Mental Health Therapist

Michael Meyer is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with years of experience serving the mental health needs of children and adults. He lives with his family in Superior, WI, and spends a lot of our time near or around Lake Superior. He has been working with kids and families in the Duluth area for the past 20 years.

He continues his work now with Portages Health, serving the community members of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. His therapy services are provided both remotely and in person serving American Indian children and youth in the Hinkley School System and surrounding communities. He appreciates the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for graciously allowing him to serve the community and believes the children of the Mille Lacs Band are a precious commodity and he will care for them as he does his own.

Mental Health Therapist

Claire Kaehr is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT. She received her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University. Claire's ultimate goal within her therapeutic relationships is to walk alongside clients as they work to understand their story and continue their journey towards health and healing. Claire is also a Board Approved Supervisor for the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy in Minnesota.

Claire has a wide variety of experience but has extended areas of experience and training in couples work, and trauma informed therapy from somatic and neurobiological lenses. Claire also recognizes and values the role of spirituality and cultural narratives in therapy and healing. She has extensive trauma training, including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy approaches for trauma and affect dysregulation, EMDR (Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and AIR (Adaptive Internal Relational) Network model therapy. Claire has also completed Level 2 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

Claire serves the adolescents, adults, elders, and employees of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe community through the Ne-Ia-Shing Clinic and remotely via telehealth.

When she isn’t engaging in therapeutic work, Claire loves spending time with her husband and children. You can also find her immersed in another love of hers, the great outdoors. Warmer seasons include adventures in the family camper and colder seasons may include ice skating and skiing. All seasons include remaining active and chasing around her 3 boys and puppy.

Mental Health Therapist

She is a licensed graduate social worker and has a Master’s degree in social work from Capella University. Growing up, Madi was raised in the small rural town of Sebeka, Minnesota, and still consider this community to be her “home.” In her free time Madi enjoys working out, exploring new food and music, visiting with friends and family, and spending time outdoors.

Madi loves being a therapist, and has experience providing therapy for individuals, families, couples, and groups from a variety of cultural, socioeconomic, and familial backgrounds. Before becoming a Mental Health Therapist she worked as a social worker in various roles where she discovered a love for connecting with people, engaging in deep conversations, and helping clients solve problems. She feels fortunate to have found a career that incorporates these elements of connection into her daily work with clients. As a therapist she uses a strengths-based and trauma informed approach to providing therapy and aims to assist clients in exploring and processing barriers that may be holding them back from how they’d like to show up in the world. Common issues addressed in a therapy session might include grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, depression, identity issues, self-esteem, as well as improving relationships with partners, family members, and friends.

Mental Health Therapist

Adrienne Lanz, LGSW is a licensed graduate social worker, working as a Mental Health Therapist for Portages Health. She has a Master’s degree in social work with a focus on Clinical Mental Health from the University of Minnesota. Before becoming a therapist, Adrienne worked as a special education teacher, and loved working with adolescents and families as they navigate the many complexities of school, identity, and young adulthood.

Adrienne loves being a therapist and enjoys working with people of all ages and backgrounds. She has experience helping individuals and families with anxiety, depression, self-worth, trauma, gender identity, and life transitions. She uses a warm, authentic approach to understand and honor clients’ experiences and identities, and practice with a strengths-based, non-pathologizing approach. Adrienne believes that therapy is a relationship built on trust, understanding, and hope between people and works together with clients to understand how their experiences with people, trauma, and the joys and hardships of life have shaped how you view yourself, others, and the stories that define your life and your relationships.

Adrienne serves the children, youth, adults, elders, and employees of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe community at the Nay Ah Shing schools, the Ne-Ai-Shing Clinic, and remotely via telehealth.

When she’s not working, Adrienne enjoys reading, gardening, spending time in community with family and friends, and spending time with her dog in nature.

Mental Health Therapist

Kathy Kongsjord, LPC, is a Mental Health Therapist with Portages Health. Kathy lives in Brainerd and is originally from the Deer River Minnesota. She is serving the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe as part of the treatment team at the Four Winds Lodge Treatment program in Brainerd, Minnesota.

