About Michelle Culley M.Ed., LPCC
Owner, Middle Path Counseling Services LLC
Michelle is an enduring advocate for eradicating mental health stigma. She specializes in helping anxious adults, parents and teachers find and maintain calm and confidence in a chaotic world. As a parent of three teens and a former teacher, she knows how stress can sometimes take over and make daily life harder than it has to be. Using Mindfulness and Meditation she guides individuals back to their authentic selves so they can rediscover the joy in their lives. Michelle was the founder of Ride It Out LLC an equine facilitated growth and learning program that served Portage County at-risk youth and adults. A Kent State University graduate, Michelle used to teach high school English and journalism at McKinley Senior High School in Canton, Ohio. As a teacher she was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and traveled to South Africa as part of an international education summit. Michelle lives in Kent with her husband, three teen children and precocious cat.
About Joan Lucci M.Ed., LPC
With a deep commitment to her clients and through compassion and clinical excellence, Joan empowers clients to be at their best during a challenging time in their lives.
By integrating her education, specialized training in cognitive behavioral therapy and grief therapy, and her personal life experiences, she collaborates with clients to identify, address, and ultimately overcome obstacles to a better and more meaningful life.
Joan specializes in helping clients overcome anxiety, anger, depression, grief, addictive behaviors, and low self-esteem. She offers a personalized approach for each of her clients in a safe and supportive, therapeutic atmosphere.
Because relationships are a huge part of what makes our lives great or miserable, Joan’s passion is helping individuals and couples improve their relationships by cultivating intimacy and learning collaborative communication and conflict resolution skills.
When she’s not working, Joan can be found socializing, playing tennis or on a hiking adventure with friends.
About Carly Mihalic-Battaglia, MA, LPC, CCTP
Seeking out counseling can be a difficult, even scary, decision. Carly’s priority as a counselor, first and foremost, is to establish a comfortable and accepting atmosphere where her clients can achieve the healing of which they are in need. Healing can mean different things for different people. For this reason, Carly takes an eclectic approach to counseling, meaning she adjusts her techniques based on what is appropriate and necessary for each individual client.
Carly has received extensive training in trauma-informed counseling as well as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She also often utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Person-Centered techniques. Her primary areas of clinical interest include: trauma, grief, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, intimate partner violence, life transitions, women’s issues, and mindfulness/meditation.
Carly also has a strong commitment to her own self care. In other words, she practices what she preaches! Whether you are struggling with everyday stressors of life or battling something a bit deeper, Carly is confident that she can help you become the best version of yourself.
About Kate Stewart LPC
Kate’s passion is working with adults with trauma-related disorders, depression, and anxiety. While creating a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship, Kate strives to work with individuals to relieve stress from the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma. Kate enjoys assisting people in learning new and positive coping skills to integrate into their everyday lives. Kate has had experience working in multiple treatment settings with a wide variety of clients. Kate’s goal while facilitating treatment is to provide the support, resources, and techniques you need to accomplish your personal goals.
Kate has had several years of experience in crisis intervention and trauma-informed treatment. She attended Kent State University for her graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Her post-graduate training includes a focus on working with individuals who are experiencing post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. Kate uses treatment practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as Mindfulness practices to give clients the care they deserve.
Kate’s priority is to create a safe an open environment for clients to utilize their strengths and create the change they wish to see. She uses a collaborative approach to treatment, understanding that the client is the expert of their life. In her free time, Kate enjoys yoga, hiking, and playing with her two dogs.
About Natalie Ricciutti LPC
Natalie Ricciutti is an advocate those dealing with mental illnesses. She received her Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Youngstown State University, and is currently working towards her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Kent State University. She specializes in working with teenagers and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use addictions, and behaviors addictions. She is highly trained in Motivational Interviewing, which she uses to help clients discover areas for change in their lives and motivates them toward it. She also has training is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Natalie is excited to help anyone, regardless of what they are going through, make beneficial changes in their lives!
About Shane Bakovich LPCC
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go, they merely determine where you start.”
-Nido Qubein
Are you struggling finding a balance between meeting expectations of others while still maintaining a sense of your own authenticity? Shane believes that everyone has a story, unique to their experiences; a story that possesses hidden insight and strengths that we sometimes forget and need reminded. Often we forget the underlying goals and passions that drive us to succeed as a result of feeling weary and burdened with our stories and experiences of trauma. Shane works with his clients to identify and release their burden of stress, trauma, and helplessness by building up their strengths and resilience.
Shane is very passionate in working with individuals within the LGBTQ+ population. His other passions include working with individuals who are challenged and facing with anxiety, acculturation issues, depression, abuse, trauma disorders, self-esteem, body image issues, body dysphoria, gender identity, suicidal ideation, transgender related issues. Shane believes that a beautiful transformation can occur when an individual is ready and committed to become in touch with themselves completely, in order to become their ultimate authentic self.
In his work, Shane sees the relationship between therapist and client as the most important factor in therapy. Shane believes that with trust, honesty, humor, compassion, and respect are all key elements to having a successful relationship with a client. Shane’s goal for himself and all his clients is to use counseling as a partnership during which they both learn from each other and work toward the same outcome – you learning and growing to be the best version of yourself that you can be.
Carly Frey M.Ed., LPC
With a strong love for advocacy for the underdog, Carly works to create a safe space for all persons in her care. Carly is excited to join the team at Middle Path. She has spent her entire life with a passion for helping others to achieve their full potential and to overcome adversity in any capacity she serves.
Clinically, Carly spent the last year working with clients dealing with trauma, primarily those also battling substance use disorders. She believes strongly in the power of recovery and partnering with clients as they enter recovery, beginning live freely from the chains of addiction.
Carly has an undergraduate degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Education in School Counseling from the same institution. Carly also holds a masters degree from Kent State University in Educational Psychology and an EdS in Counselor Education and Supervision from KSU as well. She has training in Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI).
Carly also has served as a middle school counselor for the last 12 years, and thoroughly enjoys working with adolescents and their families to walk the journey through the many challenges they face as they learn to navigate the world independently. She believes that her extensive work in school with social emotional learning, career counseling, and academic support will help her serve the clients of Middle Path in the best way she knows how– with her heart.
In her free time, Carly is usually playing sports, enjoying music, or chasing around her 4 Great Danes and Goldendoodle.