Eating Disorder Center of Denver Clinical Leadership Team
Joseph Christenson, MD
Acting Medical Director
Board-certified in both adult and addictions psychiatry, Joseph Christenson, MD, received his medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, MD. He completed his psychiatric training, which included serving as the chief resident, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.
Dr. Christenson’s past positions include serving as the addiction psychiatry consultant for the Army Substance Abuse Program at Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, CO. Formerly a clinical instructor of psychiatry at USUHS, he was chief of U.S. Army Residential Treatment Facilities in Berlin and Nuremberg, Germany. He has over 20 years of clinical experience as a psychiatric physician in a wide variety of settings, including emergency room, inpatient, partial hospitalization and outpatient programs.
Specializing in treating patients with addictive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, he has several academic publications and has made numerous presentations at international medical and psychiatric conferences.
Dr. Christenson’s interest in the treatment of patients with eating disorders began in 1986, when first introduced to the pioneering inpatient management approaches developed at the Long Beach (CA) Naval Hospital’s Program for Eating Disorders, where he trained as a visiting professional. He has since diagnosed and treated patients with eating disorders in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
[Back to Top]
Anita Kumar-Gill, MD Attending Psychiatrist
With a solid background in the psycho-pharmacological management of medications, Dr. Kumar-Gill provides compassionate and supportive care for patients with eating disorders using a bio-psycho-social treatment model. This model incorporates an introduction to the spiritual underpinnings of each individual’s unique situation and their ability to heal him/herself with mindfulness and other alternative techniques when appropriate.
A graduate of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine where she received her medical degree, Dr. Kumar-Gill is board-certified in psychiatry. Prior to joining EDC-D, she was the medical director of the residential eating disorder partial hospitalization program at River Centre Clinic in Sylvania, OH, for four years and was in private practice in Ann Arbor, MI, for five years.
Dr. Kumar-Gill is seasoned and experienced in the medical nuances and potential life-threatening complications that are inherent in patients with eating disorders, as well as the spiritual crises that paradoxically can drive an individual to self-destruction at multiple levels. As a provider of care, she sees her responsibility as ensuring the patient’s safety and teaching the patient to mindfully accept current circumstances while moving forward to consider a multitude of future choices.
[
Back to Top]
Trish O’Donnell, MA, ATR-BC, LPC
Program Director
Trish has been a part of EDC-D's mission to effectively treat eating disorders for over five years. Initially, she was the program art therapist and is currently a clinician and administrator. Trish has been practicing art therapy for more than 20 years. She has provided art therapy services to a variety of populations and settings, including a community support program, a rural mental health center, several psychiatric hospitals and currently at EDC-D. She spent six years as the director of expressive therapies at a national program for the treatment of trauma and dissociation for adults, adolescents and children. She has conducted workshops and presented papers both nationally and internationally. Trish values her role as an experienced therapist and teacher of the inherent healing and coping properties of the art process, specifically in the treatment of eating disorders, trauma, anxiety and depression.
Trish holds a BA in art and psychology from Mt. Holyoke College and an MA in therapy from The George Washington University. She is a registered and board-certified art therapist with the American Art Therapy Association. In addition, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado.
[Back to Top]
Tamara Pryor, PhD
Clinical Director
Dr. Pryor has more than 25 years of experience working in the field of eating disorders. She spent 15 years as an associate professor and clinical director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, four years as business manager and co-director of the Path Eating Disorders Clinic, and three years at Wichita Psychiatric Consultants as the director of Eating Disorder Services before coming to EDC-D. Dr. Pryor has authored and co-authored articles from research conducted examining personality features, substance abuse, multi-impulsive behaviors, and the sexuality of the eating disordered individual. She has conducted workshops and presented research both nationally and internationally. Dr. Pryor developed a prevention program for middle school students and co-authored a prevention curriculum and textbook. She is a member of the Eating Disorders Research Society, the Academy of Eating Disorders and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.
Dr. Pryor has an MSW from Wayne State University, a master's in Rehabilitation and a master's and PhD in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University. She also completed a one-year fellowship in child psychiatry and a one-year fellowship in eating disorders at the University of Kansas School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry.
