Our Team
Psychologist, Co-Founder
Nathan D. Tomcik
PhD, ABPP Board Certified in Couple and Family Psychology
Senior Clinician
Maria Piersall
Level 3 RO DBT Clinician | LPCC-S, ATR
Social Worker, Co-Founder
Jimmy Portner
LISW-S, LICDC-CS
About Dr. Tomcik
I am a Senior Clinician in Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) with more than a decade of experience training clinicians, implementing RO DBT programs, and providing treatment for individuals with emotional overcontrol and other complex mental health concerns. For more than 20 years, I have been dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and families create meaningful, lasting change through compassionate, evidence-based care.
Many of my clients come to therapy after trying other approaches without finding the results they were hoping for. I specialize in working with individuals struggling with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, and the challenges that often accompany emotional overcontrol. Together, we explore what has and hasn't worked in the past, building a new path toward greater openness, flexibility, and deeper connection with others.
My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine curiosity. I believe therapy works best when people feel both understood and challenged. I strive to create an environment where clients feel safe enough to explore difficult experiences while remaining focused on meaningful, lasting change. Whether you're navigating long-standing emotional struggles or facing a difficult season of life, my goal is to help you build a life that feels more connected, fulfilling, and authentic.
I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tennessee and my Master's degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Couple and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. I am board-certified in Couple and Family Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology and have spent nearly two decades serving in both private practice and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
As Deputy Chief of Behavioral Health at the Columbus VA, I helped expand access to evidence-based mental health care while leading innovative programming for Veterans with complex mental health needs. I also played a key role in the national implementation of RO DBT within the VA, training clinicians, developing RO DBT programming, and partnering with clinical leaders to increase access to specialized treatment for Veterans who had not benefited from traditional approaches.
Beyond providing therapy, I am passionate about mentoring clinicians, advancing evidence-based practice, and improving access to effective mental health care. At Radically Open Connections, I am honored to help individuals discover that lasting change is possible through greater openness, flexibility, and authentic human connection.
About Jimmy
I am a certified trainer and provider of Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) with more than a decade of experience implementing, training, supervising, and providing RO DBT across a variety of clinical settings. Since 2014, I have specialized in helping individuals with emotional overcontrol and treatment-resistant conditions build greater openness, flexibility, and authentic connection. Whether I am working with clients, teaching clinicians, or mentoring professionals, my goal is the same: to help people create meaningful, lasting change.
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, caring, and successful on the outside but feel stuck, disconnected, or exhausted on the inside. They may have tried therapy before without finding the lasting change they were hoping for. Together, we explore new ways of responding to life's challenges, helping clients cultivate deeper relationships, greater emotional openness, and lives that feel richer and more connected.
One of the reasons I am so passionate about RO DBT is because it has shaped my own life as much as my professional work. Practicing RO DBT has challenged me to become more open, flexible, and connected in ways I never imagined, deepening my relationships with my family, friends, colleagues, and clients. I believe the best therapists never stop growing, and I strive to bring both authenticity and humility into every session.
At the heart of my work is a simple belief: therapy isn't about becoming someone different—it's about rediscovering the parts of yourself that allow you to live with greater openness, authenticity, and connection. My hope is that every person I work with leaves therapy feeling more equipped to engage fully in the relationships and life they want to build.
I earned both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work from The Ohio State University. Over the past 20 years, I have worked extensively in mental health and substance use treatment, specializing in the implementation, supervision, and training of evidence-based practices.
In addition to my work in RO DBT, I served as a leader in the National Motivational Interviewing (MI) VA program for more than a decade, helping advance MI through implementation, clinician training, supervision, and fidelity. As a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), I have had the privilege of training professionals across the country in the effective use of Motivational Interviewing.
I have also served as an adjunct lecturer at The Ohio State University College of Social Work for more than a decade, where I enjoy mentoring the next generation of social workers. My professional interests include emotional overcontrol, social signaling, Motivational Interviewing, implementation science, and helping clinicians deliver evidence-based care with excellence and compassion.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our two children. You'll often find me coaching youth soccer, cheering on the Columbus Crew, listening to music, or enjoying a great stand-up comedy special.
About Maria
I am a Level 3 trained Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) clinician with more than 20 years of experience helping adolescents, college students, and adults navigate anxiety, depression, perfectionism, life transitions, relationship challenges, and emotional loneliness. I am passionate about helping people who have spent much of their lives feeling misunderstood, disconnected, or stuck discover new ways of relating to themselves and others. My goal is to create a warm, collaborative space where clients can build greater openness, flexibility, and meaningful connection.
One of the things I value most is building genuine relationships with my clients. I believe people grow best when they feel truly seen and understood, so I work to create a therapeutic environment that is both supportive and purposeful. My style combines warmth and flexibility with thoughtful structure and accountability, helping clients feel safe enough to explore difficult experiences while staying focused on the changes that matter most. Whether you're facing a long-standing struggle or a new challenge, I'll meet you where you are and walk alongside you as we work toward lasting change.
Throughout my career, I have integrated evidence-based approaches including RO DBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). As a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), I also enjoy incorporating creative and expressive approaches into therapy when they support a client's goals.
Before joining Radically Open Connections, I served as a clinician at Otterbein University and as a Senior Clinician at The Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service, where I provided therapy, crisis intervention, consultation, and mental health programming for undergraduate and graduate students. Earlier in my career, I spent more than a decade at The Buckeye Ranch providing individual, family, and group therapy while helping develop and implement agency-wide DBT programming, supervising clinicians, and mentoring counseling interns.