​​2024 Spring Institute Experiential Group Leaders​ ​

August Boyd, LCSW-BACS

​P. August Boyd, LCSW-BACS is the Clinical Director of Imagine Recovery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Imagine Recovery is an esteemed treatment facility that specializes in treating adults with substance misuse and co-occurring disorders. August has developed programs that integrate a range of techniques and theoretical designs. She provides a variety of clinical services such as individual, group, and family treatment, as well as psychosocial and diagnostic assessments. August has extensive training and experience implementing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy with populations impacted by mood disorders, suicidal and parasuicidal behaviors, trauma, and addiction. August is a certified Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner and facilitates weekly mind-body skills groups. Her love for community and intrinsic positive regard for all people are the foundation of her clinical practice. August’s published works reflect her additional interests in gerontology, public policy, and social welfare. She is a strong advocate for mental health reform to improve the quality of behavioral health services, strengthen treatment outcomes, and increase accessibility for all.

Christen Cummins, LCSW-BACS
Christen Cummins, LCSW-BACS, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with fourteen years of experience working in mental health settings including nine years at LSU Mental Health Service working with the college population.  She has worked in private practice full-time since 2020.  Christen is also passionate about teaching and supervising social work students and new professionals through teaching courses and serving as a field liaison for the LSU MSW program, as well as providing BACS supervision to LCSW candidates.  She earned her MSW from Tulane University in 2009 and very quickly identified a passion for group therapy. She has served as an LGPS board member for many years.  Christen identifies as an existential psychotherapist; her approach to group therapy often utilizes approaches rooted in interpersonal, psychodynamic, and existential therapy. She believes the power of the group often exceeds that of the individual in the growth and healing process.

Jason Crooks, LCSW

Jason Crooks, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of group and individual psychotherapy experience. Jason currently runs his own private practice and is the facilitator of two weekly intensive outpatient groups. His group leadership style is based on principles of interpersonal processing along with influences taken from Gestalt Psychotherapy. Ideally his group focus is on increasing members awareness of their present moments and feelings while prompting them to explore their connections to each other through emphasizing similarities and discouraging “problem solving.” Jason proudly identifies himself as queer and recognizes the need for safety, space, and celebration for LGBTQIA+ community members. M.W. (2007).  The Art of Mindful Facilitation.  Berkeley, CA, Stirfry Seminars and Consulting, Inc.

Jay Martinez, LCSW-BACS, LAC

John Jay Martinez, LCSW-BACS, LAC is a private practice Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Addictions Counselor who provides individual, group and family therapy in Baton Rouge, LA.  He has worked in the mental health and substance abuse field since 1987.  He has been in private practice since 2004.

Jessica Gibson, LPC-S

Jessica Gibson, LPC-S holds a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a licensed counselor in Louisiana and Texas. She also possesses a certification in Counseling Supervision in the state of Louisiana. She is passionate about and experienced in working with families affected by addiction, complex trauma, and has gained knowledge in substance abuse recovery, codependency, 12-step recovery, interventions, and treatment placement. She has shifted her practice significantly to a mostly experiential model helping people heal from traumatic experiences and offers Experiential/EMDR therapy intensives both in office and offsite. She uses EMDR, psychodrama techniques, sand tray, mindfulness, and other creative modalities. She is a co-owner of Counseling and Recovery Guidance in Lafayette, LA. In addition to her clinical and supervisory roles Jess maintains: Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC), Certified in EMDR and Experiential Therapy (CET1), Completed the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) training for first responders, Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) for the Department of Transportation, Offers Substance Use Disorder assessments, Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP), and holds the position of Vice President for the Louisiana Chapter of employee assistance professionals (LA-EAPA). She is an advocate for mental health and substance abuse awareness, with a passion for treating family systems. She frequently works with various professionals and treatment centers to consult about family programming. She is a Continuing Education presenter and a supervisor for PLPC’s needing clinical consultation.

Jonathan Breaux, LCSW, CGP

Jonathan Breaux, LCSW, CGP is a licensed clinical social worker and certified group psychotherapist in private practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He currently provides individual and family therapy to adults and adolescents, couples therapy to adults, and group supervision to graduate students engaged in their final year of internship training at Genesis Behavioral Health Services. Jonathan has received clinical group training through the American Group Psychotherapy Association in several group treatment models including: modern analytic group therapy, Jungian group therapy, and Systems-Centered group therapy. He qualified for his certification in group psychotherapy from the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists in 2021. He has previously led treatment groups at the residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient levels of care, and he has provided group services for individuals impacted by the justice system. He is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). 

Karen Travis, LCSW-BACS, CGP, BCD, AGPA-F

Karen is a licensed clinical social worker, certified group psychotherapist, a fellow in the American Group Psychotherapy Association and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the LSU Health Sciences Center.  She has been running groups for 42 years and did agency and hospital work for 12 years before entering a private practice.  Along with private practice of working with adult individuals and group therapy she leads a psychoeducational group for an IOP/PHP, a professional consultation group for a long-term chemical dependency agency, and teaches, supervises, and runs groups with psychiatric residents.  An active member in AGPA and LGPS having served in many board/leadership positions for over 30 years.  Currently she is the past chair of the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health and editor of Group Assets a part of the Group Circle publication by AGPA.  Karen’s work is around interpersonal theory, here and now focus of what is happening in the group, power of the group and its process, believing early experiences get triggered in group and the group is a container to hold emotions so that the individual can work toward seeing self and others with an understanding of how we connect and disconnect.​