Get To Know Stella

Dr Lipov is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Stella. He is a board-certified medical doctor with over 27 years of clinical experience and got his medical doctorate degree from Northwestern University. In 2006, Dr. Lipov pioneered the use of Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adapted it to an advanced protocol now known as "Dual Sympathetic Reset".

Dr Lipov's passion for helping trauma victims stems from his own personal and family history of coping with PTSD and depression. He understands the impact that trauma can have on one's physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and strives to provide compassionate and empathetic care to his patients.

Dr. lipov is based in Chicago and treats patients at Stella's Flagship location in Westmont, IL. 

Learn more about Dr. Lipov

Shauna 'Doc' Springer is a co-founder and the Chief Psychologist for Stella, a leading, trusted authority on innovative trauma treatments. Dr. Springer is responsible for developing Stella's trauma informed approach to care across its international network of more than 40 clinics. She leads training and public speaking engagements for Stella and is the host of the podcast "The Story of Our Trauma." She is a best-selling author of three books on trauma and is widely considered to be one of the world's leading experts on psychological trauma, military transition, suicide prevention, and close relationships.

Brian is the chief Psychiatrist at Stella, he clinical lead at our Boston location, and an attending psychiatrist in the Neurotherapeutics Department at McLean Hospital, where he treats patients with severe mental illness using modalities such as ketamine. He completed his adult psychiatry residency training at MGH and McLean Hospitals, serving as Chief Resident of Psychotherapy and the Program in Psychodynamics. 

Brian completed a fellowship at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (BPSI) and trained in the Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) clinic at McLean Hospital. Brian is currently the Affiliate Psychiatrist at Two Brattle Center, a multidisciplinary consultation team that treats patients with personality disorders using evidence-based approaches such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Additionally, he practices family therapy in consultation to the Gunderson program at McLean Hospital.

A former finalist in the Harvard Innovation Lab's Dean's Health and Life Sciences Challenge, Brian has a strong interest in working with entrepreneurs and has served as Executive Coach in Residence at Techstars Boston, a premier startup incubator. Having studied systems psychodynamics at BPSI and led interpersonal groups for years, he employs a team-based approach to help founders succeed through insight into group process. 

Brian graduated from Yale College with an honors degree in philosophy and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School. 

Dr. John How is a board-certified emergency medicine physician with over a decade of experience in the emergency department. He has a special interest in treating musculoskeletal and mental health conditions in people who work or live in high-stress jobs and environments.

Dr. How received his medical degree at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California and completed a residency in emergency medicine at Ascension St. John Hospital in Michigan. He is particularly interested in the use of modern ultrasound to diagnose and guide treatment for various conditions.

Through extensive training with doctors in a range of specialties, Dr. How has developed expertise in precision ultrasound-guided interventions for conditions such as peripheral nerve entrapment and soft tissue injuries. In addition to running the Stella San Diego clinic, Dr. How is also passionate about teaching and has joined the clinical faculty for the primary care sports medicine fellowship at UHC SoCal MEC, where he focuses on ultrasound guided diagnosis and treatment and regenerative medicine.

Dr. DeCocker became a nurse practitioner in 2007 after 10 years of hospital nursing experience. She is a Rush University graduate of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program and her doctoral degree was earned at Frontier Nursing University. Her special focus areas are sexual trauma and caring for Veterans and their family members.

Candice is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a passion to help all age groups. As a graduate from the University of Texas Health Science-Houston, Candice understands the need to listen and create a comprehensive treatment plan that aligns with your specific needs. Candice takes a holistic approach to treating mental health while incorporating modern day therapies.

Dr. Heather Miller is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who completed her doctoral training at Rush University Medical Center. She values a holistic approach to care by helping care for the patient's mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Miller is aware that all parts of life are interrelated and to bring true healing each patient must have an individualized treatment plan that is unique to their experience. Dr. Miller has worked with patients with severe childhood, combat, and sexual trauma. Her practice is based on identifying root causes, setting individual goals, and cultivating hope and resilience.

Hannah is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who is passionate about providing exceptional care. Hannah obtained her education in the state of Georgia and resides in South Carolina. Her clinical interests include trauma-focused care for childhood, domestic violence, sexual abuse survivors, and military personnel.

Jen is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with experience in acute inpatient, IOP/PHP, chemical dependency/recovery, and private practice/med management with a special interest in dual-diagnosis and trauma. Jen is passionate about ensuring that mental health be integrated into each person's individualized, holistic care.

Tanya is a Physician Assistant with experience in psychiatry and general medicine. She has spent over 16 years in clinical environments delivering direct patient care. She earned her degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed her training in various clinics and hospitals throughout California.

