Dr. E. Van Buckner | Clinical Manager
Dr. E. Van Buckner is a dynamic, culturally innovative social work clinician and research scientist with 20+ years of clinical training and experience, assessment validation, and progressive international advocacy and community organization. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Louisville; a Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University (LSU), and is a Ph.D. recipient, May 15, 2026. She's a former adjunct professor at Tulane University School of Social Work, teaching Diversity and Social Justice (SOWK 7130) and Integrative Capstone Seminar (SOWK 7440).
Dr. Buckner has fulfilled the education, training, and experience requirements established by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Credentialing Committee for self-regulated practice as a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW). Additionally, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Louisiana, Texas, and Washington. Dr. Buckner is also a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) for the United States Department of Transportation, a Certified Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) Facilitator for adults and juveniles, a Certified Parenting Instructor, and a Certified Anger Management Specialist (CAMS) who is well-versed in ASAM Levels 1 and 2 treatment. In addition to her licensures and certifications, Dr. Buckner is trained in the following evidence-based practices: Substance Abuse Treatment; Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) for adults & adolescents; Values Clarification; Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Anger Management; Shoplifting and Theft Prevention; Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (M-CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), Exposure Therapy (ET), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Brief-Solution Focused Therapy, Grief and Trauma Intervention (GTI; groups only), career and life coaching. She offers individual, family, and group therapy to clients from ages 10 to 65. Prof. Buckner is currently undergoing training to be a Certified Sex Therapist and a Certified Sound Therapist under the world-renowned instruction of Vikrampal. Therapeutic orientations: anxiety; performance anxiety; social anxiety; phobias; depression; suicidal thoughts; coping skills; substance abuse; school/career/life stress; life transitions; grief; ADHD; anger management; behavioral issues; family conflict; parenting stress; self-esteem; and mental toughness.
Dr. Buckner has held leadership positions as the Lead Medical Social Worker, Therapist, and Intern Supervisor on the Adolescent Unit of a local New Orleans psychiatric and substance abuse acute treatment facility. She has also served as the Mental Health Program Director of the Mindful Men At-Promise Program (MMAP), which serves at-risk male youth in Louisville, KY, in partnership with the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department and the University of Louisville Center for Mental Health Disparities. Additionally, Prof. Buckner was appointed as the Co-Lead Principal Investigator for three minority mental health research studies: the Screening Aggression Violence Expression (SAVE) Project, the Community and Family Excellence Project, and the Multicultural Family Project. At present, she is the Principal Investigator of the Dagbon Digital Literacy Project, Northern Region, Ghana, West Africa.
***
At the Wise MindBody Institute, our philosophy is to treat the whole person with the incorporation of a functional nutritional medicine approach, along with integrative screening tools such as collecting comprehensive biopsychosocial data, use of semi-structured interviews, comprehensive assessments, self-reports, and blood and urine lab analysis. Our primary goal is to partner and build a healthy and functional therapeutic alliance with individuals and families challenged by acute and chronic mental and behavioral health concerns, such as familial conflict and social and interpersonal challenges, to set realistic and attainable goals that foster and promote motivation to change and sustain successful treatment outcomes.
***
The Wise MindBody Institute, subsidiaries, employees, and contractors abide by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, which reflects the commitment of all social workers to uphold the profession’s values, principles, standards, and to act ethically. Additionally, the Wise MindBody Institute, its subsidiaries, employees, and contractors abide by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
***
Dr. E. Van Buckner, ACSW, LCSW, QSSW, SAP, CSTAS, CAMS is a lifetime member of The International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi); a member of the National Association of Social Workers; a newly inducted member of the Global Directory of Who's Who; and a former Rotary Global Grant recipient. She's also received several professional grants and merit scholarships, such as the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program (BHWET) and the Louisville Metro Government Innovative Grant. Prof Buckner has presented research on anxiety, depression, culturally sensitive treatment mechanisms, assessment validation, and treatment of minority mental health conditions at major conferences such as the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), and Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA). Prof. Buckner is the co-author of 3 peer-reviewed journal articles and the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Dagbon Digital Literacy Project in Northern Region, Ghana, West Africa, sponsored by Rotary International.
To say the least, Dr. Buckner is honored to join each client on their journey as an intentional collaborator, helping them work towards their optimal best self. Cheers & Welcome!
