Evaluation

Christa Nadeau, LCPC
Clinical Director

My name is Christa Nadeau, and I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I was born in Connecticut but have lived the majority of my life in Maine, and enjoy all that the state has to offer. I attended school at the University of Maine Farmington and received my M.Ed. from the University of Southern Maine. I have worked in residential treatment for most of my professional career and truly enjoy and appreciate the work that can occur in a residential therapeutic setting.

I have been a therapist at The Ridge Maine since 2010. In addition, I also have a private practice that focuses on the treatment of adolescent girls and boys. Furthermore, I have worked closely with several school districts to provide high-quality outpatient counseling services for adolescents experiencing difficulties during these formative years.

I take full advantage of the outdoors during the distinct and beautiful seasons that New England provides and enjoy activities such as; hiking, camping, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. My love for the outdoors and my specialty in working with adolescents make The Ridge a good match for me. I believe that connecting with nature supports people in healing and learning about themselves. The atmosphere at The Ridge Maine facilitates adolescents to learn and see aspects of themselves that they would not get in touch with within an alternate environment. My favorite motto when working with adolescents is to take one day at a time. If that is learned early on in one’s life, I believe that this skill can lead to many years of health and happiness. My favorite motto is a part of the poem Invictus, “I am the Master of my fate, I am the Captain of my soul.”

Valerie A. Clemons, MD, ABPN
Medical Director

I am an Alabama native. I received my Bachelor of Science degree at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and my medical degree at the University of South Alabama, College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. My training in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry was completed at Emory University. My career has allowed me to work as a traveling psychiatrist, serve in multiple cities, and various positions, including serving briefly as an instructor at Morehouse University College of Medicine.

Additionally, I have worked in all levels of psychiatric hospital care, in community mental health centers, and in private practice. Other professional activities have included leading presentations and weekly seminars that give practical, clinical, and spiritual information related to psychiatric diagnosis and treatment to various organizations. I have also contributed to magazines and articles. Before moving to Maine, I collaborated with Ray of Hope Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, in Atlanta, GA, to develop and provide training for their counseling ministry.

Outside of my work, I enjoy traveling, singing, sketching, painting, and other forms of creative expression. I frequently travel to Kenya to engage children and families affected by poverty and the AIDS epidemic. At heart, I am a teacher. My work is to engage, teach, encourage and sometimes temporarily ‘hold the hope’ for the individuals and families I am privileged to work with. My favorite saying is “One brain a piece.”

Matthew Hendry, LCPC
Parent Coach

Growing up in Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I gained an appreciation and a love for the wilderness. Somewhere along the way, probably during a 4th grade assignment on different states, I became fascinated with Maine and ever since have dreamt of living here. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Utah and my graduate degree from the University of Phoenix. While in Utah, I worked at a therapeutic boarding school spending 10 of those years as the clinical director. In addition to school and work, I also fell in love with a girl from Maine. Together we grew a family which includes four daughters and two sons and we eventually found our way to Maine. I have not been disappointed in Midcoast Maine life and am excited for the new experiences I am able to share with my family. My goal is to help each family member discover what they can contribute to the healing process while their child is discovering who they are and what their true potential is. I am excited to help facilitate this process at The Ridge Maine as a therapist. One of my favorite quotes is from Bono when he said, “Idealism detached from action is just a dream. But idealism allied with pragmatism, with rolling up your sleeves and making the world bend a bit, is very exciting.”

Haley Sattler, LCSW
Therapist

I was born and raised in Maine, leaving briefly to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology at Simmons University in Boston. During my time in Boston, I worked in a variety of settings involving youth, including the Big Sister program, tutoring, and working as a residential advisor for freshmen beginning their college experience. It was through my role as a residential advisor that I began to see the very real impacts unaddressed mental health struggles were having on students as they attempted to adjust to a new setting. I assisted many residents with complex trauma histories, severe depression, and anxiety, aiding them with the development of coping skills as well as connecting them to counseling resources on and off campus. I was often left feeling there was more I could do to support my residents. It was from these experiences that I chose to pursue a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Maine. Following graduation, I went on to gain clinical experience in an outpatient community mental health setting in Bangor. The knowledge and skills gained during that time were invaluable.

I enjoy the many wonderful things Maine has to offer. I maintain a commercial lobster fishing license. I love nature and the outdoors, including hobbies of hiking, foraging, and gardening. I am looking forward to the opportunities provided by The Ridge Maine to integrate my hobbies and experiences within clinical interventions for youth and their families.