[Back to Top]
Eating Disorder Center of Denver Clinical Team
Christina Bokenkamp, MA, LPC
Primary Therapist
Christina has seven years' experience working in outpatient clinical settings, working with children/adolescents, adults, and families. She has worked with a variety of psychiatric illnesses including eating disorders, depression, chemical addictions, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Christina has always been interested in such issues relating to women as sense of self, identity, eating disorders, relationships and family.
Christina holds a BS in psychology and criminal justice from Michigan State University and an MA in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She is a licensed professional counselor.
[Back to Top]
Dana Brown, MA, NCC
Milieu Therapist
Dana’s clinical experience includes assisting young women with healthy lifestyle changes. She has worked with individuals struggling with depression and anxiety in an outpatient setting and has experience with career planning and life transition issues.
Dana holds a BA in psychology from the University of Arizona and an MA in counseling psychology and counselor education from the University of Colorado at Denver. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor and is working toward LPC licensure.
[Back to Top]
Felicia Greher, PhD
Primary Therapist, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Greher holds a Doctorate in clinical psychology and joined EDC-D in 2006. She has seven years of experience providing individual and group psychotherapy, as well as psychological and neuropsychological assessments. She has treated individuals struggling with eating disorders, various mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders, personality disorders, and chronic mental illness in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Her additional clinical interests include the assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders resulting from domestic violence, sexual assault, and childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
Dr. Greher has a BA in psychology from Emory University. She earned her master’s degree in psychology and her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas. She completed her psychology internship at the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center and is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Colorado Psychological Association. Dr. Greher is a licensed psychologist in the State of Colorado.
[Back to Top]
Pam Hurley, MSW, LCSW
Family Therapist
Pam has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for over 20 years. She has applied her psychotherapy skills in a variety of settings, including private practice, a brain injury recovery center, children and families protective services, and Hospice and Home Health of Mercy.
Pam has also been an adjunct faculty member for both Colorado State University and University of Denver Graduate Schools of Social Work. She is an EMDR Level II Therapist and has served as the team clinician for the Four Corners Regional Critical Incident Stress Management Team. She is a Red Cross Mental Health Disaster Team volunteer and served on various boards, including Cadence Therapeutic Riding Program where horses are used to empower handicapped children, adults and high-risk teenagers.
[Back to Top]
Jessica King, MA, NCC
On-call Milieu Therapist
Jessica has worked in a variety of clinical settings primarily with women around issues such as domestic violence, sexual assault and family planning. She has worked in a treatment facility that focused on outdoor experiential education and also has had a great deal of experiential education in her own training. Her treatment philosophy is that of empowerment, which is consistent with the empowerment model of the Eating Disorder Center of Denver.
Jessica holds a BA from the University of Colorado and an MA in community counseling from the University of Northern Colorado. She is currently working toward her licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor and is a National Certified Counselor.
[Back to Top]
Rebekah Knight-Baughman, MAT, PhD
Primary Therapist, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Knight-Baughman holds a Doctorate in clinical psychology and joined EDC-D in 2008 as a primary therapist. Her experience includes providing individual and group psychotherapy to individuals with eating disorders, spiritual crises, and various mood and anxiety disorders. Her research has primarily focused on the development of a spiritually sensitive feminist approach to working with trauma survivors. She works from a psychodynamic, object relations orientation and is excited about the opportunity to continue this work at EDC-D.
Dr. Knight-Baughman has a BA in psychology from California State University at Fullerton. She earned her master's degrees in clinical psychology and theology and her doctorate in clinical psychology from Fullerton Theological Seminary. She completed her psychology internship at the Wright Institute of Los Angeles and the Susan B. Krevoy Eating Disorder Center. She is licensed as a clinical psychologist in the State of Colorado.
[Back to Top]
Jessica Larson, MEd
Milieu Therapist
Jessica has experience working in both outpatient and residential clinical settings. She worked as a milieu therapist at a residential eating disorder facility in Oregon before joining the clinical staff at EDCD. She has also worked as a marriage, family, and individual therapist in a public agency for low-income clients as well as in a hospital setting collaborating with attending physicians. Her specialties include couples therapy, post-partum depression, and eating disorders.
