Our Leaders

Bonnie Brunette (she/her/hers) joined Washburn Center for Children in 2023. With over 25 years in the field of childhood trauma and mental health, Bonnie has worked as a forensic interviewer, clinical supervisor, internship coordinator, individual and group therapist, and advocate. She is trained in various treatment modalities including EMDR, TF-CBT, and play therapy.

Bonnie received her Bachelor of Social Work degree in 1998 from Illinois State University and Master of Social Work degree in 2001 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to her current position, Bonnie worked in the Victim Services Division of the FBI for 7 years. Bonnie has taught national and international trainings on various topics related to abuse, neglect, exploitation, human trafficking, and sextortion and has testified as an expert witness for entities including the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Army.

Bonnie is a huge Jeopardy! fan, and was even selected to try out for College Jeopardy! in 1998, but sadly was not selected because she couldn’t get the timing of the buzzer thinger right.

Laura joined Washburn Center for Children in 2008 as a Day Treatment therapist. Laura utilizes Developmental Repair, a treatment model that was developed at Washburn Center for Children, for working with children and their families struggling with the effects of trauma. In 2013, Laura transitioned to Washburn Center’s School-based program where she provided mental health services in two north Minneapolis public schools. Laura returned to the Day Treatment program as an Assistant Supervisor in 2015. Laura received her Masters of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. Her professional interests include early childhood trauma and the impact of trauma on family systems.

Allie first joined Washburn Center for Children in 2014 as a Children’s Mental Health Case Manager. She has taken on roles in outpatient therapy with children and adults and provided support in therapeutic preschool programs. She transitioned into a supervisor role within the Case Management team at Washburn in 2022. Allie has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Drake University and a Masters of Social Work from St. Catherine University and the University of St. Thomas. Allie believes in Washburn Center for Children’s mission and supports both clients and their staff by meeting them where they are, exploring strengths and resilience, holding compassion and helping reduce barriers to treatment to improve functioning. 

Dr. Cohen joined Washburn Center in 2000 and has worked as an Outpatient Therapist, Day Treatment Supervisor and currently as the Outpatient Supervisor. Dr. Cohen obtained her PhD from Adelphi University and completed her predoctoral internship and fellowship at Hennepin County Medical Center. She then worked for over three years at the Eisemenger Learning Center/Wilder Foundation, where she provided therapy, case management and school consultation services for children identified as severely emotionally disturbed. Her areas of clinical interest include: DC: 0-3 (a diagnostic model for identifying mental health challenges and developmental disorders in infants and toddlers), therapy with young children, EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing), adult psychotherapy, trauma and attachment dynamics.

Dr. Claudia Daml is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been working in the mental health field for over two decades. She earned her doctoral degree from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology in 2007 and has been with Washburn Center for Children since that time.

In her current role as Asst. Supervisor of the Outpatient program she provides supervision and consultation to staff and trainees on an individual and group basis; provides individual and family therapy; psychological testing; and supports the operational and administrative needs related to the successful functioning of the outpatient department. She believes in a holistic and collaborative approach of care that honors where her clients have been along with their current family system in their journey of growth and healing. Dr. Claudia is a strong supporter of the community mental health model. Providing services that support children and families from diverse backgrounds using a multicultural and trauma-informed lens match well with her commitment to inclusivity and social change.

Dr. Claudia is passionate about living life as a change-maker and is active in her community. She holds leadership roles on the board of the Golden Valley Community Foundation, Women’s March Minnesota, her local Senate District, and the State Advisory Council for Mental Health. In her spare time she can most likely be found spending time with her children, plotting her next travel adventure, or rowing on the beautiful Mississippi river.

Natalie (she/her) is a clinical supervisor, trainer, and child/family therapist who joined Washburn Center for Children in 2009. She spent 9 years in day treatment therapist roles before transitioning to supervising the early childhood group and internship programming in the Family Focused Program, where she has worked since. Natalie has a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology and educational studies from Swarthmore College, and her Master’s in Public Health and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Clinically, she is trained in Developmental Repair, trauma-informed care, early childhood mental health, EMDR, TF-CBT, and CPP. She works at Washburn, because she believes deeply in the work – and in the mission of supporting children’s mental health and well-being.  Kids and their families are important. Their experiences matter. And they deserve to know and feel that every day.

