Who We Are

Meet the CPS Team

J. Keith Ostien, Ph.D. has been a Licensed Psychologist since 1981. Dr. Ostien founded Comprehensive Psychological Services, PC in July 1984 and is the Director of the clinic. He completed his Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 1979. Dr. Ostien is a member of the American Psychological Association, Michigan Psychological Association, National Academy of Neuropsychology, National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and is a Diplomate in the American Psychotherapy Association. Dr. Ostien’s practice is focused in the areas of conducting psychological and neuropsychological evaluations with adults with a variety of psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and neuro-degenerative disorders. The results of these evaluations contribute to accurate diagnosis of the person's condition and the development of comprehensive treatment programs. Dr. Ostien also provides individual psychotherapy with adults and consultation within the community. Lastly, Dr. Ostien supervises Ph.D. candidates in the Clinical Psychology Department at MSU in the administration, interpretation of data, and writing of psychological evaluations.

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Timothy L. Goth-Owens, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist who has been affiliated with Comprehensive Psychological Services, PC since 1986. He specializes in the treatment of adolescents and adults. He has a particular interest in working with those who experience problems in the regulation of mood, anxiety, attention and academic performance. Dr. Goth-Owens works collaboratively with clients to develop a clear understanding of their individual goals and their strengths and weaknesses. Generally, his treatment approach is to help individuals and families develop specific self-regulatory skills that enable them to better achieve their goals. He primarily uses cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness approaches to addressing these goals. Dr. Goth-Owens earned a doctoral degree from Michigan State University (MSU), with a specialty in child and family clinical psychology. In addition, from 1994-2021 Dr. Goth-Owens worked as a fixed term faculty member in Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology. In this capacity he taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervised clinical psychology graduate students at the Michigan State University Psychological Clinic, and consulted on National Institute of Health funded research program investigating developmental and neuropsychological aspects of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Steve M. Geiger, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Geiger received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1982 and was a certified psychologist in Illinois before coming to Michigan in 1985. As a licensed psychologist in Michigan since 1986, he initially worked at St. Lawrence Hospital in their inpatient and outpatient psychological and addictions programs. Dr. Geiger has enjoyed teaching addictions, assessment, ethics and counseling theory courses at Michigan State University since 1987. Dr. Geiger began his practice at Comprehensive Psychological Services in 1987 and has focused on psychological evaluations and providing individual psychotherapy with regard to addictions, anxiety disorders and depression. His counseling approach includes a combination of cognitive behavioral and interpersonal techniques.

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Carol C. Laub, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Laub joined CPS in 1997, providing clinical services to children, adolescents, adults, and families. Dr. Laub received her Master's and Doctorate degrees in child and family clinical psychology from Michigan State University. She completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in child/family clinical and pediatric psychology through the College of Human Medicine at MSU. Dr. Laub primarily uses cognitive-behavioral and family-systems therapies, but treatment is tailored to the needs and concerns of each individual and family. Dr. Laub works with children and adolescents ages 1 to 18, and adults of all ages. Her areas of specialty include: anxiety, OCD, depression, adjustment difficulties, behavior problems, learning difficulties, ADHD, grief and loss, developmental disabilities, chronic illness, and women's issues.

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Steve Cottrell, LMSW, ACSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He is a Michigan State University graduate. Steve has been practicing since 1986. He specializes in treating mood and addiction disorders. He provides therapy to teens, adults, and couples. He is a Health Professional Recovery Program provider. Steve also works at Sparrow Hospital as a therapist treating individuals and groups with addiction and affective disorders. Steve also supervises Master's level students from Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, and Spring Arbor University.

Jon Shy, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Shy completed his Ph.D. at Florida State University and joined CPS in 2008. Dr. Shy performs comprehensive psychological and psycho-educational evaluations with children, adolescents, and adults to assess a wide variety of psychological conditions, including learning disabilities and ADHD. Dr. Shy conducts neuropsychological evaluations for adults and the elderly. Referral questions for neuropsychological evaluations frequently involve making differential diagnoses between Dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. He also provides individual and family psychotherapy to adolescents and adults. Treatment specialties include posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and career and life transitions.

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Kimberly Podmore, LMSW, CAADC is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She provides therapy for adults, children, couples and families that present with a wide range of symptoms to help them navigate life’s challenges to find hope and healing. She is experienced in helping people with depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions, grief and loss, parenting concerns, behavioral issues, adjustment difficulties, life transitions, and relationship difficulties. Kimberly uses a variety of psychotherapy techniques to individualize treatment to her client’s needs. She has experience with psycho-social and substance abuse assessments as well. Kimberly received her MSW from Michigan State University, with a focus on Clinical Practice with Children and Families. She is certified as an Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC) through the Michigan Certification Board of Addiction Professionals.

