Fostering the business interests and professional development of the psychology community. |
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WPS Updates: We are now welcoming Social Workers |
Social workers have similar Continuing Education requirements for biennial relicensing as psychologists do. This includes 2 credits of pain management and 3 credits of ethics. Social workers have always been welcome to attend our webinars. For the first time, WPS is inviting them to become members. To learn more about the benefits of membership, click this link: https://washtenawpsychologysociety.com/membership.php |
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Member Spotlight: Laura Rowley, Ph.D. |
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Laura Rowley is a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at Eastern Michigan University. She is the Director of the psychology training clinic called the Community Behavioral Health Clinic, in which doctoral and masters graduate students provide low-cost assessment and therapy services for the community under the supervision of clinical faculty. Her clinical and research interests focus on training and implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in community based settings, suicide prevention, and assessment and intervention for neurodivergent populations. She received her Ph.D. from Wayne State. Laura and her family moved to Ann Arbor one year ago after living in Salt Lake City, UT. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, toddler, and dog.
Laura wishes to highlight the clinic’s work. There are many opportunities and services for people in the community who may not be able to afford or access resources such as groups for children and adults. The clinic offers various evidence-based treatments across the lifespan, including CBT, PCIT, parent management, DBT, ACT, exposure therapies, couples therapy, and other trauma-informed interventions. The clinic provides low cost comprehensive assessments for ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, personality, and neuropsychological concerns. In addition, there are several grant-funded clinical research studies that are ongoing or anticipated that could offer services.
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The Human-Animal Bond with Reflections on Emotional Support Helen Kahn, Ph.D. May 29th, 2026 | 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM |
This webinar has been approved by the University of Detroit Mercy, an institution regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which is our partner in the offerings of Continuing Education activities.
As a psychologist/mental health professional have you been asked to assess and certify an emotional-support animal (ESA) by a client? If you have ever considered whether you might do this, you may have questions on whether such an assessment is billable, and if there are associated liabilities. In addition, there is considerable confusion among mental health professionals on whether we may be considered fully competent to fulfill such a request. This webinar will first explain the research over the past two decades in Human-Animal Bond. The presentation will then turn to differences among 1) a service animal; 2) a therapy animal; and 3) an emotional support animal including how the U.S. federal regulations such as the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) pertain to service animals vs. therapy animals vs. emotional support animals. Dr. Kahn will explain how she developed the ESA protocol to assess the mental health of the client, the human-animal bond, and the welfare of proposed ESA animal.
Non-members pay $60 per person and Members pay $40 per person. Membership costs only $75 yearly.
Click here to become a member |
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| Helen J. Kahn, Ph.D., LP
Dr. Helen Kahn is a licensed psychologist and clinical supervisor with Clarity Behavioral Health and Assessments in Marquette, Michigan. She meets with adult clients , 18 years and old, with anxiety and mood disorders in individual psychotherapy sessions. Her speciality includes Emotional Support Animal Evaluations in which she engages in an
interactive process of psychological evaluation of the human with an assessment of the human-animal bond.
Dr. Kahn received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of North Dakota in 1989. She then completed postdoctoral fellowships funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health and The Health C ouncil of Québec (Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) in Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition at the Université de Montréal.
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She then transitioned to her university career as a professor at the University of Vermont and Northern Michigan University. Following ten years of research in animal-assisted therapy Dr. Kahn was the founder of Sasawin Safe Haven a program with the Women's Center of Marquette. Sasawin Safe Haven provides safe housing for companion animals, and veterinary care for survivors whose animals are caught up in the cycle of violence with their humans. Dr. Kahn was licensed in psychology in Michigan in 2009 after completing a post-doctoral clinical specialization program. Dr. Kahn retired from Northern Michigan University in 2019, and has continued her psychology practice at Clarity Behavioral Health Assessment Center.
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| Rachael Nelson, M.S., LLP Rachael Nelson is a Limited Licensed Psychologist and the owner of Clarity Behavioral Health and Assessment Center. She brings a strong interdisciplinary background, combining expertise in biological and psychological sciences.
Rachael earned her Master’s degree in Biology from Northern Michigan University in 2020 and a second Master’s degree in Psychology in 2022. Her academic work emphasized genetics, microbiology and neurobiology, focusing on the genetic components of ADHD.
In addition to her clinical work, Rachael integrates animal-assisted interventions into her |
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practice. She is partnered with her therapy dog, Hugo, a Bracco Italiano, with whom she is a certified therapy team through Pet Partners. Hugo began obedience training at eight weeks old, progressed to specialized therapy training between six months and one year, and was certified at one year of age. Together, they volunteer at Northern Michigan University through Wildpups, providing emotional support and stress relief to college students. Hugo has also supported select clinical cases through gradual exposure work. Outside of her professional work, Rachael is a dedicated dog owner to three dogs: Hank and Hoss, both beagles, and Hugo.
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