Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness

Dr. Baker specializes in the psychiatric assessment and treatment of children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. He has been the Medical Director of the MAHEC IDD Behavioral Health Clinic since January 2015. Dr. Baker is also Medical Director for NC START West, a consultative agency which serves IDD patients in WNC. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1987 and completed residencies in general and child/adolescent psychiatry at the University of Colorado in 1993. Dr. Baker received board certification in both Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1994. Since moving to Asheville in 1994, he has primarily practiced in community mental health. For the past 10 years, Dr. Baker's clinical focus has been increasingly on individuals with IDD and psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Buie is program director of the Psychiatry Residency and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. He treats adults with all psychiatric conditions with particular interests in bipolar disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders. He is trained in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a treatment for severe depression. Dr. Buie attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill as an undergraduate on a Morehead Scholarship. He obtained his medical education at the University of the North Carolina School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at a Columbia University training hospital in New York and a psychiatry residency at Cornell Medical College, also in New York. Dr. Buie is an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the UNC School of Medicine. He is a past president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association, is president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Foundation, and is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists.

In his free time, Dr. Buie enjoys hiking the beautiful trails of the Blue Ridge mountains, making wine and working in his permaculture garden.

Jarod Coffey is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Behavioral Health Provider. Jarod earned his BS in Psychology and Master of Social Work Degrees at the University of Iowa. Just before coming to work at MAHEC, he worked for ten years at Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. Prior to Mission, Jarod worked at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of Western North Carolina where he developed his skills in CBT interventions. He has worked collaboratively on integrated care initiatives with other professionals in specialty medical departments including internal medicine, oncology, general pediatrics, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, endocrinology, and developmental pediatrics, among others. Over the past few years, in addition to working with patients and their families, Jarod has been the lead trainer in a project that provided behavioral health providers in rural clinics with integration training to promote and offer more of the services remotely that are provided at Mission’s regional developmental pediatrics clinic.

Jarod is an energetic and empathetic therapist who loves to see kids and adults benefit from evidence-based treatment approaches that promote overall success in day-to-day life. He enjoys working with all ages of patients, but has a particular affinity for working with children, adolescents, and their families. Jarod has particular interest in treating people with Tics, anxiety, ADHD, autism, sleep issues, and working with families on effective parenting using Conscious Discipline and other strategies. When he is not at work, Jarod enjoys spending time with his family and riding his mountain bike in the woods.

Jenny is a school-based therapist in McDowell County. She earned her BA with a major in psychology and human services from Albion College in 2000 and earned her MSW from UNC - Chapel Hill in 2006. Jenny has spent her career working with children, adolescents, and families. Jenny enjoys working with children and teens of all ages to help them draw on their strengths in order to improve their emotional well-being. Jenny has extra training to provide services to children who have experienced trauma and offers Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Jenny is an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys spending time with her family, fostering kittens for a local animal rescue, and cooking.

Rebecca Dickerson is a Psychiatry Physician Assistant with the MAHEC Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Clemson University in Clemson, SC in 2011; she also earned both a Masters of Medical Science and a Masters of Public Health from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She finished all requirements for both graduate degrees in August 2019.

Rebecca sees both general adult psychiatry and addiction medicine patients. She has experience both in community mental health services and outpatient psychiatry. She volunteered at a local free clinic for the unhoused and underserved during her Physician Assistant training, and continues to work with that population Thursday mornings through the Asheville Bridge Collaborative program at the AHOPE day shelter in downtown Asheville. She is excited to be a part of the team at MAHEC!

Erin Iraggi has been a LCSW since 2008 after receiving her Master's in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has worked in a variety of social work and clinical settings including residential social work in low-income housing, community mental health, and medical social work. Erin enjoys working primarily with the adult through geriatric populations, as well as high-risk underserved populations. As a social worker, she values advocating and coordinating care with a systems-based approach to mental health. Erin likes working with individuals with complex trauma, borderline personality disorder, and mood disorders. She is trained in CBT for chronic pain, so also enjoys working with individuals with chronic pain and opioid use dependency. Erin is a certified Resources for Resiliency educator, and is passionate about how this population health model can improve mental health in our communities. She has an eclectic approach to therapy based on training in DBT, CBT, ACT, and somatic processing therapies.

Karen Jordan (she/they) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist Associate who grew up in Atlanta, Ga. She has worked in behavioral health, education, and sales over the years, and in 2016, she felt called to study clinical social work. She completed her degree from Simmons University in 2019 with a focus on addiction, trauma, and group therapy.

