Board of Directors
LaShawn C. Williams, EdD, LCSW
President, Term expires Dec. 2026. LaShawn Williams (she/her), Orem, UT, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Relational Change Strategist focusing on the interactions between people and across differences where connection matters most. Her anti-oppression work centers on the effects of marginalization, isolation, and disconnection in personal and professional spaces. She specializes in interpersonal and organizational change from the margins to the center. Grounded in Relational Cultural Theory. Dr. Williams works with leaders at every organizational level to help them engage the taboo concepts of shame and humiliation and craft pathways toward mutual empathy and empowerment. She is an accessible consultant to local and national organizations committed to relational transformation. She engages with individuals, couples, groups & communities at Relational Spaces, housed in The Utah Center for Connection. LaShawn has been with the Mormon Mental Health Association from its beginning and has served as a Board Member at Large and Conference Committee Chair.
Erika Nordfelt, MA, LCPC, CMHC
Treasurer, Term expires Dec. 2027. Erika Nordfelt (she/her), Rexburg, ID, graduated with her MA in Counseling in 2009 from Adams State College. Since then she has been working primarily in the clinical space with individuals and couples. She started at the university level working with college students and loved it. In 2020 she started her own private practice and now is the owner and Clinical Director of her group practice, Greenstone Counseling. Between the two offices in Rexburg and Pocatello, they serve the larger southeast Idaho area. Erika specializes in trauma and does a lot of direct work with LGBTQ+ clients and clients questioning, leaving, or have left high demand religions. She uses EMDR and IFS techniques in her approach and thoroughly enjoys trauma work. She wrote a book called “Don’t Walk Alone: Understanding the divine gift of connection while navigating shame.” This book covers lots of important mental health concepts overlaid spirituality, shame resilience, and connection.
Mike Fuller, M.Ed., MSW, LCSW, CCTP
Interim Secretary, Term expires Dec. 2027. Mike Fuller (he/him) is a specialized therapist focused on the complex intersection of religious upbringing, sexual health, and identity. He provides counseling for individuals and couples, operating the Fuller Counseling Group via telehealth throughout Utah and Idaho, with in-person availability in Boise. Mike's clinical approach is deeply informed by his personal 20-year career as a full-time seminary teacher, a foundational shift he summarizes as moving 'from orthodoxy to compassion.' This lived experience grants him unique cultural literacy, enabling him to provide a non-judgmental, Identity-Affirming environment for clients navigating faith transition trauma and shame. As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and a therapist completing his Certified Sex Therapist training, Mike integrates powerful, evidence-based modalities. Mike labels his transition from conservative religious educator to affirming sex therapist as his “best two years”. He utilizes Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR principles to stabilize the nervous system and heal trauma, and is Gottman Method (Level 1) trained for structured relational repair. He guides clients in dismantling limiting beliefs (such as "my worth is conditional" or "my desire is sinful") to reclaim their bodies and build secure intimacy. Mike was recently appointed the AASECT Idaho Lead, actively contributing to specialized education and advocacy.
Ariel Wootan Merkling, LCSW
Board Member at Large, Term expires Dec. 2026. Ariel Wootan Merkling (she/her), Provo, UT, is an LCSW with nine years of experience in the areas of domestic violence, hospice, adolescent residential treatments, and eating disorder inpatient facilities. She currently specializes in working with trauma survivors in her private practice. Because of this work, she is passionate about cultural competency with Mormon populations across the spectrum of belief from fundamentalist to orthodox to nuanced and progressive, through to post-Mormon and ex-Mormon. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2014 and authored the master's thesis, "Dispelling Domestic Violence Myths Among Graduate Social Work Students." From this start, she has maintained an interest in education for professionals in the field and is passionate about the benefits of continuing education. Ariel was honored to present at the annual MMHA conference on trauma in the Mormon context. She supports the goals of MMHA in increasing educational opportunities for clinicians who work with Mormons across the spectrum of belief and focus on creating spaces for educational opportunities that are impactful, effective, evidence-based, and applicable for clinicians in clinical practice.
Chanelle Johnson, LMFT
Board Member at Large, Term expires Dec. 2026. Chanelle Johnson (she/her), Queen Creek, AZ is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Gilbert, Arizona and works mostly with mixed-faith marriage and Post-Mormon couples as well as individuals who are in the midst of a faith transition. She holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University Northwest and has been a compassionate witness to her client’s resiliency and growth in many arenas, including previously in community mental health and group practice settings and now in her own solo private practice, Nourished Heart Counseling and Wellness, PLLC. She uses her creativity, enthusiasm, and belief in providing quality, ethical care to clients along the LDS belief spectrum to support MMHA’s mission. Phoenix, AZ Term expires Dec. 2024.
