Therapist profile: Katherine Clemens & Zoi Andalcio - co-founders of Supportive Minds

Katherine Clemens & Zoi Andalcio - Co-founders of Supportive Minds, PLLC

From time to time I will be interviewing therapist colleagues with various specializations and backgrounds. The purpose of these interviews is to contribute to public education so that therapy clients can be better equipped to find an approach and therapist that suits their unique challenges.

I have a close personal and professional connection with both Katherine Clemens and Zoi Andalcio. Both served as clinical supervisors to me at Ellenhorn, a psychosocial rehabilitation program serving clients with highly complex mental health needs. While there, I worked with Katherine, Zoi, and other Ellenhorn colleagues in a multidisciplinary approach to treating individuals with recent experiences of psychosis, suicidality, problematic substance use, post-traumatic stress, and the ongoing challenges of re-integrating into a society not designed for people with non-normative lived experiences. 

Last year, Katherine and Zoi branched out on their own and formed Supportive Minds, a specialty outpatient mental health and addiction practice focused on working with adults and adolescents, especially those who have been disempowered and marginalized either by their mental health challenges and/or by other intersectional factors.

Katherine Clemens is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Massachusetts, and Zoi Andalcio is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) licensed in Massachusetts. They work in various settings, including in their offices, people’s homes, directly in the community, and also virtually. You can learn more about their practice here: www.supportivemindscounseling.com

Ellis Kim: Katherine and Zoi, can each of you please share about yourselves and your journey to becoming therapists and mental health practitioners.

Katherine: I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker residing and practicing in Massachusetts. I am an LGBTQIA+ identified therapist and serving other members of my community has been an important part of my professional journey. In my spare time I enjoy being in nature with my dogs, making music, and boxing. I am very fortunate that I had an interest in social justice and psychology from a young age and was lucky enough to get an internship at a recovery center in my first year of pursuing my undergraduate degree. I immediately enjoyed working with addictions which really paved the way to where I’m at today. 

Zoi: My journey to becoming a mental health therapist was somewhat accidental. I entered university intending to study biology and pursue premedical sciences, having wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I even chose a university known for its strong premedical program. However, about a year and a half into my studies, I realized that path was not the right fit for me. I found myself far more drawn to my elective courses in sociology and history.

After a period of uncertainty and nearly a year of being undecided, I eventually discovered psychology and I hit a rhythm academically.  I completed four years of psychology coursework by only extending my graduation by one additional year. My decision to pursue clinical psychology in graduate school was largely inspired by a wonderful clinical psychology professor and mentor in my undergraduate course work, Dr. Yolande Du Bois Williams, whose guidance profoundly changed the course of my vocational life. Since then, I have devoted myself to the field of psychology, with a particular focus on supporting individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges.

EK: I got to know both of you at Ellenhorn. Ellenhorn is a unique and innovative organization when it comes to mental health treatment. I appreciated many things about it, including the company value of being on the cutting edge of mental health treatments, including the use of mentalization based treatment, Open Dialogue, and harm reduction approaches. What are some of the most important experiences and lessons you each have from your years working there?

K: Something that drew me into their work was the “hospital without walls” philosophy of the PACT (Program for Assertive Community Treatment) model of care. I deeply value community integration and have seen time and time again what happens when people get removed from their lives only to be bounced back out into the same situation they were in beforehand that wasn’t working for them. It’s a vicious cycle that is so easy to get trapped in for the most vulnerable members of our communities. Seeing what a difference it made to be able to do the really comprehensive and intensive work that their PACT teams are able to do was really impactful on how I view treatment and recovery. It was a transformative experience to work alongside so many intelligent and creative clinicians, psychiatrists, nurses, and peer specialists. 

Z: I resonate a lot with what Katherine said. Two types of experiences from my time at Ellenhorn stand out immediately. I was there for a little over 12 years, and it was my first role in the private mental health sector after working in the public sector.

One major difference I noticed was the level of training and resources available to clinicians at Ellenhorn. I was still doing community mental health, the work that I love, but without the same resource constraints. I also had opportunities to learn from specialists in their fields, which helped me grow as a practitioner in immeasurable ways.

