Meet The Staff

Meet the Staff

OUR WELCOMING STAFF HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN RELY ON.

The professionals at Choices for Change are proud to offer you the compassionate, knowledgeable care you need in a wide range of treatments and counseling for your needs. Six of our eight professionals have over 10 years of experience, and some have over 20, so you can feel confident that we have the resources and experience you can rely on.


You can trust our friendly, knowledgeable staff, and you will feel comfortable sharing your personal issues with our knowledgeable, friendly staff. The staff at Choices for Change will make you feel comfortable and safe, while we give you the counseling and guidance you are seeking.

Family Running And Jumping On Nature At Sunset — Kalamazoo, MI — Choices For Change

Troy Zukowski-Serlin, LMSW possesses a Bachelor of Science (Religion) and a Master of Social Work degrees from Western Michigan University. He also holds a Certificate in Jewish Leadership from Northwestern University and the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. He is a versatile, strength-based psychiatric social worker who has more than 32 years of post-masters’ degree experiences doing individual, couples (with his wife Michelle Zukowski-Serlin), group, and family therapy with people across the age spectrum. Troy specializes in youth (and their caregivers) diagnosed with Severe Emotional Disturbances (SED). He has extensive training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Strategic Family Therapy, Gottman Therapy, Imago Therapy, Theraplay, Attachment Issues, Treatment Foster Care, Jewish Counseling, and Suicide Prevention. He served the State of Michigan for eight years as a child welfare specialist. Troy was employed for almost six years as a constituent services coordinator (Michigan House of Representatives). He was a family therapist for five years at Family and Children’s Services in Battle Creek, Michigan. Troy provided medical social work care for eight years at the South Haven Health System. Troy also had three stints as a clinician/case manager at various community mental health agencies around Michigan. Additionally, Troy has been a high school baseball and soccer coach for more than 10 years. He is currently an assistant baseball coach at Climax-Scotts High School. Troy is currently a contractual health and safety child welfare monitor for the states of Texas, Oregon, and Washington which have children placed in Michigan treatment facilities. A renaissance person, Troy is a guest columnist for several newspapers around Michigan and he writes on subjects such as politics, history, culture, religion, and sports. Troy believes strongly in person-centered, customized treatment planning because “everybody has unique stories and circumstances. Those experiences are what make us individuals.”

Michelle Zukowski-Serlin, LMSW, Executive Director is the founder of Choices for Change Counseling Agency. Michelle has more than 30 years of experience providing individual, couples, group, and family counseling to young children, adolescents, and adults. Michelle has won numerous community and state honors for her work as a therapist and community advocate. Michelle specializes in treating trauma and has been qualified as an expert and/or published in the areas of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as family therapy, parenting, treating anger issues, custody, and couples’ therapy. Michelle employs an eclectic approach based on many years of treatment and training from some of the best therapists in the fields of counseling and social work. Michelle’s vision of treatment is to work with you as an individual, planning together as a team to heal, grow, and make the changes necessary to have a more fulfilling life. Both Michelle and her husband, Troy, offer the unique service of couples’ counseling with a married couple as the therapy team. Both have had training in the Gottman, Imago, and numerous other couples’ therapy approaches. Michelle’s vision is that we work with you as a unique individual, whether you need therapy, case management, or some form of healing. Together, we can discover and develop strategies to make your choices for change.

Russell L. Hibbard, Jr. M.D. received his M.D. degree and performed his psychiatric residency at the University of Michigan Medical School. For the past 35 years, Dr. Hibbard has had a private practice and serviced as a consultant to various other practices and mental health clinics. For the last few years, Dr. Hibbard has been a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan State University, supervising residents and teaching with other staff a course in dynamic psychotherapy at the KCMSU Residency Program. Areas of particular experience and interest include conjoint therapy and the psychotherapy of adolescents and adults. Use of psychotherapeutic medication as an adjunct to therapy is an additional area of practice. His orientation is “eclectic,” based on “the language of the patient” and the problem needing to be addressed. He is medical director of Choices for Change.