Sarah (she, her, hers) joined Washburn Center for Children in 2010. She started as a Children’s Mental Health Case Manager, then moved to In-Home Family work with the Family Focused program, and transitioned to a supervisor role on the Case Management team in 2020.  In both supervisory and client work, Sarah has a strong passion for supporting the whole person and encouraging overall wellness and balance. Her goal is always to support clinicians in building on their strengths, developing their own clinical style and skills, and feeling supported in navigating client work that can be challenging at times. Sarah believes strongly in the mission of Washburn Center, and feels a deep gratitude for the clients and families that trust Washburn Center in supporting them on their journey.  

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a Masters of Social Work from St. Catherine/St. Thomas Universities. She is a Social Work Board approved supervisor, and is trained in Developmental Repair, DC:0-5, ECSII, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, and Managing Adapting Practice (MAP). 

Stacia (she, her, hers) joined Washburn Center for Children in 2019 as an in-home clinician providing Intensive In-Home therapy to children and families experiencing significant environmental stressors and traumatic events. Stacia has been involved with children’s mental health since 2009, initially working with children and families impacted by autism and continuing on with a direct focus on early childhood mental health and nurturing parent-child relationships. In 2023, Stacia also started providing program leadership within the Outreach Program, partnering with parents and childcare providers to support the needs of children, families, and providers within their communities.

Stacia brings a wealth of experience providing early intervention in various non-profits settings and a depth of learning from being in relationship with numerous families and communities. She also brings experience and interest in holistic health care and the integration of nature into therapy, including mindfulness-based practices and horticultural therapy. Stacia is energized and passionate about children and families, relationships and connections, healthy living and environmental issues.

Stacia earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology, Therapeutic Recreation, and Environmental Studies from the University of North Dakota. She earned a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University.

Stacia is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Registered Horticultural Therapist (HTR). Stacia has been trained and rostered in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), she is certified as an infant Attachment & Biobehavioral Catch-Up parent coach (ABC-infant), and she is registered as a Circle of Security Parenting facilitator (COSP).

Maggie (she/her/hers) joined Washburn Center for Children as an intern in 2010 and has been one of the supervisors of the Day Treatment program since 2016.  She has over 12 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in individual and family therapy.  Maggie has specialty training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and TF-CBT (Trauma Informed – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).  Maggie’s approach to therapy is building relationships using authenticity, humor, and collaboration to create a space where people can feel seen and understood.  

She strives to uphold an anti-racist, LGBTQ+ affirming, and culturally responsive space in which to honor and respect each individual child and family.

Barb Kukuroboman (she/her/hers) has spent over 20 years providing expert mental health support in the community, working directly with kids and their families to help them build skills and regain stability. As a Board-Approved Supervisor for LMFT and LPCC, she builds deep trust with her families through a collaborative approach with foundations of strengths-based, multicultural and interpersonal approaches.

Barb provides for a wide variety of needs, bringing into her work specialized training in trauma-informed therapy frameworks, EMDR, TF-CBT, DBT, MAP, Developmental Repair and Motivational Interviewing. She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Concordia University in St. Paul, and her Master’s in Psychology from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

As a supervisor, Barb loves to grow alongside her colleagues, leading and training a compassionate and strong team of therapists who better the communities they serve. She believes all people deserve equitable and easy access to mental health care, welcoming and affirming the backgrounds of all youth and adults alike.

Kashmir (she/her) joined Washburn Center for Children as a clinical supervisor and clinician in the Family Focused program in 2021. Prior to coming to Washburn, Kashmir worked as an in-home clinical therapist in the SEED Program through Children’s Hospital of Oakland, supporting children in foster care along with their parents and caregivers throughout the reunification and/or adoption process. She has also worked in a variety of other mental health settings across the country, including a homeless drop-in center, alternatives to incarceration program for youth, and an outpatient trauma clinic.

Kashmir believes that mental health work is social justice work and that individual healing and systems change must go hand-in-hand. She has specialized training in trauma and early childhood, including a certificate in post-traumatic stress studies from the Trauma Center at JRI, and she completed the Napa Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship through the University of California, Davis. Clinically, Kashmir is trained in Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and is currently apprenticing to become a CPP trainer.