Greg is a licensed paramedic with over 30 years of experience in healthcare related fields. He is a retired firefighter/paramedic after serving for 25 years and has 5 years experience in a hospital emergency room. Greg has been working with Dr. Eugene Lipov, treating those suffering from post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and mental trauma for over 17 years. He has seen repeatedly over the years the negative impact these injuries and conditions can have on individual and family lives. He believes that everyone deserves a chance to live a peaceful life, without the effects of these conditions directing their daily lives.

Amanda is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 16 years of clinical experience working in behavioral health and emergency psychiatry. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from New York University and her Master of Science degree from Stony Brook University. In 2019, she helped initiate the ketamine infusion service for psychiatric inpatients at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and became convinced of this medicine's potential to catalyze true healing. Naturally inclined toward humanistic care, she approaches her work every day with empathy, curiosity, and compassion.

Charles is an empathetic, dedicated, and professional Family Nurse Practitioner with over fourteen years of experience in healthcare. He obtained his Master of Science in Nursing from Howard University in 2013 and, soon thereafter, certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. He has a background in cardiology and mental health and a strong interest in integrative health. He developed a passion for mindfulness-based practices, holistic medicine, and the healing benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy through his own personal journey. He understands client needs and is eager to work with them to achieve individual goals in a safe, reliable, and realistic manner while providing unbiased quality care throughout each client's journey. He is an active member of the American Association for Nurse Practitioners and the Nurse Practitioner Association of the District of Columbia. Charles is also certified in mind-body somatic practices and works as a holistic wellness coach outside of Stella.

Hannah is an industrious, versatile, and driven professional with diverse background in business operations, early childhood administration, and customer service. With 10 years of experience and aiding in the opening of multiple daycare centers in Chicago, Hannah has found a new passion in the mental health field. She is deeply compassionate for people and seeing the impact that Stella provides for so many is immensely rewarding. In her free time, she loves finding new hiking trails with her fiancé and dog as well as visiting breweries and traveling to new places.

Keegan has a passion for holistic and transformative medicines. They are endlessly curious about how different healing modalities work for different people, and believe that everyone has a right to evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies. They're excited to be a part of a team so dedicated to collective healing, and to contribute their skills and passion to such an amazing field.
Keegan has a background in community organizing and natural science research. They previously worked as Director of Community Engagement for the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network, and as a published research associate in cell biology at Harvard Medical School. More recently, they transitioned into clinical operations in the mental health and psychedelic ecosystem. When they're not working, they enjoy climbing, dancing, and making big pots of soups for friends.

Maria Williams received her M.A. in General Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where her studies focused on transpersonal psychology, the use of imagery in improving athletic performance, and dance/movement therapy. She has a passion for alternative methods of healing, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and spiritual exploration for personal growth and well-being. Maria has administrative and operational experience in holistic medicine and mental health, and she also offers certified trip sitting support.

In her free time, Maria loves to attend concerts, festivals, and other live music events, using music and movement as medicine and personal therapy. She also loves going to the beach, eating french fries, and binging dramatic TV shows. Maria is honored to be a part of the Stella family and strives to bring her skill set and love for exploration to support and enhance clients' experiences.

Sandra is a dedicated and diligent healthcare administrator with over 12 years of experience in providing quality patient care, as well as in administration and management. She has served in a senior living community and has become a Certified Dementia Care Specialist. In addition to work, Sandra is is pursuing her career in the medical field. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, working out, and spending time with her friends and family.

Zacharia is a proud US Navy Veteran who've served as a Presidential Honor Guard under Pres. Ronald Reagan and served aboard the flight decks of six aircraft carriers. Zach joined Stella in 2024 and was eager to bring years of customer service expertise from his work as Bell Captain, supervisor, and concierge at 5-star hotels. Zach looks forward to engaging the clients and their companions at Stella by connecting with them and making everyone feel like "part of the family".

Philippe is a seasoned, high impact CEO with a track record of profitably scaling lifestyle and multi-unit retail companies and has built his international career working with world-class brands such as Starbucks, Nike, Disney and Getty Images.

Michael is an experienced finance and investment professional in the healthcare and business services sectors. Prior to co-founding Stella, Michael spent a decade in various investment banking and private equity roles at RBS and Sterling Partners, respectively.

Amardeep is a seasoned business technology and operations executive with 15+ years of experience across various industries. Prior to Stella, Amardeep was CTO at Field Trip Health, where he oversaw the rollout of solutions to support expansion from concept to 12 operating clinics in 3 countries. Previously he was VP of Operations at Crius Energy and has held several additional senior business and technology leadership roles in the renewable energy space, including at SunEdison and Just Energy.

Moss is an entrepreneurial operations leader who has helped launch and grow three venture-backed companies in the insurance services and healthcare industries.