Meet our team
Our team has been serving Elm Grove, Brookfield, Milwaukee, and Waukesha areas for nearly two decades. We are a team of well-versed therapists, covering a multitude of concerns related to mental health, addiction, and eating disorder work. Even though every therapist has their own style and flair within the therapy space, the common goal is to grow in healing with our clients, while continuing to serve our local community.
Alexandra Smars
MA, LPC
Alexandra Smars, MA, LPC believes that healing begins when an individual feels safe, validated, and comfortable. Alexandra works with teens and adults that are struggling with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, grief, work and/or school concerns, trauma, military members, military families, individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, and adjustment concerns. She uses a variety of treatment modalities including Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client Centered, and Motivational Interviewing. Alexandra has a variety of life experiences including working at higher levels of care and has served in both Air Force active duty and Air National Guard. Having been in the military, she has a wealth of understanding as to what service members and their family struggle with. Alexandra looks forward to learning about her clients and how they can work together to find solutions.
Cassaundra Brzeski
MS, LPC-IT
Cassaundra’s primary goal as a therapist is to work collaboratively with clients to create concrete and meaningful change. She believes in recognizing the complex intersections of identity that shape one’s lived experience and strives to create a therapeutic experience wherein clients feel seen, heard, and respected as unique individuals. Cassaundra believes you are the expert of your story and enjoys assisting clients in finding and using their inner gifts to grow, heal, and overcome challenges. Cassaundra draws from a variety of approaches in order to meet the specific needs of each client. Some of these include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, attachment theory, humanistic, and person-centered approaches.
Cassaundra has experience working with clients facing a wide variety of challenges such as depression, anxiety, eating disorder concerns, obsessive-compulsive disorder, LGBTQIA+ and gender identity issues, interpersonal relationships, adjustment concerns, trauma-related stressors, intimacy concerns, and low self-esteem. Cassaundra sees adolescents (14+) and adults.
Cassaundra obtained her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from Mount Mary University. Cassaundra holds certification as a National Counselor and is licensed as a Professional Counselor–In Training.
Catherine Dupar Skelly,
LCSW
Catherine Dupar Skelly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience working with adults, children, couples and families is various professional settings including private practice, Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs, therapeutic child day treatment, child welfare and community-based programs.
Cathy practices from an insight oriented, cognitive behavioral perspective. She integrates methodologies and techniques from cognitive behavioral, interpersonal and psychodynamic therapies to offer a personalized approach tailored to each client. With compassion and understanding, she works to create a safe and trusting environments for individuals to share their challenges and work toward their wellness goals.
Cathy's areas of practice include grief/loss, depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma, LGBTQIA+, relationship challenges and fertility issues. She has also worked with those impacted as first responders and has expertise in helping those impacted by adoption and foster care.
Elizabeth Johnson, LMFT
Elizabeth Johnson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who is passionate about helping families, couples, and individuals work through life’s challenges.
Her specialties include: hoarding, marital/relationship concerns, depression, anxiety, family therapy, and life transitions/adjustments. Elizabeth works from Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) and Family Systems therapeutic approaches to help clients understand their presenting problem in the context of unhelpful thought processes and their overall environment.
Treatment plans are individualized to each client and created collaboratively. Elizabeth believes the decision to seek therapy is a courageous one and meets each client with care and compassion.
Haley Lemire, LPC, NCC
Haley believes healing comes from embracing emotional vulnerability, confronting avoidance and fears, seeking discomfort while increasing self-acceptance, self esteem, and self compassion. Haley strives to empower clients to see their full potential while providing a non-judgmental, supportive environment for clients to work through challenging life stressors and circumstances. Haley utilizes an eclectic approach incorporating a variety of modalities including Client-Centered Approach, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Response and Prevention (ERP), Solution – Focused Therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and incorporation of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills. Haley has experience working with adults struggling with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and OCD. Haley is also passionate about working with individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, interpersonal adjustment issues, trauma-related stressors, and relationships/couples. Haley obtained her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. Haley has a certification in Trauma Informed Care, holds certification as a National Counselor, and is licensed as a Professional Counselor.