Kashmir is honored to help young children and their important grown-ups communicate about big things, and to participate in impromptu child-led dance parties. Kashmir is awe inspired by the work of her colleagues and sees being able to reflect that work back during supervision as a profound privilege.

Becca (she/her) moved from Tulsa, OK to the Twin Cities in May of 2022 and began working as a Crisis Stabilization Therapist with Washburn Center for Children shortly after her move. For the past 9 years, Becca has worked as a Special Education Teacher, youth mentor, and school-based therapist, and each of these experiences has uniquely shaped the perspective she holds today. Recently, Becca transitioned to the role of Crisis Stabilization Supervisor and is grateful for the opportunity to support the amazing individuals who make up the crisis team. Her belief that mental health should be a right and not a privilege continues to guide her dedication to this work.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Peace Studies from College of St. Benedict and her Masters in Social Work at University of Oklahoma-Tulsa.

Alex (He/him/his) is a board-approved supervisor and has been working in the mental health field with children and families for approximately 10 years. Alex has spent a majority of his mental health career providing pre-school/school age mental health daytreatment services and more recently school-based therapy services in Minneapolis Public Schools through Washburn Center for Children. Alex views his supervisor role as a collaborative holding space to be with, learn, grow and support amazing clinicians putting in work to make the heart of Washburn Center for Children keep ticking. In his free time, Alex enjoys working out, listening to music and spending time with his family.

Meghan (she/her) is a clinical supervisor, trainer, and child and family therapist who joined Washburn in 2016. She is dually licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist and Professional Clinical Counselor. Prior to working at Washburn, Meghan started in rural mental health, and was foundationally trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), running a women and men’s group, and providing outpatient therapy across the age span. Meghan realized that all of her adult clients had early trauma, and decided to move her focus to young children in the hopes to mitigate severe and persistent mental illness.

That journey of focusing on children’s mental health continued as she moved to another rural clinic, supervising and managing a CTSS skills program, becoming trained in Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), and providing reflective supervision to Early Intervention Staff at Head Start. Meghan joined Washburn’s Family Focused team as an in home clinician for 2 years prior to moving into a supervisory role. Meghan is currently apprenticing to become a CPP trainer. Meghan holds a bachelor of arts in Communication and Art from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, a Master’s of Science in Counseling and Student Personnel from Minnesota State University Mankato, and a certificate of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from the University of Minnesota.

Meghan loves working at Washburn Center for Children because she believes in community mental health. She loves supporting children and their caregivers through difficult times, and also loves supporting clinicians in providing thoughtful, intentional, and transformative care in ways that value each family’s culture and values.

Dr. Marlene Ovalle Stiehm is a Doctor of Psychology and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Spanish from California State University, Northridge in 2001. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Counseling with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Northridge in 2003. Finally, she earned a Doctorate Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis in 2011.  

Dr. Marlene completed a Doctoral Practicum at the Neighborhood Involvement Program in Minneapolis, an advanced Doctoral Practicum at the Inter-Professional Center for Counseling and Legal Services in Minneapolis, and an advanced Doctoral Practicum at Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis. She completed a Pre-Doctoral Internship and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Washburn Center for Children. In addition to her extensive training, Dr. Marlene has also provided clinical supervision and cultural consultation services to community mental health agencies in Minnesota and California. She has provided clinical services to children, families, and adults in a variety of settings, including inpatient and community mental health, since 1999.  

Dr. Marlene is a Board-Approved Supervisor for the Minnesota Board of Marriage and Family Therapy and the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy. Dr. Marlene is certified in PracticeWise Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP) and has extensive training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), DC: 0-5, and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR).  

Currently, Dr. Marlene provides bilingual (Spanish/English) clinical services to underserved Latine families in the Twin Cities and supervision to licensed and pre-licensed staff in the Outpatient Program at Washburn Center for Children. Dr. Marlene’s areas of interest and expertise include the Latine/immigrant population, systemic family therapy, complex trauma, play therapy, attachment and development, clinical supervision and training, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Heather (she, her, hers) joined Washburn Center for Children in 2003 as an intern in the Preschool Day Treatment Program.  Following her internship in May 2004, Heather was hired on as a Child and Family Therapist in Washburn Center’s Day Treatment program and spent 11 years in this role before becoming a Day Treatment Supervisor in 2015.

Heather has a passion for training staff in utilizing the Developmental Repair Model in the Day Treatment groups as well as helping kids and their families understand and link feelings to their behaviors through authentic connection and relationships. Heather uses humor, play, art, books, mindfulness, etc. to help explore and meet the emotional, social, and mental health needs of her clients.

Heather’s clinical experience includes providing therapeutic services to children in Preschool Day Treatment, kids and families in crisis, clinical care consultation with school staff, in-home family therapy, outpatient therapy with children and adolescents and providing clinical and reflective supervision.  Heather has completed training in Developmental Repair, TFCBT, and DC: 0-5.

Heather earned a master’s degree in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology from University of Minnesota and later a Marriage and Family Therapy Certificate from St. Mary’s University.  Heather is independently licensed as an LMFT.

Kara joined Washburn Center in 2007 as a clinician in both the Outpatient program and the Child Development Policing program, a collaborative program with the Minneapolis Police Department, University of Minnesota, DAP and Tubman providing psycho-education and support to families whose children had recently witnessed violence. Kara received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan and worked in treatment foster care, residential treatment for parenting adolescents and the St Paul Public School system prior to joining Washburn Center. Kara is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and professional interests include anxiety disorders, attachment work, cognitive behavioral therapy, adolescent development and emancipation issues and trauma. Kara is currently a co-supervisor of Washburn’s School-based program.

Dr. Sinko started her career at Washburn Center for Children in 2011 as a post-doctoral fellow in the Outpatient program. She briefly left the agency following completion of her fellowship, but returned to the School-Based Mental Health Program in early 2013. Dr. Sinko provided school-based individual and family therapy services, as well as school consultations and training until 2016, at which time she transitioned into the role of Assistant Supervisor for the School-based Mental Health Program and in 2018 became Supervisor for School-based services. She has also collaborated with the Psychology Training Program to facilitate psychoeducation and social skills groups in the school setting and currently participates in psychological testing consultation.

Dr. Sinko received her BA in Child Psychology and Sociology from the University of Minnesota and her MA and PsyD in Clinical Psychology from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology in 2011. She completed her American Psychological Association accredited internship at The Guidance Center in Long Beach, California. Dr. Sinko has specialized training in DC: 0-3 assessment and therapy and is a certified Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral and PracticeWise therapist. Her professional interests include: psychological testing, play therapy, trauma, anxiety, depression, behavioral struggles, clinical supervision, and program development.

Dr. Sovak joined WCC as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2010, after completing her doctoral Internship at Neighborhood Involvement Program in Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Sovak provides individual and family therapy and psychological testing, as well as supervision to doctoral trainees. Dr. Sovak is certified in TF-CBT, credentialed in Managing and Adapting Practice (MAP), and has received specialized training in EMDR and DC 0-5 Assessment. She is a MAP Training Professional, and provides MAP training and consultation both within WCC and throughout the state of Minnesota. Dr. Sovak is also a consultant with Practicewise, where she provides consultation and completes case reviews for individuals across the U.S. seeking credentialing as a MAP therapist. She previously was an adjunct professor for five years in the Masters in Clinical Psychology Program at Argosy University/Twin Cities.  Dr. Sovak’s areas of clinical interest include: Interpersonal trauma, anxiety, depression, identity development, parenting guidance, grief and loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, supervision and consultation, and MAP.

Lindsay (she, her, hers) began interning at Washburn Center for Children in 2008 in the Outpatient Program, joining the Crisis Stabilization Program as a clinician in 2009. She joined the WARM team as a clinician in 2019 and transitioned to WARM Program Supervisor in 2020. Lindsay earned a master’s degree from St. Mary’s University in Marriage and Family Therapy and is a licensed marriage and family therapist as well as a board approved supervisor. Lindsay is passionate about identifying best practices for supporting families experiencing a mental health crisis and providing flexible and practical clinical approaches to meet the needs of the families we serve.