About the Authors

Zaibunnisa Ahmed, MPS, LADC

Student Author

Zaibunnisa (Zeba) Ahmed is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Minnesota and a recent graduate of the Master’s in Professional Studies in Integrated Behavioral Health program, focusing on substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Zeba has previous work experience in India at various mental health organizations, including in the private, government, and non-profit sectors. As a research enthusiast, her interest in multicultural perspectives on mental health led to her to work on the Autism Mentorship Program research project as well as conduct an independent research study on cultural perspectives of African American Women in treatment. She is looking forward to working with clients from different cultural backgrounds and broadening her perspectives on the various determinants of mental well-being in addition to pursuing research interests. Zeba was a published author prior to working on this textbook. Her novel “Black in the Woods” was published in India in 2020.

London Fischer, BA

Student Author

London Fischer is a current M.P.S. Student in the University of Minnesota’s Integrated Behavioral Health Program. He received his B.A. in psychology from St. Cloud State University, during which he served as a teaching assistant in courses spanning topics such as professional career development, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. In his academic career, he has also led community mental health initiatives, engaged in equity related policy work, and conducted research on factors influencing the relationship between social support and mental health that he presented at the 2023 Midwestern Psychological Association Conference. His current research and clinical interests include rehabilitative neuropsychology, psycholinguistics, and cross-cultural counseling.

Lauren Roelike, MPS, LADC

Student Author

Lauren Roelike is an excited author of this textbook. She holds a master’s degree in Integrated Behavioral Health from the University of Minnesota, and a second master’s degree in Biochemistry. She previously worked in research discovering novel therapeutic drugs for a variety of medical diseases before transitioning to clinical care for mental health and substance use disorders. She has worked with adolescent clients in programmatic care and in the school setting, as well as adults in an outpatient setting. She plans to pursue individual outpatient therapy practice with adult and adolescent clients to address mental health and substance use concerns, with an emphasis on working with trauma, OCD, neurodivergence, and eating disorders. She also plans to find more writing projects interspersed with playing tennis, reading, traveling, and painting.

Ericka Webb, MBA, BS, LADC

Student Author

Ericka Webb is a counselor and educator with a corporate communications and business background. Her journey into the mental health field began after a successful career in the corporate world, driven by a desire to make a more direct impact on people’s lives. Ericka’s approach to counseling integrates her business acumen with a person-centered philosophy, emphasizing strengths-based interventions and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Her experience working with sexual violence treatment has deeply informed her practice, particularly in trauma-informed care. As an individual with ADHD, Ericka brings a unique perspective to her work, advocating for neurodiversity and adaptive strategies in both clinical and professional settings. In addition to her clinical work, Ericka is passionate about ethics in counseling and advocating for harm-reduction approaches to care. She will always take time to look at pictures of your pets.

Tom Hegblom, PhD, LPCC, LADC, NCC

Faculty Advisor & Author

Tom Hegblom is a resident faculty member in the master’s in Integrated Behavioral Health and Addictions Counseling programs. His teaching and research interests are culture and human diversity issues, specifically providing queer- and trans-affirmative mental healthcare, ethical considerations within the counseling field, postmodern counseling theories, expanding critical thinking among counselors, and developing the self-efficacy of counseling students. He sees clients at a group private practice and is involved in various state, regional, and national professional organizations. Tom has a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Walden University, a MA in Counseling from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, and a BA in Youth Studies, Spanish, and Educational Psychology from CCAPS at the University of Minnesota. In his free time, Tom loves spending time with his partner, Zac, and their Shepherd/Husky mix, Max. Tom is an avid traveler, runner, and cyclist. He has his private pilot’s license and enjoys all things aviation.