Who We Are
The Emotion Management Program was founded in 2004 by Paul Holmes. Its mission is to meet the needs of those who are caught in the cycle of chronic distress.
Over the past 10 years, Paul and his team have developed a modified version of DBT in order to keep pace with more recent research in the areas of cognition, emotion and language functioning. Learn more about our approach.
Meet Our Team
Jeanine Bakker, LPC
(she/her)
Jeanine Bakker’s work as a Licensed Professional Counselor at EMP is rooted in Contextual-based Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT).
C-DBT is grounded in a trusting therapeutic relationship and based on the belief that acceptance is the gateway to change. Jeanine interacts collaboratively with clients of all ages, assisting them to: notice rather than react to thoughts, assess the workability of behaviors, explore alternative solutions, choose responses aligned with personal goals, values, and commitments, and live a meaningful life.
Karishma Bhakta, LCSW
(she/her)
Karishma J Bhakta is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, an Ayurvedic Practitioner, and a Yoga Instructor. She specializes in Eastern based modalities of health and healing that emphasize the mind body connection.
Karishma is EMP’s Intake and Training Coordinator and also practices Contextually Focused Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Abbas Chinoy, AM, MDiv, LCSW
(he/him)
Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, Abbas worked in lab research and as a spiritual caregiver in hospital and hospice settings.
After the pivot to mental health, Abbas developed a strong resonance with contextual behavioral therapies. Abbas’ therapeutic approach is primarily informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
Mary Cook, LCSW
(she/her)
Mary Cook, AM, is a therapist at Emotion Management Program, LLC.
Mary received her Master of Arts in clinical social work from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. There, she focused her studies and practice on contextual behavioral therapies and developed a passion for exploring the bridge between third wave therapies and yoga.
Karissa Low, EMP Fellow
(she/they)
Karissa is am EMP fellow who is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical social work at the Crown School of Social Work, Policy and Practice, University of Chicago.
Karissa is committed to providing psychotherapy services having benefited personally. Her dedication to her own healing is the foundation for her desire to serve others.
Mansi Mehta, LSW
(she/her)
Mansi Mehta, AM, LSW is a therapist at Emotion Management Program, LLC.
Mansi received her Master of Arts in clinical social work from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. There, she focused her studies and practice in contextual behavioral approaches where she was able to combine her personal experience in mindfulness-meditation with therapy.
Paul Holmes, PsyD., Founder and Managing Partner
(he/him)
Paul is founder and managing partner of the Emotion Management Program, LLC (EMP).
He has wide-ranging experience working with multi-problem client populations and has provided Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) services since 1994. Over the past decade, Dr. Holmes has developed a modified version of DBT. Contextually-focused dialectical behavior therapy (C-DBT) is the culmination of work done at EMP to conceptualize DBT from a contextual rather than cognitive perspective, and utilizes functionality rather than rationality as its outcome criteria.
Katie Ramian, LSW
(she/her)
Kaitlyn (Katie) Ramian, AM, is a member of the C-DBT team at Emotion Management Program.
She earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, where she developed a strong passion for third-wave behavioral therapies, particularly C-DBT. Since earning her degree, Kaitlyn has remained committed to pursuing opportunities that allow her to continuously refine her skills and expertise.
Danielle Stauffer, LCSW, EMP Fellow
(she/her)
Danielle Stauffer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the states of California, Wisconsin and Illinois.
She possesses over 15 years of professional experience and has held roles ranging from therapist to Chief Clinical Officer in the sectors of inpatient and outpatient substance use treatment, crisis residential and 24-hour crisis intervention, and community-based care.
Luke Thompson, PhD, AM, LSW
(he/him)
Luke Thompson is a therapist in the Emotion Management Program’s fellowship program.
With a diverse background in mental health, Luke specializes in supporting adults and adolescents who struggle with regulating emotions. He has assisted couples and families in working through relational and family dynamics and has also led both psychoeducation and process groups.