Terri Barrios, PhD, LMFT, CST
Clinical Director and Clinical Sexologist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Arizona, license number LMFT-15352, Clinical Sexologist, and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. I received my Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Regis University in Colorado in 2013 and my Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes in Florida in 2022. I have completed Level 1 and Level 2 training in the Gottman Method and I have completed the Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship. I primarily use the Gottman Method because it provides structure for clients to easily understand their strengths and needs and allows the use of diverse tools to find the best fit for each unique relationship. I use tools from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Imago, and mindfulness in addition to the Gottman tools to enhance sexual and emotional intimacy between partners. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming, kink affirming, and ENM/CNM affirming. I look forward to helping you on your journey to enhance love, pleasure, and fun.
Nai Smiddy, LPC
Clinical Therapist and Marketing Director
Pronouns: They/He
I am a genderqueer, trans, Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona, license number LPC-22537 (license remains under my previous legal name, Audrey Smiddy). I am currently working towards a Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology at the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. My personal and professional knowledge of gender identity, transgender treatment, and human sexuality allows me the tools to help transgender and gender nonconforming folx live authentically with self-love and acceptance. Working with the transgender and gender nonconforming community is my passion. I also provide relationship therapy to help partners through transitions of gender identity and build connections with true acceptance of each other. I truly believe that strength lies within human connections and feelings of acceptance. I have worked with a diverse population of people, including but not limited to, people who have endured trauma(s), people who endure racial injustice, people who endure the injustice of ableism/ persons with disability or chronic illness, people struggling with maladaptive coping strategies, as well as people dealing with eating disorders and body dysmorphia. It is also important to note that I am neurodivergent and that I have a service dog which will be present during our sessions. I want you to also feel safe to be your most comfortable and complete self and encourage you to utilize any aids or assistive devices that you may need while in my office. I look forward to working with you as you embark on your journey toward authenticity and acceptance.
Kresta Werner, MS, MA, LPC, CCST
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Arizona, license number LPC-22160 and Certified Couples and Sex Therapist (Modern Sex Therapy Institutes CCST Certification program in Florida.) Passion-driven I am currently enrolled in Embodied Education Institute of Chicago’s Alternate Route Dance/Movement Therapy Program (AR-DMT). I offer a whole-bodied/somatic and sex-positive approach to individual and relationship therapy. I specialize in body-intelligence and rekindled expressive/functional movement in the routine of everyday relating. While talk-therapies prioritize talking (a top-down approach), I interweave a bottom-up approach that invites sensing, moving, and body-caring. I furthermore bring to the field of therapy a love of expression and connection nurtured through an international lens. Living abroad as a documentary photographer, teacher, yoga instructor, and humanitarian advocate reinforced my commitment to seeing cross-culturally. Previously, I had the honor of serving a diverse population of clients challenged by stateside resettlement, adaptation to foster care, body image issues and eating disorders, identity crises, anxiety, depression, intergenerational trauma, and substance addictions. My Master of Arts in Photography comes from The Arts Institute at Bournemouth (England, UK) and my Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health comes from Prescott College. Additional trainings include Treating Trauma and Affairs and Levels 1- 3 in The Gottman Method; the Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship; Level 1 in Emotionally Focused Family Therapy, and Harvard Medical School’s Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery Program (Class of 2021), and Somatic-Concentric Sex Therapy Training. My clinical orientation enjoys roots in Existentialism, Expressive Arts Therapy including Phototherapy and Dance Movement Therapy, DBT, Narrative Therapy, Bibliotherapy, and Person-Centered Therapy. As a therapist, I’m LGBTQIA affirmative, curious, empathic and open, and I look forward to working with you.
Kylie Guinta, MA, LAC, NCC, CSTT
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I am a Licensed Associate Counselor in Arizona, license number LAC-20044. I received my Master of Arts in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Arizona. Adding a specialization to my therapeutic practice, I have completed my certification in Sexual Trauma through Modern Sex Institutes. Passionate in helping individuals heal from trauma, I assist clients in navigating life’s challenges with resilience and strength. In my practice, I bring a unique blend of compassion and humor, utilizing a therapeutic approach rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This approach encourages understanding and embracing emotions while committing to positive changes aligned with personal values. I am currently completing training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help clients reprocess memories in a way that reduces their emotional intensity and promotes adaptive resolution. Alongside working with trauma, I enjoy extending my practice to work with general mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. I have found particular interest in helping young adults as they navigate life transitions and explore their unique identities. I am dedicated to providing a safe and nonjudgemental space where you can reflect, discover yourself, and move toward increased wellness with confidence and strength.
