HEATHER RISK & ASSOCIATES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker ( She / Her )
Aimee Mau is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked extensively with children and families during the past two decades with specialization in meeting the needs of those
impacted by trauma. She has experience implementing evidence-based therapies with
Alexandra Kelly, M.S. is currently a doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology
Job Titles:
- Licensed Psychological Practitioner ( She / Her )
Angela Combs is a Licensed Psychological Practitioner who has over two decades of clinical experience working with children/adolescents, families, and adults with a specialization in trauma. She is an Affiliate Member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). Specific areas of clinical interest and experience include complex trauma, traumatic grief, high-risk teen behaviors, autism spectrum, eating issues, identity concerns and relationship issues. She has a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from The University of Kentucky and obtained an undergraduate degree in psychology from Kent State University. Ms. Combs has extensive experience providing evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies and assessments, caregiver risk assessments for the child welfare system, and psychological testing for adults and children. She also has a broad range of experience in trauma-informed training for child welfare workers, the court system, mental health providers, and foster/adoptive parents and providing trauma-informed supervision to graduate students and mental health professionals. Prior to private practice at Heather Risk and Associates, Ms. Combs worked at the University of Kentucky's Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC) in both the Child and Adolescent Trauma, Treatment, and Training Institute (CATTTI) program and at the Comprehensive Assessment and Training Project (CATS). While at CTAC she also served in a Director of Education role. Ms. Combs also worked for several years at University of Kentucky's Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic providing evidenced-based treatments to adolescents, adults and families with various mental health and relationship concerns. Angela is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment for Emotional Disorders, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Functional Family Therapy.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Psychologist ( He / They )
Dr. Gustman (he/him/his) is a licensed psychologist in Colorado, and a certified school
Job Titles:
- Licensed Psychological Associate ( She / Her )
Caity Merritt is a Licensed Psychological Associate who earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology at Union College. She has a background of working with various age groups including early childhood, middle childhood, adolescents, and adults. Ms. Merritt has experience providing treatment to clients with a wide range of mental health diagnosis including: trauma histories, behavior management, substance abuse, and dual diagnosis. She has been practicing Psychology for 7 years with a combination of providing both therapy and psychological testing. Caity has a history of working in both inpatient and outpatient facilities. She has experience working in community based mental health, residential mental health, intensive outpatient, and hospital settings. Ms. Merritt is passionate about serving the mental health needs of the public with a focus on treating trauma survivors. She is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral therapy and operates utilizing framework from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy.
I've spent over 40 years working in health care. I'm a certified Medical Technologist and have worked in labs as a bench tech, an educator, and a laboratory manager. I moved into the Health Care Information Technology field in 1996 where I managed the clinical applications for multiple hospitals providing every day support, leading upgrades for existing application, and the implementation of new applications. In 2001, I traded my home base hospital support for a position with a large IT company implementing applications for hospitals through out the US and Canada. During that time, I obtained my Project Management Certification with PMI. In 2016,I left my full-time job for part-time consultation work, and in May of 2018, I joined Heather Risk and Associates.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Psychologist ( She / Her )
Dr. Graham is a Licensed Psychologist who is assisting Dr. Risk's practice by completing psychological assessments. After completing her undergraduate work and earning a Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology at Morehead State University, Dr. Graham continued her education at Spalding University where she earned a Doctorate of Psychology. Dr. Graham also completed an APA accredited internship at Kentucky River Community Care in Eastern Kentucky. Currently, Dr. Graham works full time for the Veteran's Administration as a Clinical Psychologist working in Home-Based Primary Care. Dr. Graham is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorder and Prolonged Exposure.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Psychologist ( She / Her )
Elizabeth Riley, Ph.D. (she/her) completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Riley works with adult clients who have experienced trauma and other co-occurring mental health issues using research-based best practices. She has trained and worked in a variety of settings throughout Lexington, including community settings, counseling centers, psychiatric hospital settings, and the Veterans Administration. Dr. Riley operates using an evidence-based, skills-oriented therapeutic framework informed by Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, exposure-based therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and mindfulness. Dr. Riley works hard to be a safe and affirming therapist for clients of all identities and intersectionalities, including clients of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.
Job Titles:
- Certified Social Worker
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker ( She / Her )
Tonya Prather is a Certified Social Worker who is currently completing hours toward becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After completing undergraduate studies Ms.Prather worked with pregnant and parenting teens in a residential treatment facility and went on to complete her Master's of Social Work with a clinical focus in family systems. During her graduate studies Ms.Prather worked in residential treatment with youth ages 12-17 in juvenile justice. She is currently a clinical therapist working full time in a non-profit foster care agency where she has worked since obtaining her MSW in 2017. She has worked predominantly with children, adolescents, and young adults who have often experienced many traumas and other mental health disorders and is focused on providing treatment using evidence based interventions and best practices. She is trained in and utilizes evidence based interventions including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness based approaches.