Our Team
Our Practitioners are trauma informed, inclusive, innovative, thoughtful, and compassionate psychotherapists. We are culturally competent and work hard to build a connection with each of our patients.
Melissa Ortiz MA, LPC
Founder & CEO
Melissa founded Metanoia Counseling in January 2020 with a passion to provide accessible mental health services because she believes everyone should have the right to receive quality help at an affordable price. She understands the importance of having a trauma informed and culturally competent counselor and has incorporated supportive trainings into Metanoia Counseling's Standards of Care.
Melissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families from a variety of backgrounds. Her treatment approach is client centered. She strives to provide genuineness, unconditional positive regard and empathy to all clients as they process their thoughts and feelings. She is warm and caring and has found that building a trusting relationship between client and counselor is truly the foundation of therapeutic success.
She is trained in advanced LENS biofeedback, EMDR, Sand Tray Therapy, Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Immigration Psychological Evaluations and Play Therapy. She is also an active member of the American Counseling Association, The Association for Play Therapy, The EMDR International Association and the Texas Sand Tray Association. She earned a Bachelors of Arts in Communication and a Masters of Arts in Counseling and Guidance from Texas A&M University- San Antonio.
Allison Petri
Administrative Assistant
Allison joined Metanoia Counseling in the Spring of 2022. She comes to us with over 20 years of experience in the Medical Field as an Administrative Assistant. Her attention to detail, efficiency and excellent customer service skills are an asset to the practice.
She attended Junior college in South Carolina and in her spare time volunteers at a local animal rescue. Allison is client focused and oversees intake, scheduling and billing.
You may reach Allison via email:
Or by phone: 210-201-2288
Kristina Ortiz LPC, LCDC
Therapist
Kristina joined Metanoia Counseling in the Fall of 2021. She is a bi-lingual Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in the state of Texas with over 6 years of experience providing clinical assessments and therapeutic care to children, adolescents, and adults.
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She specializes in helping those suffering with PTSD and trauma, emotional and physical abuse, relationship issues and codependency, depression, anxiety, substance use issues, self-harm, and grief. Kristina uses a humanistic approach emphasizing looking at the whole person, and the uniqueness of each individual.
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Kristina earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her Master of Science in School Counseling from Texas A&M International University (TAMIU.) She is currently attending Walden University and working towards her Ph.D. in Counseling Education and Supervision Specialization in Trauma and Crisis. She is also an active member of the American Counseling Association, ally of the LGBTQ+ community, and advocate for the equal rights of all.
Steven Balarin LPC, LCDC
Therapist
Steven joined Metanoia Counseling in the Summer of 2022. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) and has helped children, adolescents, adults and couples with a wide range of issues to include anxiety, depression, substance abuse, behavioral issues and working on anger management skills.
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He specializes in helping patients break free from the emotional prison that they feel trapped in. He has over14 years of experience working in the criminal reentry field and is passionate about helping others grow.Steven uses a cognitive behavioral therapy approach and believes in an individual’s ability to change and grow. He believes this is done through building a strong therapeutic alliance between client and counselor based on trust, and mutual respect.
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He is trained in LENS biofeedback, earned his Bachelors of Arts from The University of Texas at San Antonio and a Masters of Arts in Counseling and Guidance from Texas A&M University- San Antonio.
Molly Propst LPC-A
Therapist -Associate
Molly joined Metanoia Counseling in the Fall of 2022. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and has experience working with adults and adolescents struggling with eating disorders, substance abuse/misuse, trauma, anxiety, depression, and neurodiversity (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder).
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She specializes in providing a warm and collaborative environment to help her clients increase their self-awareness and understanding of the world. She utilizes a holistic approach to fit the needs of her clients and combines aspects of DBT, mindfulness, CBT, and motivational interviewing into treatment.
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Molly is EMDR trained, received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas Tech University and her Masters of Science in Addictions Counseling from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She is an LGBTQIA ally and welcomes people from all walks of life and backgrounds to work toward their therapy goals.
Brynn Radlet
Support Specialist
Brynn joined Metanoia Counseling at the beginning of 2023 as a Mental Health Support Specialist and also plays a huge role in Social Media and Marketing.
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She is interested in helping people better understand mental health and is eager to start gaining experience to help her on the path to becoming a counselor.
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Brynn will earn an Associate of Art in Psychology from Northwest Vista College and transfer to University of Texas San Antonio to complete a Bachelor of Art in Psychology.
Jacklyn Hopkins
Support Specialist
Jacklyn joined Metanoia Counseling at the beginning of 2023 as a mental health support specialist
She is passionate about sharing mental health awareness with people in her community and is excited to join an organization dedicated to curating a positive impact for others.
Jacklyn will earn an Associate of Art in Psychology from San Antonio College and transfer to University of Texas San Antonio to complete a Bachelor of Art in Psychology fall of 2023.