Meet Our Behavioral Health Providers
Click Provider Photo for Introduction Bio
Cara Gresham
Cara Gresham was born in Pusan, South Korea, and grew up in Minnesota. At 18, Cara moved to Washington state where she graduated from WWU and University of Washington. Cara’s passion lies in treating Co-Occurring disorders. As a clinical lead, Cara provides support and guidance to the BH team. Cara is also a talented baker and has been known to bring in yummy treats to her team!
Cara Gresham
Mental Health Provider/Interim Director
Kimiyo Bowlby
Kimiyo Bowlby
Clinical Lead
Leah Black
Lea Black has grown up in the Lummi community and has children who are Lummi Tribal Members. After completing her MSW, lea worked in the greater Seattle area and has now returned to Lummi to serve the community she loves.
Leah Black
Mental Health Provider
Thrisa-Phillips-Jimmy
Thrisa is an alumni of the University of Washington. A member of the Nooksack Tribe, Thrisa, her husband, and children are passionate about preserving their
Education: Master in Social Work, BA in Children’s Studies
Institution: MSW at the University of Washington and BA at Eastern Washington University
Area Of Specialty: Working with children, youth and families with trauma informed lens. Offering CBT, DBT informed, Mindfulness, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, IFS, cultural activities and suicide ideation/prevention.
Languages: English
Sstipsn Kalime, English name Thrisa Jimmy, began practicing counseling at Lummi Behavioral Health in 2022. Before practicing at Lummi BH, Mrs. Jimmy served as an investigator for Adult Protective Services, a social service specialist at the Department of Children, Youth and Families, a Youth Prevention Social Worker for Nooksack Tribe, a direct care supervisor for First Choice In-Home Care and an administrative para-educator working with at risk youth for behavioral intervention and literacy engagement.
Mrs. Jimmy has been a strong advocate for children, youth and families in various roles in Tribal communities throughout Washington state for both state and Tribal entities. Protecting Tribal and individual sovereignty as well as the family unit and holistic healing are passions that fuel her practice.
Mrs. Jimmy enjoys the land occupied by her family since time immemorial. Culture and community engagement enrich and bring a sense of serenity and healing for Mrs. Jimmy. Mrs. Jimmy’s passions in life are healing, family and community. She loves to garden, spend time with her husband and 5 kids. She finds joy in rock-hounding, crocheting, attending cultural events, canoe pulling, hiking, meditation and yoga.
Thirsa Phillips-Jimmy
Mental Health Provider
Rachel Colston
Associate Level Licensed Mental Health Provider
Education: BS in Psychology w minor in Global Health, University of Washington; MS in Clinical Psychology, University of West Alabama
Area of Specialty/Interest: LGBTQIA+ communities, trauma, neurodiversity, disability justice, liberation psychology, social supports/community building, life transitions
I am a newer member of the Lummi Behavioral Health team starting in January of 2023. Before being offered the opportunity of serving the Lummi community, I interned in community mental health at Sea Mar in Bellingham, then worked at a group private practice for one year.
Currently, I support others through individual and group counseling using a trauma-informed lens. I am passionate about creating and holding space for fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ communities and those of us that have experienced generational and historical trauma to be a support in the healing journey. I am a strong advocate for collective and community healing, so I encourage people who work with me to tap into resources outside of individual counseling including community as well as familial and personal practices.
Originally, my family was a military family living across the continental United States until we retired in the PNW in 2006. My family includes my parents, four brothers, one sister and huge extended family on the east coast. I like to watch horror movies and video game walkthroughs, do anything crafty with my hands, and have recently been learning to cook more complicated foods.
Rachel Colston
Mental Health Provider
Christina Choi-Pearce
Areas of Interest: Grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, racial trauma, and support through life transitions/changes.
Languages: English
I am newer to the Lummi Behavioral Team, having joined the team in August 2023. I completed my graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Before coming to the world of counseling, I worked in Higher Education supporting college students in their academic journeys. I have worked in several capacities both at the university and the community college; supporting students holistically as a Resident Director and supporting academically at-risk students through advocating and one-on-one coaching. I have always had a passion for mental health support and am excited to be at Lummi Behavioral Health.
