CATHY BATKA, PHD, HSPP; DIRECTOR

It has been more than 15 years that I have been practicing as a psychologist. I obtained my undergraduate degree in psychology from The Ohio State University. In 2001, I finished my doctoral training at ​Western Michigan University. My pre-doctoral internship was at The Penn State University's Counseling and Psychological Services. From there I worked in a faculty position teaching master's level counseling psychology and counselor education graduate students. However, most of my career has been providing clinical services in university counseling centers. I spent 7 years at the Bowling Green State University counseling center and 8 years at the Indiana University Counseling and Psychological Services. Then I started my private practice in the fall of 2015 and opened The Highlands Psychology Group in 2017.

​I have worked with a wide range of concerns in my clinical practice. Although my clinical work will be individualized, I use a Relational Therapy approach combined with Cognitive / Behavioral Therapy techniques. That means I will initially address symptoms (e.g. sleep disturbance, anxiety), then we will focus on how and when the issues developed. I have found that if you understand why you experience symptoms and how the issues developed, it is easier for you to resolve your concerns and decrease the chances for it to occur again.

My specialty areas are - trauma, disordered eating, sleep disturbance, couples therapy, and working with gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer identified people. 

​I also greatly enjoy providing supervision and training. I have provided clinical training to master's students in their first clinical experience, field placement supervision, doctoral practicum students, pre-doctoral interns, and post-doctoral clinicians. This includes individual supervision, supervision of supervision, and supervision of group work. I have also provided training for suicide prevention, professional development, and Psychological First Aid to be used in disaster response.

NICKI MANNIA, MA, LMHC-A; STAFF THERAPIST
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I graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology with minors in Sociology and Human Development and Family Studies. I went on to getting my Master’s degree in Counseling at Indiana University Bloomington in 2015 after working for five years with clients with developmental disabilities.  I am currently a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC).

I have been in the mental health field in some capacity for the last 8 years working in multiple settings with various populations, ages, and diagnoses. Some of those settings include in home/group home settings, psychiatric hospitals (residential and acute units), and in community mental health. My clinical orientation is based in a relational approach combined with cognitive behavioral techniques. I typically will take in symptoms and presenting concerns while focusing on the relationships, emotions and thought patterns present and how our relationships with others and thoughts can create positive and productive outcomes, but also maladaptive behaviors and narratives. However, I do believe in a person-centered approach, and will adapt approaches for what will work for an individual client. Overall, I want to provide a positive productive experience for my clients that leads to a more meaningful and fulfilled life.

I also consider myself highly influenced by other approaches including humanistic, existential, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), solution focused therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). I am currently a trained DBT therapist with experience working in group and in individual settings with this approach.

My specialty areas include trauma, childhood abuse, anxiety, depression, relational issues, academic issues, grief/loss, life transitions, presenting concerns surrounding impulsivity, and personality disorders.

RHEMMA PAYNE, LMHC; STAFF THERAPIST

I graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a Masters of Science in Applied Health Science with majors in Human Development and Family Studies and minors in Human Sexuality and Sociology in 2010.  I went on to attend Liberty University to obtain my Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling, and graduated May 2015.  I am a board certified- National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) . Currently, I am a doctoral student in a CACREP-accredited PhD program studying Counselor Education and Supervision with specialty in Trauma and Crisis. 


I have been in the mental health counseling field over five years and I have worked in various settings including, in-home counseling, psychiatric hospital (residential and acute units), and community mental health.  My clinical orientation is based in Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy (CBT), though I adapt my therapeutic approach to meet each individual client’s needs.  Identifying and challenging negative core beliefs is often a gateway to healing. I have learned the impact of rewriting cognitive and emotional scripts –understanding how the stories we tell ourselves (often to survive) may have been rooted in unhealthy thought patterns that, in my belief, no longer serve a purpose. This approach is more about understanding the experiences that led to the negative beliefs and working to unlock the natural processes of healing. I have worked with various age groups presenting with different mental health symptoms varying from children to older adults using individual, family, and group psychotherapy.  


My specialty areas include: trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

ANDREW SHEA, PHD, HSPP; STAFF THERAPIST

​I am a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Connecticut State University. As a solution-focused therapist, my goal is to help you lead a more fulfilling life. While we can't change the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavior patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
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I have experience in community mental health centers, hospitals, residential treatment centers and college counseling centers. I am influenced by Psychodynamic, Humanistic / Existential, and Family Systems theories. Areas of clinical expertise include: couples counseling, relational issues (including marriage preparation, re-commitment and/or divorce), depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, issues of diversity and spirituality.

I also provide a wide range of counseling services at IU's Counseling Center. As Training Director for the Center I am responsible for the annual training of 6-7 counseling trainees. These opportunitites allow me to keep my own skills sharp to better serve my private pratice clients.