Outside of helping others, Haley spends her time cheering on the Packers, Bucks and Brewers as well as enjoying time with her partner, friends, family and cats.
Jen Phillips-Kubek,
Office Manager
Navigating the path to mental wellness can be challenging, but with Jen as your guide, you're never alone. As the Office Manager, Jen recognizes the significance of taking care of your mental health and acknowledges that your journey encompasses more than just sessions with your therapist. She is committed to addressing the various aspects that contribute to your overall well-being before and during your care.
Jen possesses extensive expertise in customer service, administrative operations, and insurance billing. She is dedicated to fostering an environment in which everyone feels secure, valued, and acknowledged, whether she is handling phone inquiries, responding to emails, or managing front desk interactions.
Her goal is to ensure you feel comfortable and confident every step of the way, so you can focus on what truly matters—your path to healing and growth.
Joe Halaiko, MS, LPC, NCC
Joe believes in the power of creativity and possibility. He works with adolescents, adults and couples to develop treatment goals tailored to your needs. He has experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship concerns, and career discernment. He has a heart for people who manage chronic health concerns. He uses an integrated approach drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), person-centered, existential and narrative theories.
Meredith Stoner Heath
LCSW, SAC
Meredith Stoner Heath is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Substance Abuse Counselor who works with both adolescents and adults experiencing a variety of troubles in their lives.
Meredith helps individuals work through depression, anxiety, and addictions. She also helps her clients with mood management, relationship problems, LGBTQ and gender identity issues, life transitions, work-life balance, anger management, and general health and wellness. She knows that when clients feel safe and accepted, they are able to make the most change. Her empathy, compassion, and honesty promote a healing environment where her clients feel open to share their feelings and struggles. Utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused strategies, Meredith collaborates with clients to develop individualized goals that will help them make the changes they desire in their lives and improve their overall health and well-being.
Sariya Treske, LPC
Sariya is a licensed professional counselor working with children (ages 7 and up), adolescents, families, and adults to address trauma, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, stress, adjustment concerns, and parent/child conflict. She believes every person and situation is unique and through collaboration, Sariya creates specialized treatment plans to meet each client's needs. She strives to create a safe space for clients by being non-judgmental, compassionate, empathetic, and is an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. Sariya seeks to empower clients to overcome challenges and meet their goals by incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy, expressive therapy, motivational interviewing, and person-centered theories.
Sariya obtained her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Northwestern University. Her professional experiences includes outpatient therapy, in-home behavioral health therapy, and crisis intervention in a hospital setting.
Sue Kalensky
LPC, ICS, NCC
Sue Kalensky has over 30 years of experience in the field of mental health. She possesses a strong passion for working with clients who struggle with mental health issues, the disease of addiction, and gambling concerns. Her focus is working with adults, couples and substance abuse group facilitation. Caring deeply for the well-being of her clients, Sue will walk beside them every step of the way, but will hold them accountable for their recovery. Her open and honest approach works well for clients dealing with issues of marital/relationships concerns, military, co-parenting, and adjustment to life challenges. She also has experience and passion in working with the LGBTQIA+ community.
Sue will meet her clients where they are and has a strengths-based and direct approach to facilitate change and growth in her clients. She uses solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapy, client centered therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills to assist her clients in their therapeutic journey.
Susie Condon
LPC, CSAC
As a professional counselor, Susie believes in people’s potential to grow and become stronger versions of themselves. It is a personal goal of hers to help each client work toward a life that they find meaningful and fulfilling. She operates through a client centered and humanistic lens, focusing on individual personal strengths. She focuses her work on creative exploration and communication of emotions, situations, and relationships. She specializes in addiction work, helping clients to overcome challenges with substances, creating plans to avoid relapse, and developing a life that they find meaningful and worthwhile.
Susie’s practice focuses not only on the physical role of mental health, but also on the spiritual and emotional roles that mental health can play in a person’s life. She also works with clients regarding relationship concerns, codependency, communication issues, depression, anxiety, life transitions and adjustments, grief and loss. It can be challenging to share your story with another person, so Susie appreciates the opportunity to work with you and help you grow in your story.