Karisse creates a warm and supportive space for adults from diverse cultural backgrounds who may be navigating emotional ups and downs, stress, trauma, or the impact of addiction. She also works with professionals facing career or life transitions, helping them find balance and clarity amid change. Karisse takes a collaborative and compassionate approach, drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness. She believes in the power of creativity and mind-body connection to foster healing and resilience. Karisse helps clients develop practical emotion regulation skills, cultivate self-compassion, and find meaningful ways to cope with life’s challenges through a culturally responsive and holistic lens.

Karisse is a licensed professional counselor and substance abuse counselor with over 10 years of experience. She received her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse from University of Wisconsin-Stout and a PhD in Counselor Education from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. In addition to clinical work, Karisse is an associate professor of counselor education at Marquette University and her research is focused on learning how mindfulness-based interventions and DBT work for diverse ethnic groups, and the effects of creativity on mental health.  She has training in DBT and integrated somatic trauma therapy and enjoys reading, walks with her dog, drinking hot tea, and practicing yoga.