Meet the Staff



Director

Claire Beaulieu, Psy.D

Dr. Beaulieu currently serves as the Director and one of the clinical supervisors at CBH. She earned her Psy.D from Spalding University, and has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including university counseling centers, community mental health centers, and private practice. Her clinical interests include psychological assessment, anxiety, trauma disorders, and interpersonal relationships. She approaches therapy from an interpersonal, psychodynamic, and cognitive-behavioral lens. Dr. Beaulieu is passionate about training future professionals in her roles as a teacher and a supervisor.


Supervisory Team

Steven Kniffley, PsyD

Director, Collective Care Center

Associate Director and Assessment/Clinical Supervisor, Center for Behavioral Health

Steven D. Kniffley Jr., PsyD MPA ABPP is the Associate Director for the Center for Behavioral Health and an Assistant Professor in Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology. He currently teaches Multicultural Psychology and Intro to Psychotherapy. Dr. Kniffley is also a Board Certified Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Kniffley’s area of expertise is research and clinical work with Black males. Specifically, his work focuses on understanding and developing culturally appropriate interventions for Black male psychopathology as well as barriers to academic success for this population. Dr. Kniffley has written numerous books, book chapters, and articles on Black male mental health, Black males and the criminal justice system, and academic achievement.

Brenda Nash, PhD

Chair, Spalding University School of Professional Psychology

Clinical Supervisor, Center for Behavioral Health

Dr. Nash, a tenured associate professor, holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky. After completing her internship, she returned to her native Louisville and quickly became involved with Spalding, teaching as clinical faculty for nine years before joining the faculty full-time in 2006. From 2011-2020, she assumed the role of Director of Clinical Training, overseeing students’ practicum and internship placements. She was named the 2020 Spalding University Board of Trustees Faculty of the Year. Dr. Nash specializes in working with survivors of trauma, including sexual and physical abuse, childhood abuse, domestic violence, automobile accidents, catastrophic loss, etc. She approaches therapy from an interpersonal perspective and is also passionate about teaching students how to work effectively and compassionately with trauma survivors. She is licensed in Kentucky and maintains a small private practice where she routinely provides pro bono services. She is a member of APA and KPA, where she has also served as a past Executive Board member. In 2020, Dr. Nash was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to serve on the Kentucky Board of Examiners in Psychology.

Amy Young, PsyD

Director of Clinical Training, Spalding University School of Professional Psychology

Clinical Supervisor, Center for Behavioral Health

Dr. Amy Young received her Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology from Carlow University. Dr. Young’s passion for social justice concerns previously connected her to Mercy Behavioral Health, a legacy program of the Sisters of Mercy of the America’s ministry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There she provided comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services to underserved populations for eleven years. Her research interests include trauma-informed services for women, harm reduction psychotherapy and the clinical implications of bias in the therapeutic relationship. She is a member of both the American Psychological Association and Kentucky Psychological Association.

Allyson Bradow, PsyD

Assessment/Clinical Supervisor, Center for Behavioral Health

Dr. Bradow is a licensed clinical psychologist who received her degree from Spalding University. She is currently in private practice and specializes in treating trauma-and attachment-based disorders utilizing DBT,including individual and skills groups, ACT and Interpersonal approaches. She previously worked at the Home of the Innocents where she served as Clinical Director and founded the Psychological Services and Outpatient Therapy as well as coordinated the practicum and internship programs. Dr. Bradow received training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy from the Dr. Martha Wetter and Cindy Frase, and advanced training with Dr. Charlie Swenson and Dr. Kelly Koerner through the DBT Center San Gabriel and Institute for Girls Development.

Kelsey Stout, PsyD

 

Assessment Supervisor, Center for Behavioral Health

Dr. Stout is a licensed psychologist in Kentucky and Indiana. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in forensic psychology from Spalding University.  After completing an APA-accredited internship she completed a forensically specialized postdoctoral fellowship conducting forensic mental health assessments for individuals involved in Family Court. Upon completion of her postdoctoral training, she continued to work in private practice conducting evaluations for the Family Court population. In addition to private practice, Dr. Stout holds an Adjunct Faculty position at Spalding University, and she also serves on the Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA) Continuing Education Committee.