Karen’s clinical practice is founded in her belief that everyone has the capacity to heal and is worthy of support. Her clinical approach is heavily influenced by Internal Family Systems- parts work- and believes we each have our own answers inside us. When people come together to support one another, they are embodying some of the most divine aspects of what it is to be human and prove that together, all things are possible.

Julia Kaminer is a proud Tar Heel who grew up in Western North Carolina (Black Mountain and Yancey County) and attended UNC Chapel Hill (B.A. Psychology 2007). After graduation she spent five years living in Orlando, FL where she attended graduate school for her Masters in Counseling (MAC 2016). She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with experience working in intensive in home, inpatient psych, and private practice.

Dr. Ladd is a native of Western North Carolina (WNC) who completed his education throughout this region. He majored in Environmental Studies and Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Then he attended medical school at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine due to its focus on serving rural Appalachia. In wishing to stay close to the community he wanted to serve, he completed his general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent fellowship at Wake Forest Baptist Health where he served as a Chief Fellow. Clinically he focuses on adult and pediatric outpatient psychiatry at multiple locations in WNC. He heads the Programa Latin concentration that has expanded mental health services at a pediatric office rooted in the nation’s oldest migrant health center, partners with Vecinos farmworker health program through volunteer psychiatric consultation, and provides the mental health component of MAHEC’s medical trips to Honduras. He is excited about helping to meet the mental health needs of the underserved children and families across WNC by training the next generation of compassionate providers who will be equipped to serve community members throughout their life span.

Eduardo Fabian is a Bilingual Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) who enjoys working with both English and Spanish speaking children, families, and adults dealing anxiety, depression, trauma- and stress-related disorders. He also enjoys working with those who are neurodiverse (ADHD, autism and Down syndrome), as well as those in the LGBTQ+ community. He utilizes an integrated approach towards counseling that focuses on client-centered engagement, psychoeducation, solution-focused and motivational interviewing, along with CBT and EMDR. Eduardo Fabian also uses nature as a metaphor along with creative and expressive arts within his work. He is bicultural, a first generation Mexican-American on one side, and a Western North Carolinian on his other side. Being from the Brevard and Hendersonville area, Eduardo Fabian attended Brevard College for his undergraduate degree, obtaining a B.A. in Psychology. Later, he attended Western Carolina University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in which he acquired his M.S. degree and has since engaged in community mental health services. Eduardo Fabian values the unique journeys we humans go through in this life, seeking to honor the humanness we all have and our efforts towards wellness – collectively and individually.

Dr. Nicholls is a general and child/adolescent psychiatrist. Prior to attending UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, he was an active lawyer, working for a federal judge and then for large firms in North Carolina and Georgia. After medical school, he completed his residency in general psychiatry and his fellowship in child/adolescent psychiatry at UNC Hospitals where he remained on faculty as Medical Director for its Child/Adolescent inpatient units. Dr. Nicholls and his family moved to Asheville in 2012 and has worked in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and managed care settings. He is a native of Western North Carolina and when he is not working, he enjoys time with family, various sports, and all kinds of music.

Hello! My name is Hayley Pionk, and I am so excited to join the MAHEC family! I am originally from Hermitage, Tennessee, a suburb just outside of Nashville. I attended Vanderbilt University and majored in psychology. Through my undergraduate courses, I was fascinated by the complexity of the brain and how it affected both the human body and behavior, which inspired me to learn more. Coupled with a desire to serve others, a career in medicine seemed like a natural fit. After graduating from Vanderbilt, I worked as an ER scribe and completed post-baccalaureate coursework before being accepted to Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

While attending medical school, I quickly fell in love with the vibrant and unique culture New Orleans had to offer. Tulane also stood out because of its emphasis on community service, and serving at Tulane’s student-run clinics further developed my passion for working with underserved populations. I entered medical school interested in primary care, and my clinical rotations solidified that goal. The challenging, broad scope of family medicine, along with the opportunity to form lasting relationships with patients and families, seemed to be the best path for me. Working with family physicians on rotations in rural Louisiana and Montana has led me to consider rural practice, thus allowing me to integrate myself with a community and provide care in an underserved area. My other interests within family medicine include women’s health and obstetrics and behavioral health.

I feel so fortunate to be training at MAHEC. This program offers everything I am looking for: rigorous full-spectrum training, dedication to the community, and a supportive learning environment.

Outside of medicine, I fully intend to get outdoors and hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains as much as possible. I’m a former competitive bowler, and I look for any excuse to get back on the lanes. I also can’t wait to explore the city, trying the many restaurants and breweries in the area. I’m thrilled to call Asheville my new home!