Sara Graper, LAC
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I’m Sara, a Licensed Associate Counselor, license number LAC-21077. I am currently working toward certification in sex therapy through Modern Sex Therapy Institute. Additionally, I’m a certified Therapeutic Gamemaster through Geek Therapeutics, utilizing game and role-play in a therapeutic setting. Therapy is a vulnerable, challenging, rewarding, and sometimes humorous space to explore who we are. I have worked with diverse populations, addressing a wide variety of struggles, often focusing on gender exploration, relationships, life transitions, and trauma. My passion is working with LGBTQIA+ community members exploring who they are. I approach from a person-centered, intersectional feminist lens that allows clients to transparently communicate about what they need, while also acknowledging structural inequities that may be impacting their life. I look forward to creating an affirming space to work with you on your journey toward authentic healing.
Hallie “Haley” Ahmann, LMSW
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I am a Licensed Master in Social Work (LMSW) in Arizona, license number LMSW-21645. I am currently working towards my Sex Therapist Certification at Modern Sex Therapy Institute. I am passionate about helping folks navigate sexual issues such as communication, healing trauma & history of sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse, libido issues, physical pain, dissociation or other blocks you may be struggling with. My approach is collaborative and intentional to help you and your partner(s) navigate unique challenges and breakthrough unhelpful patterns. I utilize modalities such as narrative, gestalt, somatic and others to help facilitate grounding and growth. Whether you are dealing with mental health issues related to trauma, oppression, isolation, grief, or other life pains; I want to center what matters to you, hold what you have to say with compassion, and help you rediscover a fullness in being alive and in your body. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming, kink affirming, sex worker allied and trauma informed.
Jaq Kainz, LAMFT
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: He/Him
I’m Jaq (pronounced Jack) and I am a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) in Arizona, license number LAMFT-7878T. I’m working toward a PhD in Clinical Sexology at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. I fell in love with therapy through my own experiences with how it has changed my life. Through a collaborative approach, I aid clients in writing the narrative of their own healing journeys. You are the expert of your own needs, your own healing, and I am here to support getting you there. I invested in decolonizing my therapy practice and moving in ways that challenge the violence of white supremacy and the cisheteropatriarchy. I have experience working with sexual trauma, LGBTQIA2S+ communities, the kink community, ethical non-monogamy, and relationships. Outside of therapy, I am also a visual artist, exploring ways of communicating deep emotions when words don’t come easily; I use art in my own healing journey to address trauma, pleasure, and transformation.
Alyssa Abraham, LAC
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I am a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in Arizona, license number LAC-22469. I received my Master of Arts in Clinical Rehabilitation and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Arizona and I’m currently working toward my sex therapy certificate at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes under the supervision of Dr. Barry McCarthy. I am an LGBTQIA+ affirming, kink affirming, and ethical non-monogamy affirming therapist. My therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, compassionate, patient, and free of judgment. I have experience working with individuals with trauma, neurodiversity, mood disorders, identity issues, grief, and loss. When appropriate, I utilize CBT, TF-CBT, DBT, and SFBT. When working with couples, I primarily use the Gottman Method. The mind is a powerful tool and sometimes it feels like our worst enemy. Sometimes, just being yourself can be the hardest and scariest thing to do. It is my belief that we are all on a path in life and therapy is simply about exploring that path together. I look forward to exploring together!
Lee Bard II, LPC
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: He/Him
I am a gay, demisexual, Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona, license number LPC-21491. I earned a bachelor’s in Psychological Science from Ball State University and a master’s in Counseling from Villanova University. I will begin pursuing my certification as a Sex Therapist through the University of Michigan in April 2024. For the last 4 years, I have worked professionally in collegiate mental health, specializing in identity-based work supporting Gender, Sexual, and Romantic Minority (GSRM) communities. I believe that our internal dialogue plays a huge role in how we think about ourselves and those around us. My approach to therapy integrates attachment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), acceptance-based techniques, and a feminist lens that examines the larger systems of oppression that affect us as individuals.
Mahkyla Howes, MA, LAC
Clinical Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
I am a Licensed Associate Counselor, license number LAC-22640. My passion lies in working with the people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized individuals with intersecting identities. I believe in creating a safe and accessible environment where clients can explore their identities, navigate relationships, manage life transitions, and heal from trauma. Using a personal-centered and intersectional feminist lens and plenty of humor, I empower clients to facilitate growth, healing, and acceptance.