Practitioners
Amber Johnson
MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Amber is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who firmly believes that mental health is just as crucial as physical health, recognizing that nurturing our minds is vital for overall well-being. She has provided supportive, non-judgmental, and therapeutic mental health care to children, adolescents, and adults in inpatient settings as a nurse for many years. Her experience has enhanced her cultural competence, proficiency in crisis management, and her ability to educate and encourage patients effectively.
Anya Universe
MSc, PLMHP
Anya loves helping people find themselves and the life that they want to live. She believes that everyone has the power within themselves to change, grow, and improve—if they just have a safe space to do so. That's why she works collaboratively with her clients (and their families) to create a trusting environment where we can nurture personal growth together.
Brandon Jaggi
APRN, PMHNP-BC
Brandon earned both his Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN) and Master’s in Nursing (MSN). He is Board Certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, specializing in medication management. Brandon provides care for patients of all ages, bringing a wealth of knowledge and compassion to his practice. Passionate about health, Brandon is dedicated to helping people adopt healthy habits, including improvements in diet, exercise, and sleep. He also offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, as well as weight loss, to address all facets of life for comprehensive well-being. Brandon is actively fighting to decrease the stigma attached to mental health, promoting a more understanding and supportive approach to mental well-being.
Cari Ott
MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
“You are a human being; you are not a diagnosis” Cari believes that each person deserves to find a provider who will truly listen to their story in order to achieve the best treatment and recovery possible. If you are looking for a holistic provider who will listen to your story and consider your entire symptom profile, Cari may be the perfect fit for you. Together, we can develop a treatment plan to improve your mental health and wellness.
Holly Montgomery
MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
I have spent years caring for those who are experiencing mental health crises. I have a deep understanding of how living with a mental health condition can affect your life and have dedicated my life to helping clients improve their overall well-being and reach their full potential.
Hope Tarrant-Moore
PLMHP, LADC
The most important relationship you’ll ever have starts with the relationship you have with yourself. After all, we spend e-v-e-r-y moment with ourselves. An Omaha transplant from Pittsburgh, PA, Hope has made significant strides in the field of mental health. She holds a post-graduate degree in Behavioral Science and a graduate degree in Clinical Counseling, both from Bellevue University.
Dually licensed as a Clinical Mental Health Therapist and a Drug and Alcohol Counselor, she is dedicated to her life’s assignment, which includes a strong passion for mental health care. Her approach is intentional, with a strong commitment to education and advocacy.
Hope emphasizes that mental health is not who a person is but rather what she is experiencing, and she is dedicated to helping individuals separate their identity from their challenges. Specializing in severe persistent mental illness, she prefers working with adults aged 19 and over.
Her approach is deeply rooted in helping adults acknowledge and heal the pain their inner child never got to express. She assists patients in exploring their feelings, behaviors, and perspectives, guiding them toward self-discovery and healing.
If you are an adult seeking to understand why you feel the way you do, why you act the way you act, and why you perceive the world as you do, Hope is here to help you navigate that journey.
If someone is ready to begin this journey, Hope will walk with them. After all, we spend every moment with ourselves.
Jackie Wayman
APRN, PMHNP-BC
You are the architect of your own life. Jackie partners with you to ensure you have a solid foundation to build on.
With nearly a decade in healthcare, Jackie has dedicated her career to helping people feel their best. She is a firm believer that mental health is a complex balance of physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. She empowers you to start today on a new journey, regardless of where you are beginning. Jackie enjoys getting to know people and prioritizes their values, preferences, and needs in creating a comprehensive care plan.
Jennifer M. Kelly
LIMHP, LCSW
Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do. - Brene Brown Jen is here to help you navigate the changes and challenges of life through guidance, education, motivation, unconditional support and empathy. She believes in the strength, goodness, capability and resilience of those who seek therapy. Jen’s approach in therapy is to work from a client-centered, strength based and mind/body/spirit perspective. Jen received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner specializing in the areas of trauma, grief, life transitions, LGBTQ+ issues, anxiety, depression, relationships and personal growth.
Julie Zulkosky
DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Co-Founder
Julie grew up primarily in the Pacific Northwest and moved to Omaha to attend Creighton University and because of numerous opportunities, she now calls Omaha home. Professionally, Julie has worked in acute care for over a decade. Those years have helped her shape her definition of holistic care and the impact it can have on physical and mental patient outcomes. Academically, she is a proud graduate of Creighton University where she received her bachelor’s, master's, and doctorate degrees. That training helped to reinforce her holistic approach by translating evidence-based practice and alternative medicine into plans of care that can maximize patient outcomes.
Kathleen Gauthier
MA, PLMHP
Our deepest longing is to be known, explored, discovered, and touched. But often we live alone and thirsty in the wilderness. Relationships with families, friends, co-workers, and our community may be filled with trauma, anxiety, betrayal, pain, or ongoing stress. We may be in a state of brokenness, completely shut down, filled with anger, wrestling with grief, or stuck in a meaningless life. Strategies that once managed life may be working against the relief hoped for. Efforts to protect ourselves keep relationships from being authentic and close. As a result, there is a deep thirst in our soul that nothing seems to satisfy.
Kristi Bose
PMHNP-BC, Co-Founder, Director of Clinical Operations
Kristi is one of the founding partners of Verve Collaborative Health. She is experienced in many areas, including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, and peripartum concerns.
Kristi’s passion is functional medicine/psychiatry and strives to provide care to the entire person, collaborating with a variety of providers to offer the best service and to help you find the best version of yourself.
Kristina Jensen
LIMHP, LCSW
Kristina has a masters of social work from university of Nebraska and have many years' experiences in the field. Kristina has worked in in-patient and out- patient setting, helping people managing symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental health.