Lauren is a LCSA is working on full LCAS (anticipated 2022). She currently serves Asheville City Schools exclusively, mainly at the high schools and middle schools. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, her home state, and her MSW from the joint program between UNCG and NC A&T State programs. In her past life, she taught middle and high school math. From 2014-2020, she worked in medical offices providing Integrated Care and believes that mental health pairs excellently with physical health and vice versa. Lauren values patient experiences and is focused on client-and recovery-oriented services. She pulls on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and the Community Resilience Model/Resources for Resilience among other approaches. She believes that anyone, any age, can benefit from more playfulness. She has trained herself to make games for use in daily life and gladly accepts dares to “gamify” anything.

Katie Rowe is a licensed psychologist who joined the MAHEC team as a therapist for the clinic-based therapy team as well as faculty member for the psychiatry residency program. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from East Tennessee State University in 2017. She went on to complete her predoctoral internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship through the Colorado Health Foundation in Denver, both of which focused on providing integrated behavioral health services for underserved and underrepresented populations within primary care and health psychology. Dr. Rowe previously worked at Denver Health in which she served in the role of postdoctoral supervisor and clinician within internal and family medicine clinics.

In her current role, Katie offers individual therapy, ongoing supervision and training to psychiatry residents and psychology practicum students, and engagement in program development and evaluation for the department. Katie works primarily with adults who are experiencing concerns with mood (e.g., major depression, adjustment issues, anxiety-related disorders); individuals with medically complex needs; issues associated with age-related changes; individuals facing difficult interpersonal challenges, and individuals in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Katie practices primarily from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy lens and actively utilizes other modalities such as DBT-informed and Trauma-informed care.

Tara Shields is the TMS coordinator and brain stimulation technician at MAHEC. She feels honored to guide patients through their TMS journey and see the transformation that comes with treating depression and other neruopsychiatric conditions with non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like TMS. She received a BS in Physics and Psychology from Furman University and has worked in a variety of mental health settings since 2007. She helped to start a TMS practice in Asheville in 2019 and later came to MAHEC to help develop a brain stimulation program with the commitment to the community and mission to serve all people regardless of ability to pay. Outside of work, she enjoys living in Asheville with her husband and two sons. You may find her on the volleyball courts, teaching a yoga class, or out dancing to live music.

Hannah Stampe is a License Clinical Social Worker and serves as a school-based therapist at North Buncombe Middle School. Hannah received her Bachelor of Social Work from Mars Hill University and completed her Master of Social Work at Appalachian State University in 2020. In her past life, Hannah has worked with adolescents in a variety of contexts, including leading nature-based mentorship programs for teens and working with Helpmate to provide dating violence prevention programming in Buncombe County Schools. Hannah lives in Barnardsville and is delighted to get to serve families in her community. Hannah works from a multi-disciplinary approach and uses a combination of person-centered therapy, CBT, DBT, play therapy, and gestalt therapy. Hannah loves working with teens and their families to explore issues of identity and sense of self and help teens to draw on their strengths in order to improve their emotional well-being. In her free time, Hannah loves hiking, camping, and foraging for edible plants.

Lucie Stone is a licensed clinical social worker who provides individual, family, and group therapy. She primarily works with adolescents and adults managing anxiety, depression, behavior and impulse-control problems, stress and trauma. Lucie primarily practices cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention (ERP; for anxiety disorders), and trauma-focused CBT and prolonged exposure (for post-traumatic stress). She is also experienced in helping families and schools to implement effective behavior modification strategies.

Lucie is a native of Western North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, a master’s in public education policy from Vanderbilt University, and a master’s in social work from Columbia University. She has worked in behavioral health since 2009 and is passionate about providing evidence-based, collaborative care, particularly for under-served populations and individuals/families involved in the legal or child protective services system.

Rachel Stricklin is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a PhD in Medical Family Therapy from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. In her current role, Rachel serves as the manager of integrated behavioral health services across MAHEC. This includes providing supervision and support for a team of integrated care therapists in the OBGYN department at Biltmore campus and at the Enka/Candler campus as well as a team of Collaborative Care clinicians in the OBGYN, Internal Medicine, and Family Medicine departments at Biltmore campus in addition to two offsite locations with Asheville Pediatrics and Haywood Pediatrics. Clinically, Rachel provides a solution-focused approach to therapy along with motivational interviewing to support families, couples, and individuals meet their goals. She also has a strong interest in providing behavioral health services through integrated care so that each patient’s biopsychosocial-spiritual needs are met.

Rachel is also an AAMFT approved supervisor who enjoys connecting with newer therapists and joining them on their journey to full licensure.

