CREATIVE KUPONYA

Our Team

We are a BIPOC & woman owned and lead organization that values diversity, community, and healing from oppressive trauma. Our practice centers liberating clients and clinicians from the stereotypical treatment and practices through mental health medical model. We actively work to create an environment with opportunities for mentoring, learning, and advancement.

Jamil Stamschror-Lott, LICSW

Founder & CEO

Jamil Stamschror-Lott, LICSW is a licensed mental health professional and an educator. As a Black man, he represents less than 4% of licensed therapists in America. Jamil and his wife Sara co-founded Creative Kuponya, an organization that seeks to dismantle the systemic racism and oppressive forces embedded within our mental health systems and provide therapeutic justice to those that society has pushed into the margins.

Creative Kuponya seeks to be a community with access to restructured, innovative mental health care at the intersection of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through three main avenues: individual therapy, transformative community healing sessions, education & training.

Among many other accolades, Jamil and Creative Kuponya have been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, The New York Times, and USA Today.

Sara Stamschror-Lott, LMFT

Founder & CCO

After experiencing the harms of misdiagnosis firsthand, Sara co-founded Creative Kuponya, with her husband Jamil, in 2017 to provide therapy without the barriers of forced diagnosis and to build a community with access to restructured,innovative mental health care at the intersection of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

After losing their offices in the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd, Creative Kuponya developed their theory of Transformative Community Healing Sessions and began the BIPOC Therapy Fund to provide no cost therapy sessions to those seeking care without the barriers of traditional mental health care. This work moves towards dismantling oppressive systems and centering the ways in which people have healed themselves and their communities before colonization, capitalism and white supremacy.

Sara is also a Minnesota Board Approved Supervisor for the Boards of Marriage and Family Therapy and Clinical Counseling. Further, Sara teaches at Saint Mary’s University in the Marriage and Family Therapy program. In her clinical practice, she is also an EMDR therapist and specializes in Oppressive Trauma Informed Care. Currently, Sara is available for keynotes, consultation, Community Cultural Assessments and supervision.

Sara’s work has been featured in The New York Times, USAToday, BBC Worldwide and other major news outlets.

Brittane T. Geleske, MA
Director of Operations & Wellness

Brittane holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration & College Student Development. She is deeply passionate about holistic care, wellness, and healing.

During the past decade, she has dedicated her career to excellence in college student development, leadership, justice, and equity. Brittane approaches any role by providing space for individuals to learn, feel understood, and receive access to necessary resources.

Brittane is excited to bring her administrative leadership, project management, and content curation expertise to Creative Kuponya in order to support organizational growth and further provide space for community healing, teaching, and mental health care without barriers.

Rebecca Dilley, MA
Therapist

Rebecca brings an eclectic mix of interests and experience to being a therapist, including working with youth and families in a variety of settings, running a business in visual arts for over a decade, and working on books about local food. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in History and Spanish and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She is also trained in EMDR, a trauma-informed mode of therapy.

Rebecca specializes in working with couples and families. As a therapist, she witnesses growth, creativity, and resilience that people bring with them. She believes that curiosity and a sense of wonder are two of the most important tools she brings as a therapist.

Nina Barnes, MA, SPHR
Coach & Spiritual Director

Nina is a certified spiritual director with a passion for creating space for others to discern opportunities and challenges, along with responding to invitations from God. Through her spiritual direction and coaching practice, Transforming Journey, Nina considers it an honor to help others experience and embody love, hope, redemption, and transformation.

Also, Nina currently serves as a vice president at an organization based in the Twin Cities. She has extensive human resources experience, stemming from 30+ years of service within a variety of organizational settings. Nina earned a Master of Arts degree in Spiritual Formation & Leadership.

Beyond spiritual direction, Nina holds certifications in:
– Human Resources Management (SPHR-Senior Professional in Human Resources)
– Conflict Coaching/Mediation
– Unconscious/Implicit Bias Awareness and Mitigation
– Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrator
– Enneagram Coaching/Training
– StrengthsFinder Training
– Spiritual Leadership Transformation

Outside of work, Nina desires to make a meaningful impact as she serves on the Advisory Council for an organization dedicated to forming global peacemakers and reconciling leaders who mend divides and on the Board of Directors for a Twin Cities non-profit. Yet, her most cherished roles are mother to an adult son and “daughter-in-love”, along with her newest role as “Gramma Nina” to her two granddaughters.

Nisha Narpaul, MFT Intern

Nisha Narpaul is a dedicated Marriage and Family Therapy intern currently pursuing her Master’s degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. As a child of immigrants, Nisha has a profound commitment to working within underserved communities and advocating for equal access to healthcare.

Her personal journey through healing has deeply impacted her therapeutic approach, allowing her to come alongside clients with empathy and hope. Nisha is passionate about promoting holistic well-being, addressing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit in her practice. She believes in a collaborative therapeutic process that emphasizes the strengths and resilience of each individual.

Nisha’s approach is centered on creating a safe and inclusive environment where clients feel valued and understood. She integrates mindfulness practices to help clients develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation, while her strength-based focus empowers individuals to build on their existing resources and capabilities.

Outside of her professional life, Nisha enjoys traveling and exploring new places, which fuels her curiosity and enriches her perspective. She also cherishes spending time with her family and actively engages in volunteer work within her community, reflecting her commitment to service and connection.