Founding Director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health, Associate Professor - Northwestern University

Jessica L. Schleider, Ph.D.

Dr. Jessica L. Schleider (she/her) is the Founding Director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health and Associate Professor of Medical Social Sciences, Pediatrics, and Psychology at Northwestern University. Dr. Schleider also serves as Director of Digital Services at Northwestern’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies.

Dr. Schleider’s professional mission is to build, test, and disseminate scalable, evidence-based mental health solutions that bridge previously-unfillable gaps in mental health ecosystems, with a focus on single-session interventions (SSIs) for underserved youth. In support of her work in this area, she has secured >$7 million in federal (NIH, NSF, HRSA), foundation, and industry funding as PI or Project Lead. Dr. Schleider has been recognized via numerous national awards for research excellence and innovation, including the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic, and she was previously chosen as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Healthcare.

Dr. Schleider has published more than 110 peer-reviewed articles. She has also created or co-created seven open-access, single-session mental health programs, which have reached >50,000 people to date. Based on these programs, Dr. Schleider and her colleagues wrote a self-help workbook, The Growth Mindset Workbook for Teens. She also co-edited the Oxford Guide to Brief and Low-Intensity Interventions for Children and Young People and wrote a nonfiction book, LITTLE TREATMENTS, BIG EFFECTS on how single-session interventions can transform mental health.

To support individuals and institutions in scaling evidence-based SSIs, Dr. Schleider regularly consults for national and state-level health care organizations, digital health and social media companies, and providers across the globe.

Dr. Schleider completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Harvard University in 2018, along with her Doctoral Internship in Clinical and Community Psychology at Yale School of Medicine.

Contemporary Violinist and Record Producer

Daniel D.

Author, Speaker, Psychotherapist

Jeannelle Perkins-Muhammad, Ph.D.

Dr. Jeannelle Perkins-Muhammad is a Psychotherapist, Licensed Family Therapist, and SC State Supervisor with more than 20 years of experience. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Capella University. She is licensed in GA, FL, NC, and SC. Dr. Jeannelle is a board member of Charleston Hope; an organization that increases access to mental and behavioral health programs in Title I schools to enhance student well-being. As an adjunct professor at The Citadel in Charleston, SC, and Practicum Supervisor for Capella and Liberty Universities, she focuses on building a new generation of culturally competent clinical counselors.

Dr. Jeannelle was Foundation Fellow of Roper St. Francis Hospital and recipient of the Charleston Area Black Caucus “40 Professionals to Know” award. As a 2024 TEDx Charleston participant, Dr. Jeannelle challenges America to consider how racism impacts black intimacy in the structural, institutional and systemic complexities of cultural conditioning. Her recent book, Into-Me-See, explores the cultural and personal factors that can make it challenging for Black couples to develop and maintain intimacy while offering solutions that strengthen their unity.

As an international speaker, Dr. Jeannelle is sought after by podcasts and organizations on topics ranging from Mental Health and Relationships, Cultural Immersion and Humility, Emotional Intelligence and Resilience, Enhancing Intimacy, Personality Disorders, Military Trauma, Racial Anxiety, Sexual Wellness, and Depression, and much more. Dr. Jeannelle is a consultant on TVOne’s hit show Fatal Attraction. She has been featured in Skirt Magazine, Newsweek, Charleston Magazine, and Vice Magazine. She has been seen on the AFRO News Chicken Boxx, Divorce Magazine-Canada, Fox 24 Charleston, Lowcountry Live, Reicy G., Black Family Table Talk, Growth State-of-Mind, and Her Point of View. Her lived experience with blended families, adoption, divorce, family personality disorders are key to her ability to bring research to life.

Dr. Jeannelle has her finger on the pulse of our community’s mental and emotional health. In her private group practice, TMI Counseling and Coaching, they assist individuals, families, and couples; in rehabilitating, repairing, and revitalizing their commitment to authentic living as a characteristic for building healthy relationships and vibrant communities. She is compassionate, direct, and unapologetic in helping clients overcome their challenges. Her spiritual experience and evidence-based therapeutic approach are a hallmark of allowing you to change your life trajectory.