Meagan Tucker-Wiles (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist who earned a PhD from UNC, Greensboro and received advanced training with the VA healthcare systems in Albuquerque, NM and San Diego, CA.  Dr. Tucker-Wiles’ career has focused on reducing access barriers to high quality behavioral healthcare through direct patient care and program development and evaluation. She provides short term psychotherapy to OBGYN patients with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, utilizing primarily cognitive behavioral and third wave therapies. Dr. Tucker-Wiles offers precepting and consultation to OBGYN medical residents and faculty. She is a faculty member for the Psychiatry Residency Program and regularly contributes to psychiatric resident didactics and provides clinical supervision to student learners.

Caitlin Tugman is a Physician Assistant at MAHEC Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. She received her Bachelors is Exercise Science and Minor in Dance Studies at Appalachian State University in 2015. She gained clinical experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant before graduate school working in home health, at an assisted living facility, volunteering at a free health clinic, and doing medical mission work in Haiti. She attended Wake Forest School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program and graduated with a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies in 2020.  She joined the MAHEC team early in 2022 and enjoys working with people of all ages and psychiatric conditions.

Caroline Van Nort is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and National Certified Counselor. She works as a school-based therapist in Buncombe County Schools and with adults at the MAHEC Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. Caroline received her Bachelor of Psychology from North Carolina State University and Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Appalachian State University in 2018. Caroline has a graduate certificate from Appalachian State University in Expressive Arts Therapy. Caroline enjoys yoga, journaling, and spending time in nature.

Anne is a dually licensed clinician (LCSW, LCAS) with over 20 years of experience in the field of clinical social work, working across the lifespan, inclusive of the needs of LGBTQIA, gender, race and ethnicity. Her areas of specialty include trauma, grief, addiction, anxiety, depression, dual diagnosis, neurodivergence, eating disorders, chronic health conditions, and life transitions. She enjoys individual and groups, integrating various modalities of treatment, including somatic and self-regulatory practices, polyvagal theory, mindfulness, ACT, Motivation Interviewing, CBT, DBT, and NVC. A solution-focused therapist, she loves teaching clients about managing their own conditions and sees them as experts in their own care. As a clinical social worker, applying a social justice lens, she is guided by her beliefs in advocating for the underserved and others who struggle. The mission of MAHEC aligns with Anne’s values, with hope to help each person achieve their full potential.

Autumn Wallen is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience in working with individuals, couples and families. She has spent her career working in a wide range of areas with children, adolescents and adults that include but are not limited to: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, grief and loss, adjustment to life events, health/medical conditions, parenting, relationships, and substance abuse. Autumn uses several evidenced-based therapeutic models within her counseling sessions that include motivational interviewing, EMDR, strength based, solution focused and cognitive behavioral approaches to empower her clients to reach their true potential. Autumn works with her clients by forming a collaborative relationship to help them better understand their behaviors, thoughts and feelings in a safe, therapeutic environment.

Autumn is originally from rural southwestern Virginia, and made her way back to the mountains in 2017 by way of Central Florida. She received her undergraduate degree in Family and Child Sciences from The Florida State University in 2002 and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from University of Central Florida in 2006. She is also a Certified North Carolina First Level Commitment Examiner for Involuntary Commitments. She has provided services to her community both locally and nationally in several settings which include outpatient mental health, schools, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and teaching MSW students in the university setting.

Robyn Wright is a certified Peer Support Specialist and Community Health Worker who has been in a state of recovery from substance dependence and mental health struggles since 2011. She was given a rare opportunity to start fresh and has continually worked to improve her well-being since. Recovery to her means not just going back to who she was but becoming a better version of herself. This is a constant and fragile fight. With the tools she has learned, she becomes stronger every day. She does not have all the answers but shares her story to instill hope that recovery is possible and happens all the time!

Stephen A. Wyatt, D.O, is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist with added subspecialty certification in Addiction Psychiatry. He practiced emergency medicine for 12 years prior to entering a psychiatry residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland. He was then accepted into the NIDA clinical research fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. He is an adjunct professor of psychiatry at University of North Carolina. He is a past president of the AOAAM. He is the current Chairman of the NC Psychiatric Associate Addiction Psychiatry Committee and Vice Chair of the Coalition on Physician Education in Substance Use Disorders a national organization focused on addiction medicine medical school education. He was a Co-Chair for the 2020 focused update of the ASAM Clinical Guidelines for Office Based Opioid Treatment. He is a clinical expert for the SAMHSA funded Provider Clinical Support System, PCSS; Medication Assisted Treatment and Implementation Projects.