Andres Larios Brown, MS,LMFT
Board Member at Large, Term expires Dec. 2026. Andres Larios (They/Elle) is a Queer & Non-Binary mezcla bella (beautiful mix) of a father who immigrated from Guatemala and a mother of Western European descent (Pioneer Stock). First and foremost, they are a healer and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. They have worked in a range of therapy settings, including school-based therapy, non-profits, college counseling centers, training clinics, and Adjunct teaching. They recently joined Simple Modern Therapy as a partner and therapist and opened up the Simple Modern Institute to create and facilitate affirming and LGBTQ+ competent trainings for therapists. Throughout their career, they have focused on better understanding queer identity development among collectivist and community-focused cultures, as well as healing acute, systemic, and intergenerational trauma for QTBIPOC people. They have experience and focus on LGBTQ+people from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints throughout their varying journeys. They focus on reclaiming healing practices and have been trained in a variety of healing modalities, including EMDR, Psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD, Curandismo, and Radical Healing for QTBIPOC communities. They believe that we are truly whole when in connection and community. Through teaching, training, education, and advocacy, they seek to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.
Mellissa Hill, MS, LPC
Board Member at Large, Term expires Dec. 2027. Mellissa Hill (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor, clinical supervisor, and owner of Inner Compass Counseling & Consultation, a boutique group practice in Gilbert, Arizona specializing in religious trauma and faith transitions. Trained in EMDR, IFS, and DBT, she supports individuals navigating spiritual abuse recovery and complex trauma and is the author of The Faith Transition Journal. Mellissa’s passion for education and clinician development aligns closely with MMHA’s mission and her desire to be more involved in this community. She believes participation on the Board will strengthen her work as a clinician, supervisor, and ethical leader, while contributing to meaningful change for both therapists and clients through advocacy, education, and the advancement of trauma-informed, Mormon-informed care.
Amy Roy
Student/ Provisionally Licensed Representative, Term expires Dec. 2027. Amy Roy (she/her) is a clinical intern at Symmetry Counseling, where she is training to support clients navigating faith transitions and identity reconstruction. She spent nearly four decades in the LDS Church before a significant faith shift led her toward work centered on empowerment and healing. Amy’s professional background includes directing student and career services in higher education, where she guided individuals through major life transitions. Her lived experience with both religious transition and alcohol use disorder informs her compassionate, client‑centered approach. She is committed to fostering inclusive, culturally attuned care for those on the Mormon spectrum and is honored to support MMHA’s mission of strengthening providers who serve this community.
Natasha Helfer, LCMFT, CST, CSTS
Founder. Natasha Helfer, (she/her/hers), is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT, and a Certified Sex Therapist Supervisor. She has been providing therapy services since 2000 and is the founder and therapist at Symmetry Solutions. She has served as President of the KS chapter of AAMFT and on the board of the Open Stories Foundation. She has been a presenter on Mormon-themed topics such as sexuality, sexual health, cultural sensitivity and competence, and faith transition at several national professional conferences. She also hosts the Mormon Mental Health Podcast, writes the Mormon Therapist Blog, and runs Mormon Sex Info. Natasha received her BS in psychology from Brigham Young University and her MS in Marriage & Family Therapy from Friends University.
Kristy Money, PhD, LP
Association Media Manager. Kristy Money (she/her) is a licensed neuropsychologist, educator, and writer whose work explores the intersections of neurodivergence, sexuality, and religious culture. She has recently been published in multiple literary magazines and is an upcoming speaker for TED, where she will present on neurodivergence, anorgasmia, and the psychological impact of purity culture for TEDx Women Round Rock. She teaches graduate research methods, group counseling, and psychopathology at Texas State University. Dr. Money earned her BA and PhD from BYU, where her training shaped her commitment to evidence-based practice and nuanced, culturally informed care. Her clinical and scholarly interests center on the complexities of identity, embodiment, and healing within high-demand religious contexts. She is particularly passionate about advancing conversations around sexual health, autonomy, and the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals: areas that remain underrepresented in both research and publishing. Dr. Money heads up social media/communications, writes MMHA's weekly newsletters, and is committed to contributing to the organization’s mission through education and advocacy. Her work reflects a broader vision of reshaping how we understand mental health, sexuality, and agency in culturally complex environments.