Reimagining Mental Health Care

Creating possibilities, nurturing self discovering, and partnering on the path to recovery. Since 2011, Mindful Therapy Group has offered diverse, accessible, and quality mental health services. Founded by clinicians, Mindful Therapy Group was built to expand access to care while better supporting the providers who deliver it.

A mission born from experience

When we first founded Mindful Therapy Group, we had a vision of uniting like-minded mental healthcare specialists to serve the Seattle area with compassion, experience and a fresh outlook on mental wellness.

Many years and lessons later, we now serve a large, diverse group of highly-respected independent clinicians. They have collectively helped thousands of families, couples, teenagers, and children seeking to improve their lives with professional guidance.

Together, we aren’t just Co-founders and chief executives of Mindful Support Services; we’re also married and have three children. We run or walk our dog together almost daily, often working out the puzzles of the day. There is a synergy that translates from our team approach in our everyday lives to the way we lead our company, offering a cohesive vision and path forward for our people.

We look forward to carefully listening to your needs and providing your practice with the highest quality support services available to mental health professionals in our region.

Mindful Therapy Group Senior Leadership

Jessica Crain, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Jessica Crain is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Mindful Therapy Group. A former Registered Nurse at the University of Washington Medical Center, she brings a clinical foundation to her work leading operations, organizational design, and multi-state growth.

Over the past fifteen years, Jessica has co-built Mindful Therapy Group into a leading provider-centered behavioral health organization, supporting thousands of clinicians and expanding access to care across multiple communities. She focuses on building the systems, teams, and infrastructure required to deliver high-quality care at scale.

Jessica is known for her ability to bring structure and clarity to complex organizations—aligning people, processes, and technology to support both providers and clients. Her work is grounded in a simple goal: making care more accessible while ensuring both providers and clients feel supported throughout their experience.

Derek Crain, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Derek Crain is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mindful Therapy Group. A licensed therapist with more than 30 years of experience, he co-founded the organization with a vision to better support both providers and the people they serve.

Derek’s background includes residential treatment, hospital social work, emergency settings, and private practice, where he specialized in mindfulness and addiction medicine. These experiences continue to shape his perspective and the model behind Mindful Therapy Group.

As CEO, Derek focuses on the long-term direction of the organization and the continued evolution of its care model. He is known for his ability to see patterns others miss—bringing a clinically grounded perspective that shapes how the organization evolves and delivers care.

Krystal Tonning, Chief People Officer

Krystal joined the Mindful Support Services team in May of 2019. Prior to joining the MSS group she worked for Global Baristas, where she was the Director of Project Management. During her 12 years with Global Baristas she was responsible for all major initiates and implementations for hundreds of employees and 30+ corporate owned locations. It was there that she developed a passion for managing the teams and timelines that impact the business as a whole. She is looking forward to bringing her past experience to the world of mental health and is excited to bring mental health to life from an operations standpoint.

In addition to her work at Global Baristas she has spent the last six years consulting for different international brands as part of a race car series. Traveling the nation and meeting people of different backgrounds and takes on life has really prepared her for a role in developing different learning and managing styles, with the ultimate goal to better serve the community around us, while growing our current business.

Krystal enjoys attending UW football games, from which she graduated. She also thrives on finding the newest underrated restaurant or bar in Seattle, traveling, wine tasting, and spending as much time on Whidbey Island at her cabin as possible.

Ryan Bourke, Vice President of Operations

Ryan joined Mindful Support Services team in May of 2019, after five years working in international education and sports tourism. As the Vice President of Operations, he works to bolster services to providers and clients by introducing new software, improving system processes, and facility improvements.

Ryan enjoys skiing, road trips, playing sports, and spending time with friends and family. He graduated from Willamette University in with a Bachelors of Arts in Rhetoric & Media Studies.

Falcon Bonsell, Director of Operations

Falcon Bonsell joined Mindful Support Services in June 2025, bringing over 20 years of project management leadership from innovative, first-of-a-kind initiatives at Boeing, and General Dynamics. He excels in building and leading data driven teams, streamlining processes, and ensuring operational excellence under strict regulatory frameworks.

Falcon is a former US Army Ranger, and proud alumni of University of Arizona master’s program, augmenting his passions for trust, teamwork, compassion, and flexibility. In his spare time, Falcon volunteers with the Forgotten Children’s Fund charity, is actively engaged in veterans’ outreach, amateur paleontology, skiing, soccer, and creating memories with his two children.

