Treating Trauma, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse
Fax: (800) 988-1650
Meet the Team
We are a team of highly trained clinicians and support staff whose experience and compassion enable us to provide the highest quality and level of care in Interior Alaska. Read more about us below!
Gunnar Ebbesson, Owner
LPCS, MAC, CDCS
Telemedicine only
Gunnar is co-founder and CEO of Turning Point Counseling Services. He has been a therapist and researcher in Fairbanks since 2002. Throughout Gunnar’s career, he has been an advocate for access to excellent services by people who experience Mental Health and Substance Use disorders. He graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a Masters Degree in Community Psychology with an indigenous focus. He has worked as a Child and Family Therapist at Community Mental Health, Program Director for a Suicide and Substance Abuse Prevention Project at the University called Qunaasvik and formed and developed Turning Point along side Joseph Nowell as a leading provider of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment in the state. Gunnar has served on on Governor’s Advisory Board for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ABADA) for 8 years. He also co chaired the Alaska Opioid Policy Task Force which developed guidance for the Legislature, Governor and Public health to address the Opioid Epidemic. Gunnar was one of the founding members and instigator in developing the Fairbanks Opioid Work Group. He has trained and lectured around the state on issues surrounding the intersection of Trauma, SUD and Mental Health. Gunnar is a trainer and practitioner of Brainspotting, a powerful tool to bring about significant change in people’s response to trauma. His clinical passion is around the intersection of addiction and trauma and has extensive and broad experience working with this.
His passions include being in the outdoors, his two children, and sailing. He also feels very privileged to work with an amazing staff of caring people who truly take their work to heart, are keen clinicians and staff members who understand and are effective in helping people to move in the direction of healing.
Joseph Nowell, Owner
LPCS, MAC
Clinical Director Joseph holds two Masters Degrees, Master of Science in Counseling Psychology and Master of Education in Adult Education, both received from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Alaska, a Nationally Certified Master Addiction Counselor by the National Association for Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors, and a National Certified Counselor by the National Board of Certified Counselors. He has worked in the field of addictions treatment since 1998 and has been a practicing mental health clinician and psychotherapist since 2003. He has worked in the public sector in inpatient, residential and outpatient Substance Abuse treatment programs as a Chemical Dependency Counselor and Clinician, as a Crisis Stabilization Unit Coordinator, and as a Mental Health Clinician and Clinical Supervisor. Joseph has 21 years of experience in helping people heal from Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders. He approaches therapy as a solution oriented therapist with a strong cognitive behavioral flavor. Joseph is an International trainer in Brainspotting (BSP) trauma-focused reprocessing therapy, which he often utilizes to facilitate client healing from trauma effect. He is experienced in treating a wide variety of issues but specializes in the treatment of addictions, trauma effect, depression and other mood disturbances, and anxiety syndromes. Joseph is also one of our cofounders, and provides clinical supervision for many of our counseling staff.
NICOLETTE CARRASCO
Chief Operating and Finance Officer, BS
Nicolette holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Purdue University, where she developed a strong foundation in organizational management and strategic planning. With her educational background and a deep sense of empathy, Nicolette is committed to implementing effective strategies and policies that promote mental health awareness and provide valuable resources to those in need. She understands the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters growth, healing, and resilience. Nicolette’s dedication to mental health operations is rooted in her belief that everyone deserves access to quality care and support. She strives to make a positive impact by working collaboratively with diverse teams and utilizing her skills in administration, communication, and problem-solving.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Nicolette finds solace and joy in nature. Her love for kayaking, fishing, and being outdoors allows her to recharge and connect with the natural world. Spending quality time with her daughter is her top priority, as she believes in the importance of nurturing strong family bonds and creating lasting memories.
