LifeWorks is proud to announce the newest Green House cohort. Please join us in welcoming four new therapists to our team, and read on to learn more about Thomas Bateman, MSMFT; Marissa Faustini, MA; Benjamin Marton, LSW; and Courtney Wilson, MSW.
The Green House is a postgraduate psychotherapy training and mentorship program developed and sponsored by LifeWorks. The program is for recent grads, newly licensed clinicians and others looking to develop therapeutic skills and cultural competence. Specifically, the program trains participants to work with clients who identify with or are exploring LGBTQ+ identity, erotic identity (such as kink or BDSM) and/or alternative relationship configurations (such as polyamory and non-monogamy).
Over the course of a year, Green House participants are expected to hold a steady caseload, participate in a cohort peer group, attend individual supervision and engage in a series of in-service learning modules. Through this work, these clinicians will:
- Develop cultural competencies and knowledge needed to relate deeply and effectively to clients from the LGBTQ+, non-monogamy and kink/BDSM communities
- Strengthen their identities as therapists
- Deepen their clinical skills from within a depth psychotherapy perspective
Meet and find out more about each of the 2018 Green House participants below:
Thomas Bateman, MSMFT
Thomas is a relationship therapist who seeks to help clients understand, build and nurture the relationships that work for them. He is deeply committed to serving the LGBTQ and non-monogamous/polyamorous communities, as well as clients navigating intercultural relationships and the dynamics of kink/BDSM. Working from a feminist, social-justice oriented perspective, he aims to help clients thrive mentally and emotionally. He also has experience working with people struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD and trauma.
Marissa Faustini, MA
Marissa studied Gender and Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University and then received a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling at Adler University. She has extensive clinical experience working in a variety of settings, including community mental health agencies, public schools, and hospitals. Marissa has worked with survivors of trauma and violence, people experiencing acute psychiatric crisis and individuals experiencing chronic issues with depression and anxiety. In each of her roles, Marissa has thoughtfully studied the needs and preferences of those served in order to develop and deliver more effective, culturally-specific, therapeutic support.
Benjamin (Benji) Marton, LSW
Benji is a licensed social worker and a phase-1 certified Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) practitioner. He holds a Masters in Social Work with a concentration in mental health and interprofessional practice with at-risk youth from Loyola University. Benji studied Fiction Writing at Columbia College Chicago, which helped shape his passion for storytelling and his emphasis on empowering people who identify as marginalized to tell their stories. He also trained at StreetWise, Inc., The Night Ministry and ONE Northside in Chicago, as well as The Ali Forney Center in New York City. He is a member of the International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG).
Courtney Wilson, MSW
Courtney has a Master’s of Social Work from Loyola University Chicago, with a focus on clinical therapy. She has almost 10 years of experience in the field of mental health, including work as a crisis interventionist in hospital settings. Courtney got her start in community mental health, working with individuals with intellectual disabilities and individuals on the autism spectrum. Courtney also has experience working with people struggling with substance abuse and chronic health conditions, including HIV. Courtney has led workshops related to LGBTQ identity and has had research work published in the 2017 textbook Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community: The Intersection of History, Health, Mental Health, and Policy Factors. She has trained at the Community Counseling Centers of Chicago and the Center on Halsted. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and Kink & Poly Aware Chicago Therapists (KPACT).
Wondering if the Green House is right for you?
Get the details about program dates, the qualifications we’re looking for and what to expect, on the Greenhouse program page.