Leading Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Educator, and Mental Health Advisor

Barbara Melton LPCS, LACS, NCC/MAC, CS

Barbara Melton, M.Ed., LPC, LPCS, LAC, LACS, NCC/MAC, CS has a private practice in Summerville and specializes in working with trauma, loss and self-injury.

She is the Past President of the Board of the SC Association of Licensed Professional Counselors and is currently on the Ethics Committee for the Addictions Professionals of SC. She is also an LPC and LAC Supervisor and a contract Supervisor for the Dorchester Alcohol and Drug Commission. She has taught graduate level courses for Columbia College, Coastal Carolina University and Webster University and is currently teaching a Clinical Supervision and Consultation course for the SC Clinical Mental Health Counselors Association.

Barbara is a leading mental health clinician, educator, and community connector in South Carolina.

Clinical Director for Modern Minds & Affiliate Assistant Professor at MUSC

Lauren H. Carter, Ph.D.

Dr. Lauren Holland Carter is a highly regarded clinical psychologist and academic professional based in Charleston, SC. With a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University, Dr. Carter brings over a decade of experience to her current roles as Clinical Director at Modern Minds, an affiliate of MUSC Health, and as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

Dr. Carter’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wofford College, where she graduated summa cum laude, followed by a Master of Science and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University. She completed her APA Accredited Clinical Psychology Internship at the Charleston Consortium Clinical Psychology Internship Training Program.

Throughout her career, Dr. Carter has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in clinical practice, education, and research. She has held various appointments at MUSC, including roles as an Assistant Professor and Instructor, where she was committed to training future generations of mental health professionals.

In addition to her clinical and academic endeavors, Dr. Carter has made significant contributions to the field through her research on eating disorders, behavioral medicine, and integrated healthcare approaches. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at national and international conferences.

With her extensive expertise and dedication to advancing mental health and wellness, Dr. Lauren Holland Carter continues to be a driving force in the field of clinical psychology and integrated healthcare.

Award Wining Professor, Psychologist, Scientist, & Author at University of Michigan

Ethan Kross, Ph.D.

Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor and bestselling author in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he studies how the conversations people have with themselves impact their health, performance, decisions and relationships.

Ethan attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude. After earning his PhD in Psychology from Columbia University, Ethan completed a post-doctoral fellowship in social-affective neuroscience to learn about the neural systems that support self-control. He moved to the University of Michigan in 2008, where he founded the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory.

Ethan’s research has been published in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other peer-reviewed journals. He has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper Full Circle, and NPR’s Morning Edition. His pioneering research has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Harvard Business Review, USA Today, The Economist, The Atlantic, Forbes, and Time.

Ethan is the author the National Bestseller CHATTER: The Voice in Our Head, Why it Matters and How to Harness It, which was chosen as one of the best new books of the year by the Washington Post, CNN and USA Today and the Winning Winter 2021 selection for Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain and Dan Pink’s Next Big Idea Book Club. CHATTER is scheduled to be translated into over 40 languages.

Psychologist and International Consultant

Brian C. Miller, MSW, Ph.D.

Brian Miller, Ph.D. provides training and consultation on topics of secondary trauma, trauma informed supervision, and implementation processes nationally and internationally. His book, Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress: Skills for Sustaining a Career in the Helping Professions was released in July of 2021 and is scheduled for a second edition in late 2024.

