Mother tree Project
MotherTree Project offers sliding-scale mental health and wellness services to the community. We work within a network of practitioners to respond to the specific needs of each client. Our practitioners are highly skilled and have a variety of experience and training.
Sliding-scale services are sustainable when we all work together. Clients who work with one of our practitioners and can pay the practitioner’s full rate help provide services for those who need a reduced fee. The Greater Mercy also supports this project through grants, community contributions, and income generated by offering monthly continuing education for licensed professionals (CEUs) and donations.
If you are interested in Mother Tree Services, please call Amy Lyles at 512-644-1778.
Mother tree Case Managers
Ashley Cooke, LCSW
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working with children and families for more than 35 years. My experience includes working with children in foster care and residential treatment as a therapist and case manager, training and supporting foster and adoptive parents, as well as many years in school social work. For the past 16 years I have worked with teen parents in the San Marcos CISD, where I have helped develop a mentorship program and continues to train and supervise teen and young adult mentors. I raised my two sons in Wimberley and remain connected to the Wimberley community. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, training dogs, hiking, and spending time in nature. I have trained and used therapy dogs, both in my work and as a volunteer.
I have always felt a deep connection to the natural world and to animals and they have been my greatest teachers. I am passionate about finding ways to listen more deeply, to learn the lessons hidden in all things, and to foster connections and community with others. I am grateful to be part of The Greater Mercy and envisioning the new forms it may take.
Gael Thompson, LPC, M.Div., EMDR
I support, guide, and am an agent of healing with children, teens, adults and families. I am a licensed professional counselor and has worked the human experience of grief at Bo’s Place in Houston, in private practice, and in school settings. My practice and client work is grounded in connection, spirituality, and practicality.
I am honored to join The Greater Mercy’s Mother Tree Project as a case manager. I look foreward to assisting people seeking counseling and ensuring each is matched with an appropriate professional.
Mother Tree practitioners
Xochitl (So-cheel) Gamas, MS, LPC-Associate
Hello, I am Xochitl (So-cheel), and I am truly grateful to be part of The MotherTree Project. As a bilingual (English-Spanish) and bicultural therapist, I warmly welcome people from all walks of life, honoring each person’s unique story and identity. I work with kids, pre-teens, teens, young adults and women navigating challenges such as low self-worth, chronic stress, anxiety, life transitions, trauma, and grief and loss.
I take a person-centered approach to therapy, offering a safe, non-judgmental space where I listen deeply, accept clients fully, and support their strengths and inner wisdom. I aim to help each person discover their own path to healing and growth at their own pace. I also integrate evidence-based techniques, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Somatic Therapy, SandTray Therapy, and Play Therapy, to meet the unique needs of each client.
In my free time, I enjoy quality time with my family, exploring new places to eat, traveling, and working out.
I'm an LPC associate, supervised by Supervised by Amy Lyles, LPC-S, RPT-S.
Natalie Hain, LPC-Associate
I am grateful to be apart of the vision and team at Mother Tree! At the heart of my work there is a deep knowing that healing, growth and change emerge from true connection. I view the therapeutic relationship as a collaborative space rooted in safety, curiosity and compassion. My hope is that our work together will feel like returning back to yourself through clarity and wisdom.
I take a holistic and integrative approach to therapy and believe that lifestyle and daily habits are essential to the healing process. In our work together, I will meet you with genuine care, honesty and openness. My approach weaves together somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), helping you make sense of your inner world through body and mind connection.
I am a mother to two grown sons who are my greatest teachers. I love slow mornings with coffee and a good book, daily movement and being in nature.
I'm an LPC associate, supervised by Supervised by Amy Lyles, LPC-S, RPT-S.
Amy Lyles, LPC-S, RPT-S
I provide an integrated approach to therapy utilizing traditional counseling theories along many tools such as: mindfulness practices, art and other expressive modalities (symbols, dreams, etc), play therapy, yoga therapy/somatic experiencing, ayurveda, and sound therapy. As we work collaboratively, we will arrive at the pace and utilize tools that may assist the work, as the healing process is very comprehensive and extremely specific to the individual. I work with children, teens, adults, families, and elders using a variety of modalities including Play therapy, Filial Therapy, Yoga therapy, Sound Therapy, Nature Based Therapy.
