Meet our team

Our Staff

  • Executive Director

    Mary is a licensed mental health professional with 38 years of experience. She has served in a variety of capacities, including working as a frontline clinical provider, clinical manager and supervisor of psychiatric hospital staff, director of operations of a freestanding psychiatric hospital, and as a member of the administrative team of a large county hospital system. In 2001, Mary worked with two others to open the first DBT practice in Upstate, South Carolina. She is a major advocate for increasing access to DBT, working diligently to carry out the mission of The Life Worth Living Project.

  • Associate Director

    Alyssa is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Greenville, SC. She has been a practicing clinician for ten years and started her own practice in 2021. Her primary focus is on providing DBT for both teenagers and adults. Alyssa strongly believes in the importance of all individuals having equal access to quality evidence-based mental health treatment and is dedicated to supporting the mission of The Life Worth Living Project.

Our Board

Board Chair

Jamie Martin

Jamie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and business owner who works with adolescents, families, and adults in Greenville, SC. She has intensive training in DBT and 9 years of experience as a Dialectical Behavior Therapist. She believes strongly in the mission to make this evidenced based treatment more accessible to a diverse pool of clients.

Board Vice Chair

Julie Caligan-Gilliam

Julie has 10 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising and event planning, most recently for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and 5 years’ experience as a small business owner. She currently is a stay-at-home mother of twins. She believes strongly in the effectiveness of comprehensive DBT, and is excited to help make it more accessible to others. 

Board Secretary-Treasurer

Cheryl Martin

Cheryl served on the board of NAMI-AOP (Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties) for several years prior to moving to Greenville. She also worked with Greenville DBT Collective as their referral coordinator, often the first point of contact for individuals and families seeking DBT. In that role, Cheryl heard countless stories of people for whom DBT was their best hope for “a life worth living.” She continues to be an advocate for mental health care and relishes the opportunity to join forces with The Life Worth Living Project. 

Board Member

Casey Starnes

Casey is a Licensed Professional Counselor, currently operating a private practice in Columbia, SC. Casey has been in the counseling field for over 10 years. She spent 6 of those years working in a non-profit helping at risk youth with abuse histories as well as previously worked at a non-profit for mental health and suicide prevention. She believes in the importance of making DBT available to those who may not have the resources so they can gain the skills to see that life is worth living.

Board Member

Laura Caligan-Gilliam

Laura is currently Chief Strategy Officer with the Graham Foundation, in Greenville, SC, where she oversees the organization’s grant-making. She has 25 years’ experience working in and with nonprofits, primarily in the areas of direct marketing/fundraising and communication. Laura is passionate about helping increase DBT’s availability to families who need it.