BYS Team

Courtney Oliver, LMHC, Executive Director

Advice for my teenage self: Stop worrying about what others think and enjoy life!
Favorite quote: If all else fails, smile.
What makes me happy to be alive: Creative expression, the beginning of a season, family time, music, laughing with others.

Courtney stepped into the role of Executive Director in February 2021. She joined BYS as a counselor in January 2016 and has been the clinical services director since June 2017. She was promoted to Youth Services Director in November 2019. She is a Washington licensed mental health and chemical dependency professional with more than 12 years in the mental health field.

I love that BYS is able to provide youth free services like counseling and peer tutoring. Teens are so much fun to work with! They are so wise and perceptive. We can learn a lot from our youth.

Laura Firman, Office Coordinator

Advice for your teenage self: Nurture your creativity. Making art will give you the gift of self expression and joy throughout your life.
Favorite quote:  “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.”  — Oscar Wilde
What makes me happy to be alive: Spending time with my family and friends, drawing and painting, travel, trying new cuisine, going to art museums, jazz concerts and baseball games.

Seventeen years ago Laura and her family traveled across the country to relocate to Bainbridge Island. Here they found a vibrant community with great schools in a beautiful setting. Laura has worked at the Bainbridge Island School District for many years as a paraeducator helping students from preschool to high school age.

I feel incredibly lucky to work with the dedicated staff at BYS. They have created a welcoming, safe place that offers counseling, volunteering opportunities and community service projects for the island’s youth. The Peer Tutoring program at BYS not only helps those with academic challenges, but it also gives the tutors a chance to build their work experience and leadership skills.

Helen Burke, LMHC, Clinical Supervisor

Advice for my teenage self: There is nothing wrong with you – trust in your goodness and worthiness of love and belonging.
Favorite quote: “Remember the earth whose skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth, brown earth, we are earth. Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.” ~ Jay Harjo
What makes me happy to be alive: Ordinary moments with my family and friends, and moments alone in nature.

Helen joined BYS in April 2020 as a counseling intern. She has completed her master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Antioch University in Seattle. She is interested in mindfulness and body-based therapies for working with grief, loss, and trauma. This is a career change for Helen, who worked as a lawyer before raising her two teenage daughters.

I love working with teens and parents around the myriad challenges of being human – I am constantly inspired and amazed by my clients and their ability to discover and grow and heal. I am so grateful to be learning at 50 how much it is possible to enjoy and find meaning in my work!

John Carleton, LMHC, Therapist

Advice for my teenage self: You’re not alone and you don’t have to do it all by yourself. It’s okay to talk to someone about how difficult things are. Talking about what’s going on will help you know what you’re feeling and let you know that you’re not alone in feeling that way. Also, you don’t have to have the right answer all the time; you don’t have to be perfect. It’s quite impossible! Making mistakes is not only okay, it’s how you learn and grow!
Favorite quote: “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a covenant between equals.” ~ Fr. Gregory Boyle
What makes me happy to be alive: Sunrises, sunsets, starry skies, cold mountain rivers and lakes, laughter, jumping on a trampoline, and riding my bike.

John joined BYS in August 2020 as a counseling intern.

I chose to work at BYS because I want to support my community, and I wish I’d had someone to talk to when I was a teenager. Many boys in America are socialized to disconnect from their emotions and to think that they shouldn’t need other people. I’d like to disrupt that narrative and help teens, especially boys, understand that our brains are wired for social connection and emotional engagement.

Chase Myers, LMHCA, Therapist

Advice for my teenage self: Be kind to yourself, take your time, and learn to embrace the moments that matter.
Favorite quote: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” – Soren Kierkegaard
What makes me happy to be alive: Spending quality time with family and friends, getting lost in a good story, opportunities to connect with others, learning something new.

Chase joined BYS in January of 2022 as a counseling intern. He grew up in Kenai, Alaska and has received a B.A. in History from the University of Alaska Anchorage. He loves how much Bainbridge reminds him of his tight-knit community roots.

I am excited to do my part in supporting teenagers as they traverse such a unique time in their lives.

Megan Bradley, LMHCA, Therapist

Advice for my teenage self: You are enough just as you are.
Favorite quote: “Knowing oneself comes from attending with compassionate curiosity to what is happening within.” – Gabor Maté
What makes me happy to be alive: Adventuring–seeing new places and meeting new people. Being outside and moving my body. Cooking a delicious meal, starting and finishing a really good fantasy book, and spending time with family, friends and my partner.

I am very excited to be a part of the BYS team. I look forward to helping provide a space where teens and young adults feel like they can show-up as their most authentic selves!

Megan Leanderson, LMHCA

Advice for my teenage self: Pay attention to the things that light you up with joy, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good and think twice about what you wear to prom!

Favorite quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

What makes me happy to be alive: Painting, time by the water and traveling with my family are some of my greatest joys. However, my strongest gratitude nerve is hit when the following are involved: a good playlist, time in the kitchen cooking delicious food and a table full of people I love — and not necessarily in that order!

Megan and her family moved to Bainbridge in 2017 and fell in love with the community. After getting her Master’s Degree from The George Washington University and working within schools and community mental health in D.C., she transitioned to the corporate space.  Megan spent over a decade partnering with professionals through career transitions, job searches, and personal development. Those experiences shape her approaches to working with youth and their families to navigate challenges and live value-driven lives.

I am excited to be part of a team that provides support locally! 

Karis Tsolomitis, Communications Manager

Advice for my teenage self: Take a deep breath. We are all just trying to figure it out. 

Favorite quote: “Art is what you can get away with.” – Andy Warhol

What makes me happy to be alive: Walking in the woods with my two dogs, trying new recipes, knitting or reading by a fire. Above all else spending time with the people that make my heart sing. 

I am excited to be able to support our local youth and their families.