“A ship in harbour is safe but that is not what ships were built for.” – John Shedd

Whitney Ryan, LCSW
Therapist

My name is Whitney Ryan, and I am a therapist at The Ridge Maine. I was born and raised in a small, rural town in Minnesota. I earned my bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. After graduating, I started working for a small non-profit, family services agency working with adoptive families, adoptees, and expectant parents. I was employed with the organization for over 7 years in various positions, including a social worker, manager, and programs director. I am grateful to have had a wide range of experiences supporting children and families navigating difficult situations. After 7 years, I decided to go back to school. I earned my master’s in social work from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. I completed my graduate clinical social work internship at a small charter school in South Minneapolis, working with students in kindergarten through 8th grade. I supported students in their social and emotional development by providing individual therapy, emotional regulation skills, and social skills groups. I am currently a licensed social worker in the states of Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Throughout my career and my graduate school courses, I completed training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, the impact of trauma on development, and an adoption competency certification through the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative.

I find nature and the outdoors to be a healing environment and have always wanted an opportunity to incorporate it into my work. I recently relocated to Maine to be able to fulfill my personal and therapeutic passion for the outdoors. I was drawn to The Ridge Maine’s commitment to incorporate nature and purpose into a student’s therapeutic experience. After moving from St. Paul, Minnesota, I am looking forward to the quiet beauty that Maine has to offer.

When I’m not working, I enjoy exploring the outdoors walking, hiking, and camping. I like to read both fiction and non-fiction books and experiment with new recipes to cook. I love to travel domestically and internationally. In college, I spent a semester living in Ireland and had the opportunity to travel to numerous countries in Europe. Since then, I have enjoyed time internationally in Greece, Mexico, the Philippines, and Canada. More recently, my travel has included road trips to explore our beautiful national parks. I appreciate my close-knit family and enjoy our family gatherings and playing with my two nieces. I look forward to sharing the beauty that Maine has to offer with them when they visit.

Alicia Natchie, LMSW-CC
Therapist

I moved from PA to Maine for my undergraduate degree in Wilderness Therapy in 2007. For me, Maine was an instant feeling of appreciation and connection to what I love to do and the environment I wanted to surround myself with. Agriculture, camping, outdoor adventures, trees for miles, and generous options for solitude or social connections all equated to home for me. It was a natural progression to seek further education in obtaining a degree as a clinical Social Worker through the University of Maine.

My professional work experiences include serving in the mental health field for over 10 years working with adolescents and adults from foster care, survivors of domestic violence, serving Maine’s indigenous tribes seeking paths to recovery from substance use, and serving adolescents in need in wilderness and behavioral support settings. With a high regard to cultural competency and social justice, I incorporate a strength-based and biopsychosocial perspective through a multicultural lens and am grounded in narrative, cognitive and structural family theories. I incorporate a wide range of interventions and place great emphasis on the importance of the therapeutic relationship and seeing the individual and family system as the leading expert. I find immense fulfillment in seeking innovative ways to help communities and individuals thrive within themselves and their environments. In what other field can you combine the ability to offer compassion, inspire hope and teach the skills to overcome challenges with all ages with any level of distress in their lives? Well, the answer is any field, but the mental health field is where people who lost knowledge of their inherent worth get connected with what matters most in their lives, the tools that help them to determine a life worth living and most importantly, that greatness exists within you. That’s a career worth living for me.

Mackenzie Hughes, LMSW-CC
Therapist

I was born and raised in Boston, MA. During my time in Boston, I worked with adolescents for over six years in various youth settings, including multiple YMCAs, before and after school programs, and both overnight and day summer camps. It was in these roles that I began to notice the significant impact of unaddressed mental health struggles. These experiences inspired me to pursue a career in social work.

In 2018, I left Boston to obtain my Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Maine in Orono. Transitioning from a bustling city to a quieter setting was challenging, and the lack of resources I encountered further fueled my desire to address untreated mental health issues. During my undergraduate years, I worked with both adolescents and adults in diverse settings, assisting clients in dealing with complex trauma histories, depression, anxiety, and substance use. I helped them develop healthy coping skills and gain a deeper understanding of their issues. My growing love for Maine and its communities encouraged me to pursue a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Maine in Orono. After graduation, I gained invaluable clinical experience in an outpatient community mental health setting in Bangor. The knowledge and skills I acquired during this time have been instrumental in my professional development.

I have grown to love everything that Maine has to offer. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, hammocking, horseback riding, and fishing. I am excited to bring my city insights and experiences with vulnerable youth to my work here at Ironwood Maine.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson