Staff

ISGH Staff

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ISGH Staff

Amy Ash, Research Program Coordinator

Amy Ash, research program coordinator

Amy Ash, Research Program Coordinator

Heidi Fall, Research Administrative Coordinator

Heidi Fall, Research Admin Coordinator

Heidi Fall, Research Administrative Coordinator

Nora Poole, Communications Officer

Nora Poole, communications officer

Nora Poole, Communications Officer

Pronouns: they/them
Contact:
(612) 625-1331
pool0097@umn.edu

Lauren Sekelsky, Executive Administrator

Lauren Sekelsky, executive administrator

Lauren Sekelsky, Executive Administrator

612-625-1500
sekel010@umn.edu

Lauren Sekelsky is the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health's Executive Administrator. Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts with honors in Global Studies, as well as minors in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies and Public Health, from the University of Minnesota. She has spent the last decade working in nonprofit and higher education administration, serving most recently as Project and Operations Manager for Portage Partners Consulting. Lauren is excited to merge her passion for gender and sexual health with her administrative skill set in this new role. In her free time Lauren enjoys wildlife photography, embroidery, reading, and travel.

Pronouns: she/her

Clinic Staff

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Clinic Staff

Lisa Brusoe, CMA, Medical Assistant

Lisa Brusoe, CMA

Lisa Brusoe, CMA, Medical Assistant

Pronouns: she/her

Brady Burkhart, LSW, Social Work Care Coordinator

Brady Burkhart, LSW

Brady Burkhart, LSW, Social Work Care Coordinator

Pronouns: he/they

Brady has a bachelor's degree in social work and Spanish from Winona State University, and has been a licensed social worker in Minnesota for four years. Before joining ISGH, they worked for Hennepin County and Cornerstone Advocacy Services.

Outside of work, Brady enjoys reading, writing, seeing movies, going for walks around Lake of the Isles or the Sculpture Garden, and watching their younger sibling participate in high school sports and activities. He also has two cats, Prue and Poppy, who he'll take any opportunity to talk about.

Kieran Dillon, Intake Coordinator

Kieran Dillon, intake coordinator

Kieran Dillon, Intake Coordinator

Pronouns: they/them

Kieran Dillon is a St. Paul native who loves biking, books, and 80s music. They received their BA in Creative Writing and LGBT Studies from DePaul University in 2019, where they also worked on the university's literature magazine, Slag Glass City, as an editorial assistant. Kieran is thrilled to be a part of the M Health Fairview Sexual and Gender Health Clinic, as they care deeply about trans lives and histories.

LynAnne Evenson, MS, LMFT, LADC

LynAnne Evenson, MS, LMFT, LADC

LynAnne Evenson, MS, LMFT, LADC

Therapist
Pronouns: she/her

LynAnne is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed alcohol and drug counselor with over a decade of experience working with people from diverse backgrounds to meet their mental health wellness needs. She has a social justice orientation in therapy and recognizes the role that race, gender, poverty, sexual orientation, and disability plays in the day to day lives of her clients. LynAnne holds an affirming practice where queer, trans, nonbinary, cisgender, and heterosexual people can explore issues of self-esteem, communication, and living with authenticity. LynAnne is sex-positive and has an interest in human sexuality and is skilled at holding space for anyone who has questions or concerns around sex, intimate relationships, sexual or romantic orientation, and gender identity and/or expression.

LynAnne graduated with her Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. LynAnne received her Certificate in Sex Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
 

Csyabeaw Ford, Intake Coordinator

Csy Ford

Csyabeaw Ford, Intake Coordinator

Pronouns: she/her

Rachel Hall, Clinic Supervisor

Rachel Hall, Clinic Supervisor

Rachel Hall, Clinic Supervisor

Pronouns: she/her

Rachel began her journey with MPhysicians/MHealth in 2013 and since that time has worked with several specialty programs, including Mental Health and Addiction programs for 7+ years.  Her approach to patient care has always been focused on the patient experience and she strives to prioritize the needs of patients and their families. She values relationships, both at work and in her personal life, that offer authenticity, support and challenge. 