Josh McGowan, Vice President of Growth

Prior to joining the Mindful Support Services team in October 2021, Josh spent 13 years with a Non-Profit Organization supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Josh strived to enhance the quality of life, life skills, and community integration for 60 clients residing in 24-hr residential and assisted living service settings.

As the Business Development Manager, Josh will utilize his previous experience in management and people development to cultivate the expansion of MSS services into additional communities. With a passion for connection and community need, he’s tasked with identifying provider-partnerships as the group expands their therapeutic footprint across the Pacific Northwest.

Josh graduated with a degree in Education from Western Oregon University. After marrying his college sweetheart, they settled down in Portland where they play a never-ending game of chase with their twins.

Steve Ednie, Chief Financial Officer

Steve Ednie joined Mindful Therapy Group in February 2025, bringing over 30 years of financial leadership experience. He is deeply committed to building high-performing teams and driving organizational success through strategic financial planning. Throughout his career, Steve has served as CFO in both public and private sectors, where he implemented financial systems, enhanced operational efficiency, and guided companies toward sustainable growth.

Steve began his career at Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, focusing on domestic and international tax strategy. He later held senior finance roles at Pendrell Corporation, Clearwire Communications, XO Communications, and Expedia.

Outside of work, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife, their three daughters, two rescue dogs, and two cats. He’s an avid snowboarder and golfer, and he loves cheering on the University of Washington football team with his family—all proud UW alumni or current students.

James Teems, VP of Clinical and Payor Strategy

James Teems is a transformational healthcare executive and licensed mental health counselor with over 15 years of experience leading clinical and operational excellence across behavioral health systems. Specializing in turnaround strategy, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, James has successfully scaled mental health operations in both public and private sectors — from start-ups to integrated systems blending insurance and care delivery.

Currently serving as Vice President of Clinical and Payor Strategy at Mindful Support Services, James oversees risk management, credentialing, and clinical standards for a network of 2,000+ providers across multiple states. He brings deep expertise in clinical treatment, telehealth integration, and Lean process improvement, consistently driving technological innovation, clinical outcomes, and operational efficiency and sustainability.

James combines clinical insight with data-driven leadership to create scalable, patient-first care models. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication, an M.A. in Counseling, and is licensed in multiple states. His work reflects a rare blend of warmth, strategic acumen, and dedication to the evolving future of behavioral healthcare.

Lauren Bratney, Business Relationship Manager

Lauren joined Mindful Support Services team in 2014. She has managed many of the teams within the company throughout her tenure including; Billing, Intake, and Telehealth Departments. In her current role as Business Relationship Manager, Lauren gets to live out her passion of building strong and collaborative teams that are able to pivot and grow with the ever changing needs of the company.

In addition, Lauren is a licensed mental health counselor and has a master’s degree from Antioch University Seattle. She runs a weekly women’s intimacy group where she enjoys helping women gain a sense of belonging and form lasting friendships with one another.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys cuddling with her two kitties, exploring new restaurants and parks in Seattle, and being in nature. Lauren enjoys horseback riding on the weekends where she gets to practice translating her communication and leadership skills to her horse.

Nick Norman, Clinical Program Manager

Nick has spent two of his five years with Mindful Support Services as a member of the management team, currently as the Clinical Program Manager. In that time, he has contributed to the evolution and growth of the company, assisting in the scaling and formalizing of processes as the company grew from one to four locations. Currently, he supports the recruiting, contracting, and development of business relationships with the independent providers in the group.

In addition, Nick is a clinical social worker who ran his own therapy practice for three years. Specializing in gay men’s issues, he enjoys helping people develop more meaningful relationships. He has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Russian from Brigham Young University.

In his free time, Nick enjoys piña coladas, long walks on the beach, and getting caught in the rain. He is an avid reader and writer and brings a detailed eye to the written word involved in his work. His weekends are spent in coffee shops with his notebook and pen, on the beach, or at concerts on Capitol Hill.

Emily Tomchak, Director of Client Services

Emily was born and raised in Southern California. She has a degree in Human Biology from University of California, San Diego. She moved to Seattle last summer to pursue her MBA which was completed in 2020.

Emily loves cooking, football, and getting lost in a good book. She also enjoys being outdoors and exploring new places. She is a certified scuba diver and her bucket list is to visit every National Park.

Tessa Smith, Director of Provider Services

Tessa joined the Mindful Support Services team in September 2019 as a Provider Support Specialist. She quickly grew into management, supporting the Mountlake Terrace and Telehealth teams.

In her time with MTG she has valued the mental health support we, as a community of providers and staff, can provide. She looks forward to continuing to embody and spread the Mindful culture.