Dr. Baker specializes in the psychiatric assessment and treatment of children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. He has been the Medical Director of the MAHEC IDD Behavioral Health Clinic since January 2015. Dr. Baker is also Medical Director for NC START West, a consultative agency which serves IDD patients in WNC. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1987 and completed residencies in general and child/adolescent psychiatry at the University of Colorado in 1993. Dr. Baker received board certification in both Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1994. Since moving to Asheville in 1994, he has primarily practiced in community mental health. For the past 10 years, Dr. Baker's clinical focus has been increasingly on individuals with IDD and psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Buie is program director of the Psychiatry Residency and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. He treats adults with all psychiatric conditions with particular interests in bipolar disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders. He is trained in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a treatment for severe depression. Dr. Buie attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill as an undergraduate on a Morehead Scholarship. He obtained his medical education at the University of the North Carolina School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at a Columbia University training hospital in New York and a psychiatry residency at Cornell Medical College, also in New York. Dr. Buie is an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the UNC School of Medicine. He is a past president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association, is president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Foundation, and is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists.

In his free time, Dr. Buie enjoys hiking the beautiful trails of the Blue Ridge mountains, making wine and working in his permaculture garden.

Jarod Coffey is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Behavioral Health Provider. Jarod earned his BS in Psychology and Master of Social Work Degrees at the University of Iowa. Just before coming to work at MAHEC, he worked for ten years at Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. Prior to Mission, Jarod worked at the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Center of Western North Carolina where he developed his skills in CBT interventions. He has worked collaboratively on integrated care initiatives with other professionals in specialty medical departments including internal medicine, oncology, general pediatrics, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, endocrinology, and developmental pediatrics, among others. Over the past few years, in addition to working with patients and their families, Jarod has been the lead trainer in a project that provided behavioral health providers in rural clinics with integration training to promote and offer more of the services remotely that are provided at Mission’s regional developmental pediatrics clinic.

Jarod is an energetic and empathetic therapist who loves to see kids and adults benefit from evidence-based treatment approaches that promote overall success in day-to-day life. He enjoys working with all ages of patients, but has a particular affinity for working with children, adolescents, and their families. Jarod has particular interest in treating people with Tics, anxiety, ADHD, autism, sleep issues, and working with families on effective parenting using Conscious Discipline and other strategies. When he is not at work, Jarod enjoys spending time with his family and riding his mountain bike in the woods.

Rebecca Dickerson is a Psychiatry Physician Assistant with the MAHEC Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Clemson University in Clemson, SC in 2011; she also earned both a Masters of Medical Science and a Masters of Public Health from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She finished all requirements for both graduate degrees in August 2019.

Rebecca sees both general adult psychiatry and addiction medicine patients. She has experience both in community mental health services and outpatient psychiatry. She volunteered at a local free clinic for the unhoused and underserved during her Physician Assistant training, and continues to work with that population Thursday mornings through the Asheville Bridge Collaborative program at the AHOPE day shelter in downtown Asheville. She is excited to be a part of the team at MAHEC!

Dr. Ladd is a native of Western North Carolina (WNC) who completed his education throughout this region. He majored in Environmental Studies and Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Then he attended medical school at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine due to its focus on serving rural Appalachia. In wishing to stay close to the community he wanted to serve, he completed his general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent fellowship at Wake Forest Baptist Health where he served as a Chief Fellow. Clinically he focuses on adult and pediatric outpatient psychiatry at multiple locations in WNC. He heads the Programa Latin concentration that has expanded mental health services at a pediatric office rooted in the nation’s oldest migrant health center, partners with Vecinos farmworker health program through volunteer psychiatric consultation, and provides the mental health component of MAHEC’s medical trips to Honduras. He is excited about helping to meet the mental health needs of the underserved children and families across WNC by training the next generation of compassionate providers who will be equipped to serve community members throughout their life span.

Eduardo Fabian is a Bilingual Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) who enjoys working with both English and Spanish speaking children, families, and adults dealing anxiety, depression, trauma- and stress-related disorders. He also enjoys working with those who are neurodiverse (ADHD, autism and Down syndrome), as well as those in the LGBTQ+ community. He utilizes an integrated approach towards counseling that focuses on client-centered engagement, psychoeducation, solution-focused and motivational interviewing, along with CBT and EMDR. Eduardo Fabian also uses nature as a metaphor along with creative and expressive arts within his work. He is bicultural, a first generation Mexican-American on one side, and a Western North Carolinian on his other side. Being from the Brevard and Hendersonville area, Eduardo Fabian attended Brevard College for his undergraduate degree, obtaining a B.A. in Psychology. Later, he attended Western Carolina University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in which he acquired his M.S. degree and has since engaged in community mental health services. Eduardo Fabian values the unique journeys we humans go through in this life, seeking to honor the humanness we all have and our efforts towards wellness – collectively and individually.