Much of Kristina's experience has been working with people who are recovering from domestic violence, and narcissistic abuse. Kristina works with individuals in a client-centered, trauma focused approach to help people explore their inner workings to help create the life they are envisioning. Kristina is trained in EMDR, and can help process past or present trauma to assist in healing and remove barriers that keeps you stuck.
Margaret Chipendo
MSN, APRN, FNP/PMHNP-BC
Margaret is passionate about caring for patients with severe mental illnesses across the lifespan (from ages 5 to 80), anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, personality disorders, and substance use disorders. Her primary role is medication management and helping patients live healthy lives knowing that they can live with mental illness, not in mental illness.
“I think it’s really important to take the stigma away from mental health…My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don’t know why I would not seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth.”
-Kerry Washington from the Huffington Post.
Marisha VanVleet - VCH
APRN-CNP PMHNP-BC
Marisha enjoys helping people...period. She is credentialed for all ages from very young to the elderly and has worked with all ages. For patients that do need medication, she uses a conservative approach and monitors them closely until stable. Her medication management patients do get some therapy in their follow-up sessions because this assists her in evaluating the effectiveness of the medication. If she is not able to help a patient, she'll try to find someone else who is a better fit for them. She believes in a community approach for patients, it does take us all working together!
Mary Dishman
APRN, PMHNP-BC
Mary L. Dishman is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and board certification as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). With over three decades in nursing, mental health, and education, she serves as the Director of Undergraduate Nursing at Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska. Mary holds a Post Certificate in Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, an MSN, and a BSN from Clarkson College, a Master of Arts in Counseling, and an RN Diploma in Nursing. She has extensive clinical experience, including roles in post-op recovery, cardiovascular ICU, and behavioral health settings. Since 2006, Mary has been a dedicated educator at Clarkson College, teaching critical care, medical-surgical, abnormal assessment, and behavioral health. She also provides care for clients with mental health disorders in her private practice. Her professional affiliations include the Nebraska Assembly of Nebraska Deans and Directors (NANDD), National League of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, and the American Counseling Association. She has held leadership positions such as President of the Nebraska League of Nursing and Governance Chair of Sigma Theta Tau Omicron Epsilon Chapter. Mary has received numerous awards, including the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty. Her commitment to professional development is reflected in her participation in various continuing education programs and conferences. Mary Dishman's extensive experience and dedication make her a significant contributor to nursing and mental health care.
Megan VanBenCoten
PLMHP
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” -Brene Brown
As a therapist, Megan believes everyone deserves the chance to improve our mental health and develop into the best version of ourselves. Life challenges everyone with physical and mental obstacles, but she will help you break those down and overcome them as we enter this therapeutic journey together.
Melissa Smith
DNP, APRN-NP, PMHNP-BC
Melissa has a variety of nursing and life experience that she brings to her role as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She worked as an adult oncology nurse for 5 years and appreciates the unique experiences she had while working with patients with chronic illnesses and near death.
Melissa has spent the last 10 years working with teenagers as a school nurse and has won state and regional awards for her nursing care of adolescents. She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Creighton University.
She also earned two bachelors degrees in nursing and in health science, with an emphasis in community health. Her doctoral work focused on adolescent anxiety and the importance of adolescent mental health. Melissa finds joy in being with her family, the outdoors, visiting the beach and mountains, playing the piano, and crafting.
Paige Seier
LIMHP, CMSW
Taking the first step to start therapy can be overwhelming. Paige strives to help her clients feel
understood and comfortable by creating a therapy environment where clients can feel
empowered to make positive changes in their personal lives. Paige believes that healing is
possible, even after the most difficult experiences. The important thing for her clients to know
is that they do not have to do it alone.
R. Dawn Slominski
DNP, APRN
(Rebecca) Dawn Slominski is a nurse practitioner with a doctorate degree specializing in behavioral/mental health treatment. She has more than 3 years of experience as a nurse practitioner, 25+ years in the nursing field. Dawn believes in providing individualized treatment plans based on the unique circumstances of each client. She does this by treating each individual with respect, kindness, and compassion. Dawn believes people have innate healing abilities, clients are people not illnesses, recovery involves addressing causes not just symptoms, and healing takes a collaborative approach. She seeks to empower individuals and families through intervention, treatment, education, support, and advocacy. In doing this an individual’s balance and quality of life can be improved.
Riley Mitas
PLMHP
Riley is a Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (PLMHP) who graduated with her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has experience working with those struggling with depression, anxiety, life transitions, grief and loss, and stress.
She believes that all people are capable of over coming the difficulties of life and provides a safe and non-judgmental space for people to work through these difficulties. Problem solving and compassion are some of Riley’s specialties. Her practice utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy.
Rojay Passley
MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Rojay Passley is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and currently holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of the West Indies School of Nursing, in Jamaica. He has experience caring with patients on Medical Unit, Critical Care Unit, Progressive Care Unit, Cardiac Cath Lab, and Mental Health.
Sara Murphy
MS, PLMHP
As a therapist, Sara believes that every person has their own unique perspectives and experiences. With that, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Sara believes that everyone could benefit from someone lending a hand to help conquer the human experience. Sara has experience working with adolescents/teens and families, individuals recovering from substance abuse or with past complex trauma.
Troyia Anderson
DNP, APRN-RN, PMHNP-BC
Troyia dedicated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner committed to providing compassionate, empathetic, and professional care. With over 14 years of nursing experience and more than 4 years as a nurse practitioner, her extensive background allows her to support patients with a deep understanding of their mental health needs, ensuring a thoughtful and personalized approach to treatment.