Before joining the Lummi Behavioral Health team, I worked as an intern therapist for Accent Counseling, where I was able to provide counseling and support to Asian-American clients, as well as other marginalized clients. I have always been passionate about bringing more representation to spaces that have traditionally lacked, such as the counseling field. As an Asian-American woman myself, I understand what it feels like to have my identities pushed away or not acknowledged as having a direct impact on my life experiences. My main goal is to create a space for people to be able to show up as they are and to keep their story at the center of my work. I aim to be collaborative, trauma-informed, culturally humble, and multimodal in my work.
I have moved around a lot in her life and calls many places home, but when I moved to Bellingham in 2012, I fell in love and decided to call this place my permanent home. I come from a proud Korean immigrant family, and I hold cultural values and traditions close. In my free time, I enjoy exploring the city’s food and coffee scene with my husband, my dog, and whatever my current read is.
Christina Choi-Pearce
Mental Health Provider
Christine Cagey-Little
Christine Cagey-Little is a Lummi tribal member and a proud mother. Currently, Christine is working at the Lummi Nation School and enjoys working with children and teens. When she isn’t working one on one with students, Christine hosts game nights and community activities.
Christine Cagey-Little
Mental Health Provider
Kari Humphreys
Kari is currently working in the LBH department as a mental health provider and is also working with the Lummi housing department. Kari’s passion is working with members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, Women’s Issues and Outdoor and Nature therapy.
Kari Humphreys
Mental Health Provider
Lesley Cauldron
My name is Lesley Cauldron and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Children’s Mental Health Specialist and American Indian/Alaska Native Mental Health Specialist. I have worked for this community for 27 years in several different positions. I began as a part time early intervention teacher at Lummi Headstart and part time in a high school program set at Northwest Indian College. Then, I became a full-time early intervention teacher and Disabilities Coordinator at the same time, as they were inter-related.
I graduated from the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR in 1984 with a K-12 Art Teacher Credential and a bachelor’s in fine arts in sculpture and printmaking. I continue being an artist and I am currently engaged in printmaking. I then went to Portland State University where I earned my master’s degree in education, Special Education, focusing on the emotionally disturbed child. My master’s thesis looked at fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Indian country.
While living in Portland, Oregon, I got involved in Native American and First Nations resistance and I became a member of the American Indian Movement. For my adolescent clients, I like to educate them about current Native resistance. I am still a great advocate of resistance and will be forever!
I have been working for Lummi Behavioral Health for over 2 years. I work with a wide span of ages as my youngest client is 3 years old and my eldest client is in their late 70’s. While I specialize in children, I really enjoy working with adolescents and adults. I specialize in play and art therapy and have created 2 play therapy/art therapy rooms suitable for children and adolescents. One playroom is at behavioral health, and the other playroom is at the Lummi Headstart, where I do therapy with referred clients twice a week and love this experience. I am truly honored to be around the very young. I practice art therapy with all the ages of clients I work with. I interweave Salish and other Indigenous cultures, some of which is prolific in books written by indigenous authors as well as expose clients of all ages to indigenous art. I specialize in trauma, grief and loss with all ages of clients.
I am always learning about my work and like to attend conferences to widen my knowledge and perspective. There is always something new to learn and I find this exciting! Working for the Lummi community is an honor and I love my work!
Sincerely,
Lesley Cauldron, LMHC, CMHS, AI/AN MHS
Lesley Cauldron
Mental Health Provider
Donnie Stephens
Donnie is multifaceted provider who believes in offering a variety of approaches. Originally from Chicago, Donnie now lives in Bellingham with his wife and two cats. Donnie is a self-proclaimed bord game nerd, neurodivergent, and a movie buff. Donnie served the U.S Coast Guard as a Capitan for ten years as well as an illustrator /painter. Donnie finished his master’s degree at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and his background is in intensive outpatient, inpatient, group, and individual therapy. Donnie is so happy that you are choosing to be here and is a proud ally and friend to the Lummi Community.
“My clinical style is to challenge clients and promote insight so that they can make more informed decisions for themselves and decrease the impact of unwanted symptoms. Predominantly I approach how an individual’s problems are affected by their environments and their thoughts, feeling, and behaviors.”
Donnie works with adults and teenagers ages 13+ and has experience working with:
- Individuals
- Parenting
- Grief/Loss
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Neurodiversity
- LGBTQA+
- Relationship difficulties
- Psychosis
Donnie Stephens
Mental Health Provider
Holli Gomes
Holli grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has returned after service at another Washington tribe. Holli enjoys working with multi-generational families and has years of service working with tribal elders. Holli has been married 29 years and loves exploring, arts, crafts and her kitties.