The way I engage in these practices are also unique to me and my life experiences. I have many decades of walking with people on their journey. While they may have benefitted from our time together, so did I. It gives me so much more depth and breadth of the space I am able to co-create collaboratively. While I have a very strong mind, the way in which I utilize the above practices are very heart centered. I strive to Co-Create without Claiming, Produce without Expecting, and Guide without Interfering.
Summer Milam, LPC-A
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate under the supervision of Jenn Popovich, LPC-S. I help individuals navigate life’s challenges and emotional struggles with compassion, curiosity, and evidence-based care. I believe in the power of a safe, supportive space where clients can explore their emotions, uncover inner strengths, and move toward healing and growth.
My approach is integrative and tailored to each client’s unique needs, blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness practices, and expressive techniques. I work with children, teens, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, low self-worth, life transitions, stress, and relational challenges.
I strive to create a non-judgmental, heart-centered environment where clients feel deeply heard and supported, while also equipping them with practical tools for resilience, balance, and a greater sense of connection in their daily lives.
Sarah Myers, LMSW
Hello! I'm Sarah Myers, a Licensed Master Social Worker currently under supervision with Dr. Christine Norton, and I'm thrilled to be working with The Greater Mercy. In my work with children and families, I take a non-directive child-centered approach, fostered by the belief that your child innately has everything within them they need to grow towards healing and wholeness. In my work with adults, I use a trauma-informed experiential approach and draw upon an eclectic variety of evidence-based tools to work with clients experiencing burnout, anxiety, and relationship issues. With clients of all ages, I utilize our original partner and healer, nature, as a co-therapist and inspiration. I am especially passionate about the ancient enneagram and enjoy exploring that tool with clients to initiate self-discovery. When I’m out of the office, I most enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, cooking, and finding a river or creek to splash in.
Janet Rucka-White, LPC-A
I work with neurodivergent children, teens, and women who feel stuck in their heads—overthinking, struggling with consistency, and having a hard time finding a rhythm that lasts. Many know what they should do but can’t make it stick, moving through the same pattern again and again: try hard, burn out, reset, repeat. In our work, we slow things down and focus on pacing, boundaries, and what’s happening in the body beneath the thoughts, so life can start to feel more steady and manageable.
Therapy with me is warm, engaged, and supportive. We make sense of patterns together and focus on small, practical shifts that respect your limits and help life feel less pressured and more manageable. I also support real-life executive functioning challenges like school stress, follow-through, organization, and transitions, and work with parents to better understand their child’s nervous system, set supportive boundaries, and reduce power struggles.
I’m a parent who values warmth, humor, and real connection, and I bring that same energy into the therapy room. If you’re neurodivergent, parenting a neurodivergent child, or wanting to learn how to work with your nervous system instead of against it, I’d be glad to connect and see if working together feels like a good fit.
I'm an LPC associate, supervised by Supervised by Amy Lyles, LPC-S, RPT-S.
Jennifer Sabatier M.A.
I have a deep regard and passion for working with clients experiencing intense grief, loss, and transitions. I have a masters degree in psychology and consciousness and transformation studies. I work from a systems perspective and rite of passage framework using various modalities including eidetic imagery/embodied imagination, somatic, breath work, and practices that engage the client’s resources and agency in their own healing. I work with clients of all ages, and most often adults and young adults (17-23). I am certified as a grief and loss counselor, Reiki II, and Eidetic Imagery practitioner. I also offer group retreats for clients and trainings and workshops for professionals.
I am a mother of five children, and a grandmother. I enjoy writing, painting, cooking, hiking, and spending time outdoors.
Britt Sudderth, MS LMFT
Britt Sudderth, MS LMFT
I believe therapy is a sacred experience—a connected space where growth can be both transformative and empowering. My holistic approach utilizes family systems, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), somatic practices, and mindfulness. I am passionate about integrating these methods to empower individuals to recognize and reframe unhelpful thought patterns, cultivate awareness of the mind-body connection, and develop skills for managing stress and emotions with greater clarity and resilience. I work with young adults, individuals, or couples seeking counseling for trauma, anxiety, depression, or life transitions.
I’m married and the mother of three boys. I find joy in all forms of art, spending time outdoors, practicing yoga, and getting lost in the world of documentaries.
We hold each client with care and offer resources that meet the client’s circumstance. If one of our practitioners cannot serve the need, we work with a network of providers. If you are interested in becoming part of the Mother Tree Network of providers, please contact Jen Sabatier.