Dr. Nicholls is a general and child/adolescent psychiatrist. Prior to attending UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, he was an active lawyer, working for a federal judge and then for large firms in North Carolina and Georgia. After medical school, he completed his residency in general psychiatry and his fellowship in child/adolescent psychiatry at UNC Hospitals where he remained on faculty as Medical Director for its Child/Adolescent inpatient units. Dr. Nicholls and his family moved to Asheville in 2012 and has worked in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and managed care settings. He is a native of Western North Carolina and when he is not working, he enjoys time with family, various sports, and all kinds of music.

Hello! My name is Hayley Pionk, and I am so excited to join the MAHEC family! I am originally from Hermitage, Tennessee, a suburb just outside of Nashville. I attended Vanderbilt University and majored in psychology. Through my undergraduate courses, I was fascinated by the complexity of the brain and how it affected both the human body and behavior, which inspired me to learn more. Coupled with a desire to serve others, a career in medicine seemed like a natural fit. After graduating from Vanderbilt, I worked as an ER scribe and completed post-baccalaureate coursework before being accepted to Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

While attending medical school, I quickly fell in love with the vibrant and unique culture New Orleans had to offer. Tulane also stood out because of its emphasis on community service, and serving at Tulane’s student-run clinics further developed my passion for working with underserved populations. I entered medical school interested in primary care, and my clinical rotations solidified that goal. The challenging, broad scope of family medicine, along with the opportunity to form lasting relationships with patients and families, seemed to be the best path for me. Working with family physicians on rotations in rural Louisiana and Montana has led me to consider rural practice, thus allowing me to integrate myself with a community and provide care in an underserved area. My other interests within family medicine include women’s health and obstetrics and behavioral health.

I feel so fortunate to be training at MAHEC. This program offers everything I am looking for: rigorous full-spectrum training, dedication to the community, and a supportive learning environment.

Outside of medicine, I fully intend to get outdoors and hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains as much as possible. I’m a former competitive bowler, and I look for any excuse to get back on the lanes. I also can’t wait to explore the city, trying the many restaurants and breweries in the area. I’m thrilled to call Asheville my new home!

Lauren is a LCSA is working on full LCAS (anticipated 2022). She currently serves Asheville City Schools exclusively, mainly at the high schools and middle schools. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, her home state, and her MSW from the joint program between UNCG and NC A&T State programs. In her past life, she taught middle and high school math. From 2014-2020, she worked in medical offices providing Integrated Care and believes that mental health pairs excellently with physical health and vice versa. Lauren values patient experiences and is focused on client-and recovery-oriented services. She pulls on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and the Community Resilience Model/Resources for Resilience among other approaches. She believes that anyone, any age, can benefit from more playfulness. She has trained herself to make games for use in daily life and gladly accepts dares to “gamify” anything.

Katie Rowe is a licensed psychologist who joined the MAHEC team as a therapist for the clinic-based therapy team as well as faculty member for the psychiatry residency program. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from East Tennessee State University in 2017. She went on to complete her predoctoral internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship through the Colorado Health Foundation in Denver, both of which focused on providing integrated behavioral health services for underserved and underrepresented populations within primary care and health psychology. Dr. Rowe previously worked at Denver Health in which she served in the role of postdoctoral supervisor and clinician within internal and family medicine clinics.

In her current role, Katie offers individual therapy, ongoing supervision and training to psychiatry residents and psychology practicum students, and engagement in program development and evaluation for the department. Katie works primarily with adults who are experiencing concerns with mood (e.g., major depression, adjustment issues, anxiety-related disorders); individuals with medically complex needs; issues associated with age-related changes; individuals facing difficult interpersonal challenges, and individuals in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Katie practices primarily from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy lens and actively utilizes other modalities such as DBT-informed and Trauma-informed care.

Tara Shields is the TMS coordinator and brain stimulation technician at MAHEC. She feels honored to guide patients through their TMS journey and see the transformation that comes with treating depression and other neruopsychiatric conditions with non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like TMS. She received a BS in Physics and Psychology from Furman University and has worked in a variety of mental health settings since 2007. She helped to start a TMS practice in Asheville in 2019 and later came to MAHEC to help develop a brain stimulation program with the commitment to the community and mission to serve all people regardless of ability to pay. Outside of work, she enjoys living in Asheville with her husband and two sons. You may find her on the volleyball courts, teaching a yoga class, or out dancing to live music.