Jonathan Miller, LPCS
Clinical Director - Waitlist for new Clients
Jonathan holds a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University and has been providing counseling for individuals and families for over 12 years. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role as clinical director and clinician here at Turning Point and specializes in working with anxiety and trauma in both children and adults. He has advanced training in Brainspotting and is certified as a consultant in that modality, supervising and coaching other clinicians in this cutting-edge approach that helps address the neurobiological roots of trauma and anxiety symptoms. Jonathan is also trained in CBT and mindfulness techniques, and his approach to couples therapy is based on the principles and research of EFT and the Gottman Method.
Before becoming a therapist, Jonathan was a high school teacher and youth ministry leader. From that background, children and adolescents have naturally been a strong focus of his mental health work, but he also enjoys counseling adults and couples. Part of what makes this career so fulfilling for him is being able to help people identify and overcome experiences that have kept them stuck in anger, fear, or hurt. Jonathan works with the team here at Turning Point to make sure each client is paired with a clinician that feels like a good fit to ensure the counseling experience can be meaningful and helpful.
In his everyday life, Jonathan is an active Alaskan resident. He lives here locally and has no plans to move anywhere else! He loves hunting and fishing, playing disc golf, hiking and camping, and playing sports with his kids. In times of solitude leisure, you’ll likely find him reading or pretending to be a carpenter.
Whatever your needs are in counseling, Jonathan firmly believes in your ability to experience healing and growth, and would be honored to be a part of your journey.
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Krista Zody, LPC
Krista grew up in Fairbanks, enjoys being involved in community outreach, and has personal military family life experience. She values quality time with family, social connectivity, and viewing people as human beings of worth. Her education journey includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Linguistics with a focus in American Sign Language and holds a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She obtained both degrees through the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is an active member of the American Counseling Association. Krista provides individual psychotherapy counseling sessions.
She strives to create a safe therapeutic environment, intentionally understand the client's internal experiences, and foster the journey of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-growth. Her approach to therapy utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma informed care, Brainspotting trauma reprocessing, somatic experiencing, psychoeducation, and strength-based support. In her leisure time, Krista enjoys being in nature, exploring, spending time with loved ones, and attending community events.
Colleen Flynn, LPC
Colleen (she/they) holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Bradley University. Before beginning at Turning Point, they worked as an advocate for people experiencing relationship abuse through a domestic violence shelter in Utah. Colleen began working in the intensive outpatient program (IOP) at Turning Point in 2021 and transitioned to providing individual counseling sessions in 2023.
Colleen approaches counseling from a trauma-informed lens with a focus on exploring our lived experience. She strives to create a safe and caring environment in which individuals can connect with and express their emotions while better understanding themselves. Colleen incorporates a variety of techniques including Brainspotting trauma reprocessing, Somatic Experiencing, behavioral therapies, and a strengths-based focus. She is especially interested in working with those who have experienced relationship trauma and is an LGBTQIA+ affirmative counselor.
When not at Turning Point, Colleen is generally found outside adventuring with her partner and dog, cooking unnecessarily elaborate meals, or playing music.
Holly Sanborn, LPC
NOT ACCEPTING CLIENTS
Clinician Holly Sanborn holds a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska and received her bachelor’s degree from UAF in Art, with a focus in ceramics, and Psychology in 2011. Holly has always had a life-long dream of becoming an Art Therapist and views art as an integral process to healing the mind, body and soul. She enjoys working with children, frequently using art and play therapy, and holds a Children’s Mental Health Certificate from Southwestern College. Holly’s internship, in 2016, led to a very well-rounded experience with working with children and families as well as adults and adolescents struggling with eating disorders at the Eating Disorders Treatment Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her approach to therapy is person-centered and strength-based and likes to individualize treatment for her clients so they can ultimately reach healing and well-being. Holly, herself, enjoys creating art in her spare time because she knows that creativity cultivates balance, inner-peace and helps keep her grounded. Her goal is to empower people through encouraging self-expression, compassion and self-love to meet their therapy goals and live happy lives.
