Our Staff

At the Bergeron Wellness Center, each counselor has a generalist background with specific areas of interest and expertise. They provide mental health counseling for students, as well as referrals off-campus for more intensive or specialized care as needed. They work closely with other staff to support the holistic health of the student body.

If you would like to make an appointment with one of the counselors, please go to the myHealth Portal or call/email the Bergeron Wellness Center at 802.654.2234/counseling@smcvt.edu.

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 students 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

Sammy is a Mental Health Counseling Intern from the University of Vermont. His work history includes mountain bike racing and coaching, waiting tables, sewing, and a variety of less-exciting desk jobs. He has lived in Vermont for ten years.
Sammy is interested in connecting, listening, and understanding. He values relationships with people who hold identities and worldviews different from his own. His counseling work is informed by psychodynamic, emotion-focused, and IFS theory.
Outside of work, Sammy enjoys skateboarding, park snowboarding, and music festivals. He is interested in subjectivity, implicit bias, consciousness, systems thinking, Kurt Vonnegut, queer theory, and determinism.

Sammy Hedlund
On campus: Mondays/Thursdays – all day, Tuesday afternoons
Pronouns: he/him
sammy.hedlund@smcvt.edu
802.654.2234

Katelyn (she/her) is a Mental Health Counseling Intern from Vermont State University. She is excited to be back at Saint Michael’s after graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Theatre.

Katelyn is interested in cognitive behavioral therapy, embodied somatic work, art therapy and narrative therapy. Katelyn is excited to work as a team with the people she serves, ready to explore themes of self-discovery and life transitions while fostering an environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves.

When not at the Bergeron Wellness Center, you may find her dog sitting, reading, riding on the bike path, or selling marshmallows with The Vermont Marshmallow Company. She lives with her husband (also an SMC alum!) in Burlington.

Katelyn Whitman
On campus: Mondays/Wednesdays – all day, Thursday mornings
Pronouns: she/her/hers
katelyn.whitman@smcvt.edu
802.654.2234