Meet Our Professionals
 Kim Peterson, MA, LPC, RPT
Program Manager
k.peterson@mpglp.com
713-773-5100 ext. 177
Kim works full-time as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist with MedCare. Kim sees individuals ranging from childhood through adulthood on a wide variety of concerns, including anxiety, depression, behavior, and post trauma. She is especially interested in working with adolescents on issues surrounding school, friends, relationships, self-esteem, and divorce. As a play therapist, Kim has completed specialized training and supervision in helping children heal through play activities.
In 2007, Kim worked in private practice, where she saw individuals, children, adolescents, and adults struggling with many issues, including major life crises, anxiety, depression, and anger. She also facilitated an adolescent divorce-recovery group and co-facilitated an adult divorce-recovery group. Kim spent time educating the group on the emotional and social effects they will face, led group member discussion about their own experiences, and encouraged healing through peer support.
Since 2008, Kim has worked full time for MedCare, where she works along side a multidisciplinary team to address a child’s physical, as well as emotional, needs. Kim acts as a behavior consultant to the rehab team, as well as providing individual and family therapy. Depending on the client and family’s needs, Kim will develop an individualized plan for achieving growth and healing.
A note from Kim:
First of all, thank you for taking the time to get to know me. As a Professional Counselor, I believe that all people have the right to happiness and success and that emotional, spiritual, and physical health are key ingredients to reaching that potential. I understand that there are times when we all need to seek help from others. My role is not to judge, but to meet people where they are, providing the support and feedback that they need to meet their goals. My approach is a combination of empathy, encouragement, and directives. I also place great emphasis on education and prevention, and continually strive to provide education and guidance to my clients and their parents. If you or someone you know are struggling, I encourage you to seek help from a professional counselor, minister, or someone you can trust, and not to allow the issue to grow. There is hope!
 Douglas Plaeger MA, LPC
Program Coordinator
d.plaeger@mpglp.com
713-773-5100 ext. 127
Douglas is a full-time Licensed Professional Counselor with MedCare based in the Stafford clinic. He brings experience from working in outpatient, short-term residential and long-term residential treatment centers. Doug currently provides individual and family therapy, as well as consultation to a multi-disciplinary healthcare team, and regularly receives positive comments from his clients and colleagues that he is both caring and professional.
Douglas has worked with children with emotional and adjustment issues, addressing divorce, grief and loss, and family functioning using play therapy, sand tray therapy, and art therapy. Through the use of these techniques, Douglas believes that a child is able to identify emotions, cope with trauma, and better understand their role in the family system. Douglas has also used Applied Behavioral Analysis to promote healthy socialization and activities of daily living for children diagnosed with Autism and PDD. Through extinguishing of inappropriate behaviors and high positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, he shows how the child can associate socially acceptable behaviors and may adapt to mainstream society. Douglas has also worked with children and adolescents with severe psychological disorders using behavior modification and cognitive-behavioral therapy to address anger management strategies, coping skills, and grief and loss. Douglas has worked with adolescents with a primary diagnosis of substance abuse disorder through implementing the 12-Step program and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Through this model, the adolescent can identify the precipitating event that led to their drug use which was usually the cause of a death in the family, abandonment, abuse or neglect. The client also received family counseling to address the adolescent’s behavior within the family system and their change in lifestyle after treatment.
 Naomi Berger-Perez MA, LPC, LMFT
n.berger@mpglp.com
713-773-5120 ext. 184
Naomi is a full time Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with MedCare based in the Spring clinic. She has also completed the play therapy coursework and is currently pursuing the requirements necessary to become a Registered Play Therapist as she works with MedCare clients.
Naomi is a native Houstonian and holds a B.A. in Sociology from Texas A&M University and an M.A. in Counseling from Sam Houston State University. During her time in graduate school, she decided to pursue all of the requirements for dual licensure both as a professional counselor and marriage and family therapist. Naomi is a strong believer that the family system has and profound effect on who we are, can be, and will become while also believing that we as individuals have the ability to choose our own path.
Naomi has had experience working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse as the children’s counselor at a residential facility, where she provided individual, family, and group therapy to the clients there. During her time at the shelter, Naomi counseled with children and parents of all ages and backgrounds. She gained valuable experience coordinating age appropriate therapeutic groups for the children and their parents in shelter that promoted positive self esteem, social skills, healthy relationships, positive coping strategies, and anxiety and stress management. While working with this population, Naomi gained valuable expertise in counseling those with severe post traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety, and oppositional defiant disorder.
Naomi has also had extensive experience working with at risk youth in Houston’s inner city schools as a contract therapist. While in this role, Naomi provided services facilitating groups and providing individual and family therapy to students and their care givers. Naomi also served as an advocate and liaison between her clients and the school system. While in the school setting some of her primary focuses included issues surrounding pregnancy prevention for at risk youth and early intervention for teen parents, coping with ADHD, test anxiety, and self injury.
A Note from Naomi:
Thank you for your interest in the therapeutic process and taking the time to consider this caliber of assistance. I pride myself on the exposure that I have had to the many different and diverse backgrounds in and around in the Houston area. I understand that the process of therapy, whether it is individual, family, or group can be intimidating. Please understand that my approach comes from an objective standpoint that does not judge. I also believe in a collaborative approach in helping my clients, whether it is as an advocate or an educator for those in your life that desire more awareness. The stressors in your life that you wish to work on are my focus. I will listen and guide you to find the solutions to cope in a healthy manner, while facilitating your own self awareness, and ultimately the ability to be self sufficient to address your challenges independently.
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