Andrell Harvey, MHA, RD, LDN | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
About
Andrell combines clinical expertise with a background in fitness. After years as a wellness instructor, she pursued dietetics to offer deeper support for those at risk of preventable chronic conditions. Andrell understands the power of food not just as fuel, but as a way to feel in control, confident, and connected to your body again.
Care philosophy
Andrell brings calm, focused attention to each session. Her style is practical, thoughtful, and always rooted in your real life. She listens carefully, asks the right questions, and helps you work through challenges without pressure. As a structured thinker who brings precision to your care, she offers clear nutrition frameworks and consistent check-ins that make progress feel doable.
What to expect in your first session
In the first session expect Andrell to help co-create a plan that works for your day-to-day life. Your plan includes practical adjustments and regular check-ins to help you stay consistent and adapt as needed. With an understanding how your mental wellbeing impacts your food choices, Andrell helps you build habits that support both.
Licensed: LA, IL, OR
Duaa Alam, LMSW | Yogic | Somatic Therapist
Duaa is a therapist and case manager specializing in evidence-based mental and behavioral health, yoga, and somatic therapy, blending clinical expertise with holistic healing practices. She takes a trauma-informed, whole-person approach to support people through mental health challenges and life transitions. Duaa earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington, with a focus on mental health and substance use treatment.
Duaa integrates biofeedback, yoga, breathwork, and somatic therapies to help clients process emotions, regulate their nervous systems, and reconnect with themselves. She believes therapy should be a safe, empowering space where people can come home to themselves. With a deep understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds, Duaa ensures her practice is accessible, inclusive, and respectful of each client’s unique experience. She is skilled in advocacy, navigating systems of care, and creating personalized treatment plans that meet clients where they are.
Outside of work, you will find her surfing, arranging flowers, shaping pottery, or reconnecting with her cultural roots. To her, healing is not just something that happens in therapy; it is a way of living, loving, and being present for ourselves and our communities.
Somatic Therapies
Somatic therapy is a body-centered therapeutic approach that integrates traditional talk therapy with physical awareness and movement to process trauma, stress, and emotional pain stored in the body.
- Focus: It emphasizes how emotions and trauma can live in the body, not just the mind.
- Techniques: Breath awareness, humming, grounding, movement, touch (when appropriate), sensation tracking, and guided visualization.
- Used for: PTSD, chronic stress, dissociation, and emotional dysregulation.
- Popular models: Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.
In short, it helps individuals reconnect with their bodies, release stored trauma, and regulate their nervous systems more effectively.
Breathwork
Breathwork refers to a range of breathing techniques used consciously to influence mental, emotional, and physical states. It's often used for stress relief, emotional release, trauma processing, and spiritual experiences.
- Types: Diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, holotropic breathwork, coherent breathing, and alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana).
- Benefits: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, improves emotional regulation, increases mindfulness, reduces anxiety, and can bring up suppressed emotions for healing.
- Scientific basis: Deep, slow breathing can lower cortisol levels and heart rate variability, enhancing calm and focus.
Breathwork is like a built-in nervous system reset—accessible anytime, anywhere.
Yoga
Yogic therapy (also known as yoga therapy) is a personalized application of yoga principles and practices to address physical, emotional, or psychological conditions under the guidance of a trained therapist.
- Components: Asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), meditation, chanting, and ethical lifestyle practices from traditional yogic teachings.
- Goals: Improve flexibility, reduce pain, calm the mind, balance the nervous system, and support healing of chronic illness or trauma.
- Used for: Depression, anxiety, autoimmune conditions, PTSD, back pain, insomnia, and more.
It blends ancient wisdom with modern therapeutic insights to support holistic healing—body, mind, and spirit.
Individual, Family, & Group Therapy
Licensed: TX, HI, WA
Ingrid Kelly, LMSW | Therapist | DBT Skills Trainer | Case Manager
Services: Case Management, DBT Skills Training, Individual Therapy
Licensed: LA, GA
Servicing Case Management & Skills Training: LA, TX, WA
Jasmine Perry | Behavioral Health Fitness Specialist
Services: Individual, Group
Servicing: LA, TX, WA
Intern
Services: Individual, Group
Licensed: LA