Another meaningful type of experience was working with clients who were often labeled “too ill” to recover or “treatment resistant” by traditional providers. Many had complex trauma and difficult family histories that made treatment relationships challenging. Working with this population taught me something important: success isn’t always about achieving traditional psychosocial goals like finishing school, getting a job, or even eliminating risky behavior. Sometimes the most meaningful outcome is whether the person feels genuinely seen in the relationship.

What I learned is that authenticity, patience, and consistency are often our most powerful tools. Even if behavior doesn’t change or goals aren’t met right away, helping someone feel that they are truly “enough” within a therapeutic relationship can be transformative.

EK: You two made the decision to branch out and form your own group in Supportive Minds. Where did the seed of the idea come from? Specifically, what unserved or underserved needs did you hope to meet with your practice? 

K: One of the reasons that Zoi and I wanted to start our own group together is that we both value social justice, harm reduction, liberatory practice, and are focused on uplifting diverse communities. I specifically wanted to prioritize my work with LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly with transgender adults and youth. Issues like suicide, self-harm, and substance use affect the LGBTQIA+ community at much higher rates and as the political administration continues to crack down on accessing proper care and support it felt like a call to action to focus in on an area where it’s needed the most. 

Z:  What Katherine said about shared values and a shared political orientation to the work is really what makes our partnership thrive. It allows us to intentionally create a culture and work environment that keeps evolving in alignment with those values. Her point about being able to choose who we work with is also incredibly important: it gives us the freedom to build relationships and a practice that truly reflects what we believe in.

For me personally, I had reached a point in my career, after more than 16 years in the field, where I felt I had learned enough to make my own contribution to a very clear gap in community services for people who use substances and other behaviors. I believe that energy and innovation comes from working together through intentional discourse with others. I wanted to partner with someone who shared similar values but brought different lived and professional experiences to the table. Katherine was an obvious choice for me.

I see this new practice, with Katherine and me at the helm, as an opportunity to challenge what I think is a fundamental error in the mental health system. Too often, the system measures success by how well people become compliant with the status quo or conform to behavioral norms defined by those in power. In that process, clinicians can unintentionally become gatekeepers of what is considered “normal” or acceptable. Also, we can miss the very important contextual information regarding the lives of the people we serve because our focus is on behavior modification only.

Our intention is to turn that type of hubris of the mental health system on its head. Rather than reinforcing those dynamics, we want to help people move past the barriers—both within themselves and outside, including in the healthcare system—that keep them from living authentically. The goal is to support people in building lives that feel purposeful and true to who they are.

EK: What specific approaches to therapy and mental healthcare do each of you use?  

K:  I most often use Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mentalization Based Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. It’s also very important to me that all of the work that I do acknowledges and incorporates the role that systems play in our experiences of mental health, wellness, and our ability to be in the world in a meaningful way. It is so easy for individuals to get blamed or become pathologized when a lot of the issues people face are largely influenced by issues that are occurring at a systems level which only serves to make people more alienated from their respective communities. 

Z: Like Katherine, I tend to use an eclectic mix of modalities depending on what the person I’m working with needs and what approaches resonate with them. Rather than adhering strictly to one framework, I try to draw from different methods in a way that feels practical and responsive to the individual.

It’s actually easier to describe what I don’t do. I don’t do psychoanalysis, and I don’t do past-oriented trauma work so I don’t do, for example, PE (prolonged exposure) therapy or EMDR. My work tends to emphasize behavioral change, building somatic awareness and intelligence, and using solution-focused, humanistic and present-oriented approaches to trauma, anxiety and mood disturbances.

I also often bring in historical and cultural context to help people better understand their current embodied experiences and how those experiences are shaped by the world around them. Most of the clients I work with are looking to make meaningful behavioral changes, optimize their functioning, or heal after disruptions caused by trauma or other mental health challenges. I work exclusively with adults across the adult age spectrum.

EK: What core values does your organization stand for? Are there particular thinkers - in or out of mental healthcare - that help inform Supportive Minds’ philosophy?

Z/K: Supportive Minds, PLLC is fundamentally a values-driven organization. Our principles shape everything we do—from our work with the communities we serve, to the free resources we provide, and the way we operate and present our practice. Without these values, Supportive Minds simply would not exist.