Jessica earned a BA in psychology from Carroll College in Helena, MT. She holds an MEd in family and human services, specializing in marriage and family therapy from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Jessica is a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and is currently working towards licensure as a LPC and LMFT.
[Back to Top]
Erin Milliken, MA
Admissions Assessment Clinician
Erin has experience in outpatient clinical settings working primarily with women, adolescents and families. She has worked with a variety of mental disorders, including depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
Erin has a BA from Michigan State University and a master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver.
[Back to Top]
Courtney Morton, LSW
Part-time Milieu Therapist, DBT Outpatient Therapist
Courtney came to Denver from Austin, TX, and got interested in the field of eating disorders treatment after coming into contact with eating disorders as a teenager and seeing the devastating effects on individuals and families. She works from a feminist perspective and also has experience in program management, grant writing and substance abuse treatment. Interested in historial trauma, Courtney has a long history of volunteering and working for AIDS services organizations, especially ones serving children with HIV/AIDS.
Courtney also works for the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver Grants Department in the CASASTART program as a school-based case manager for 3rd-5th graders and a community-based case manager for teens at the Family Crisis Center through the Denver Department of Human Services. She holds a BA in English and an MS in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and volunteers for the Eating Disorder Foundation.
[Back to Top]
Laura Peroutka, MA
Milieu Therapist, Art Therapist
Laura has experience working with a variety of psychiatric, developmental and behavioral disorders along with women and families who have suffered from domestic violence, adult and child abuse, women with eating disorders, and adjudicated youth. Her work experience also includes preschool art therapy and teaching art to groups of children and adolescents. She believes in the healing potential of the art process along with the ability for the art product to tell a life story that often lies outside of an individual’s conscious and verbal awareness. Her special interests include social and cultural issues and how environment and life experiences can shape identity.
Laura holds a BA in sociology and art history from Bradley University and a master's in art therapy counseling from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Laura is a member of the American Art Therapy Association, the Colorado Art Therapy Association and the Missouri Art Therapy Association and is working towards art therapy registration and licensure as a professional counselor.
[Back to Top]
Millie M. Riss, MA
Milieu Therapist
Millie has always been interested in empowering women and helping them learn to love and appreciate who they are despite messages they receive from various aspects of their lives. She finds that using a blend of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Narrative Therapy is helpful when working with patients struggling with eating disorders. Millie also has a strong interest in chemical dependency and how it interacts with eating disorders.
Millie holds a BS in psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a master's in clinical psychology from the University of Denver, and is working on her doctorate in the same area.
[
Back to Top]
Shae Roberts, MA
Admissions Assessment Clinician
Shae has worked in a variety of outpatient clinical settings to include university counseling centers and community hospitals. She has experience working with a variety of psychiatric illnesses, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and substance abuse. Her primary work has been in the field of trauma (domestic violence, sexual assault and childhood abuse), eating disorders and women’s issues (body image, identity, relationships and family).
She has a BS in human development and family sciences from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA in counseling psychology from the University of North Florida.
[Back to Top]
Pam Sjoerdsma, MA, NCC
Family Therapist
Pam has a deep respect and caring for people who are struggling. She understands that the path to healing is difficult, and she feels privileged to accompany clients on a piece of their journey. In her clinical practice, Pam has worked primarily with young adults, couples, and families, with a focus on depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and relationship issues.
Pam has a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and a master's degree in counseling psychology and counselor education from the University of Colorado at Denver. She is a nationally certified counselor and is currently working toward licensure as a professional counselor.
[Back to Top]
Susan M. Woodmansee, MS, OTR, TEP, CAC
Psychodramatist
Susan has been a therapist working in inpatient and outpatient mental health for 37 years. She has specialized in occupational therapy, psychodrama, sociometry, and group psychotherapy in sexual trauma, chemical dependency, eating disorders, pain management and behavioral health.
Through her work as a psychodramatist, Susan has found that this form of experiential therapy offers a safe stage on which patients can do and know, allowing their innerselves to come forward to examine what they have accepted as true about a situation or themselves. Psychodrama creates an opportunity for patients to do an say in the here-and-now what they could not do in the past when it was too threatening.