Connie Brooks, MA/LPC is a strength-based licensed professional counselor with a long history of providing services and advocacy for the victims of emotional, physical, and sexual traumas. She is experienced in the delivery of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to individuals from all walks of life to help them find their voice, identify choices, and implement positive behavioral changes to get their needs met, as well as strengthen relationships with supportive people. Connie has a warm, inviting style of relating to people regardless of status, age, culture, race, or gender that is essential to the establishment of trust, security, and safety for victims of trauma, neglect, and bullying, as well as families in crisis. Connie has worked with troubled teens, gang members, sexual offenders, and children with attachment disorders as a therapist in the juvenile justice system to help them create positive behavior changes and establish healthy attachments with others. In addition, she has worked with couples, families, and adolescents, as well as adult individuals in crisis to become emotionally stable and effective in reaching their personal goals. Connie's approach to therapy is solution-focused, person-centered, and incorporates a collection of strategies, such as: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy; Psychodynamic Therapy; and Family Systems Theory to assist individuals, couples, and families to create functional/meaningful styles of living in the world as it is today.

Tom Duffield, MA/LLP/LPC is a Limited Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor. He brings to the practice 20 years of experience in the mental health field, including 10 years in Calhoun County as an outpatient therapist, case manager and on-call emergency mental health worker. He was a supervisor of a Residential Home in Van Buren County for five years and was employed as an intake specialist in Kalamazoo County. He has worked with adolescents, adults, couples and families and specializes in trauma survivors, depression, sexual and domestic assault victims, and anger management issues. Tom enjoys playing the piano, and this is a way or reducing the stress in his life.

Dennis A. LeClear, M.A./M.Ed/LPC has graduate degrees in both education and counseling, and many years of working in relationship with others, Dennis has learned the importance of truly listening to others, validating their experiences, and accepting them where they are in life. He has worked with a wide variety of people individually, as couples, and in groups. Dennis especially enjoys working with young adults (adolescents). Dennis believes that regardless of the current circumstances we may face, we can improve our experiences of life through changes in our beliefs, exploring our values, deepening our understanding, learning new behaviors, and creating new choices. His approach to counseling is mindful, respectful and affirmative. 

Hillary R. Smith, LLMSW is a graduate of University of Southern California with a Master of Social Work degree. Her USC education also featured a sub-concentration focus on working with military veterans and military families. Having many friends and family who have served, and are currently serving in the military, has created in Hillary a strong desire to give-back and support those who have given so much for our country. Hillary enjoys working with children and adolescents while focusing on issues such as anxiety, depression, anger management, low self-esteem, trauma, and many other emotional, psychological and behavioral issues. Hillary provides outreach in school systems among the community as well as extensive work with families, adults, and couples within the agency to help with communication and improving family dynamics. Hillary also worked for many years as a State Farm insurance adjuster giving her unique experiences dealing with those affected by disasters and psychological traumas. Hillary displays an accepting, warm, genuine, and understanding style which clients find reassuring.

Robert Washington, MA/LLPC/CAADC is a Limited Licensed & Certified Alcohol Addiction Counselor (CAADC) with a background in community mental health spanning 16 years. He uses primarily a flexible client-centered approach focusing on awareness and self-responsibility. Robert’s goal is to support you to overcome the struggles that you're facing in your life and relationships in healthy and non-judgmental ways. Robert specializes in evidence-based therapies, including: Trauma Focus Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET). Robert’s areas of expertise are the following: Treatment of Mood Disorders; Trauma; depression; ADHD; substance abuse; anger management; and Dual Diagnosis. He is also uniquely experienced in working with foster and adopted/adoptive children, as well as adults. Robert has worked closely for several years with the welfare and criminal justice systems. Therapy can be an invaluable tool toward regaining a sense of control and peace over life. Roberts allows you to begin to the connections between your past & present experiences while feeling empowered to work towards your future goals.

Maria Faison, MA/LLP is a Bilingual Spanish Speaking, Limited Licensed Psychologist. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University. She enjoys working with Children, adolescents, teenagers, and adults. She has six years of experience in working with the low income families and community mental health clients. She enjoys meeting with individuals and families of different backgrounds and has experience in working with variety of symptoms and mental health issues. She has worked with clients dealing with depression, anxiety , stress, and conflict. She has also helped the younger clients improve behavioral issues, improve relationships, increase self-esteem, Manage ADHD symptoms, manage anger, depression, anxiety, and stress. Her focus is on building personal strengths or recognizing strengths and being of support and guidance  to he client while working toward personalized therapeutic goals. She believes the client can take control of her/his life with guidance, patience, support and motivation. She tries to help clients feel empowered and confident in their personal decisions and direction in life, by educating and increasing self-awareness of their strengths and abilities.

Tracy O'Connor, Office Manager is the friendly and warm voice who will answer and schedule your appointment with your therapist at Choices For Change. The more information that you tell her, the better fit she will choose for you and your therapist. Tracy really cares for all the clients at Choices For Change, and you can feel very comfortable telling her whatever you need.

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