches at the Loewenberg College of Nursing as a Clinical Assistant professor of Mental Health Nursing. She previously served as the clinical facilitator and clinician at Midsouth Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has extensive experience in pediatric, adult, and recovery mental health, specializing in resilience, holistic wellness, and trauma-responsive psychiatric care with a focus on empowering self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Her interests lie at the intersection of advocacy, education, community networking, and program development. She intends to empower healthcare providers and leaders in interdisciplinary teamwork that promotes mental health, wellness, and resilience.

Cy Leist is a Licensed Master Social Worker passionate about helping people acquire the skills they need to reach their goals. His aim is to blend evidence-based practices with an emphasis on building a strong therapeutic relationship. Cy sees his clients as the master of their stories and as their own agents of change. He hopes to create a safe space where clients are free to be their whole selves, free of judgement. Cy has a background working with college students and young adults and finds that to be a population of special interest to him. He also loves working with the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. While he tries to tailor a treatment plan uniquely to the client, he favors several therapeutic approaches. These include humanistic therapy, solution-focused therapy, and CBT. These modalities are particularly effective for those experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem.

Cy graduated from Mississippi College with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2021. He then transitioned to the University of Memphis, where he received a Master of Social Work degree in 2023. Cy especially likes the “person-in-environment” (PIE) perspective upon which social work is built. Rather than simply looking at the individual person, Cy feels it is important to look holistically at the internal and external factors that may be contributing to a presenting problem. One of Cy’s core values is lifelong learning, and he is a strong advocate of cultural humility both in and outside of the therapy room.

Low self esteem, relationship problems, and communication issues can be incredibly frustrating to deal with. Nakicia is here to help clients on their journey to find and use their voices. She has over 10 years of experience working with children and families dealing with depression, anxiety, anger, behavior issues, and chronic medical conditions. She is here to work with clients in a variety of ways. Nakicia offers individual, couples, and family therapy.

Nakicia uses a variety of therapeutic process with an emphasis on Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. She believes in partnering with the families to reach desired outcomes during therapy. Nakicia is also a Gottman Trained Couples Therapist offering couples sessions.

Katherine approaches therapy with the goal of helping clients feel safe and comfortable to explore their needs and wants from a stance of empowerment.

She utilizes empathy, authenticity, creativity, and humor to create a warm atmosphere where clients can work through past issues, productively plan for the future, and encounter themselves honestly as each moment unfolds in the present.

Katherine works with clients ages 13+ and is skilled in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, body image, self-esteem, anger management, and transition issues. She also has specialized training and experience working with older adults with dementia and other cognitive and age-related changes. She also works with teenagers and adults of all ages who identify as LGBTQIA+ and is well-versed in helping clients who are questioning their identities, beginning the coming-out process, and/or transitioning. She is included as a recommended specialist for transgender mental health in the local OUTMemphis Resource Guide and can provide letters of recommendation for gender affirming medical treatment and surgical procedures.

In practice, she integrates therapeutic modalities of narrative therapy, somatic experiential techniques, emotion-focused therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and attachment theory and inner child work. Her approach is heavily informed by Feminist and Queer theories.

She attended Hendrix College and received a BA with Honors in Psychology and a minor in English. She then attended the University of Memphis to obtain an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, after which she obtained her Doctor of Education in Counseling (EdD).

Are you ready to grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually? Michael believes that every human being has the capacity and right to think, feel, learn, love, and to grow into one’s maximum potential. He helps clients develop the coping skills, motivation, self esteem, confidence, and perspective taking needed to face struggles within and outside of one’s self.

He utilizes a variety of therapeutic approaches, including but not limited to experiential, humanistic, person centered, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, solution focused, motivational enhancement, and acceptance and commitment therapies.

Dr. Wanderman is a health advocate and doctor who utilizes progressive and effective techniques and considers his clients’ health from a Holistic Perspective. He believes that healing occurs when the whole person—body, mind, and emotions, are considered.

Dr. Wanderman has been in practice for over 45 years. His philosophy of practice is that there must be a partnership between patient and practitioner with open communication going both ways. He uses conventional medicine as well as nutrition, vitamins and supplements, and incorporate other alternative modalities when needed. His concern is overall health, and his goals are to keep clients off of medication whenever possible, and to teach clients how to be and stay at their healthiest.

Krystle is a caring and friendly LENS Neurofeedback technician who takes pride in not only listening to her clients, but making sure they feel truly heard.

Krystle was certified in LENS Neurofeedback at Ochs Labs. While she has always had an interest in psychology and the functions of the human brain, she did not realize her calling in brain health until she began LENS Neurofeedback for herself, here at Forward Counseling.

After seeing the results of LENS Neurofeedback sessions on her own brain health, Krystal realized how much it could help others who are struggling. As a former Chief Financial Officer of a women’s shelter for domestic violence victims, she immediately saw the need for LENS Neurofeedback in communities like these that are suffering and may not have fair access to innovative resources to treat debilitating symptoms of trauma and PTSD.

Krystal works with clients with all backgrounds and mental health diagnoses. She is fascinated with how effective LENS Neurofeedback has been for a number of clients with a diverse list of diagnoses, including herself, and is passionate about spreading the awareness and accessibility of invaluable brain health services like LENS Neurofeedback. Click here to learn more about LENS Neurofeedback!

Jessica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LENS technician, and the founder/CEO of Forward Counseling. She has over 10 years of experience working in the clinical mental health field in various settings and is a leader in holistic mental health care. She believes in treating and curing the symptoms a client may be experiencing by looking at and treating their entire system as a whole.

Jessica does LENS neurofeedback sessions as well as trauma therapy. She oversees our Trauma IOP program, where she helps clients who have experienced trauma and PTSD receive proper diagnoses and outline treatment plans which integrate various sessions together into one course of treatment! Neurofeedback can address and resolve symptoms from issues such as ADHD, addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, bodily pain, neurological issues, balance issues, and sleep problems.