Meet Our Team
Lizzie Tecklenburg
Intern Therapist
Supervised by Ashley Montag and Katie Bardsley
M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Divine Mercy University
Anticipated graduation date: Dec 2025
Lizzie believes that every person is inherently good and made to flourish. Everyone has experienced grief, conflict, trauma, or other stressors at one time or another, and Lizzie believes that these challenges can be transformed into sources of growth, strength, and flourishing. She desires to journey with clients through the joys and sorrows of life and help them to become their authentic selves.
Lizzie believes that every person’s healing journey is unique and strives to uncover the beauty in every part of life.
Lizzie’s Areas of Clinical Interest
Trauma
Young Adults / College Students
Missionaries
Spiritual Issues
Identity Struggles
Anxiety and Depression
Sara Benes
Intern Therapist
Supervised by Ashley Montag and Katie Bardsley
M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Divine Mercy University
Anticipated graduation date: Dec 2025
Sara is deeply passionate about mental health and believes everyone deserves to live a life of peace and joy. She values a holistic approach to therapy, recognizing the beauty of each person’s unique experience. With a focus on empathy, cultural sensitivity, and personal growth, she strives to create a compassionate space for clients to heal, explore their authentic selves, and navigate life’s challenges.
Sara looks forward to walking with clients as they embrace the process of growth and transformation.
Sara’s Areas of Clinical Interest
Attachment/Relationship Concerns
Multicultural Counseling
Divorce
Grief and Loss
Life Transitions
Identity Issues
Veterans and Military
Hannah Thiele, MS, PLMHP
Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner
Certified Medical Family Therapist
EMDR-Trained Therapist
M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Previous Clinical Experience:
Couple and Family Clinic, Lincoln, NE
Mourning Hope Grief Center, Lincoln, NE
University of Nebraska - Lincoln Counselor in Residence
Hannah believes every person has inherent dignity and worth, created to live life to the full in their personal lives and relationships. Hannah desires all her clients to experience healing, freedom, and integration that is restorative and abundant. She is passionate about creating a space that is open, safe, and collaborative, in order to foster healthy relationships that build connection and trust amidst life’s struggles.
Hannah strives to encounter each person where they are at in their personal healing and is passionate about accompanying her clients on a journey toward wholeness and abundant living.
Hannah’s Areas of Expertise & Clinical Focus
Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy
Young Adults / College Students
Trauma / EMDR Therapy
Student Athletes
Anxiety and Depression
Grief and Loss
Life Transitions
Emily Pynes (Martinez), MS, PLMHP
Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner
Certified Medical Family Therapist
EMDR-Trained Therapist
M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Previous Clinical Experience:
Couple and Family Clinic, Lincoln, NE
Mourning Hope Grief Center, Lincoln, NE
University of Nebraska Lincoln Counselor in Residence
Emily is inspired by the inherent beauty and goodness in every person. She desires to create a space to wrestle with the anxieties of life and the question of “Am I truly good?” Emily views therapy as a journey back to the fullness of who a person truly is - deeply known and unconditionally loved. Emily is honored to sit down with clients, hear their stories, and walk with them through the storms of life. She believes people are not meant to travel alone.
Emily feels it is through compassion, vulnerability, and a few laughs that hopeful moments of light can be found that serve as a reminder of the capacity to live a full, abundant life. Therapy, like leaving the Shire, takes courage, so remember you are brave!
Emily’s Areas of Expertise & Clinical Focus
Individual, Couples, and Family Therapy
College Students/Young Adults
Trauma / EMDR Therapy
Artists/Creators
Infertility
Grief and Loss / Medical Concerns
Struggles with Self-Worth
Anxiety and Depression
Alex Rieke, MS, PLMHP
Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner
M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Divine Mercy University
Alex believes life is a journey to wholeness. She believes that through accompaniment, many have a space to be honest, recognize their inherent strengths and goodness, and find freedom in being authentic in the process. She hopes to create a safe, encouraging space that is a piece of the lifelong transformation for her clients.
Alex’s Areas of Expertise & Clinical Focus
Life Transitions
Adult Children of Divorce
Relationship Concerns / Conflict
Identity Issues
Older Adults / Elderly
Grief and Loss
Britt Echtenkamp, MA, LIMHP, RPT
Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner
Registered Play Therapist
M.A. Professional Counseling
Texas State University
Previous Clinical Experience:
Intuitus Group Counseling Clinic, Cedar Park, TX
Diocese of Austin Family Counseling Office, Austin, TX
Britt operates from a “child-centered play therapy” perspective. This means that she believes given the right environment and support, children will seek growth and wholeness. She believes that the relationship between child and therapist is the vehicle for change, as it provides safety, stability, and support. The play environment, and the relationship within, allows the child to heal and grow at their own pace.
Britt also has a sincere appreciation for parents and the struggles they face in day to day life. She believes parents are the foundation of the family, and deserve as much care and support as their child. Parents are an integral part of a child’s treatment team, so Britt makes it a priority to meet with parents regularly throughout the process.
Britt’s Areas of Expertise & Clinical Focus
Children ages 3 - 13
Anxiety Disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Selective Mutism, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Depression
School Anxiety
Major Life Transitions (such as moving, divorce, or remarriage)
Grief and Loss
Social Skills Training
Parenting Support
Ashley Montag, MS, LIMHP, LMFT
Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
EMDR-Trained Therapist
M.S. Marriage and Family Therapy
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Previous Clinical Experience:
Couple and Family Clinic, Lincoln, NE
Ashley believes that all people have the capacity for growth and strives to create a space that allows every individual, couple, and family to experience healing and wholeness. She desires every client to experience a deeper connection with their inherent dignity and worth and a restoration and strengthening of their relationships.
Ashley sees every client’s decision to pursue therapy as one of courage and hope, and she is passionate about working with her clients to create new experiences of trust and connection.
Ashley’s Areas of Expertise & Clinical Focus
Individual and Couples Therapy
Trauma / Attachment Issues
Anxiety and Depression
Grief and Loss
Identity and Self-Worth Issues
Life Transitions
Katie Bardsley, MA, LIMHP, LPC
Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner Licensed Professional Counselor
EMDR-Trained Therapist
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Colorado Christian University
Previous Clinical Experience:
Saint Raphael Counseling in Denver, CO
Katie is passionate about helping her clients discover greater freedom and meaning in their lives. It is her hope that through the powerful experience of healing and restoration in therapy, her clients can experience the fullness of life.
Katie believes a strong therapeutic relationship and collaboration with her client is key to successful therapy. She strives to walk with and empower each client to pursue their dreams and goals with courage and freedom. Katie believes therapy is a space to accompany and encourage her clients in the process of transformation in order to live each day with greater peace, joy and trust.
Katie’s Areas of Expertise & Clinical Focus
Teens, Young Adults, Adults
Perfectionism and Identity Issues
Student Athletes / Performance Anxiety
Anxiety and Depression
Relationship Concerns
Trauma / Attachment Issues
Missionaries / Missionary Alumni
*Licensed in both Nebraska and Colorado
