As a client of the Clinical Services Center, you will have a whole team of trained therapists working for and with you to help you reach your goals. Student therapists in the final year of their master's degree program work alongside highly experienced supervisors to ensure that your care is according to the excellent standards and reputation of one of the nation's most respected and longest continually accredited Marriage and Family Therapy graduate programs.
Clinical Services Center Student Therapists
Michi graduated with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies in 2011 and had always thought about coming back for her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). After being furloughed in 2024, she decided it was the right time to pursue her MFT degree at UW-Stout, along with a sex therapy certification. Michi is passionate about creating a warm, collaborative space where clients feel safe to explore their experiences and build deeper self-awareness. Her clinical interests include emotional regulation, somatic/body-based approaches, and understanding the brain and nervous system's role in healing. She enjoys working through an attachment-based lens and is especially interested in supporting individuals and couples navigating relational dynamics, intimacy, identity, neurodivergence, trauma and life transitions.
Kat Hera (she/her)
Kat believes that therapy is most effective when it’s grounded in collaboration, authenticity, and a strong therapeutic relationship. Kat’s approach is meeting clients where they are and honoring their unique experiences, values, and goals. Kat works to create a safe space where growth, healing, and lasting change can happen. For several years, Kat has worked with adolescents in transition to support them in navigating their identity development and the complexities of adulthood. Kat’s belief is that every person holds the capacity for meaningful change, even when the path forward feels unclear or overwhelming. Kat maintains that her role is not to “fix” clients, but to walk alongside them, offering them guidance, insight, and support to uncover their own strengths. Kat graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Kat works primarily with adolescents and young adults and utilizes approaches such as Internal Family Systems and Solution Focused Therapy. Areas of interest include: anxiety, depression, divorce/separation, parent-child conflicts, blended families, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergence (ADHD and ASD).
Shawna Wells (she/they)
I have found that our connections to one another, our loved ones, and nature are at the heart of healing and joy. I bring a warm, open, and affirming approach to therapy where I aim for my clients to feel understood, seen, and emotionally held. I specialize in healing trauma, relational issues (adult-child families, romantic/intimate partnerships), divorce, grief, and boundary work. I work largely with clients within the queer community (LGBTQ+/2SQT+), folks who are neurodivergent, plural, navigate the world with disabilities, and cope with complex trauma.
Clinical Staff and Supervisors
Beth Biederman (she/her)
While I am new to the CSC Office Manager role, I have worked at UW-Stout for more than 18 years. Most of that time has been with the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI), where I serve as the database administrator, provide operational support to the SVRI Services team, and coordinate recruitment and records management. I’m sure that balancing these two roles might be challenging at times, but my experience working with SVRI clients has already proven helpful in my role at the CSC. I studied at UW-Stout and recently completed some software development coursework at the Chippewa Valley Technical College.
Heather Hessel, PhD (University of Minnesota)
Heather Hessel (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services department, and the Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at UW-Stout. Her research interests include the young adult life stage, and the role of technology in family relationships. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and maintains a small online clinical practice. Dr. Hessel's clinical interests include parent-child relationships, mindfulness, and Buddhist Psychology.
Kevin Hynes, PhD (University of Connecticut)
Kevin Hynes (they/she/he) is an assistant professor in the Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services department. Their program of research focuses on disparities in mental health outcomes with minority populations and the utilization of technology for therapists. They are a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. They maintain a small clinical practice and their clinical interests include work with marginalized and underserved populations, including ethnic/racial minorities and the LGBTQ community.
Lara Hoss, PhD (Texas Tech University)
Lara Hoss (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services department. She is an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor. Dr. Hoss' program of research focuses on clinical implications of intimate partner violence, including therapists' assessment and intervention practices. In the future, Dr. Hoss hopes to develop an intimate partner violence training program for training therapists in Marriage and Family Therapy programs.
Candice Maier, PhD (University of Iowa)
Candice Maier (she/her) is an associate professor in the Counseling, Rehabilitation and Human Services Department, and the Clinical Director of the Clinical Services Center at UW-Stout. Her research interests include clinical couple therapy and gender equity as contributions to mental and physical health. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and AAMFT Approved Supervisor and works in private practice at Adulteen Counseling, LLC. Dr. Maier is active in the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Marriage and Family. Dr. Maier's clinical and research interests include feminist-informed practice, couple relationships, and Narrative Therapy.