Jaclyn Williams, PhD

 Supervisor, Center for Behavioral Health

Dr. Williams hails from rural, small town Kentucky. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Xavier University. After completing her internship, she moved to Louisville where she completed a Post-Doctoral fellowship with the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center. Upon completing her post-doctoral training, KCPC hired her as a forensic evaluator, where she completes competency and criminal responsibility evaluations for defendants with felony charges across the state of Kentucky. She has worked with KCPC for seven years. Dr. Williams also has a private practice in Louisville, where she evaluates juvenile defendants for Competency to Stand Trial, and conducts guardianship evaluations for adults with disabilities that lead to decisional capacity deficits related to maintaining their financial and personal affairs. Dr. Williams has had the distinct pleasure of working with Practicum I students at Spalding University, where she has been a University Supervisor for the past five years. As part of her role at KCPC, she has also supervised Spalding students on the forensic track, with special interests in assessment. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, APA Division 41- American Psychology-Law society, and the Kentucky Psychological Association.

Willie McBride, PhD

Dr. Willie F. McBride is a Louisville native and clinical neuropsychologist who recently completed his fellowship at the University of Virginia Health System within the Department of Neurology. He is primarily focused on evaluating neurodegenerative processes in older adults but has a burgeoning interest in cultural neuropsychology and examining health disparities within the African American community. He is a founding member of the Society for Black Neuropsychology, a national organization devoted to advancing the field of neuropsychology at it relates to the African diaspora. He completed his doctoral degree from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology in Norfolk VA, internship at the Vanderbilt-Veteran Affairs Psychology Consortium, and completed a fellowship in Interprofessional Psychology Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Murfreesboro Tennessee. His hobbies include collecting vinyl records, playing video games, spending time with family, and watching movies/anime.

Liz Rhyne Swabek, Psy.D

Liz Rhyne Swabek, M.Ed., Psy.D., earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University and a Masters in Education from the University of Louisville’s Counseling Psychology Program. Dr. Swabek has worked with children, adolescents and adults providing individual and group therapy and assessments within a variety of therapeutic settings and programs including day-treatment, residential treatment, outpatient, specialized foster care, college counseling centers, court-referred anger management, and both in-home and in-school community-based services. Dr. Swabek has provided court testimony in cases involving DCFS and served as a legal-justice advocate for individuals who experienced intimate partner violence. Dr. Swabek specializes in working with children, adolescents and adults who exhibit emotional, relationship and behavioral problems and who have been impacted by trauma and difficult life transitions.

Dr. Swabek primarily provides therapy and supervision using a psychodynamic and attachment framework, while also incorporating evidence-based treatment interventions such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing, Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy (TLDP), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Family Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and expressive therapy techniques (play therapy, art, metaphors, and sand tray). This integrative approach to treatment allows Dr. Swabek and the client to work together to determine the treatment methods that best address the client’s needs while also utilizing the client’s inherent strengths, thereby fostering a strong therapeutic alliance.



Support Team

Ashley Jackson

Administrative Assistant

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Louisville, KY.

What are you most excited to contribute to CBH this year?

As the past year has brought new challenges, I am excited about being part of an organization that is training people to meet mental health needs in new ways, too. I am also looking forward to creating a warm, supportive environment for the staff and clients at CBH.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love live music, sharing love through baking, and watching my friends do karaoke.
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What is a fun fact about you?

I’m a mean hula hooper and I still have a baby tooth!

 

Melissa Hagan-Nelson

Where did you grow up?

Louisville, KY

What are you most excited to contribute to CBH/CCC this practicum year?

I am most excited about bringing my love for policy development and organizational change skills from a different discipline to CBH. Having an outsider-insider perspective can be extremely helpful in making organizational changes that help support CBH best serve its clients.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love to spend time with my family, go shopping at thrift stores, and travel when I have the chance.

What is a fun fact about you?

One of my coping skills is turning moments into a musical. I have been known to burst into song (although I ask not a singer) and dance to help ease stress, lighten the mood, or just to have a good time.