Simply put, our values inform us that people possess an innate capacity for growth, healing, and self-determination. We support the people that we serve in recognizing their own strengths, developing self-trust, and cultivating the confidence to make meaningful changes in their lives. We do this by emphasizing dignity, authenticity, and compassion in every interaction with the people that we serve. We use these principles and values to work with people who suffer from problematic experiences like trauma, depression and anxiety  and cope with addictive behaviors. 

In terms of particular thinkers, Katherine and I often have conversations regarding many thinkers from the past and currently. We like to integrate and are often drawn to humanistic and liberation oriented theorists and practitioners. For example, some thinkers and practitioners from the past that influence us are Ignacio Martin-Baro, Frantz Fanon, Carl Rogers, and Erich Fromm to name a few. Also we are influenced by current practitioners like Patt Denning, Gabor Mate, Andrew Tartarsky, Carl Hart, William Miller, Mark Burton, Jennifer Mullan and Theresa Moyers and so many more. 

Ultimately, our core values and the thinkers that we value center on cultivating relationships that empower individuals, affirm their humanity, and support their journey toward greater self-awareness, connection, and well-being.

EK: You two are explicit about serving marginalized communities. Can you share about particular groups that you have skills and experience working with?

Z: Marginalized communities often do not have the privilege of ignoring the realities of oppression, discrimination, and harm. These experiences can increase vulnerability to mental health challenges such as addiction, self-harm, and other risky coping behaviors. For this reason, we are explicit in our commitment to working with marginalized populations. We believe psychology should not remain neutral (psychology should not be a neutral science!) in the face of isolation, stigmatization, and systemic inequity.

Some of the particular communities we work with include, but are not limited to, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and women. We approach this work with cultural humility, awareness, and respect, grounded not only in lived experience as members of these communities ourselves, but also in ongoing study, training, and dedication to providing the most competent and affirming care possible that we can provide. We know that we bring bias and privilege in relationships, like everyone else, and we do our best to name it and rectify any negative effects on our work when possible. 

EK: Your practice works both in the office but also in the community. Many readers may not be familiar with a community based approach to mental health. Could you describe what this might actually look like in practice?

K: One of the great things about community based work is that it rarely looks the same. Here are a few examples of what this has looked like recently for me: 

• Meeting with a client at her apartment to do side-by-side home management tasks that are not yet able to be managed independently due to co-occurring mental health issues that make it challenging to self-motivate or leave the house. This might include cleaning, going to the grocery store together, support with ADLs, or going on walks/hikes with the ultimate goal of her being able to do these things independently. There is generally a mix of skills coaching, social coaching, and support with coping that occurs during our meetings. 

• Supporting a client with finding their first apartment which might include creating a budget, mapping out the steps that go into finding a place, building an understanding of what skills are required to manage an apartment independently, and even attending an apartment showing with someone and then assisting with completing the paperwork if they decide to apply.

• Attending a class at a local adult education center with a client to help them with community exposure, social coaching, and trying to make friends. 

• Helping people find movement that makes them feel good and doing it side-by-side with them. Adding movement in is another way to help build somatic awareness and foster a stronger mind-body connection for people who have historically had challenging relationships with their own bodies. 

Z: Katherine gave some great examples of how we may work with the people we serve in the community. Working in the community is about connecting people to the community which has tremendous therapeutic value. In fact, a lot of the longevity studies and the research around addiction recovery emphasize the importance of social connections.

EK: What else is important for readers to know about Supportive Minds?

K: We want to make sure that people know we are not going to hide or stay quiet about our identities or our desire to support at-risk communities, especially as access to proper care dwindles. All identities are welcome at our practice.

Z: Agreed. I would also add that we provide parent coaching for families navigating addiction, as well as NARCAN and overdose prevention training. In addition, we offer supervision for early-career clinicians and consultation for mental health agencies, with a particular focus on LGBTQIA+ communities and addiction-related care. We also work with collegiate athletes through workshops, seminars, and individual counseling.

We greatly value collaboration with individual practitioners such as yourself, Ellis. We recognize that not every client will be the best fit for our practice, and we deeply appreciate having trusted, high-quality clinicians to whom we can confidently refer. Thank you for the opportunity to share more about our services. 

EK: I have deep respect and admiration for both of you, and I feel indebted to you for being mentors and supervisors to me at a critical development period in my early therapist career. I appreciate the work both of you do, particularly for minority and marginalized populations. I’m very grateful to be connected to you, and I am excited about our ongoing collaboration in the coming years.