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Learn More About Our Team

We believe that everyone deserves a space to be heard. Our compassionate and highly-skilled team members prioritize this core approach in every conversation. Our counseling and workplace resilience teams draw from evidence-based mental health practices, humanistic and positive psychology, family systems theory, organizational psychology, and philosophies of compassion and acceptance. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.

Our Approach

We are a dedicated team who believes in human goodness and joy in life.
We create a confidential and compassionate space in which you can truly be heard and honored.
We accompany you in cultivating the resilience and coping skills and perspectives that are essential for navigating the stressors and ongoing demands of working in an academic medical center environment.
We support you in the exploration and development of meaning and purpose in your identity and career as a healing or helping professional.
We envision a community of healers and helpers who value and practice caring for self and others.

For more detailed information on our approach to counseling and workplace resilience services, please visit either the Counseling Services tab or the Workplace Resilience Services tab under “Learn More about Counseling and Workplace Resilience Services.”

For questions or to request an initial appointment, call 734-763-5409 or email [email protected].

Our Team

All counseling and workplace resilience services are provided by licensed healthcare professionals with backgrounds in nursing, clinical social work, counseling, and psychology. Please select from the panels in this section to read more about our team.

Whitney J. Begeman, PsyD, LP, Director

Whitney J. Begeman

Whitney received her PsyD in Clinical Psychology in 2015 from the Michigan School of Psychology and focused on treating healthcare professionals and early career academics during her post-doctoral training. Prior to her work as a psychologist, she served in leadership roles for more than 10 years, developing and implementing community-based prevention and intervention programs, including serving as the director of America Reads, a national children’s literacy initiative, at the University of Michigan Ginsberg Center. Whitney first joined OCWR as a faculty and staff counselor in 2018 and subsequently served as lead therapist of the Medical Student Mental Health Program, which launched in 2022.

Whitney began her role as director in 2023 and is inspired to advance a vision that (1) positions OCWR as a highly trusted, confidential, compassionate resource for faculty, staff, medical learners, leaders, and teams across the academic medical center; (2) leverages organizational partnerships and data-driven insights to develop strategic and innovative whole person, evidence-based programs and services; (3) and contributes to creating a psychologically safe culture in which help seeking is normalized and encouraged.

Jillian Dronfield, LMSW, Assistant Director

Jillian Dronfield

Jillian received her Master of Social Work degree in Interpersonal Practice/Mental Health from the University of Michigan and has been in licensed clinical practice since 2004. Prior to joining OCWR as a faculty and staff counselor in 2014, Jillian worked for 10 years at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Chicago, caring for the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS-impacted communities.

In 2024, Jillian was named OCWR assistant director, and finds her leadership work particularly meaningful, especially as it relates to providing support and guidance to faculty, staff and learners at all levels of the academic medical center.

Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt, PhD, ABPP, Program Manager for Workplace Resilience and Well-Being

Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt

Jodie received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Indiana State University. She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in primary care health psychology and academic medical education and is board-certified in Clinical Health Psychology. Jodie has been in clinical practice for more than 20 years and prior to joining OCWR, she served in various academic medical and healthcare leadership roles in Southeastern Michigan.

In her work with OCWR, Jodie is inspired by the opportunity to creatively give back to the healthcare community in ways that acknowledge the deeply difficult work and sacrifice along with the possibility of growing a sense of meaning and purpose.

Denise L. Ervin, DNP, RN, NC-BC, Nurse Leader for Resilience and Well-Being

Denise Ervin

Denise earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan and her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining OCWR, she practiced as a staff nurse for more than 17 years. Following that, she owned and operated a nurse coaching and consulting business, designing programs and interventions for leaders, employees, and departments within a large healthcare system in Metro Detroit.

In her work with OCWR, Denise enjoys and deeply values the opportunity to care for and support the nursing community through coaching, education, and implementation of system-level interventions that foster personal resilience and a culture of well-being, which ultimately benefits the patients Michigan Medicine serves.

Ari Levy-Hussen, MS, LPC, PhD, Faculty and Staff Counselor

Ari Levy-Hussen

Ari enjoys providing services to adults across the lifespan and draws particular meaning from supporting clients who are grieving and/or navigating acute stress events (e.g., traumatic deaths, assaults, natural disasters).

Ari has practiced as a professional counselor for 10+ years and has worked in the mental health field more generally for 25+ years. In her previous clinical work, Ari served clients in private practice, disaster mental health, primary care behavioral health, college mental health, and crisis support services. Her previous non-clinical positions have centered on mental health policy, outreach, programming, and teaching. Ari holds an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Emory University, specializing in disability studies and the sociology of mental health/illness.

Paris Palmer, LMSW, Faculty and Staff Counselor

Paris Palmer

Paris is inspired by her clients’ willingness to be vulnerable and explore change, which she helps to facilitate by working with each of their unique strengths and growth edges. She appreciates the ways in which meaning-making in counseling can enrich her clients’ quality of life.