Holli Gomes
Mental Health Provider
Natasha McGowan
Licensed Mental Health Provider
Education: MS in Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA.
Area Of Specialty: Significant experience and training in work with youth and children, training in attachment work with non-traditional and non-bio families, training in work with those with developmental disabilities.
Areas of Interest: Trauma informed work with youth, families and couples. Attachment-based and trauma informed parenting and relationships. The strengthening of biological, non-traditional and non-biological parenting attachments. ADHD and Trauma work, work with developmental disabilities.
I am grateful to have begun serving at Lummi in December of 2014. The Lummi community is amazing. Before Lummi Behavioral Health, I served at Bethany Christian Services in Bellingham being trained in attachment and adoption-related therapy. Prior to this I worked with a small organization called Family Focus in the Seattle area, working with children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Prior to my last lot of education, I worked and trained in a therapeutic group home with teens and tweens.
Currently, I provide services to individual youth and families and also to parents, couples and individual adults. My focus is the participant’s strengths and resiliencies and their practiced skills that can be used and adapted to face new or existing challenges. I am a strong believer in the telling of story, of seeing one’s strengths and resiliencies in one’s story and of building on strength that already exists.
Originally from England, UK. My family is English and has been in England for generations. They are all a little weird😉 and also wonderful. I unintentionally immigrated to the US in 1989 with my family, though my extended family remains at home and so much connection with home was kept. One of the key things outside of my immediate family that has kept me here in the US has been the presence and influence of indigenous communities, because it is here that I am reminded the most of groundedness and health, especially in terms of the history and importance of the land, community, care for other and connection. I have a passion for these things, and also for a few others such as a zoo of pets😊, travel, the study of history and the telling and creating of story in general. I love to walk, use google maps to travel places when I can’t do it in person, and to take road trips to see the land.
Natasha McGowan
Mental Health Provider
Dylan Crooks
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate
Education: B.A. in Psychology, Western Washington University; M.Ed. in School Counseling, Western Washington University
Areas of Interest: Counseling Teens, Adults, Health Coaching
I began working with Lummi Behavioral Health in October 2025. Before Joining the Lummi community, I served as a school counselor for three years in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, supporting both primary and secondary students and their families. For many years, I also coached year-round swim programs, where I developed a passion for mentoring youth and fostering personal growth through goal setting.
As a mental health provider, I strive to offer holistic, trauma-informed care that empowers clients to build self efficacy and resilience. I am honored to support and learn from the Lummi community while continuing to grow as a counselor and advocate for wellness.
In live in the greater Bellingham area with my wife. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring the Cascades on foot, skis, spending time with friends and family, watching movies, studying maps, and continuing to learn.
Dylan Crooks
Mental Health Provider
Abigail Tankersley
Abigail Tankersley
Mental Health Provider
Mariah Keho-Anderson
Substance Use Disorder Professional
Mariah Kehoe-Anderson
Mental Health Provider – Substance Use Disorder
Marlena Dougherty
Offering support around: grief, trauma, decolonization, social justice, identity transitions, anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and neurodivergence.
Languages: english
Pronouns: (they/them/theirs, she/her/hers, ray/rem/rare)
Bio: Marlena Dougherty (marlína dochartaigh: Spanish and Galic spelling) started working with Lummi Behavioral Health in April 2026. They are a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) whose work is grounded in relational, somatic, and trauma-informed therapy. Raised on occupied Coast Salish lands, marlína’s ancestors are Mestizo, Irish, Belgian, and Swedish. Their work attends to relationships between mind, body, spirit, community, origins, and environment.
Before joining Lummi Behavioral Health, marlína worked at Divergence Mental Health Group in Colorado supporting neurodivergent folx and peoples experiencing marginalization. They studied Somatic Body Psychotherapy and Clinical Counseling at Naropa university in Boulder, Colorado, and engaged in indigenous studies at The Evergreen State College with professors Yvonne Peterson (Chehalis), the late Gary Peterson (Skokomish), and Hailey Maria Salazar (Yoeme).
Marlína is queer, non-binary, neurodivergent, and animist. When not working, they enjoy dancing, meditating, crafting with used materials, learning, resting, cooking and eating food with dear ones, and being outside.
Marlena Dougherty