Susan holds a BS and MS in psychiatric occupational therapy from Colorado State University. She is trained in EMDR and therapeutic touch, a certified alcohol counselor in Colorado and is nationally certified as a trainer, educator, and practitioner of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy. She has presented many workshops on the use of humor and play in healing, teambuilding and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
[Back to Top]
Eating Disorder Center of Denver Dietitians
Rebecca Abraham, MS, RD
Dietitian
Rebecca is a registered dietitian and has worked in a variety of settings that include clinical nutrition and nutrition education for various conditions for both adult and pediatric clients. She has a special interest in eating disorders, nutrition support, weight management, diabetes and sports nutrition. Rebecca is passionate about her work and enjoys working with patients to help motivate and support them through empowerment to meet their goals for normalized eating and a balanced lifestyle.
Rebecca holds a BS in human nutrition and dietetics from Colorado State University, a BA in psychology from the University of Oregon, and an MS in nutrition from Eastern Illinois University. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
[Back to Top]
Janelle Hunt, MS, RD
Dietitian
Janelle has worked with patients with various nutrition concerns including diabetes, coronary heart disease, eating disorders and weight management. Most recently, she has worked with children and college students in individual and group settings and has done extensive research in the area of eating disorders. She has seen the desire of so many patients to be free from their eating disorder and their search for peace and living. Janelle is passionate about her work and values the opportunity to guide individuals to meet their goals for a balanced lifestyle.
Janelle received a BA from the University of Northern Colorado and an MS in nutrition with an emphasis in exercise science from Colorado State University.
[Back to Top]
Pat Kokora, RD
Dietary Supervisor
Pat has over 20 years of experience in the field of nutrition. Prior to coming to EDC-D, she counseled clients on eating disorders, weight management, and other nutritional sensitive diseases in psychiatric and behavior health settings. She has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families, sharing her passion and knowledge of nutrition. Pat’s focus is on supporting and motivating clients to normalize their eating patterns and behaviors, while shifting them away from diets to a balanced lifestyle.
Pat is a Registered Dietitian and holds a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Montclair State College. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and provides workshops and lectures to outside groups and organizations.
[Back to Top]
Eating Disorder Center of Denver Outpatient Therapists
J. Gerald Celebre, EdD, LP
Psychologist
Dr. Celebre has over 20 years' experience in the field of mental health, providing clinical services to adolescents, adults, couples and families. He has also taught and supervised graduate students in both clinical and counseling psychology. During his post-graduate training in family therapy, he developed an interest in eating disorders. Consequently, he went on to work in both outpatient and residential treatment services at the Renfrew Center, Philadelphia, PA. He also sub-specializes in the field of trauma and has worked with law enforcement, providing therapy to victims of violent crime including domestic and childhood abuse.
Dr. Celebre completed an externship in family therapy through the Child Guidance Clinic of Philadelphia. He is trained as a Level II EMDR clinician and in critical incident stress debriefing for law enforcement personnel as well as high school-aged children. He practices from a holistic model with an emphasis on empowerment and healing of attachment /relational issues.
Dr. Celebre holds a master's degree in clinical psychology and a doctoral degree in child and adolescent psychology, from Temple University. He is a licensed psychologist in Colorado and Pennsylvania and enjoys swimming, rafting/kayaking and hiking during his free time.
[Back to Top]
Kirsten Christensen, MA, NCC, LPC
Outpatient Therapist
Kirsten has worked in a variety of mental health settings including geriatrics, a child and adolescent residential facility, and with the severe and persistent mentally ill in a day treatment program. Kirsten has over six years of clinical experience.
Most recently, Kirsten developed and implemented day treatment programming and brought Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to a network providing intensive care to adults. Kirsten has worked with a variety of mental health issues such as bipolar, anxiety, major depression, borderline personality disorder and eating disorders. Her clinical work comes from a cognitive-behavioral/solution-focused model.
Kirsten holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Colorado Christian University and an MS in counseling psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy from the University of Colorado at Denver. Kirsten is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado.
