Staff
Carolina Brito
Training Director/Therapist
MSW, LMSW
Carolina is a first-generation college student. She is a Licensed Masters Level Clinical Social Worker. She received her bachelor’s degree in social work from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) with a minor in psychology. Carolina received her Master of Social Work from GVSU in 2018. Before joining the team at the Counseling Center, Carolina worked in various settings, serving survivors of Intimate partner violence, refugees in long-term foster care, and individuals seeking private practice therapy.
Her work focuses on fostering compassion, empathy, and empowerment during the healing journey. She believes in the importance of developing a therapeutic relationship that is genuine and collaborative as she believes every person deserves to be heard, healed and seek personal growth. For this reason, she loves providing psychoeducation to help clients understand how their experiences shape them. Carolina is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
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Calvin Ruff
Therapist
MSW, LMSW
Calvin Ruff, LMSW, has a depth of experience providing a variety of mental health services at the local and international levels. Calvin completed a BA in Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has earned a Master of Social Work degree from Western Michigan University. He has engaged collaboratively with individuals and families seeking guidance and relief from the challenges of a broad spectrum of mental health and social concerns, evolving identities, intercultural dynamics, and existential exploration. Calvin subscribes to an eclectic, humanistic, client-centered philosophy to treatment that is supported by a variety of treatment approaches (e.g. DBT/CBT, Multicultural counseling, Mindfulness-based skills training). Calvin seeks to be a witness who authentically values the narrative of each individual’s lived experience, with the goal of facilitating insight, acceptance, and change to propel them in the direction of building a life worth living by their own accord. His firm commitment to the values of mutual respect, human dignity, and loving kindness serve as a strong foundation for his integrated approaches to wellness.
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Interns
Anderson Boatman
Doctoral Intern
MS, LPC, DTLLP
My name is Anderson Boatman and I have been practicing as a therapist for the past 5 years. I firmly believe that a strong therapeutic relationship is essential for change to occur in therapy. Thus, I stress forming strong relationships with the clients I work with. I specialize in working with athletes, but also young adults, men, and individuals who enjoy being reflective and gaining increased understanding of themselves that leads to change.
My approach: I predominately utilize an interpersonal process approach which encourages the communication of the here-and-now relationship between client and therapist. However, I integrate that approach with and am comfortable with, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, and existential approaches.
My communication style: I embrace interpersonal communication. I welcome and encourage the here-and-now in the therapy relationship and bring in communication about the relationship between the client and myself. I believe that if clients feel uncomfortable or unable to share aspects of their lives with me, it would make it difficult if not impossible to achieve their personal goals. Thus, I welcome conversations about the therapeutic relationship between the client and myself.
My goals for you: I approach goal setting with clients from a collaboratively perspective. I believe that goals should be client-driven, and with a collaborative approach, we can work toward identifying achievable goals.
My first session with you: Clients could expect a session filled with efforts to get to know each other, my approach to therapy, and understanding their unique concerns. Much of the first session is spent attempting to better understand what the client’s unique concerns are to help set the groundwork for a great therapeutic relationship.
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Becca Jokinen
Doctoral Intern
MA, LPC, NCC, DTLLP
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) in the state of Michigan. I received my Master’s in Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northern Arizona University (April, 2020), with half of my credits completed at Arizona State University as well. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology (B.S.) from Central Michigan University (May, 2017), with a minor in Communication Disorders. I also received advanced certification in Behavior Analysis (BCaBA) and have experience working with children with autism using applied behavior analysis therapy.
I currently work part-time with adults in an individual setting at LifeStance Health, Inc and do Psychological Evaluations at Meredith Psychological and Testing Services in Kalamazoo. I previously worked full-time at a group private practice where I saw individual clients of all ages. Additionally, I have experience working in a trauma-intensive outpatient clinic providing both individual and group therapy to all ages, as well as an intensive crisis-stabilization partial-hospitalization program, including an intensive eating disorder clinic.
My counseling approach draws mainly from humanistic and person-centered concepts, though I integrate cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), interpersonal techniques, and Adlerian Therapy approaches as well. My special interests include working with individuals with anxiety disorders, neurodivergent populations, disordered eating/body-image concerns, identity concerns, LGBTQIA+ populations, and creating happiness and mental wellness overall using a holistic approach. In therapy sessions, I like to incorporate mindfulness practices, coping skill development, and strengths-based approaches to help my clients thrive based on their unique abilities. As a clinician, I value individuality, collaboration, culturally-informed practices, and creating a safe, nonjudgemental space for my clients. My approach is open, active, creative, and positive in nature.
I am excited to be and intern at Kalamazoo College’s Counseling Center this year! I love working with college students and young adults because I love to help people find their flow with balancing relationships, work, school, and how to become their most authentic selves.