Laurain Hackett, LMSW
Telemedicine only
Laurain holds a Master in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Kentucky. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and certified in Brainspotting, a trauma-focused reprocessing therapy. Laurain previously served as the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) facilitator with Turning Point Counseling Services this past summer and has experience in treating those struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Her professional strengths are substance use, relationship issues and couples counseling, trauma informed therapy (brainspotting), and working with military families. Being a veteran herself, she understands the hardships service members and their families endure. Additionally, she has a passion for working with Native and other multicultural populations, as well as adolescents and young adults with anxiety, depression and PTSD. Additionally, she has some experience working with those with ADHD and OCD.
Laurain supports her clients, whether they are wanting to work through past trauma, change patterns in relationships, address substance use, or face major life transitions! She provides individuals and couples with a safe, non-judgmental environment so they can feel seen and heard. When working with couples, her goal is to assist in navigating relationships and help resolve conflicts successfully to continue nurturing a healthy bond and connection.
It is her pleasure to work with people of all ages, especially adolescents and young adults with diverse cultural backgrounds. She has an eclectic approach to therapy, but evidenced-based modalities she most commonly uses are Attachment Theory, Gottman Couples Therapy, Trauma -informed Brain spotting, Mindfulness-based DBT, and CBT.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, experiencing different cultures through food, live music, running outdoors, and spending time with her children and pets.
Elizabeth Nicaise, LMSW
Elizabeth holds a Master in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Denver. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Elizabeth believes in a client-led, strengths-based approach to therapy utilizing concepts and strategies rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and mindfulness-based therapies. Elizabeth is passionate about serving those struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health and personality disorders, as well as those with loved one’s suffering. Elizabeth also has experience working with families and adolescents struggling with PTSD, grief, and severe depression and anxiety. Elizabeth has a passion for active-duty military, veterans, and their families as she herself is a military veteran and spouse and understands the hardships, opportunities, and services associated within the military community. Elizabeth advocates for her clients no matter where they are in their mental health and wellness journey. As a certified Yoga instructor, Elizabeth believes that every movement on the path to wellness is significant and everyone is unique and requires an individualized, holistic approach to reaching their self-identified goals. Elizabeth offers individual and family counseling and has experience working with clients of all ages, cultures, and abilities. She believes in evidence-based approaches and utilizes a diverse array of modalities to best support and honor the unique individual
and family dynamic. You will find Elizabeth spending time with her family, on her yoga mat, reading fiction, and online enjoying her video games!
Melodee Morris M.Ed
Melodee Morris was born in Connecticut and raised in Colorado. She moved to Alaska in 1994 where she started a family, earned her Bachelors, began a business, and graduated with her Masters in Community Counseling in 2011. Melodee's graduate thesis project focused on the connection between mental and physical health. While collecting data she created a local fitness business, Simply Core Alaska which allowed her to be a full time mom and dive into her passions of creating choreography, dancing, and promoting holistic wellness. Now that her children are grown and starting families of their own Melodee returned to her clinical roots in 2021. Melodee primarily works with clients 16 years-old and up. She works with families and couples too. Melodee specializes in trauma work primarily using IFS (Internal Family Systems). Melodee treatment approach is integrative; She uses Internal Family Systems in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Jungian Psychoanalytic Therapy, and The Gottman Method. Ultimately, Melodee believes our inner parts contain valuable qualities and our core Self knows exactly what is needed to heal most completely, leading us toward a deeper level of internal awareness, fueling a clear pathway toward integration and wholeness.
Daniel Tanner, MA
Clinician
Daniel (he/him) was raised in Alaska and has lived in the Fairbanks/North Pole area since 1989 with the exception of short ventures to the Lower 48 while in the Army and more recently during his internship. He holds a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University and during that program he worked in residential treatment for clients with severe mental illness as well as in mobile crisis. Daniel enjoys working with clients of all ages, and employs a trauma informed lens in all of his work, with the goal of helping his clients develop a stronger sense of self and self-worth. To this end, he employs a variety of modalities with a focus on integrating Narrative Therapy with behavioral therapies as well as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Brainspotting. Since joining Turning Point he has also developed a passion for group therapy while facilitating the Intensive Outpatient Program and is working towards certification as a therapeutic game master to integrate additional group work.