[Back to Top]
Carmen Cool, MA, LPC
Outpatient Therapist
Carmen has seven years of experience working with eating disorders, both individually and in groups in a variety of outpatient settings. Her areas of expertise include working with binge eating, emotional eating and weight-related concerns. Her approach to health and well-being is weight-neutral, and she works within a feminist-relational model, incorporating mindfulness and body-centered approaches.
With a commitment to community activism and outreach, she writes and lectures frequently in various settings, and is the founder and director of the Boulder Youth Body Alliance, a peer education program that empowers teens to create social change around the ideas, beliefs and messages that lead to eating disorders and body dissatisfaction.
Carmen has a BA in music from Ohio State University, and received her master’s degree in transpersonal psychology from Naropa University. She is a certified Hakomi therapist, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado. She is a member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health and serves on the Board of Directors of the Hakomi Institute.
[Back to Top]
Kade Haviland, MA, CACIII, LPC
Evening Intensive Outpatient Program (EIOP)Therapist
Kade has 19 years experience in mental health centers, residential and outpatient settings as well as private practice. She has worked as a liaison between foster care services and mental health centers in Seattle, followed by therapy, substance abuse evaluation and utilization review positions in Denver. She specializes in addictions and eating disorders.
Kade earned a BA from Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, in secondary education and English Literature. Having married into the National Park Service, she considered it lucky to be within driving distance of an institution of higher learning when the family moved to the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado. In 1994, she received an MA in counseling psychology from Adams State College in Alamosa. She is now a Certified Addictions Counselor Level III (CACIII) and Licensed Professional Counselor for the State of Colorado. She volunteers on a regular basis for the Eating Disorder Foundation and is a member of the Eating Disorder Professionals of Colorado. Kade and her husband, Bill, have three adult daughters and live in Lakewood.
[Back to Top]
Stephanie Jordan, MSW, LCSW
Outpatient Therapist
Stephanie has 15 years of experience treating adults, adolescents, couples and families in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Since 2001, Stephanie has been actively involved in all aspects of the EDC-D program and has a strong commitment to the mission of the center. Stephanie specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, mood disorders and trauma, using an empowerment-based cognitive behavioral approach.
She holds a bachelor's degree from Evergreen State College and a master's degree from the University of Washington. Stephanie has been a featured speaker at several regional eating disorder conferences and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Colorado.
[Back to Top]
Keli Laverty, MA, DTR
Outpatient Therapist
Keli has worked with adults, adolescents and children within the shelter, hospital and outpatient clinic settings. She has three years of experience addressing a variety of psychiatric illnesses, including eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, self-injury and chemical addictions. Keli’s research in graduate school focused on self-regulation techniques for trauma survivors. Her unique training allows her to use verbal and non-verbal modalities to improve body-mind awareness and empowerment.
Keli has a BA in biology, behavior and society from Cornell University and an MA in dance/movement therapy from Columbia College in Chicago. She is a nationally registered dance therapist with the American Dance Therapy Association.
[Back to Top]
Janice Van Anrooy, MA, LPC
Outpatient Therapist
Janice has over 20 years' experience in the field of women's health and eating disorders. The last 18 years, she has worked in Colorado Springs, treating primarily eating disorders. She joined EDC-D in 2008.
Janice graduated from Michigan State University in 1981, majoring in outdoor education and received a master's degree in clinical psychology from Lesley College Graduate School in Boston, MA. She completed an internship at Gordon College working with college women with eating disorders and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.
In 1996, Janice opened and directed OmniHeath Services, PC, an outpatient treatment center for eating disorders in Colorado Springs. In 2000, OmniHouse, Inc., a non-profit transitional home, was opened to complement the outpatient program. OmniHouse is an eight-bed, Victorian home downtown Colorado Springs that helps women transition into the world after being in an inpatient or residential treatment program.
[Back to Top]
Nancie Ziemke, PhD
Psychologist
Dr. Ziemke has over 18 years of professional experience in the mental health field. She has had an interest in eating disorders since graduate school in which she completed her master’s degree thesis on eating disorders. She works from a relational, wholistic, and cognitive orientation and has also was a registered dietitian prior to working as a licensed psychologist.
Dr. Ziemke holds an MS in guidance and counseling from the University of Wisconsin Stout-Menomonie and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of North Dakota-Grand Forks.
[Back to Top]