Susan C. Mengden, PhD, CEDS-s, Founder & Executive Director
Susan C. Mengden has almost 30 years- experience treating trauma and eating disorders. She has taught Mindfulness since 2007, both in treatment centers and in private practice.
Mengden earned her BA and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and her MA and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She is a Licensed Psychologist and is Certified as an Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and a CEDS Supervisor. She is also Intensively Trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Mindfulness Practice is an integral part of DBT. Mengden has led DBT and Mindfulness groups for 10 years.
She developed and implemented the military’s first multidisciplinary eating disorder treatment program at Brooke Army Medical Center and has spent a number of years in private practice, actively collaborating with other professionals in the community to provide evidence-based care for her clients. Dr Mengden co-founded EDCASA:Eating Disorder Center at San Antonio in 2007. EDCASA was the first intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization program for eating disorder patients in South Texas. EDCASA partnered with Eating Recovery Center in 2014. Dr Mengden remained at Eating Recovery Center San Antonio as Executive Director until 2016. In 2016, she partnered with Elizabeth Garrison to form I AM Mind and Body Wellness Center to bring the benefits of Mindfulness Practice to San Antonio’s behavioral health and business communities.
Dr Mengden presents continuing education lectures at the national, state and local level on topics including mindfulness, eating disorder treatment ethics, substance use, trauma, self-harm, and a variety of other mental health topics. She presents mindfulness workshops on topics including Finding Joy, Finding Work/Life Balance, Reducing Stress and Being Present for the Holidays.
Elizabeth Garrison, Guided Imagery Meditation Specialist
I have mastered many types of Meditation over the years and had many teachers traveling extensively to explore this ancient practice. I began to craft my own special program using Guided Imagery and Mindfulness together with Autogenic Training to help people release stress, gain clarity to enable themselves to move forward, find solutions and confront situations head on.
My partnership with Dr. Susan Mengden at the I AM Mind and Body Wellness Center is the continuation of my work helping clients who are dealing with severe pain, cancer, debilitating illnesses, physical and emotional stress and eating disorders.
The Power Is Within You. Going within and learning to trust your intuitive senses will bring transformation and allow you to embrace positive change in your life.
I am an ardent animal and nature lover, enjoying yoga, walking and spending time with family and friends.
Pam Curtis, LPC
I am Licensed Professional Counselor with over 40 years-experience in the mental health field. My time as a counselor/therapist has been devoted to working with people with eating disorders, including families, couples, individuals, and groups. Body image, trauma treatment, art, and movement have always been my specialties. My training includes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance, Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
In addition to my private practice I have worked as a Staff Therapist at Eating Recovery Center of San Antonio, previously the Eating Disorder Center at San Antonio and as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology with the Northeast Independent and the Austin Independent School Districts.
My outside passions include dance, art, yoga, jogging, and spending time in nature. But my most special time spent is with my family and being the proud grandmother of 4 precious grandchildren.
Ronald R. Holder, Psy.D., LPC-S
Dr. Ronald R. Holder (Rohnn) is a Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor more than 10 years of experience in the clinical mental health field. Rohnn’s extensive experience includes work with individuals suffering from eating disorders, personality disorders, clinical depression, severe anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and complex trauma. He earned a master’s degree (M.S.) and doctoral in psychology (Psy.D.) from Our Lady of the Lake University. Along with Narrative and Solution-Focused Therapy (S.F.T.), Dr. Holder’s training includes several forms of clinical behavior analysis such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (D.B.T.), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (A.C.T.), and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (C.B.T.).
Outside passions include psychological research about eating disorders and LGBTQI issues. Rohnn believes in the power of guided imagery meditation and mindfulness as tools for maintaining optimal psychological health. He believes in the resiliency of the human spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable trauma and difficulty. Rohnn is a San Antonio native and lives with his husband of 24 years and their two Basset Hounds.
Whitney Bunch, LPC
Whitney is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in eating disorders, body image, anxiety, depression, communication and relationship issues and spirituality. She received her Masters in Counseling at the University of North Texas and has additional training in mindfulness and yoga. In a variety of settings, she has been helping individuals overcome barriers and feel confident in who they are and who they want to be.
Whitney has specialized in eating disorders since 2013 and has clinical experience at all levels of care through Chrysalis in Denton and Eating Recovery Center of Dallas. She has also worked as an Admissions Counselor at UNT helping students map out their education and career goals. Her yoga teacher training was completed through LISPY with a focus on psychotherapeutic yoga and mindfulness for mental health. Her therapeutic approach is a mixture of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Person Centered therapy, yogic philosophy and practice, tons of counseling resources, and the Enneagram.
Meredith Woolsey, LPC-Intern
I am a graduate of The University of Texas at San Antonio, where I received a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My approach to counseling closely mirrors my view of life: there is no one-size-fits-all answer. I use an eclectic approach to counseling, pulling from the core theoretical approaches of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. I began my counseling experience at Family Violence Prevention Services where I worked with victims and survivors of domestic violence. I am excited to continue my counseling journey working as a member of this team!
Marina Rivera-Ridens, MS, RD, LD
Marina has worked in the nutrition field for more than six years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Houston, completed her dietetic internship through the University of the Incarnate Word, and earned her Master of Science in Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University.
In addition to her private practice, Life Balance Nutrition, LLC, Marina has worked as a dietitian at the Eating Disorder Center at San Antonio, a health coach dietitian at Aetna, and a renal dietitian at a dialysis center.
Though her primary focus is nutritional counseling for individuals who have eating disorders, disordered eating patterns, and emotional eating, Marina is also knowledgeable in nutrition therapy for several health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, and kidney disease.
Marina is a firm believer that nutrition and exercise should be a balance of healthy and enjoyable. She believes that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to nutrition therapy. She meets the client where they are and collaborates with them to help heal their relationship with food and find a balanced lifestyle.
Janet Funari, Marketing Manager
Hallie Nikotich, Marketing & Community Outreach
Specialists
Our wellness specialists include:
- Psychologist
- Licensed Professional Counselors
- Licensed Professional Social Worker
- Meditation Therapist
- Registered Yoga Instructors
- Registered Nurse
- Registered and Licensed Dietitians
- Licensed Massage Therapist
info@iamwellnesssa.com
Phone: (210) 253-9763 Fax: (210)255-1681
901 NE Loop 410, Ste. 508
San Antonio, Texas 78209
