Return to clinicians & leadership >

Dr. Dlugosz is an adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of patients with eating disorders and their psychiatric co-morbidities including mood and anxiety disorders and serves as the medical director of the Harold C. Schott Eating Disorder Program.

Dr. Dlugosz received her Bachelor’s degree from Albion College.  She earned her M.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, completed her adult psychiatric residency at University Hospital in Cincinnati, now the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center where she served as Chief Resident. She is board certified in Adult and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS).

Dr. Dlugosz returns to The Lindner Center of HOPE after previously working as a staff psychiatrist and then associate medical director at Eating Recovery Center in Cincinnati, OH and as a contract psychiatrist at VERY-Virtual Eating Recovery for You which provides virtual comprehensive services for patients with eating disorders. She currently holds an academic position as Associate Professor of Clinical-GEO at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience where she helps to educate medical students and resident physicians in the treatment of eating disorders.

Dr. Dlugosz embraces a collaborative approach to the assessment and treatment of patients and her broad experience in a variety of settings is a solid foundation for providing the highest quality and compassionate care to patients at all levels of care.

Education:

• Albion College 2001 BA in Chemistry
• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 2005 Doctor of Medicine

Training:

• University of Cincinnati Resident in Adult Psychiatry 2005-2008
• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2008-2010

Board Certification:

• Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry through American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Honors and Awards:

• Alpha Omega Alpha medical Honor Society 2005
• Cincinnati Magazine Top Doctor Award winner previously
• Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
• Certified Eating Disorder Specialist

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Kelly serves as an outpatient therapist at Lindner Center of HOPE.

Prior to entering graduates’ school, she earned a BSW in Social Work at Northern Kentucky University and then went on to complete two years of clinical supervision with Dr. Les Wyman of the Gestalt Institute.

Kelly is dedicated to fostering mental health and well-being. As an outpatient therapist, she brings a wealth of experience and a diverse background to her practice, having transitioned from a successful private practice to join the esteemed Lindner Center team.

Before delving into the field of mental health, her journey began in the health sector as a medical social worker. In this role, she worked closely with clients grappling with chronic illness and pain, gaining valuable insights into the intricate connections between physical and mental well-being. This experience laid the foundation for her holistic approach to wellness, emphasizing the integral link between mind and body.

Kelly’s therapeutic methods are as diverse as the individuals she works with, grounded in a person-centered approach that recognizes the uniqueness of each person's journey. Kelly is passionate about tailoring her methods to meet the specific needs of her clients, ensuring a customized and effective therapeutic experience.

With a strong foundation in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), I incorporate evidence-based practices to empower individuals with the tools needed for sustainable change. Education and support are integral components of my approach, creating a collaborative environment that fosters growth and resilience.

In addition to traditional psychotherapy techniques, I bring an integrative, mind-body perspective to my practice. Drawing on techniques such as breathwork, guided imagery, mindfulness, and yoga. I aim to provide a comprehensive and immersive therapeutic experience. This integrative approach allows clients to explore avenues beyond traditional talk therapy, promoting a deeper connection between their mental and physical well-being.

Degree(s):

• 2006-2010- Bachelor of Social Work at Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky
• 2010-2014 Master of Social Work at Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky

BSW 2010

MSW 2014

LISW-S 2014 I.1801384

APA Quality Measurement Development Initiative to measure measurement-based care (MBC) 2021

Return to clinicians & leadership >

John serves as an outpatient therapist at the Lindner Center of HOPE. He has 12 years of experience working as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and has served as an outpatient therapist at Lindner Center of HOPE since August 2023. He currently works primarily with adults. John also provides couples counseling as a certified prepare/enrich facilitator. He has an extensive knowledge base that enables him to help a wide variety of individuals.  He specializes in the treatment of Anxiety, Depression, Adult ADHD, Bipolar Disorder and women who struggle as a result of current or past abusive relationships. I enjoy providing therapy services from a Christian or faith-based perspective when requested or desired by the patient.

Prior to coming to Lindner Center of HOPE, John was an independent contract therapist with a local counseling agency in northern Kentucky. He began his counseling journey in a community mental health center in eastern Kentucky. He spent his first several years as an in-home family therapist in 5 counties in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. From there, he transitioned into an outpatient therapist.

John received a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Eastern Kentucky University. John attended Liberty University at the age of 38 where he received a Master of Arts degree in Licensed Professional Counseling. John Currently maintains a counseling license in Kentucky and Ohio.

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Melissa serves as an outpatient therapist with Lindner Center of HOPE, focusing her work on individual therapy. She worked on LCOH’s residential facility for six years teaching both psychoeducational classes and completed individual work with residents, with emphasis on Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy and maladaptive overcontrolled behavior. From there, she transitioned to outpatient where she continues her work with RO-DBT and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She enjoys working with a variety of ages and feels especially passionate towards young adults.

Prior to coming to Lindner Center of Hope, Melissa worked in an Indianapolis school providing school-based therapy to elementary and middle school aged children. She also provided developmental information and skills to mothers of newborn babies.

Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts from Butler University, majoring in sociology, minoring in Spanish. She continued her education at Covenant Theological Seminary, receiving her Master of Arts in Counseling. She enjoys incorporating her knowledge of sociology and spirituality when helping her patients navigate their stories

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Dannielle Stewart serves as the Manager of Social Work, Recreational Therapy and Spiritual Care at the Lindner Center of HOPE.

Dannielle has 17 years of clinical experience in the mental health field. Prior to working at Lindner Center of HOPE, Dannielle has worked with the forensic population at two State Psychiatric Hospitals, a community mental health residential treatment setting, ACT Social Worker, Therapist in a Partial Hospitalization Program and Social Worker on an inpatient unit at two local behavioral health hospitals. In addition to working as a Social Worker at the Lindner Center of HOPE, Dannielle worked as a Mental Health Specialist soon after the hospital opened their doors in 2008.

Degree(s):

• B S. Social Work, Miami University Oxford, OH
• MSW Social Work University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH, IL

Internship:

• MSW Internship with Summit Behavioral Healthcare, Cincinnati OH

Licensure and Certification:

• LSW, Licensed Social Worker, Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• 2023 LISW-S Supervising Licensed Independent Social Worker, Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Nik Raju, MD is a staff psychiatrist at Lindner Center of HOPE. Born and raised in the Greater Cincinnati region, Dr. Raju completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University and his medical education as well as psychiatry residency training at Chicago Medical School. While in residency, he trained at a variety of healthcare facilities throughout the Chicago area, including the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center/North Chicago VA, Ascension Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, State of Illinois Elgin Mental Health Center, Lake County Health Department & Community Health Center, and the Horizons Behavioral Health outpatient clinic. He was recognized by the residency program’s faculty members and residents with the Mark Fahami Award for Passion in Psychiatry and Clinical Care in 2021, and he served as Chief Resident of Medical Student Education from July 2022 until his graduation in June 2023. He is a member of the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association, and the Ohio State Medical Association as well as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Dr. Raju treats adults in the outpatient and neuromodulation (ECT/TMS) clinics. He believes in providing individualized, holistic, and evidence-based care, with the goal of helping patients optimize physical and mental wellbeing. He has experience treating patients with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, and psychotic disorders. He has specialized interests in nutritional psychiatry, neuromodulation (ECT/TMS), and the connections between climate change and mental health.

This provider offers telehealth visits for those residing in Ohio or Illinois.

Degree(s):

• 2010-2013 B.S. Environmental Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC
• 2015-2019 M.D., Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL

Internship and Residencies:

• 2019-2023 Residency in Psychiatry, Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL

Licensure and Certification:

• 2021 Medical License, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation – Medical Board
• 2023 Medical License, State Medical Board of Ohio
• 2023 Board Certification in Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Nancy serves as an Outpatient Therapist at the Lindner Center of HOPE.

She describes her work with patients as being grounded in empathy, genuineness, and kindness.  She has particular expertise in facilitating hope, growth and change related to depression, anxiety, and trauma.  Her clinical experience prior to joining the Lindner Center of Hope included three decades of work as a therapist in various settings, including community mental health, the Regional Campuses of Miami University (serving both traditional and non-traditional age students), and a local rape crisis center. Her approach to working with patients incorporates CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), and other evidence-based treatments.  She utilizes a psychodynamic/ family systems lens and has a holistic view of health and wellness.

Nancy sees her role as helping her patients tell their stories, examine their situations, and consider changes in their thinking or actions that could support wished-for outcomes such as improved mood, lowered anxiety, and greater peace.  She sees herself as walking alongside patients: working hard to understand her patient’s perspectives, feelings, and beliefs; serving as an ally and guide in considering new approaches to the difficult issues they face; and offering feedback along the path to change.

Specific areas of focus and experience include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Faith integrated psychotherapy for people of all faiths
• Trauma (including mass shootings, sexual assault, childhood abuse, other crimes, first responder trauma, vehicle accidents, weather disasters, fires, medical trauma, refugee experiences, war and genocide)
• People living with medical challenges (autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cancer, etc.)
• Parents of medically fragile children
• Care for nurses and physical therapists
• Elder caregiving
• Relationship concerns
• Relationship loss
• Grief for lost loved ones (including our animals)
• Shame and self-compassion
• Transgender and gender diverse individuals (in particular, concerns around adjustment during transition and living authentically)
• Twins
• Bias and bigotry harm (Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Asian hate crimes, systemic racism and discrimination experiences)
• Impacts of family trauma (such as families impacted by incarceration, border separations and issues of DACA recipients, intergenerational abuse, Native American/Indigenous experiences including Indian schools, Holocaust survivors, and military service-related deaths and injuries)
• The American immigrant experience and culturally resonant treatment issues

and

• Psychotherapy for psychotherapists

Nancy has extensive experience training and supervising other clinicians.  She has taught graduate and undergraduate university courses related to psychotherapy, diversity in marriages and families, and the art and science of relationships that work.

Her volunteer roles have included: development and delivery of training for the first nationwide sexual assault and abuse intervention program in the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies (in cooperation with the United States Peace Corps and the Dominican Ministry of Health); screener of applicants for GRRAND (Golden Retriever Rescue and Adoption of Needy Dogs); President/Chair of the Board of Trustees for S.A.N.E. of Butler County, a forensic science non-profit;  Board Member for the Oxford Museum Association;  and United Nations Envoy/ Global Goals for Sustainability Champion.

In her spare time, Nancy is an artist, gardener of mixed success, and caretaker of a family that has included many animals, including dogs, cats, hens, and an Arabian horse.  She lives in a farmhouse that was built in 1867 and loves old things.

This provider offers telehealth visits. 

Degrees:

• 1990 A.B. Brown University, Providence, RI
• 1992 M.S.W, Clinical Mental Health, Cincinnati, OH

Internship:

• 1990-1992 M.S.W. Internship, Child and Family Division of Central Psychiatric Clinic, University of Cincinnati, OH

Grants:

Most recently, Nancy was a Principal Investigator for a 3-year SAMHSA suicide prevention grant. Over the course of her career she was awarded 74 additional grants from various government and philanthropic entities related to sexual assault and abuse survivor services and prevention/risk reduction.

Publications:

Piercey, J., Ferguson, N. “Looking for Love: Exploring Teen-Adult Relationships.” Documentary video and psychoeducational curriculum manual (Campbell Foundation, 1998).

Documentary concerned the dynamics of relationships with significant age disparity.

Awards:

In May 2000 Nancy was recognized with a Special Achievement Award by Ohio Attorney General and the United States Department of Justice for “outstanding service on behalf of crime victims”.

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Michael Groat, PhD, serves as Interim CEO and Chief Clinical Officer at Lindner Center of Hope. He has strategic oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Center and remains responsible for the therapeutic program development of inpatient and residential services at Lindner Center of Hope.

He has supervisory authority over the clinical activity and continuum of care in residential services. He is also responsible for the development, measurement, analysis, and communication of outcomes that inform the culture of empathy, excellence, and continuous improvement at the Center.

He is also responsible for providing clinical leadership, fostering superior quality patient care, standardizing clinical protocols, developing clinical strategic goals, implementing outcomes assessment, program expansion, and contributing to the recruitment and retention of clinical staff.

Additionally, Dr. Groat engages in strategic marketing activities across the United States.

Dr. Groat has a 16-year career of leadership in nationally ranked hospital, residential, and outpatient treatment programs that provide evidence-based mental health and addiction services for adolescents and adults. He is the former CEO of CooperRiis, a 95-bed residential program located in Asheville, North Carolina, and was Chief Clinical Officer of Silver Hill Hospital, a 129-bed hospital with seven residential programs, three inpatient units, and an outpatient clinic. He also previously served as Director of Adult Services at the Menninger Clinic, overseeing its flagship professionals and executives’ program, subacute program, and outpatient clinic. Dr. Groat has launched successful programs, including the framework for a grateful patient donor program at the Menninger Clinic, an aftercare support service at Silver Hill Hospital, expansion of CooperRiis’ community integration program, and an assessment service at Silver Hill Hospital. He has consistently driven increased patient satisfaction and high staff morale and helped launch successful patient outcomes measurement at the Menninger Clinic and Silver Hill Hospital. Long accustomed to working with a diverse payor mix, Dr. Groat understands how to bring high touch concierge service to the most discriminating of families and referral sources. He has an extensive national network and is regularly invited to present to audiences throughout the US.

Dr. Groat completed a four-year postdoctoral fellowship in the treatment of treatment refractory personality disorders and other mental disorders at the Austen Riggs Center. He is Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He was previously the Chief Clinical Officer and Director of Psychology and Assessment at the Silver Hill Hospital, where he was also Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. While at Menninger, Dr. Groat was associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Groat has lectured widely on topics related to psychotherapeutic treatments, acute and intermediate levels of care, suicide prevention, personality assessment and recovery.

Education:

• B.A., History, summa cum laude, Gordon College
• MSc., College Student Personnel Services, Miami University
• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, State University of NY
• Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Executive Management, Rice University

Training:

• Internship, Albany Psychology Internship Consortium, Albany Medical College
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Psychotherapy, Assessment, Systems Consultation, Austen Riggs Center
• Mentalizing-Based Therapy: The Menninger Clinic

Honors and Awards:

• Research Fellow, Anna Freud Centre/Yale Child Study Center
• Fellow, American Psychoanalytic Association
• Pillar Award, The Menninger Clinic

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Whitney Peters serves as an outpatient therapist at the Lindner Center of HOPE and is also a member of the OCD Treatment Team.

Prior to entering graduate school, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at The Ohio State University. There, she participated in research studies in behavioral psychology and cognitive psychology.

Prior to joining the Lindner Center of HOPE, she worked as an outpatient counselor at NOCD, private practice, and community mental health in Columbus, Ohio. She is a member of the International OCD Foundation, the TLC Foundation for Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, the PANS/PANDAS Network, and The Tourette Association of America.

She is a specialist in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Body Focused Repetitive Behavior Disorders like Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and Excoriation (skin picking), Body Dysmorphia, Tics and Tourette’s Syndrome, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and PANS/PANDAS.

She has written articles and educational materials about OCD and fundraises for continued OCD research and treatment with the annual One Million Steps for OCD Walk in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Degree(s):

• 2007 - 2011 B.A. Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
• 2012 - 2014 M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Wright State University, Fairborn OH

Internship and Practicum:

• 2014 Counselor Practicum, Marion Area Counseling Center, Marion OH

Licensure and Certification:

• 2014 Counselor Trainee, Counselor, Social Worker, & Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• 2015 Licensed Professional Counselor, Social Worker, & Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• 2019 Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Social Worker, & Marriage and Family Therapist Board

 

Return to clinicians & leadership >

Shea is an outpatient telehealth therapist at the Lindner Center of HOPE.

Prior to earning dual masters degrees in School Counseling & Clinical Mental Health counseling, Shea studied Creative Writing at Ohio University while minoring in Spanish. Throughout her undergraduate experience Shea volunteered with a variety of social justice oriented organizations in the Appalachian region including Girl Power, a program through Athens County Child Services.

Shea is trained in EMDR through EMDRIA and pursing Certification. The focus of her EMDR work includes simple and complex trauma, somatic symptoms, and specific phobia. Additionally, Shea is certified in DBT (C-DBT), a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and a Certified Autism Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS). Shea’s practice philosophy is patient-centered, neuroscience informed, evidence based, and always includes room for a good joke!

Prior to joining the Lindner Center of HOPE, Shea worked for a small private practice in north-central Ohio.

Shea specializes in trauma work and working with neurodivergent adults, including adults diagnosed with ADHD and level 1 Autism. She also enjoys working with LGBT adults, adults living with disability, and caretakers of loved ones with physical or developmental disabilities.

This provider offers telehealth visits.