OUR TEAM
Ryan Casada
MA, LMHC
Ryan studied at Reformed Theological Seminary and started Lumen Counseling with her husband Matt in 2020. Her therapeutic specialties include women’s care (perinatal/postpartum support, stage-of-life issues), parenting support, relational issues, anxiety disorders, grief counseling, and dream analysis.
Ryan hopes to create a comfortable space for clients to reflect on their past and their future, walking with them through life’s hardships and joys to offer emotional support, encouragement, and a fresh perspective. Her therapeutic approach is an eclectic mix of IFS therapy, somatic/experiential work, and mindfulness. She believes that it’s important for clients to become aware of their adaptations to life and how they developed these strategies in order to develop greater self-understanding and compassion.
Ryan is from Raleigh, NC and her hobbies include tennis, yoga, being by the water, and going on adventures with her family.
“My greatest hope for clients is to feel heard and valued when they sit with me. I hope my ‘with-ness’ is a balm for the places they’ve felt most alone.”
Matt Casada
PhD, LMHC, Qualified Supervisor
Matt started Lumen with his wife Ryan in 2020 and has a Masters in Counseling and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. His therapeutic specialties are Adolescent Care (including those on the autism spectrum), men’s issues, life transitions, couples/families, and Parental Strategy and Support. Matt believes that you are not a problem to be fixed, but a person to be known, understood, and empowered. He wants to be creative and relationally collaborative with his clients on their journey towards healing and wholeness. His therapeutic approach is a blend of Internal Family Systems, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychodynamic, with a experiential, eclectic, and relational style. Matt hails from Knoxville, TN, and believes the best part of counseling (and life) occurs when we are present, unhurried, and intentional with our time, and enjoys incorporating music and stories into his counseling.
“I believe that you are the hero of your counseling journey. I am always honored to come alongside of you as you navigate whatever difficulties bring you into the office.”
Tracey Bailey
MA, LMHC
Tracey is a wife, mom, grandparent, and follower of Jesus. In 1999, she completed her MA in Counseling at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. For nearly twenty years, she counseled in the school setting before returning to private practice. She grew up on a multigenerational citrus farm and identifies Florida — as well as her work — with growth, surprise, and wildness. She seeks to compassionately enter into her client’s story and help identify those story parts that have lived in the shadows — gently urging them into the light so they can be seen, transformed, and enjoyed. Her practice at Lumen includes relational restoration, parenting, anxiety disorders, divorce recovery, and grief. She enjoys including art, literature, and play in therapy.
“I believe that it is in knowing our stories fully that we can find restoration and as a result savor the world, ourselves, God, and the people around us.”
Fern Ngo
MA, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Fern has her own personal story with counseling where she learned how to struggle well in difficult seasons and how to become more fully alive in joy and play. She joined Lumen Counseling in 2022 and her therapeutic specialties include anxiety, depression, relational issues, and adolescents.
Fern’s therapeutic style is invitational, relational, and connecting. She hopes to offer kindness and safety to her clients as they begin their journey of discovering who they are and how their past and present realities impact them, to help them identify their beauty, goodness, and strengths. Her therapeutic approach is a mix of emotionally focused therapy, attachment theory, and internal family systems from a person-centered approach with pre-teens, teens, and adults.
Fern’s hobbies include exploring Orlando, playing tennis, and being with her husband and dog.
“I believe that healing occurs in the context of relationships, and counseling offers a safe space for clients to begin to engage in life’s difficulties and challenges.”
Stephanie Hopkins
MA, MDIV, LMHC
Stephanie received her MA in Mental Health Counseling in 2020 and joined Lumen Counseling in 2023. Her therapeutic specialties include spiritual deconstruction/reconstruction, grief, and anxiety.
Stephanie’s therapeutic style is psychodynamic, experiential, and relational. She has spent the last few years partnering with The Finley Project, an organization that offers resources to moms who have experienced infant loss. She’s also worked with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, teenage issues, spiritual issues, and is certified in premarital counseling. Stephanie likes to tailor her approach to each client's needs, realizing that one type of therapy may not work for every person. Stephanie is a provider for a number of insurance panels. Click here to check your coverage options with Heather through your provider.
Stephanie is from Huntsville, TX and her hobbies include coffee dates with her family, board games, and going to the beach.
“I believe ineffective coping strategies often arise when we don’t feel the freedom to be vulnerable, but can be healed in the spaces where our hearts can be seen without judgment.”
Ben Wageman
MA, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Ben graduated with an MA from Reformed Theological Seminary and joined Lumen Counseling in 2023. His therapeutic specialties include men’s issues, anxiety, depression, relational distress, career guidance, and adolescent care.
Ben’s therapeutic style is relational, educational, and interactive. He believes that we are all the main character in our own stories and what has happened in our lives impacts who we are today. Ben hopes to meet people where they are at, build a relationship with them, and adjust his therapeutic approach based on their needs. He has training in Family Systems, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Person-Centered Therapy.
Ben is a Minnesota native and his hobbies include golf, kayaking, fishing, and exploring coffee shops with his wife.
“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.”