As a counselor, Kathy enjoys helping others find their truth and spark changes for a better and more satisfying life. She is a huge fan of humor and believes that laughter can remind us of the simple joys of life. Her approach is forward with grace. Kathy provides individual counseling for adults from all walks of life by using multiple therapeutic approaches to help clients reach their personal goals.

Throughout her career, Kathy has used many modalities to help people understand that they are not alone in this life journey and that there is hope for a better tomorrow.

Kathy's hobbies include spending time with those she loves dearly, playing with her animals, coaching volleyball, and playing pickleball.

Mental Health Therapist

Amy Moran, LGSW, is passionate about helping people who suffer from mental illness. As a Portages Health therapist, Aimee works primarily with adults who have experienced trauma, and those who experience anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other forms of mental illness. Aimee uses cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and exposure therapy, and tailors her therapeutic plan to each client with the goal of providing person-centered, interactive, warm, and accepting mental health care.

During her time in the mental health field, Aimee has worked with adults who have serious and persistent mental illness, adults who experience psychosis, LGBTQ+ communities, and a wide variety of diverse communities. Other groups she has worked with include women who are incarcerated and need assistance returning to their community, children who need protection, and people with substance use disorders.

Aimee’s career began as a case manager for clients who suffer from psychosis. Following that, she became an Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Service provider where she worked closely with clients in their homes and in the community. Aimee has a master's degree in social work and a license to practice social work in Minnesota and is on her way to becoming a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.

Aimee sees clients via telehealth who are referred from the iHealth Women’s Health Clinics and Stellis Health, as well as individuals referred to Portages Health from the broader Minnesota community.

Aimee lives in Duluth and enjoys being outside, and in her free time, likes to hike, fish, swim, walk my dogs, and garden.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Benjamin Olson is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach for Portages Health

Ben received his degree from Bemidji State University and Dakota County Technical College. He loves working with and helping individuals in the mental health care field and finds it incredibly rewarding.

Ben coaches and coordinates care for children, adolescents, adults, elders and employees of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe at the Ne-Ia-Shing Clinic and remotely via telehealth.

Ben is also a professional wildlife photographer. His goal is to continue to work on conservation initiatives with his partners using photography. Ben’s hobbies include camping, backpacking, canoeing, photography, and creating other forms of art.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Joe Sulik is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach from Minneapolis, Minnesota. His alma mater is Montana State University, where he graduated with a degree in cultural anthropology. With a background as a photojournalist, Joe is passionate above all else in human stories and relationships. He believes that every person’s story is equally valuable and worthy of being told. As a coach, Joe hopes to channel his love of working with people into enacting positive change in people's health and wellbeing.

Joe coaches and coordinates care for children and adolescents of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe community onsite and remotely at the Nay Ay Shing Schools and sees youth and adults onsite and remotely through the Ne-Ai-Shing Clinic.

In his free time Joe enjoys rock climbing, trail running, and immersing himself in different cultures while traveling.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Ariana Brandt (Taylor) is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach with Portages Health. Ariana grew up in and continues to live in the Mille Lacs area. She graduated from Onamia High School and then recevied her Associate of Arts degree in Sociology from Central Lakes College. Ariana recently completed her hours to obtain a MHP certification while working for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Ariana is motivated to tear down the sigma of mental health and help young and older minds embrace themselves.

She coaches and coordinates care for children and adolescents of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe attending Onamia schools.

Some of Ariana’s hobbies include reading, baking, cooking, and binge-watching Netflix.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Maraya Leino is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach with Portages Health. She lives in Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota. Maraya comes with 6 years of experience in a public-school setting. She has experience as a grant program manager which has ensured mental health availability to students with economic hardship. She is well rounded in a school setting and understands that mental health plays a key role in students’ education.

She coaches and coordinates care for children and adolescents of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe attending Hinkley Schools and also the Pine Grove Academy.