Dr. Miller’s experience includes tenure as Director of Children’s Behavioral Health at Primary Children’s Hospital, Director of Mental Health Services for Salt Lake County; Director of the Trauma Program for Families with Young Children at The Children’s Center in Salt Lake City; Clinical Director of Davis Behavioral Health, Associate Director of the Utah State Division of Mental Health; and as a psychotherapist in private practice. He holds a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was a Mandel Leadership Fellow. He is the past board president for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Utah Chapter, and serves on the editorial review boards for the journals Traumatology and Contemporary Psychotherapy and the Secondary Traumatic Stress Consortium and is a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Chaplaincy Trained Buddhist Leader, Author, Speaker, & Visiting Fellow - University of Michigan

Chenxing Han

​​​​​Chenxing Han (she/her) is the author of “Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists (2021)”; “One Long Listening: A Memoir of Grief, Friendship, and Spiritual Care (2023)”; and over twenty articles and book chapters for both academic and mainstream audiences. She is a regular contributor to Lion’s Roar and Tricycle magazines and a frequent speaker and workshop leader at schools, universities, and Buddhist communities across the nation. She has received fellowships from Hedgebrook, Hemera Foundation, the Lenz Foundation, and elsewhere.

Chenxing holds a BA from Stanford University, an MA in Buddhist Studies from the Graduate Theological Union, and a certificate in Buddhist chaplaincy from the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is co-teacher of Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard at Phillips Academy Andover; a co-organizer of May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial for Asian American Ancestors; and founding facilitator of Roots and Refuge: An Asian American Buddhist Writing Retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. For the 2023–2024 academic year, she is the Khyentse Visitor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan.

Clinical Coordinator and Therapist - Cirque Lodge

Aaron Olson, CMHC, SUDC

Aaron has been with Cirque Lodge since 2009 and has more than 25 years of experience working in the behavioral health field, including time working with the juvenile justice system, inpatient psychiatry, and community mental health. He has specialized in substance use issues and has worked in the residential, outpatient, and intensive outpatient levels of care.

Aaron utilizes an eclectic approach to treatment with a strong foundation in rational emotive behavioral therapy, family systems therapy, and contextual therapy. He has a significant interest in understanding the impact of transgenerational trauma on families and has lectured around the country on this topic.

As the clinical coordinator for the lodge, Aaron oversees the overall clinical experience of residents while carrying a caseload and supervising the other clinical staff. Aaron is a member of the faculty at the University of Utah, College of Social Work, teaching in the Substance Abuse Counseling Program.

Co-Founder & CEO of the Center for Motivation & Change, Licensed Psychologist, Clinical Research Scientist, & Award Winning Author

Jeffrey Foote, Ph.D.

Jeff Foote, PhD is a psychologist and nationally-recognized clinical research scientist with over 30 years of experience utilizing evidence-based treatment approaches for the treatment of substance use issues and Post-traumatic Stress.

Dr. Foote is the Co-President and CEO of the CMC:Foundation for Change (CMC:FFC), a not-for-profit organization with the mission of improving the dissemination of evidence-based ideas and strategies to the families of persons struggling with substance use. The CMC:FFC team’s Invitation to Change approach is an accessible set of understandings and practices that empower families to remain engaged and be effective in helping their struggling loved one make positive changes. The approach has been widely used across the country and is utilized in trainings with laypeople and professionals. He is co-author of the award-winning book Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change, a practical guide for families dealing with addiction and substance problems in a loved one based on principles of Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), and co-author of The Beyond Addiction Workbook for Family and Friends: Evidence-Based Skills to Help a Loved-One Make Positive Change.

He is also the Co-Founder of the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) outpatient programs in NYC, Long Island, Washington, DC, and San Diego, CA, and the residential program CMC:Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.

Dr. Foote was a psychologist for the NY Mets for 11 years and has continued in sports psychology as an independent performance consultant to professional athletes. Before co-founding CMC in 2003, Dr. Foote was the Deputy Director of the Division of Alcohol Treatment and Research at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in NYC and Senior Research Associate at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) in NYC. From 1994 to 2001, Dr. Foote served as Chief of the Smithers Addiction Treatment and Research Center and Director of Evaluation and Research. Dr. Foote is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the American Association of Addiction Psychiatrists.