Justin is a native of Gratiot County and has spent the last 20 years supporting youth and families in the community as they seek to heal, find balance in their lives, and thrive as students, parents, and community members. He began working in the field of mental health in 2003 as a mentor in an at-risk youth program that taught daily life skills with group and individual treatment modalities. As he entered his master’s program for counseling in 2008, he was tasked with revamping the youth program curriculum, hiring and training staff, and supervising the program. It was during this experience that Justin truly began to understand the importance of relationships as the spark of change. In 2010, Justin graduated with a Masters in Professional Counseling and transitioned into the role of a Homebased Therapist. It was then that Justin was humbled by the complexities of family needs and dynamics, as well as the importance of treating the whole person and their primary environments. Justin continued working in this role for two years, becoming certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, co-facilitating anger management groups, and providing intensive therapeutic services both in home and the community to children and their families. As a result of his experience with supporting individuals through trauma, Justin has learned the power of healing from past trauma and the absolute need for accessing family and community supports in the process. In 2012, Justin began developing and implementing services for the school-based program at Gratiot Integrated Health Network (GIHN). This program involved providing group and individual therapy within the school setting, educating and partnering with school staff and administrators to identify mental health needs, developing a referral system for coordination between local schools and GIHN, and co-facilitating an at-risk youth group with Child Advocacy to provide intervention for co-occurring related challenges and develop healthy coping skills. In an effort to further the support given to the local community, Justin founded Next Step Holistic Counseling Center. He now strives to further direct access of mental health care and education to students, parents, and families by partnering with local schools, agencies, and health care professionals. Justin ultimately dreams of opening a Center where the community is able to access mental health, holistic medicine, and physical health therapies under one roof.

Jason is a native of Lapeer County. He has spent the past 21 years serving families and his community by providing services in the mental health profession. Jason earned his degree in Criminal Justice from Northern Michigan University in 2002. He began his career working with at-risk, detained youth at a juvenile center in Vassar, Michigan for 7 years. During this time, he facilitated group therapy focusing on substance abuse, anger management, and social skills. He facilitated experiential activities, which is the process of learning by doing. Jason worked with this population through engaging in hands-on experiences to prepare them to cope and manage real life situations in a successful manner.

In 2006, Jason completed his Bachelors of Social Work from Saginaw Valley State University. He utilized this experience as he transitioned to a foster care worker role in Saginaw County in 2008. During this time, he helped families with reintegration, while coordinating services with the court system. Concurrently, in 2008 Jason also earned his Masters of Social Work from Michigan State University along with being a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor.

In 2010, Jason transitioned to a counseling position in Flint, Michigan, where he provided therapy to young adults who suffered from substance abuse. He provided therapeutic care while they completed their programming in a national career-training center. During that time, he developed programs and coordinated services with the entire training center. He organized counseling and outreach efforts for the community with the Flint Substance Abuse Coalition.

With experience in the counseling process, Jason transitioned to a Home-Based therapist in 2013. Over the next 10 years, he developed skills to address the needs of families by completing training in Motivational Interviewing, Brief Strategic Family Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Jason strived to teach families communication skills, parenting skills, family social skills, and household roles. He is a highly requested family therapist and often coordinated services with the court system in Gratiot County.

Jason is passionate about helping individuals and families be their own problem solvers so they can grow the necessary skills to rebuild relationships.

Jason joined the team at Next Step Holistic Counseling Center in 2022, where he continues to provide excellent services to the youth, adults, and families of Gratiot County.

Chris Charkowske began working with children and families in 2003 and has over 20 years of experience in the human services field. Chris is passionate about helping people understand how their experiences impact behavior and how to overcome life’s many challenges, both past and present. Chris obtained his BA in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University in 2007 and his MA in Counseling from Spring Arbor University in 2012. Chris is a fully licensed counselor (LPC) in the State of Michigan. A passion of Chris’s is providing SUD and co-occurring treatment, and he is a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC). Additionally, Chris is a Mentoring Institute Trained Supervisor (MITS) and is certified in the State of Michigan to provide clinical supervision. Chris enjoys supporting young therapists in their personal and professional growth and has been practicing clinical supervision since 2018.

Chris has experience providing mental health counseling in a variety of settings including the following: in-home child and family therapy, outpatient therapy both in-office and via telehealth, school-based therapy, juvenile and adult court mandated treatments, and working with an incarcerated population. In addition to experience, Chris is trained in a variety of evidenced based practices including Multi Systemic Therapy (MST), Parent Management Training Oregon Model (PMTO), and Motivational Interviewing. As a provider through Next Step Holistic Counseling Center, Chris has focused his treatment attention on working with adults and adolescents (age 12+).

Brandan has been providing counseling services for groups and individuals for over 13 years. Brandan has experience as a counselor’s supervisor, and he is also a sought after speaker and trainer for mental health topics including suicide prevention, mindfulness, and treatment of personality disorders. Brandan received his undergraduate and Master's degrees from Central Michigan University. He has provided services in settings ranging from hospitals and jails to public agencies and colleges. After 6 years of supervising a team of over 20 behavioral health professionals, Brandan has shifted his focus back to his true passion of providing direct care and counseling. Specializing in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Training, and Crisis Intervention, Brandan has experience treating a wide range of mental health needs and populations. He brings his expertise and results-oriented style to Next Step where he is available evenings and weekends primarily through Telehealth.

Lynn serves as our Office Manager for Next Step Holistic Counseling Center (NS-HCC). She has worked to support her community in the mental health field for over 35 years. Although Lynn has earned a clinical degree, she has held various management and leadership roles throughout her career. One of her biggest accomplishments was to lead her mental health agency to it’s first achievement of national accreditation and to facilitate on-going, positive results on the many subsequent national and state level quality reviews.

Lynn provides support for Next Step clients, providers and referral sources and completes duties related to all aspects of business operations. She works remotely to manage NS-HCC’s Gratiot and Clare County service locations. She enjoys helping clients enroll in needed services and seeing them reach their personal goals. When not working, Lynn spends time with family and friends, and working on creative projects.