Maraya spent 10 years with the Minnesota Army National Guard and is now a military wife and mom to 3 kids. In her free time she enjoys camping with her family and friends; in the winter you will find her at a hockey rink, and in the summer, at a local dirt track cheering on her husband.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Amber Walburn is a Mental Health Coach with Portages Health and working with the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Amber has resided in Buhl MN since the age 13 and currently still loves the small town. She attended Chisholm high school. Amber has worked as a Mental Health Practitioner which gave her lots of opportunity to learn and work with many kids of all ages and become very knowledgeable with community support in her area. She loves to learn and looks forward to learning a lot more in the future with Portage Health.

Amber loves the outdoors. In the summer you can usually find her on a lake in her kayak or in the woods just enjoying nature. Amber loves fishing, Kayaking, 4 wheeling, camping and agate picking on the north shore.

Amber serves children and adolescents of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Community onsite and remotely at local community schools. As a Portages Coach she guides each patient along their entire care journey from guided self-care using the Portages app to comprehensive Portages team-based clinical care.

Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist

Dr. L. Read Sulik is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and pediatrician. Read is the Founder and CEO of Portages Health, andalso serves as the Chief Medical Officer for the entire team of Portages practitioners. For 25 years, Read has passionately and tirelessly pursued the vision, design, and development of innovations to improve mental health and wellbeing and integrate behavioral health into primary and specialty healthcare. At Portages Health, he continues the adventure, forging new paths needed to bring better access to better mental health and wellbeing care to individuals, organizations and communities. He is a passionate and compassionate leader, clinician, teacher, and mentor.

Read provides psychiatric care for children, adolescents, adults, elders, and employees of the Mille Las Band of Ojibwe and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. He also serves Portages Health patients of Women’s Health Clinics and Primary Care Clinics.

He and his wife have three young adult children and live in the heart of Minneapolis. Read loves to travel the world and has regularly trained for the past ten years with a local hardstyle kettlebell community in Northeast Minneapolis.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Erica is a board-certified mental health nurse practitioner. She received her Masters Degree in nursing from the University of North Dakota. Erica’s education also includes an Associates Degree in Nursing, and a Practical Nursing Diploma. Prior to becoming a nurse Erica worked as a Medical Assistant for many years, gaining an abundance of experience working with patients from birth to old age in a family practice clinic. Erica’s career as a Public Health Nurse brought awareness to the need for mental health providers and sparked her ambition to continue her education to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Erica’s experience in public health included working with pregnant and postpartum women, as well as mothers of young children.

Erica’s practice philosophy is to listen to her patients so that she is better able to help her patients identify their needs in their mental health journey and allows her to collaborate with her patients in creating a plan to improve their wellbeing. Everyone has their own unique challenges and care team, collaborating with all members of the team optimizes the quality of care every patient deserves.

Erica sees clients via telehealth who are referred from the iHealth Women’s Health Clinics and Stellis Health, as well as individuals referred to Portages Health from the broader Minnesota community.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Cynthia Garza is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach with Portages health. She was born and raised in Texas and relocated to Minnesota with her family. She graduated from The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley with a Bachelor’s of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in August 2006 and a Master’s Degree in Special Education in July 2022. She comes with an abundance of experience working with children and adolescents with speech and language disorders in an outpatient rehabilitative setting, as well as early childhood intervention as an Early Interventionist/Service Coordinator. Cynthia has obtained certifications in Infant Massage and is an Advanced Certified Autism Specialist.

Cynthia serves children and adolescents of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Community and American Indian and First Nations youth at International Falls Elementary and High Schools.

In her spare time, Cynthia enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, Penelope and Charlotte, exploring their new home state of Minnesota. She also loves running, CrossFit, cooking, reading, and watching True Crime documentaries.

Mental Health Therapist

Max Bowman (They/He), LGSW, is stoked to be working with Portages Health as a therapist! Graduating from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2023, Max draws on a combination of their schooling and 11 years of clinical mental health work with diverse clients and communities. Max is dedicated to culturally appropriate programs, for example, they were the Lead Developer for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s MH Crisis Response program when they were an ARMHS worker with Fond du Lac; working in tandem with the development team, as well as external tribal, state, and local entities to create this program.

