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 Clinical Team
Mary Cook, AM, LCSW
(she/her)
Mary Cook, AM, is a therapist at Emotion Management Program, PLLC.
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 found that the Chronic Distress model, developed by Paul Holmes, PsyD, resonated deeply with her personal experience and beliefs about relational models of healing.
Mansi Mehta, AM, LCSW
(she/her)
Mansi Mehta, AM, LCSW is a therapist at Emotion Management Program, PLLC.
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.
Luke Thompson, PhD, AM, LCSW
(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.
Emma Kim Rust, MA, LCSW
(they/them)
We are pleased to introduce the newest member of the EMP clinical team, Emma Kim Rust. Emma is available to see persons via telehealth.
As a C-DBT therapist, Emma’s goal is to meet you in your pain or challenges with warmth, acceptance, and guidance. They believe that while we may be struggling, there is always a good reason behind why our bodies and mind do what they do.
EMP Fellows
Christine Kwon, AM, LSW
(she/her)
Christine Kwon is a fellow and a member of the clinical team at the 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.
Karissa Low, AM
(she/they)
Karissa Low, AM, is a therapist at Emotion Management Program, PLLC. She received her Master of Arts in clinical social work from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.
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.
Claire Sonne, AM, LSW
(they/them)
Claire Sonne is a clinical fellow and member of the C-DBT clinical team at the Emotion Management Program.
Claire received their Master of Arts in clinical social work from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice and their Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. They utilize a contextual perspective on human behavior that assumes each of us is doing the best we know how.
EMP Affiliates
Jeanine Bakker, MA, 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.
Abbas Chinoy, AM, MDiv, LCSW, Director of Community Outreach
(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).