Our therapists offer addiction counseling in Columbus, OH

I am a licensed independent social worker (LISW) with 20 years of experience in the mental health field. I specialize in supporting children, adults, and families navigating trauma, substance use concerns, anger management, violence, and homelessness. My work focuses on serving women and people of color while creating a safe, supportive space where clients can process challenges, build resilience, and work toward meaningful and lasting change.

I earned my master’s degree in social work from The Ohio State University. I am trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. My professional background includes working in a variety of settings and providing both short-term and long-term therapeutic support.

My goal is to provide compassionate, high-quality mental health care while helping reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. I will work collaboratively with you to identify your strengths, develop effective coping strategies, and create a treatment plan that supports your healing, growth, and overall well-being.

Donisha Austin is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) who has over 3 years of experience working with children, teens, adults, and seniors. She specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, behavioral issues, family and relationship conflict, and chronic stress.

Donisha received her Bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in Human Development and Family Studies. She received her Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Her professional and life experience have equipped her with the appropriate tools to support and guide others through various challenges and transitions. Donisha utilizes many treatment approaches including but not limited to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT ), humanistic approaches, existential therapy (ET), person-centered therapy (PCT), multicultural therapy, solutions-focused therapy (SFT), and much more.

Choosing therapy can be challenging, but Donisha believes there is power in stepping into your challenge zone. Trusting a stranger with your most vulnerable pieces can be scary. There is power in being emotional or squishy as Donisha likes to call it. Donisha provides a calm and safe space where she encourages you to be courageous. Schedule an appointment with her today!

Lauren A. Carsten is an independently licensed clinical mental health counselor (PCC) and earned her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Carroll University. Prior to moving back to her native Ohio, she completed BAs in both psychology and behavioral science (an interdisciplinary degree encompassing human behavior through sociology, anthropology and psychology) from San Jose State University in California. She holds competencies treatment of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and grief, and has experience and training using trauma-informed practices. She also has extensive experience working with multicultural populations as well as the LGBTQQIAA population and has given trainings in these areas with a focus on sensitivity and accommodations to treatment approaches. She has also completed the certificate program for Substance Abuse Counseling from the University of Cincinnati and is able to integrate that training into current treatment when needed. She is adept at the treatment of individual clients, couples, as well as families and groups, and welcomes clients to incorporate other people into their sessions if needed and appropriate. Her style is generally relaxed and casual and ascribes to the Gestalt model of client interactions but does pull from several different approaches to find the more efficacious approach for each client individually.

Melissa Elbert is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) with over seven years of experience working with clients in their communities as well as in office. She is passionate about assisting clients meet their goals for treatment. She has experience working with adults and couples. Melissa has post graduate training in CBT, DBT, anxiety disorders, trauma-informed care, ADHD, and CPT. Melissa specializes in trauma, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders including alcohol use and opioid use.

Melissa completed her MSSA at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. Melissa utilizes multiple approaches to therapy in order to find the right fit for each individual client. Some of these approaches include CBT, DBT, CPT, and trauma-informed approaches.

Every person has their own special needs. Melissa is a client-centered therapist that will work with you and your goals to determine which approach best suits your needs. You are the most important person in each session. If you are ready to make a commitment to yourself for better mental health, schedule with her today!

Hi, I am Ryan Wade, a psychiatrist board certified in Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. I completed medical school and my Psychiatry residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School, followed by an Addiction Psychiatry fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Despite my training in the addiction field, I spend a large portion of my time focusing on mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. I find that I typically work most with people who want to consolidate their medication regimen or those who view medication as a tool, not solely the solution to the issues they are facing.

I attempt to meet people where they are and the level they are willing to engage with treatment as this varies significantly from person to person. I believe psychotherapy is quite powerful for most people and routinely recommend it alongside my work with clients, including any medications I would potentially prescribe. 

If you are considering seeing someone for your mental health — or even wondering if what you are feeling day-to-day is "normal" and would like an assessment — feel free to schedule an appointment. There is no pressure to start medication or to even continue in treatment if you feel that it isn't right for you. I look forward to meeting you soon!