Staff

The Bergeron Wellness Center counseling staff includes two full-time counselors, one part-time counselor, and two counseling interns. Each counselor has a generalist background with specific areas of interest and expertise. They provide short-term mental health counseling for students, as well as referrals off-campus for longer-term counseling as needed. They work closely with the nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse practitioners to support the holistic health of the student body.

If you would like to make an appointment with one of the counselors, please call The Bergeron Wellness Center at 802.654.2234.

Erin received her master’s in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England and is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Erin’s career has spanned working in Schools (Elementary, Middle, High School and Alternative Ed), in Community Mental Health, as a Psychology Instructor at CCV, Winooski (Introduction to Psychology/ Social Psychology), and working at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation with first generation college students.

Erin’s intention is to welcome, support, educate and encourage emerging adults in their pursuit of well-being. She offers strength based supportive counseling to aid in the adjustment to college, the understanding of developmental issues, skills to manage emotional experiences and guidance as students pursue academic, social, athletic, spiritual, community justice, and extracurricular endeavors. Erin draws upon relational interpersonal skills, an inclusive and empathic style, counseling aptitude, and professional and cultural experiences to provide an open space for exploration and possible growth.

Erin’s lens is eclectic however her bent is to Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness-based, Narrative, and Positive Psychology. Erin supports students to connect with other resources on and off campus to strengthen personal, academic, or other skill sets. She feels honored to be a witness to the personal growth processes of, and privileged to work with, Saint Michael’s College students.

Erin Altermatt, MA, LCMHC (she/her)
Mental Health Counselor
she/her/hers pronouns
ealtermatt@smcvt.edu
802-654-2234

Kathy has been a mental health professional since 1993 when she earned her MA from Antioch New England Graduate School. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor. She has spent her career working with young adults and their families.

Kathy has been a part of the Saint Michael’s College counseling team since 2010, and the Director since 2014.  She loves her work here at the college and particularly enjoys supporting our diverse population of young adults to develop a compassionate understanding of themselves while developing the skills they need to address whatever challenges they are facing.  In that work, she encourages the recognition, understanding and enhancement of their many strengths.

In her free time, Kathy enjoys walking, hiking, biking, gardening, swimming, and participating in any type of team sport.  She also loves to read, cook/bake, ride her motorcycle, explore, and spend time with her family and friends.

Kathleen Butts, MA, LCMHC, LADC
Director of Counseling
she/her/hers pronouns
kbutts@smcvt.edu
802.654.2310

Sarah has been providing mental health services to young adults since 1994.  She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, an Apprentice Addictions Counselor and an Expressive Arts Therapist. She has a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapies from Lesley University and a BA from Brandeis University. Prior to joining the SMC counseling team in 2014, Sarah was in private practice at the Adams Center for Mind and Body, specializing in helping individuals with eating disorders.  She has also served as drug and alcohol prevention and intervention counselor at Williston Central School CSSU school district. Sarah uses a student centered approach, focusing on student’s goals, while encouraging personal expression and personal choice.  She is particularly interested in supporting students to work through issues with stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, communication skills, substance use and relationships.  She is very excited to be part of the Bergeron Wellness team and to help support SMC students reach for their dreams.  Sarah is currently working towards EMDR certification.

Sarah Klionsky, MA, LCMHC, AAP
Assistant Director of Counseling, Internship Coordinator
she/her/hers pronouns
sklionsky@smcvt.edu
802.654.2555

Noah received his Masters in Social Work with a certificate in trauma practice from Simmons University in 2020. During his clinical internships, Noah worked as an outpatient therapist in community-based settings and in college counseling at Wellesley College. Most recently, Noah worked as a Behavioral Health Clinician for an organization in Boston, MA which serves LGBTQ+ youth of color. Noah’s approach seeks to incorporate clients’ racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds into treatment whenever possible. As a social worker, he views clinical issues through a person-in-environment lens and understands how systemic oppression impacts overall mental health. Noah has experience working with survivors of partner abuse, people experiencing suicidality, people carrying trauma, and people with intersecting marginalized identities. He aims to help students explore issues with transition to a new environment, identity, relationships, stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and developing a positive vision for their future. While he tries to always keep treatment attuned and tailored to the individual, his treatment style draws from Narrative Therapy, Relational Cultural Theory, trauma-informed approaches, and person-centered therapy. He is trained in EMDR.

Noah O’Leary, MSW
Mental Health Counselor
they/them/theirs or he/him/his pronouns
802.654.2234

Bridgette Akins is the Coordinator of Wellness Outreach and Education, SBIRT Interventionist and certified health and life coach. She takes pride in her Southern roots and Northern boots. Born and raised in east Tennessee, she now resides in Vermont after layovers in upstate NY and eastern North Carolina.

Bridgette uses Motivational Interviewing along with her coaching techniques to engage students in meaningful conversation and support. Meeting students where they are, sometimes literally, allows the opportunity for contemplation and often change.

Striving to live out her purpose, she encourages students to do the same.  

Bridgette Alpha Akins
Coordinator of Wellness Outreach and Education
she/her pronouns
bakins@smcvt.edu
802-654-5230

Parker is in his last year as a graduate student in the Masters of Counseling program at the University of Vermont. In addition to being a student, Parker has been a staff member in UVM’s Center of Health and Wellbeing in their Education and Outreach Branch since 2017 where he works to support student health & wellbeing services.

Parker received his Master’s of Public Policy from Loyola University of Vermont in 2012 and through work in Vermont at the Howard Center and UVM he realized his passion for the therapeutic relationship and saw the ways individual counseling and system wide social justice can be aligned through collective liberation.

As a counselor in training, Parker’s biggest priority is to create an inclusive, welcoming space for all those he encounters. He works to hold space for all identities, their intersections and nuances. He is drawn towards emotion-focused and interpersonal family systems approaches – and brings his passion for mindfulness based practices into his work as counselor.

When he is not at UVM or St Michael’s College, Parker is a yoga and mindfulness teacher in the community where he specializes in teaching from a trauma informed lens and somatic healing perspective. His own practices of yoga, meditation, being outside, in the water and with his dogs help him stay in balance and do this work sustainably.

Parker Holloway
Mental Health Counseling Intern
he/him pronouns

Erin (or E) is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling intern from the University of Vermont. Erin has worked in Higher Education and Student Affairs for several years, concentrating her direct support of students in residential living, first-year transition, roommate conflicts/mediation, home-sickness, and social identity development concentrating on race and LGBTQIA2s identities.

Erin works to create an inclusive and brave space by providing students with holistic tools to support their own mental health needs. Her therapeutic approach is person-centered using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Narrative Therapy reminding students that they also have their own power and wisdom within.

When Erin is not in school, she loves listening to live music and doing anything near water but spends most of her time with her family and friends, building community, and supporting local BIPOC businesses and events.

Erin Baker-Meno
Mental Health Counseling Intern
she/her pronouns