Lucie Stone is a licensed clinical social worker who provides individual, family, and group therapy. She primarily works with adolescents and adults managing anxiety, depression, behavior and impulse-control problems, stress and trauma. Lucie primarily practices cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention (ERP; for anxiety disorders), and trauma-focused CBT and prolonged exposure (for post-traumatic stress). She is also experienced in helping families and schools to implement effective behavior modification strategies.

Lucie is a native of Western North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, a master’s in public education policy from Vanderbilt University, and a master’s in social work from Columbia University. She has worked in behavioral health since 2009 and is passionate about providing evidence-based, collaborative care, particularly for under-served populations and individuals/families involved in the legal or child protective services system.

Caitlin Tugman is a Physician Assistant at MAHEC Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. She received her Bachelors is Exercise Science and Minor in Dance Studies at Appalachian State University in 2015. She gained clinical experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant before graduate school working in home health, at an assisted living facility, volunteering at a free health clinic, and doing medical mission work in Haiti. She attended Wake Forest School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program and graduated with a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies in 2020.  She joined the MAHEC team early in 2022 and enjoys working with people of all ages and psychiatric conditions.

Anne is a dually licensed clinician (LCSW, LCAS) with over 20 years of experience in the field of clinical social work, working across the lifespan, inclusive of the needs of LGBTQIA, gender, race and ethnicity. Her areas of specialty include trauma, grief, addiction, anxiety, depression, dual diagnosis, neurodivergence, eating disorders, chronic health conditions, and life transitions. She enjoys individual and groups, integrating various modalities of treatment, including somatic and self-regulatory practices, polyvagal theory, mindfulness, ACT, Motivation Interviewing, CBT, DBT, and NVC. A solution-focused therapist, she loves teaching clients about managing their own conditions and sees them as experts in their own care. As a clinical social worker, applying a social justice lens, she is guided by her beliefs in advocating for the underserved and others who struggle. The mission of MAHEC aligns with Anne’s values, with hope to help each person achieve their full potential.

Autumn Wallen is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience in working with individuals, couples and families. She has spent her career working in a wide range of areas with children, adolescents and adults that include but are not limited to: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, grief and loss, adjustment to life events, health/medical conditions, parenting, relationships, and substance abuse. Autumn uses several evidenced-based therapeutic models within her counseling sessions that include motivational interviewing, EMDR, strength based, solution focused and cognitive behavioral approaches to empower her clients to reach their true potential. Autumn works with her clients by forming a collaborative relationship to help them better understand their behaviors, thoughts and feelings in a safe, therapeutic environment.

Autumn is originally from rural southwestern Virginia, and made her way back to the mountains in 2017 by way of Central Florida. She received her undergraduate degree in Family and Child Sciences from The Florida State University in 2002 and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from University of Central Florida in 2006. She is also a Certified North Carolina First Level Commitment Examiner for Involuntary Commitments. She has provided services to her community both locally and nationally in several settings which include outpatient mental health, schools, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and teaching MSW students in the university setting.

Stephen A. Wyatt, D.O, is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist with added subspecialty certification in Addiction Psychiatry. He practiced emergency medicine for 12 years prior to entering a psychiatry residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland. He was then accepted into the NIDA clinical research fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine. He is an adjunct professor of psychiatry at University of North Carolina. He is a past president of the AOAAM. He is the current Chairman of the NC Psychiatric Associate Addiction Psychiatry Committee and Vice Chair of the Coalition on Physician Education in Substance Use Disorders a national organization focused on addiction medicine medical school education. He was a Co-Chair for the 2020 focused update of the ASAM Clinical Guidelines for Office Based Opioid Treatment. He is a clinical expert for the SAMHSA funded Provider Clinical Support System, PCSS; Medication Assisted Treatment and Implementation Projects.

Erin Iraggi has been a LCSW since 2008 after receiving her Master's in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has worked in a variety of social work and clinical settings including residential social work in low-income housing, community mental health, and medical social work. Erin enjoys working primarily with the adult through geriatric populations, as well as high-risk underserved populations. As a social worker, she values advocating and coordinating care with a systems-based approach to mental health. Erin likes working with individuals with complex trauma, borderline personality disorder, and mood disorders. She is trained in CBT for chronic pain, so also enjoys working with individuals with chronic pain and opioid use dependency. Erin is a certified Resources for Resiliency educator, and is passionate about how this population health model can improve mental health in our communities. She has an eclectic approach to therapy based on training in DBT, CBT, ACT, and somatic processing therapies.

