Lisa Branton, LMSW
Lisa received her Master’s of Social Work in 1994 and has worked in the field of social work in hospital, community mental health, school and in church settings since 1987. Her work has been primarily in private practice providing children, individual, couple, family and group therapy. Through Missio Seminary, Lisa completed a series of advanced trauma classes with the Global Trauma Recovery Institute. In the fall of 2020, she completed Jay Stringers Unwanted training. As a certified trainer, she meets with those wanting freedom from troubling, unwanted and/or addictive sexual behavior. She finds herself most often sitting with others in the spaces of anxiety, depression, trauma (childhood, sexual, domestic, physical and health), relationship pain, addiction, grief, panic, self-harm, couples pain and suicide.
I take an integrated approach to counseling, drawing upon a variety of counseling theories and methodologies. My goal is to provide a safe place to navigate life's challenges, experience growth, and find solutions through life's most complex and difficult matters.
Tom Branton, LMSW
Tom received his Master’s in Social Work in 1989, has worked as a School Social Worker for 29 years serving children on the spectrum as well as those who were neurotypical. He is currently teaching social work research at Concordia University and counseling. He was born and raised in Detroit which explains his love for all Detroit professional sports teams and spends his spare time mountain biking, reading and driving his teenage daughter around.
Sam Wensley, LLMSW
Sam Wensley has a Master of Social Work degree specializing in cognitive behavior therapy from Wayne State University. During Samuel’s studies he trained under Lisa Branton, practicing integrated approaches to counseling and trauma-informed counseling. His internship with Lisa was a vital part of his educational journey.
Before beginning his education as a counselor, Sam spent two years in Los Angeles, California, working for a faith-based non-profit in the heart of the city. He served both homeless and low-income populations through a food truck ministry and through staffing afterschool programs at housing project sites in the city. At that time, he earned a certificate in urban ministries through Northwest University. He returned to Michigan with the desire to train as a counselor in order to serve the church and the local community of the Washtenaw and Wayne Counties area.
As a counselor, my intent is to listen, learn, and walk with each client through their particular journey toward wholeness and healing. My hope is that clients will feel comfortable and safe in expressing their thoughts and experiences as we establish and work toward their goals in therapy. I utilize a multifaceted approach in therapy to help clients navigate life’s complexities, moving toward healing, restoration, and improved quality of life.
Wesley Branton, LLMSW
Wes grew up in Washtenaw County, married his high school sweetheart, and lives locally with two cats. He earned his Master of Social Work degree from Wayne State University with a cognitive behavior therapy focus.
Wes has worked with multiple non-profit community organizations serving marginalized populations during his education. He has experience working with children individually and in groups during his time serving in the Ypsilanti Community School District and in an Ann Arbor section 8 housing community.
His passion is for person-centered therapy, using reflective listening, compassion, and client-directed goals. Wes has a learner’s mindset and continues to research and grow throughout his work. The client is the expert on their own experiences and Wes’ goal is to empower you to define your own decisions. It is his goal to walk alongside clients in their journeys toward clarification and growth.