Born and raised in Bemidji, Minnesota, Max enjoys spending time in nature; especially camping, hunting/fishing, and foraging. They also like to craft, mend, and otherwise fix or make things. Max is a Descendent of the White Earth Nation, and is making their attempt to live life in a good way; striving for mino-bimaadiziwin. To this end, Max is driven when working with Indigenous communities to contribute in whatever capacity is available to them.

Max is someone who emphasizes “meeting people where they are” while promoting one’s existing strengths and resources when doing therapy with people. Their practice is guided by a deep respect for the dignity of each individual and making space for their unique experience. Max seeks to continuously improve their practice and truly be a lifelong learner.

Max serves children, adolescents, adults, elders, and employees of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Community onsite and remotely at International Falls Elementary and High Schools.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Shelley Rintala is excited to join the Portages Health team of Bois Forte as a Mental Health Coach. She worked as an Activity Director at Waterview Woods for 21 years. She graduated from Eveleth-Gilbert High School and lived in Eveleth most of her life. She has 2 sons and a Black Lab dog. Shelley has always enjoyed helping people both personally and professionally. She worked hard to enrich the lives of her residents to make their days as meaningful as possible. Shelley enjoys being outdoors walking her dog, camping, fishing, boating, relaxing by a bonfire, and spending time with family and friends.

As a Portages Coach, Shelley will be guiding patients along their entire care journey from guided self-care using the Portages app to comprehensive Portages team-based clinical care. She looks forward to learning more and gaining more knowledge to help support patients through Portages Health.

Shelley serves children and adolescents, adults, and elders of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Community at the Vermillion Clinic and surrounding schools.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Erin Danielson is super excited to join Portages Health as a Mental Health Coach and continuing to work with the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa (also referred to as Ojibwe or Anishinaabe). She was born and raised in the Cook area and is currently living there with her family. Erin graduated from Cook High School and went on to get her associate's in liberal arts and sciences from Mesabi Range Community and Technical College. She has worked in the Cook Hospital and Nursing Home for 5 years, Fairview Range Hospital (mainly in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit) for 15 years and most recently Bois Forte Behavioral Health for 6 years. Erin has a strong background in teaching Psychological First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, and previously in First receivers in Hazardous Materials along with Basic Life Support.

Erin has 2 boys that both attend North Woods School and they are very involved with sports. Erin figured that if she had to drive them to all the activities, she might as well volunteer to help out in any way that she can - Many hands make light work. Erin has been involved in coaching flag football, elementary basketball, archery, helps out with the Touchdown Club in the football season, is the parent on the PBIS (Positive Behavioral and Intervention Supports) committee at the North Woods School, teaches music/dance at VBS at a local church and is a Cook Lions Members. She looks forward to being able to continue to support the children and families through her new role as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach.

As a Portages Coach, Erin will be guiding children and adolescents and their families along their entire care journey from guided self-care using the Portages app to comprehensive Portages team-based clinical care. She looks forward to learning more and gaining more knowledge to help support children and their families through Portages Health.

Erin serves children and adolescents, of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Community at North Woods School in Cook, Minnesota.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach

Miranda Walser is excited to be working with Portages Health as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach. Miranda originally grew up in Forest Lake, MN but moved to the Duluth area after college with her family. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Winona State University. The past 6 years, she has been working with children in many different forms, most recently as a special education teacher.

Miranda loves to read, spend time with her family, and be at the lake. She has a husband and 7-year-old daughter who like to tag along on all her adventures. She also has three dogs, Feyre, Winnie, and Piper. You can usually find her at the beach during the summer or curled up with a good book and a blanket. She also loves to craft and likes to spend time with her daughter and husband outside.

Miranda prides herself in building strong relationships with the children and families she works with. She believes that relationships are the base of trust, and trust is something very much needed when working with children. She is looking forward to making a difference with the new set of children she will be working with. Miranda works with children and families of Bois Forte based out of Rock Ridge Elementary Schools and High School.