Clinical Therapist;

Expressive Arts Therapist

Co-Founder of NExT Foundation

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Jea Theis is a licensed independent mental health counselor and clinical social worker. Jea has been working in the social services and mental health field for twenty years, starting out in the area of family violence, as a men's domestic violence counselor and CPS worker.  After completing her MSW degree, Jea practiced in a community mental health counseling center, worked as a social worker and grief counselor for a home and hospice agency, and has spent many years working children and families impacted by sexual abuse and other trauma. Jea has received specialized training in Expressive Arts Therapy, EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Brainspotting, CPP (Child-Parent Psychotherapy), TFCBT (Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Parent-child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT), and Compassion Fatigue. Jea is passionate about increasing awareness around compassion fatigue - providing education and consultation to agencies and supporting those working in helping professions in our community. Jea has worked in Private practice for the last eight years and is co-founder of an innovative mental health practice called Omaha Therapy and Arts Collaborative (OTAC), which opened April 2016.  Jea also recently co-founded NExT Foundation (Nebraska Expressive Arts Therapy Foundation), a non-profit organization in Omaha with a mission of bringing Expressive Arts and Mental Health care to marginalized and underserved members of the community.

Clinical Therapist

Dashel Lee, PLMHP began her journey with NExT as a Facilitation Intern in August 2023 and became a Facilitator in September 2025. She is passionate about creating supportive, engaging spaces where individuals feel heard, empowered, and encouraged to grow. Dashel brings empathy, authenticity, and a collaborative approach to every group, helping foster connection, resilience, and lasting positive change.

Collaborating Artist

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Kim Darling is an artist, curator, and educator whose work bridges contemporary art and social practice. She earned her MFA from the University of South Florida and has spent more than three decades as a professional artist, exhibiting nationally and internationally while teaching at the university and community level. Her work explores ecology, systems, and imagined futures through collaborative installations, public art, and research-driven projects that question inherited narratives and reimagine how we relate to one another and the living world.

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Therapist; Grief Facilitator

Selah Therapy Services LLC

402-881-0059

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Clinical Therapist;

Music Therapist

Emme (they/them/theirs) is a white, Queer, Neurodivergent, and Disabled person who works as a mental health therapist and board-certified music therapist. They enjoy supporting children, adolescents, and their caregivers to learn how to cope with big feelings, overcome difficult experiences, and develop confidence. They are also passionate about creating affirming and accessible therapeutic experiences for LGBTQIA2S+, Autistic, and Disabled people of all ages. Emme’s style as a therapist is warm, creative, honest, and a little goofy. They often use music-centered activities, such as listening to music, analyzing song lyrics, songwriting, and creating art to music, to support people of all levels of musical and artistic backgrounds to explore their emotions, create meaning in their experiences, and build resilience. Outside of work, you can find them cooking, singing, playing the piano, hanging out with their dog, and doing crossword puzzles. 

Clinical Therapist

As a Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner, I believe healing happens through compassionate connection, creative exploration, and honoring each person's unique story - not through fixing what isn't broken. My work is rooted in the expressive arts and person-centered therapy, integrating creativity, mindfulness, somatic awareness, and narrative practices to support healing beyond traditional talk therapy.

I work with individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, grief, burnout, identity exploration, and life transitions, with a special interest in supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, and neurodivergent clients. As a registered yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner, I embrace a holistic, mind-body approach that invites curiosity, self-expression, and deeper connection to inner wisdom. I strive to create a warm, collaborative space where clients can reconnect with themselves and move toward healing with authenticity and creativity.