Our Team

Dr. Nora Dennis is the founder and CEO of Jubilee. Her approach integrates psychopharmacology, somatic interventions, psychotherapy, nutrition, and mindfulness. She has served as a faculty member at Duke University School of Medicine since 2014 and continues as an Adjunct Assistant Professor. Her clinical experience includes psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and brain stimulation for treatment-resistant illness.  Dr. Dennis believes that medication can be a critical component of strong mental health for many people to the extent that it makes it possible to engage robustly in psychotherapy and overall wellness practices. Her philosophy is to start dosing low, go slow, connect frequently, and include lots of psychoeducation and discussion on her clients’ medication experiences.

Before she was a physician, Dr. Dennis was a yoga teacher, and she now maintains a yoga and movement practice. Her training in awareness of the mind-body connection in herself and others has been foundational to her approach to medicine. In addition, she has completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training. She has a strong interest in psychedelic science and continues to follow the research in this emerging area.

She is a mother to three energetic children and enjoys hiking, guitar, yoga, crafting, and reading.

Lead Therapist Linda Chupkowski is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of NC. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work in 2007. She has been in private practice since the Fall of 2019. Prior to that, she worked for seven years as a staff therapist at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she saw undergraduate and graduate students for crisis assessment and individual and group therapy. She also taught mindfulness meditation classes as well as yoga in group settings. She has supervised MSW students and LCSWAs. Prior to working at UNC, she provided in-home therapy to kids and families with Carolina Outreach, a community-based mental health agency in the Triangle area, serving mostly low-income families. She was also a wilderness therapy instructor for three years before receiving her MSW.

Linda cares passionately about racial and social justice and weaves this work into everything she does. Linda is a queer, White, cis-gender, middle-class, middle-aged, straight-size, able-bodied woman. Her engineer partner has a complicated gender identity, and together, they have two amazing children. She is passionate about healing as a true revolution of justice, community, nature, connection, integration, health, and wholeness.

Kellyn brings a deep passion for collaboration and empowerment to her work at Jubilee, where she partners with patients to uncover their aspirations, clarify their goals, and build on their inherent capacity for change. With a genuine curiosity to understand each individual’s unique story, Kellyn ensures that her patients feel seen, valued, and heard. She fosters a growth mindset through self-compassion, helping make the process of change less daunting.

Kellyn’s approach is centered on purposeful listening and empowering patients to address their concerns, fears, and uncertainties. By encouraging self-awareness and resilience, she helps patients identify and overcome barriers that may be standing in the way of their vision for a fulfilling life. As a dedicated teammate in their journey, Kellyn is committed to facilitating positive, lasting change.

Kellyn earned her undergraduate degree in neuroscience with a minor in psychology and continued her studies at the University of North Carolina, where she obtained her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Her clinical philosophy emphasizes the interconnectedness of mind and body, and she takes a collaborative approach to care that honors this relationship. Guided by values of humility, courage, authenticity, and compassion, Kellyn strives to embody these principles in every patient interaction.

Heather Kouros is the Farm Manager and Peer Support Specialist at Jubilee Farms. She is thrilled to be combining her passion for holistic systems of mental health care with over three years of experience with regenerative agriculture. Heather stumbled into farming when her volunteer position at a local farm received the funding to launch a CSA program in 2021. Before coming to Jubilee, Heather served as the Volunteer Coordinator, CSA lead, Intern director, and Lead Farmer at her former farm, Spring Forest. She is deeply invested in creating sustainable systems for farming and living. Heather studied herbalism at Sacred Journeys School of Herbalism in Austin, Texas in 2016 and is informed by the healing, complexity, and wisdom available when actively being in a relationship with the natural world.

Heather’s road to recovery from trauma and mental illness was a long one, and she leads with the gifts of her experience. She seeks to bring empathy, open-mindedness, curiosity, and humor to others and is constantly learning from those who are healing and need healing. Heather has also spent a significant amount of time caring for children and adults with special needs and is constantly humbled by the profundity of the human experience.

Heather spends her time outside Jubilee swimming in rivers, hanging out with animals, dancing, working on creative projects, and taking lots of naps!

Melissa Russell is Jubilee’s yoga therapist. Melissa uses movement, breath, meditation, and lifestyle modifications to help people find better health and well-being physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and spiritually. In addition to Jubilee, she teaches a small number of group classes at Yoga Garden Pittsboro, Carolina House, as well as Veteran’s First.

Melissa is a certified yoga therapist, a 500 hour registered yoga teacher trained in ashtanga, anusara, and pelvic floor health, and an iRest level 2 meditation teacher.