Jennifer Thompson, PsyD, is a Licensed Psychologist. She has practiced in various clinical settings since 2001, conducting psychological assessments and psychotherapy. Dr. Thompson joined CPS in 2015. She received her master’s and doctoral degrees from the Chicago School of Psychology and has previously worked in inpatient hospital, community mental health, and private practice settings. Dr. Thompson is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Michigan Psychological Association. Her treatment interests and areas of expertise include attachment-based psychotherapy, the treatment of mood disorders (including depression and anxiety), working with the impact of trauma, and helping people manage difficulties with relationships. Assessment interests include comprehensive diagnostic assessments to rule out diagnoses of psychosis, mood disorders, personality disorders, learning disorders, and ADHD. Dr. Thompson also has strong interest in working with issues of culture, identity, and diversity. She works with people across the lifespan in both individual and family contexts. In addition to direct clinical work, Dr. Thompson has significant experience supervising doctoral and post-doctoral psychology students and fellows.

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Craig S. Mefford, PsyD, is a Limited License Psychologist. Since 1994 he has practiced neuropsychology and psychotherapy within the greater Lansing area. He obtained his B.A. from Michigan State University, M.A. from University of Detroit Mercy, and PsyD in clinical psychology from Wheaton College (IL). He obtained a post-graduate certificate in clinical neuropsychology from Fielding Graduate University, and a post-doctoral fellowship with Neuropsychological Services of Lansing, MI. Dr. Mefford has extensive experience in assisting patients with neuropsychological testing and psychotherapy treatment following traumatic brain injury (TBI), stokes, brain tumors, toxic exposures, dementias and other health-related psychological problems. He also provides neuropsychological consultations for the Sparrow Healthcare Network. Dr. Mefford’s clinical interests include co-occurring conditions of complex concussions, PTSD, anxiety, depression, cognitive remediation, mood dysregulation, ADHD, lifestyle adjustments, and identity development. Research and lecture topics include TBI, sports concussions, brain-based behaviors and strong relationships. Dr. Mefford served in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Christian Association of Psychological Studies, and the American Psychological Association, Division 40 (neuropsychology).

D. Ami Sung, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Sung received her MA and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Boston College and Indiana State University. Dr. Sung’s clinical interests include childhood developmental trauma, attachment and relationship injuries, PTSD, dissociation, mood/anxiety disorders, eating/body image concerns, cultural identity, acculturation, and religiosity/spirituality. Her theoretical orientation involves an integrative approach primarily focusing on humanistic-experiential, relational psychodynamics, and mindfulness. Dr. Sung enjoys working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, including international students, and is fluent in Korean. Dr. Sung is a certified EMDR therapist (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and is an approved consultant of the EMDR International Association.

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Katharine N. Thakkar, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist. She specializes in neuropsychological evaluations in adults experiencing a range of cognitive and emotional difficulties. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from Vanderbilt University and conducted a predoctoral internship with a specialization in clinical neuropsychology at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Thakkar then completed a 3-year postdoctoral research fellowship at the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University where she leads a National Institute of Health funded research lab focused on understanding the cognitive and brain mechanisms of schizophrenia spectrum disorder symptoms. In addition, she supervises graduate and undergraduate students and teaches graduate-level courses in neuropsychological assessment and cognitive neuroscience. Dr. Thakkar joined Comprehensive Psychological Services, P.C. in April 2021. She conducts neuropsychological evaluations with individuals coping with a variety of underlying neurological disorders.

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Dr. S. Julian Dixon, Ph.D., is a Limited License Psychologist with extensive experience providing clinical services to adult, young adult, and college student populations, Dr. Dixon earned a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy College in 1989, with a specialization in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling, and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University in 2002. He completed a 2- year Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Alcohol Abuse and Resilience Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in 2003-2005. The focus of his post-doctoral research was on examining the role of culturally salient protective influences, coping behaviors, and resilience in African American college students diagnosed with alcohol abuse and dependence. Dr. Dixon is a member of American Psychological Association’s Division 17: Society of Counseling Psychology. Dr. Dixon utilizes an integrated approach to his clinical work that includes culturally-sensitive assessment, brief solution-focused, problem-solving, cognitive-behavioral, family systems, narrative, and interpersonal counseling and psychotherapy interventions. He works with a variety of clinical issues, to include anxiety and stress-management, depression, grief and loss, life-transitions, couples/marriage/family/peer/partner relationship problems, career-vocational indecision, alcohol and substance abuse/addictions, religious/spiritual problems, problems in the workplace, and burnout. He deeply values the role, importance, and connections between culture and ethnicity, social class, and religious beliefs/practices/spirituality.