When not in the office, Dan enjoys spending time with friends and family, collaborative storytelling, fishing, and spending time in nature.
Olivia Main, MS
Telemedicine only
Olivia was born and raised in Montana on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. She moved to Alaska in 2020 where she built her home in Southeast Alaska, Wrangell with her three children. Olivia is a member of the Aaniiih and Nakoda tribes and holds her culture dear to her heart. Although she lives away from home she continues to instill the importance of culture and understanding where you come from. Olivia's educational career includes a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Native American Studies and a Masters degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Over the course of Olivia's career, she has worked with Native populations from young children to elders. She started as a youth case manager working with severely emotionally disturbed youth and their families. From there she saw the need for Indigenous mental health clinicians and decided to go back for her Masters and pursue this new venture. Olivia's experiences have also included working with youth and adults with intergenerational trauma, grief, behavioral concerns, depression and women in domestic violence situations. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and trauma informed care. Olivia's focus is to get the client to see things from a different lens and help them address hard traumatic past experiences, getting to the root of that trauma. She wants to create a safe therapeutic approach with clients focusing on healing, empowering and growth.In her free time Olivia enjoys being outdoors, hunting and fishing. Being at home with her three children and pets and focusing on their individual needs. She also enjoys beading and sewing and regalia making for her children.
Victoria Avery
Intern
Vicky is working toward her M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She is in her field practicum semester with TPCS, and is a member of the American Counseling Association. She grounds her practice in a person-centered approach to care, in concert with DBT and mindfulness skills. She is driven to support those who are healing from trauma, feelings of being stuck, or at a crossroads in their lives. When Vicky is not in the office or doing school work, she enjoys traveling, yoga, reading, playing board games, or exploring outside. She is a military spouse with two very lively rescue dogs that also keep her busy. Last year, she finally learned how to cross country ski.
Rachel Castaneda
MFT Intern
Rachel was born in Bandon Oregon, she has had the opportunity to live in Eastern Oregon, as well as Blythe and Crescent City California. Rachel enlisted in the Air Force and worked in Medical Logistics for 8 years, serving in various locations. Following her military career she attended and Graduated from Park University in Missouri earning her BS in Social Psychology while traveling and enjoying her time at home raising her daughter's. Rachel started working in the Little Rock AFB Child and Youth Programs for 6 months before moving to Eielson AFB in 2022, where she worked with teens in the Child and Youth Services Youth Center for 2 years. She is currently attending Capella University for her Masters in Licensed Marriage & Family Therapy and completing her practicum with Turning Point Counseling Services and is expected to graduate June 2025. Marriage and family therapy focuses on deep, long-term change, instead of looking only at symptoms, marriage and family therapist examine each individual within a larger systemic context, helping them understand not only their own psychological state but how it impacts (and is impacted) by the world around them. Rachel and her husband have been married for 18 years and have three daughters together. Rachel enjoys spending time with her family, walking outdoors, crafting, baking and most importantly, date nights with her husband.
Jerme Vaughan
Jereme Vaughan, MSW-I, is a dedicated mental health professional with a focus on outdoor behavioral health. Originally from Illinois, Jereme has lived in various states before making Alaska his home, where he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. While pursuing his MSW degree at Western New Mexico University, with a focus in Outdoor Behavioral Health, Jereme gained valuable experience working with adults in the justice field. He is passionate about the healing potential of nature, combining mindfulness and experiential activities to support internal processing and personal growth. Jereme’s approach is to support resiliency by identifying and reinforcing the use of internal and external strengths that people have. While also offering alternative perspectives on themes throughout life that may factor into challenges and additional regulatory skills to further empower people. Outside of his studies and work, Jereme enjoys spending time outdoors with his dogs, engaging in activities like ice-fishing and cross-country skiing in the winter, and biking, hiking, camping, and anything water-related during the summer.
Intern