When not at work, Rachel is an avid reader and baker.  As a Minnesota transplant, she enjoys exploring new places and events in the Twin Cities, especially restaurants, cultural festivals, and Bubble Tea shops

Terri Hayden, Clinic Manager

Terri Hayden, Clinic Manager

Terri Hayden, Clinic Manager

pronouns: she/her

Terri is the Clinic Manager for the Sexual and Gender Health Clinic on the West bank of Minneapolis. Prior to her current role she served as the CEO for Pride Institute in Minnesota for four years and as the Executive Director at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundatin for over ten years. Terri has served as an adjunct professor at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and has served on a number of boards and advisory committees. She has a bachelors degree in Psychology from Augsburg University and a masters degree in Counseling and Psychological services from St. Mary’s University. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering with her dog, Dash who is a therapy dog with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

Robert Kirby, Administrative Coordinator II

Rob Kirby, admin coordinator II

Robert Kirby, Administrative Coordinator II

Pronouns: he/him

Todd Leech, PA-C, EdD, Physician Assistant

Todd Leech, PA-C, EdD

Todd Leech, PA-C, EdD

Pronouns: he/him
Physician Assistant

Elizabeth Panetta, MSW, LICSW

Elizabeth Panetta, MSW, LICSW

Therapist
Pronouns: she/they

Elizabeth Panetta specializes in working with people who have experienced trauma and who need extra support during times of change and adjustment. She has extensive experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, ranging from people who are currently unhoused to recent immigrants and refugees to the United States. Within their practice, Elizabeth prioritizes lenses based in disability justice, decolonization, harm reduction, sex positivity, and antiracism. She also enjoys working with children and adolescents in exploring their own identities and mental health. They are trained in Level I and II Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Elizabeth earned their undergraduate degree in Human Services at Loyola University Chicago and their Master’s in Clinical Social Work at the University of Chicago. Elizabeth grew up in the Twin Cities and is excited to be back home. When not connecting in a therapeutic setting, they love biking to their local coffee shop, checking out new bookstores, and snuggling with cat Hazel.
 

Sara B. Pournoor, MSW, LICSW

Sara B. Pournoor, MSW, LICSW

Sara B. Pournoor, MSW, LICSW

Psychotherapist
Pronouns: they/he

Sara B. Pournoor is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in the Transgender Health Services program at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health. His primary clinical practice focuses on working alongside gender diverse adolescents and young adults. In practice, they approach therapeutic work from an anti-oppressive, healing justice lens aimed towards creating a collaborative and authentic space to foster radical holistic healing. The theoretical frameworks Sara draws from are rooted in relational and narrative trauma informed care, along with dialectical behavioral therapy, somatic experience, and others when appropriate. They believe that mental health and healing are connected to one's personal and social ecosystem, attachment history, somatic awareness, values, and intersecting identities.

Sara integrates his professional training and therapeutic skills with lived experience as a queer, trans, non-binary, first generation immigrant, and person of color. Additionally, they belong to the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network.

Sara has a background in curriculum development, social justice education, youth work, music performance, interfaith work, inpatient mental health, outpatient mental health, crisis stabilization, and medical social work. Sara received a clinical Masters of Social Work from Augsburg College and a Bachelors in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
 

Postdoctoral Fellows

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Postdoctoral Fellows

Benjamin Parchem, PhD, Randi and Fred Ettner Fellow in Transgender Health

Ben Parchem, PhD

Benjamin Parchem, PhD

Randi and Fred Ettner Fellowship in Transgender Health
Pronouns: he/him

Dr. Parchem earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University, with an emphasis on cultural humility and community-driven approaches. He completed clinical externships at Children’s National in Integrated Primary Care, HIV Mental Health Services, and the Gender and Autism Program. He completed his predoctoral clinical internship at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in pediatric psychology working with various pediatric populations, and in the Gender Support Program. Over the course of his doctoral training, Dr. Parchem’s research has focused on the sexual, physical, and mental health of sexual and gender minorities. In his postdoctoral training at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, Dr. Parchem will provide assessment and therapy services to gender diverse children, adolescents, and young adults and contribute to research projects aiming to ameliorate health disparities and promote wellbeing among LGBTQ+ youth, particularly youth of color.