Master Chef Lizzie teaches cooking for Jubilee clients weekly. While traveling and working in India in her 20s, Lizzie discovered a love for yoga and meditation and, for the first time, felt a true sense of embodiment. It was during this time that her passion for nourishment began. She has been a holistic chef for 20 years, cooking for large groups, from meditation and yoga retreats to corporate wellness seminars, and for individuals and families. Lizzie completed her health coach training through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2012. She had her daughter that year and went on to train in early childhood education, learning so much about child development, behavior, and the importance of wholesome food for growing children. Lizzie is the co-owner of Goodness Cooks, a company that provides a healthy and nutrient-dense weekly menu to provide a foundation of goodness to help clients truly thrive in life.

Anole grew up hanging out with reptiles in the strange land of Florida. While completing a bachelor’s degree in sociology, they co-founded a community land trust and urban farm there. Anole came to the Triangle for their graduate work and received a dual master’s degree in Social Work and Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill in 2016.

Since then, they’ve focused much of their career on violence prevention and response. They’ve run a support group program at a rape crisis center, promoted LGBTQ-inclusive trauma-informed care as a trainer and consultant, done communications for a national transgender antiviolence organization, and provided therapy to youth and families struggling with violence as an Intensive In-Home Therapist.

Anole believes deeply in the possibilities embedded within crisis for healing, connection, and transformation. In response to the youth mental health crisis, they developed a brief suicide prevention model that is facilitated in group settings. It is being rolled out to public health workers across the state.

A poet, Anole is currently pursuing an Expressive Arts Therapy certification and facilitating expressive arts groups at Jubilee. Expressive Arts Therapy is unique in that it interweaves many modalities of creative expression, such as movement, visual art, writing, music, and drama– reclaiming our innate right to creativity.

Anole lives in a converted log cabin in rural Orange County with errant insects. They enjoy walking in nature, talking with friends for hours, writing poetry, cooking with their partner, swimming in the summertime, and (as seen in this photo) listening to nerdy educational podcasts all year round.

Andria is a dedicated and goal-driven professional committed to excellence. Born and raised in Miami, FL, she is bilingual and fluent in both English and Spanish. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Andria and her daughter relocated to Northern Alabama to be closer to family. She pursued an A.S. in Medical Assisting at Wallace State and is now a cross-trained CMA (AAMA) and X-ray Technician with over five years of experience in family practice, primary care, and urgent care settings. Additionally, she has more than ten years of experience in employee training and development. Andria is deeply passionate about mental health and providing exceptional patient care. In her free time, she enjoys reading and actively participating in prayer and student ministry at her church.

Togor believes that healing is not just an individual process but a communal and ecological one. Their undergraduate studies in biochemistry provided a foundation in understanding the body’s complexity, which later evolved into a fascination with how our brains and minds are shaped by the relationships we have with others—ultimately leading them to obtain an MSW from Winthrop University.

Their clinical approach is trauma-informed, blending person-centered care with community advocacy. They take an integrative and culturally responsive approach, drawing from a range of strength-based modalities, while incorporating mindfulness and the wisdom of nature to honor each person’s unique lived experiences and support them in building mind- and heart-centered coping strategies.

As a first-generation Nigerian-American, Togor is deeply committed to the power of storytelling, community, and healing justice. Their work is rooted in Ecowomanist principles, which honor the ways women and queer folk of the African diaspora connect care for the Earth with care for their communities and themselves—drawing from cultural heritage, lived experiences, and spiritual traditions. This framework emphasizes the interconnectedness of spirituality, ecology, and social transformation. Grounded in the understanding that mental health is inseparable from social, biological, and environmental factors, they strive to bridge gaps in care, amplify marginalized voices, and nurture resilience through tenderness in a world that often demands otherwise.

Helen consults with Jubilee as our Parent Support Therapist. We often find that parents of our participants find it valuable to be engaged in their own therapy, and Helen is ready to support these family members. She believes that “the best thing you can do for the mental health of your child is to work on your own mental health.”

Helen has a wellness perspective and believes each of us has what we need to heal and grow. Inviting clients to get clear on their values, improve their communication skills, and move into their preferred future is a typical pattern for her work. Some of Helen’s favorite ways of working with clients include Bowen family systems and sand tray therapy.

Helen’s practice is self-pay (not in-network with any insurance) at $150/session. Many parents are supported well with 4-6 weekly sessions. Some continue weekly or biweekly to continue to grow; others complete this series and will return if needed in the future.

You can find out more about Helen and her practice at HealGrowGoWellness.com. Helen and her husband are active members of Eno Commons Cohousing Community and are parents of two young adults. She loves hiking the Eno, board games, and hosting retreats.