The Team
When working directly at Lichen is the most efficient, effective and equitable way to serve the collective good, folks join the Team. Because balance is health, each Lichen Team member's role is structured and compensated to improve individual, social and ecological health. Quantitatively, we create a custom compensation, benefits and workload package for each team member. Qualitatively, we gather Web of Wellbeing feedback from each team member on how being part of Lichen has positively and negatively impacted their lives. Wherever possible, we automate this feedback process via statistically viable measurement models.
Galyn Burke, LMFT & LMHC
Board Member & Founder, Lichen Health
Clinical Supervisor, Lichen PNW
After a decade in the technology sector, Galyn became a trauma therapist, integrating cognitive, somatic and energetic modalities with indigenous wisdom (tailored to the needs of western clients, with permission from the lineage holders). Watching the need for holistic, trauma informed, community based care grow, Galyn felt called to integrate her product, technology and business skills with her embodied understanding of the healing process to build infrastructure that connects individuals with the healers, plants, animals, elements and natural spaces necessary to heal locally at a global scale. Galyn serves as an advisor to the University of Washington’s Center for Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry and Roon.
Daniela DiPiero, LMFT
Board Member & Executive Director, Lichen Health
Mental Health Supervisor, Lichen NorCal
Daniela is Clinical Supervisor of Lichen Norcal in Nevada City, CA and Executive Director of Lichen's Nonprofit wing, focused on training, treatment and research. Daniela is passionate about trauma informed care and social justice, which manifests in the way she organizes and runs Lichen's mental health offerings. Before taking leadership of Lichen's 501c3, Daniela founded Movimiento, an outdoor youth healing and educational nonprofit, bringing underserved youth to wild spaces around the world for nature-based education, healing and growth.
Sahar Mushin, M.Div
Board Member & COO, Lichen Health
As a Masters in Divinity and a Masters in Arts of Social Change, Sahar is highly trained in the integrative approach of diversity and inclusion and multi-religious/spiritual explorations into healing and wholeness. Sahar is the founder of Equity Alchemy, a somatic and trauma informed Justice Equity Diversity & Inclusion Consultancy providing trauma-recovery and equity focused training, research, and consultation to communities, organizations, and corporations. She/they also founded Return of the Village, prioritizing cultural preservation while implementing eco-village initiatives that meet UN based sustainable development goals. Establishing efficiency and self sufficiency while proliferating self sustaining individuals in new and existing organizations through integrative consultation, education, and implementation projects.
Payton Skawinski, MD
Primary Care Director, Lichen Health
​Dr. Skawinski grew up in Montana with the lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. After completing training in the primary care track at the University of Washington School of Medicine and internal medicine residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center, he is finally able to make that dream a reality through the medium of direct primary care through his holistic, community-focused practice, Bridge Primary Care. Payton is proud to bring the small-town doctor feel to the tight-knit community of Bainbridge Island and greater Kitsap County.
Melanie Bright, CBU
Spiritual Director, Lichen Health
Melanie Bright specializes as a certified reader of the Akashic Records and offers trauma-informed care. She is also a certified Reiki practitioner and minister. She graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of the Arts in Communications. She has since studied nutrition, Akashic Records, Reiki, nonviolent communication, early childhood education, Transformational Breathwork, kundalini yoga/ breathwork, trauma-informed care, and more. She spent two years learning from a licensed counselor who specialized in trauma-informed care and RAD (reactive
attachment disorder).
Although she has always been highly intuitive, Melanie did not traverse her path of truth until she was pregnant with her second child who had a life-threatening heart condition. While her son is now a healthy, growing boy, the event inspired her to walk the healer's path, traveling the world to deepen her healing wisdom and knowledge via the ancient practices of multi-generational shamans, teachers, and elders in Costa Rica, Peru, and Africa. Melanie is available worldwide for remote sessions, 1-on-1 life coaching/Akashic programs, retreats, events, speeches/panel discussions, motivational speaking, and more.
Laurie Higgins, CBU
Holistic Operations & HR, Lichen Health
Laurie Higgins is a healing practitioner who takes a holistic and collaborative approach to guiding people on their unique paths. She was called to the healing arts while on her own personal journey seeking recovery from inter generational addiction and trauma. Laurie coaches people seeking to achieve and maintain sobriety. She applies the 12 Steps framework, yoga philosophy, as well as spiritual practices and traditions. She is trained in Relational Somatic Healing, an approach which fosters the healing of developmental trauma and attachment wounding using embodied touch and somatic awareness.
Laurie has extensive training and experience in the field of expanded states of consciousness and integrates indigenous wisdom with permission from lineage holders. Her lived experience and deep intuition enable her to attune to and create uniquely safe containers for her clients. She offers deep compassion and understanding for those she guides which enables their own healing capacity to flourish.