Paris received her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee. She has worked in the mental health field since 2013 and has been in licensed clinical practice since 2019. Paris joined OCWR in 2023, with prior work in various settings, including community mental health, corrections, and higher education.

Raechel Rodgers, LMSW, Faculty and Staff Counselor

Raechel Rodgers

Raechel is passionate about creating space in which those working in an academic medical center can feel heard and cared for while managing the demands of their work environments as well as their personal lives. She has a special clinical interest in providing support to healthcare workers while they navigate the joys and challenges of the perinatal and early parenthood seasons of life.

Raechel received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis and has been in licensed clinical practice since 2013. Prior to joining OCWR, Raechel operated her own private practice where she specialized in psychodynamic psychotherapy and perinatal mental health.

Hilary Thorpe, MA, LPC, Faculty and Staff Counselor

Hilary Thorpe

Hilary enjoys and appreciates the opportunity to help clients live more authentically and with increased resilience. She finds meaning by creating a space for individuals to attend to challenging life and work experiences through a grounded presence and tailored interventions. Hilary is passionate about providing highly attuned psychological care across the lifespan with clients from the wide range of roles and professions within the Michigan Medicine community.

Hilary received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Toledo and has been in licensed clinical practice since 2010. Prior to joining OCWR, she worked in private practice and in higher education settings, and received specialized training in trauma and substance use disorders.

Lisa M. Vincent, MS, LPC, Faculty and Staff Counselor

Lisa Vincent

Lisa appreciates and finds deep purpose in being present with others during difficult moments and helping them to cultivate new insights and coping skills. She finds it meaningful to provide care to the Michigan Medicine community by offering space to process the stressors of life, and to practice self-compassion in a field of work that demands so much.

Lisa received her Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University and has been in licensed clinical practice since 2017. Prior to joining OCWR, Lisa grew her own private practice specializing in the treatment of trauma and eating disorder recovery. In addition, she previously provided counseling services in multiple settings, including community mental health programs, military family support, and inpatient psychiatric care units.

Victoria Guster-Brown, LMSW, Medical Student Mental Health Therapist

Victoria Guster-Brown

Victoria received her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work with a focus on community and social systems from the University of Michigan and has been in licensed clinical practice since 2019. Prior to joining OCWR, Victoria served as coordinator of a college mentorship program supporting LGBTQIA2S+ students. Victoria also provided therapy in private practice specializing in mental health support for young adults and BIPOC communities and worked as a behavioral health clinician at Trinity Health in Metro Detroit.

Victoria finds a sense of meaning and purpose in her work with MSMHP through using the therapeutic relationship to empower medical students to be curious and reflect on their identities, lived experiences, and values to enhance their resilience and compassionately care for themselves.

Ben Roos, PsyD, LP, Medical Student Mental Health Therapist

Ben Roos

Ben received his PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University and has been in clinical practice since 2019. Prior to joining OCWR, Ben served as a psychologist on an interdisciplinary treatment team at the Utah State Hospital. Additionally, he worked in a private psychotherapy practice in California.

Ben finds great meaning in supporting students as they navigate the structures of medical school, growing and learning while also finding ways to maintain, empower, and (often) discover the most important parts of themselves. He deeply values the uniqueness each student brings in the form of varied and intersecting backgrounds, identities, preferences, and perspectives.

Nidaa Shaikh, PsyD, LP, Medical Student Mental Health Therapist

Nidaa Shaikh

Nidaa received her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Indianapolis and has been in clinical practice since 2018. Prior to joining OCWR, Nidaa previously worked in college counseling centers and community mental health settings.

Something that Nidaa enjoys and appreciates about her work as a therapist is the privilege of providing medical students with a compassionate, caring, and healing space, to help them cultivate lifelong self-care practices.

Danielle Zohrob, PsyD, LP, Medical Student Mental Health Therapist

Danielle Zohrob

Danielle received her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and has been in clinical practice since 2018. Prior to joining OCWR, Danielle served as a coordinator for sexualized violence services and provided therapy and outreach services in university counseling and private practice settings.

In her work as a therapist, Danielle enjoys and appreciates the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with medical students, supporting their personal and professional identity development, and nurturing their ability to attend to their own well-being on their journey to becoming compassionate physicians.

Rachel Colby, BA, Administrative Assistant, Medical Student Mental Health Program

Rachel Colby

Rachel received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining OCWR, Rachel honed her leadership, communication, and project management skills while working in legal, retail, specialty coffee, community non-profit spaces, and running her own business. Rachel also served as the Leadership Development Chair for the Michigan District of Optimist International.

Something that creates a sense of meaning and purpose for Rachel in her work with OCWR and MSMHP is providing time and space for our healthcare community to care for itself. Rachel also enjoys building relationships with individuals and units across the institution to create healthier, more resilient, and more emotionally intelligent healthcare providers whose care creates a ripple effect of improved health and well-being through every patient and family Michigan Medicine serves.

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