Jose V Carrera, LMSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He completed his MSW in 1986 at the University of Michigan. Since 1987, Jose has been providing clinical services to children/teens, adults, and families struggling with anxiety, mood disorders, adjustment difficulties, academic stressors, trauma, ADHD, OCD, chronic illness, grief and loss, parenting/behavioral issues, self-harm, self-esteem, personality disorders, and family conflict/relationship difficulties. Jose integrates a variety of evidence-based psychotherapy techniques to address the individualized needs of his clients. Jose also provides psychotherapy to Spanish speaking individuals. During his career, Jose has also developed and implemented several clinical programs designed to systematically enhance on-going treatment programs and to address issues and populations previously overlooked.

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Rachel Korest (She/Her), Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Korest received her master’s and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University’s School Psychology program where she was trained in assessment, intervention, and school consultation. Dr. Korest completed her internship at Michigan Medicine’s Mott Children’s Hospital with rotations in integrated pediatric primary care, pediatric outpatient pain clinic, and pediatric outpatient diabetes clinic. She completed her postdoctoral training at the John’s Hopkins affiliate, Kennedy Krieger Institute, in the Child and Family Therapy clinic. Dr. Korest moved back to her East Lansing roots to help increase access to mental health care in the Greater Lansing area. Dr. Korest has a passion for social justice and uses culturally-informed practices to improve mental health outcomes for her clients. Dr. Korest’s treatment interests include caregiver coaching for early childhood challenges (e.g., sleep, toileting, behavior), supporting academic and behavior challenges across school and home contexts, improving family relationships/reducing conflict at home, tic disorders, AD/HD, and anxiety disorders. Dr. Korest works with children, adolescents, families, and young adults in both individual and family-level contexts. She individualizes evidence-based approaches to ensure the most effective outcomes with each client. Techniques may include parent management training, behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy skills, functional family therapy skills, and solution-focused approaches to support clients’ needs.

Lara Hewson, LMSW, IMH-EⓇ (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and endorsed Infant Mental Health Specialist. She completed her BA in Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University and MSW at University of Michigan, with a focus on Interpersonal Practice with Children, Youth, and Families. She has extensive experience working with children of all ages and their families to address concerns related to behavioral issues, depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem, family relationships, and parenting. Lara utilizes a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques tailored to each family. As an Infant Mental Health Specialist, Lara has additional training related to working with very young children and their caregivers to address building secure relationships, supporting development, and other early childhood concerns. In addition to clinical work, Lara is a certified trainer for the DC:0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood and is an experienced clinical and reflective supervisor for Limited Licensed Master Social Workers and those pursuing Infant Mental Health Endorsement.

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Sarina Roschmann, Ph.D. (she/her) is a Licensed Psychologist. She received her doctorate in School Psychology from Michigan State University. Dr. Roschmann completed her predoctoral internship at the Boystown Behavioral Health Clinic in Omaha, Nebraska, where she worked with youth in the residential program and their families, as well as youth and families in the greater Omaha area. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Thriving Minds Behavioral Health in Brighton, Michigan. Dr. Roschmann works with children, teenagers, and parents to address challenges related to anxiety, depression, trauma or adjustment-related concerns, and behavioral challenges. She values access to equitable and high-quality mental health care for everyone. To help youth and families meet their goals, she works collaboratively with them to understand their values and find a path forward. Dr. Roschmann uses strategies based in behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, trauma-informed, dialectical behavioral, and functional family therapies.

Emily Thomas, LMSW is a licensed Clinical Social Worker. She completed her BA in psychology and her MSW in Social work at Wayne State University with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has worked with all ages and many backgrounds and enjoys working with people with a variety of different needs. She has advanced training in anxiety, trauma, geriatric care, and weight loss management. She enjoys working with families and couples as well as all individuals. Emily uses a variety of treatment interventions depending on the client’s needs, to include cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused behavioral therapy, and EMDR. Emily also trains and supervises new social workers for state licensure. Emily enjoys the therapy process of building strong rapport with clients and empowering them to reach their individual goals.

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Melissa Manninen, Ph.D. is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She earned her Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Springfield College in Massachusetts, and Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counselor Education from Michigan State University. She provides clinical services to a diverse range of individuals, adolescence through adulthood, to address anxiety and mood disorders, personality disorders, addictions, life transitions, relationship concerns, employment changes, school stressors, and health concerns including brain injury and disability. To foster a collaborative, beneficial relationship, Dr. Manninen tailors her therapeutic approach to meet the unique needs of the individual. Her belief is to meet each person where they are in their journey, to help identify values, and to empower the individual to take the lead in the development and fulfillment of their goals. Modalities may include cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, internal family systems, and mindfulness techniques. Dr. Manninen is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).