Karen Jordan (she/they) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist Associate who grew up in Atlanta, Ga. She has worked in behavioral health, education, and sales over the years, and in 2016, she felt called to study clinical social work. She completed her degree from Simmons University in 2019 with a focus on addiction, trauma, and group therapy.

Karen’s clinical practice is founded in her belief that everyone has the capacity to heal and is worthy of support. Her clinical approach is heavily influenced by Internal Family Systems- parts work- and believes we each have our own answers inside us. When people come together to support one another, they are embodying some of the most divine aspects of what it is to be human and prove that together, all things are possible.

Rachel Stricklin is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a PhD in Medical Family Therapy from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. In her current role, Rachel serves as the manager of integrated behavioral health services across MAHEC. This includes providing supervision and support for a team of integrated care therapists in the OBGYN department at Biltmore campus and at the Enka/Candler campus as well as a team of Collaborative Care clinicians in the OBGYN, Internal Medicine, and Family Medicine departments at Biltmore campus in addition to two offsite locations with Asheville Pediatrics and Haywood Pediatrics. Clinically, Rachel provides a solution-focused approach to therapy along with motivational interviewing to support families, couples, and individuals meet their goals. She also has a strong interest in providing behavioral health services through integrated care so that each patient’s biopsychosocial-spiritual needs are met.

Rachel is also an AAMFT approved supervisor who enjoys connecting with newer therapists and joining them on their journey to full licensure.

Meagan Tucker-Wiles (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist who earned a PhD from UNC, Greensboro and received advanced training with the VA healthcare systems in Albuquerque, NM and San Diego, CA.  Dr. Tucker-Wiles’ career has focused on reducing access barriers to high quality behavioral healthcare through direct patient care and program development and evaluation. She provides short term psychotherapy to OBGYN patients with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, utilizing primarily cognitive behavioral and third wave therapies. Dr. Tucker-Wiles offers precepting and consultation to OBGYN medical residents and faculty. She is a faculty member for the Psychiatry Residency Program and regularly contributes to psychiatric resident didactics and provides clinical supervision to student learners.

Jenny is a school-based therapist in McDowell County. She earned her BA with a major in psychology and human services from Albion College in 2000 and earned her MSW from UNC - Chapel Hill in 2006. Jenny has spent her career working with children, adolescents, and families. Jenny enjoys working with children and teens of all ages to help them draw on their strengths in order to improve their emotional well-being. Jenny has extra training to provide services to children who have experienced trauma and offers Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Jenny is an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys spending time with her family, fostering kittens for a local animal rescue, and cooking.

Julia Kaminer is a proud Tar Heel who grew up in Western North Carolina (Black Mountain and Yancey County) and attended UNC Chapel Hill (B.A. Psychology 2007). After graduation she spent five years living in Orlando, FL where she attended graduate school for her Masters in Counseling (MAC 2016). She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with experience working in intensive in home, inpatient psych, and private practice.

Hannah Stampe is a License Clinical Social Worker and serves as a school-based therapist at North Buncombe Middle School. Hannah received her Bachelor of Social Work from Mars Hill University and completed her Master of Social Work at Appalachian State University in 2020. In her past life, Hannah has worked with adolescents in a variety of contexts, including leading nature-based mentorship programs for teens and working with Helpmate to provide dating violence prevention programming in Buncombe County Schools. Hannah lives in Barnardsville and is delighted to get to serve families in her community. Hannah works from a multi-disciplinary approach and uses a combination of person-centered therapy, CBT, DBT, play therapy, and gestalt therapy. Hannah loves working with teens and their families to explore issues of identity and sense of self and help teens to draw on their strengths in order to improve their emotional well-being. In her free time, Hannah loves hiking, camping, and foraging for edible plants.

Caroline Van Nort is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and National Certified Counselor. She works as a school-based therapist in Buncombe County Schools and with adults at the MAHEC Center for Psychiatry and Mental Wellness. Caroline received her Bachelor of Psychology from North Carolina State University and Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Appalachian State University in 2018. Caroline has a graduate certificate from Appalachian State University in Expressive Arts Therapy. Caroline enjoys yoga, journaling, and spending time in nature.

Robyn Wright is a certified Peer Support Specialist and Community Health Worker who has been in a state of recovery from substance dependence and mental health struggles since 2011. She was given a rare opportunity to start fresh and has continually worked to improve her well-being since. Recovery to her means not just going back to who she was but becoming a better version of herself. This is a constant and fragile fight. With the tools she has learned, she becomes stronger every day. She does not have all the answers but shares her story to instill hope that recovery is possible and happens all the time!