Dr. Megan Oxley - She/Her
Dr. Megan Oxley is the founder and medical director of Michigan Progressive Health. A Board Certified Emergency Medicine physician, Dr. Oxley graduated from prestigious Wayne State University in 2009. She completed her residency training in Emergency Medicine in Detroit, serving the inner city. She spent a decade working in emergency departments in Michigan and Maryland.
While researching options to help a family member with treatment resistant depression, she discovered the immense benefit that ketamine can have in chronic mood and pain conditions. Dedicated to providing this service to as many as possible, she established Michigan Progressive Health, an integrative ketamine infusion clinic in Royal Oak Michigan. Dr. Oxley has been providing ketamine infusions for over four years. She is a founding board member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists and Practitioners and is the current Vice President.
One of Dr. Oxley’s passions is to educate the public on the use of ketamine in treating mood disorders and other ailments. She has organized the ASKP3 conferences for the last three years and has been a speaker for the previous two ASKP3 conferences. She has lectured at several major universities in Michigan to both medical students and psychiatry residents to help expand education and awareness of this rapidly evolving therapeutic modality.
In addition, Dr. Oxley is currently participating in a year long integrative psychiatry fellowship with the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. Dr. Oxley has a special interest in using ketamine and future psychedelic medicines to help patients reduce their need on conventional psychiatric medications and improve their overall health.
Dr. Charlie Braun - He/Him
Dr. Braun is a board-certified neurologist with over 10 years of experience. His interest in non-ordinary states of consciousness began as an athlete recognizing from a young age that a deep focus in sports could sometimes lead to enhanced awareness or flow states. He attended Michigan State University on a baseball scholarship and served as the team co-captain his senior year earning Academic All-America accolades. While at MSU he studied human biology and philosophy and did research in nerve regeneration before attending Wayne State University School of Medicine, where he first met Dr. Oxley. He moved to Denver for residency in neurology at University of Colorado to pursue his passion for studying consciousness and the mind. He did a fellowship at University of Michigan in Clinical Neurophysiology with a focus on epilepsy and while there did research with ketamine and functional connectivity of the brain with one of the foremost researchers in consciousness.
Since 2014 he has practiced general neurology in the Ann Arbor region with a focus on seizures and other non-ordinary states of consciousness. While in practice his compassion swelled as he began to recognize that many people coming to him for help with suspected neurological issues in fact had underlying trauma manifesting with psychological distress, often attributable to dysregulation of their autonomic nervous systems and maladaptive coping mechanisms. He became more interested in the mind-body relationship and the effects from stress and trauma. This led him to pursue further study with a 1 year fellowship with the integrative psychiatry institute (IPI) learning more about non-pharmacological approaches to treating mental health conditions. He also did an experiential training with ketamine assisted psychotherapy with the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute (PRATI) in 2020.
He has a keen interest in medicines that transform consciousness, the neuroscience of wellness and with other practices and therapies that can aid in enhanced self-awareness. He has studied yoga and meditation for over 10 years and likes to bring lessons he has learned through these practices to his patients’ lives. He tries to create a supportive and non-judgmental space for his patient encounters and really enjoys forming deep connections. He is excited about the opportunity to practice at Michigan Progressive Health and hopes to be a bridge in helping people transform their lives.
Laura Maiorana - She/Her
Laura is a certified Physician Assistant who specializes in Emergency Medicine. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wayne State University during which she was a member of the GLIAC championship Softball team and a 3 time Academic All-American. She received her Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Detroit Mercy and earned an Alumni Graduate Scholarship and Clinical Medicine Top Scholar; cumulative GPA. She has worked in multiple Emergency Departments in the SouthEastern Michigan area and is currently employed by Emergency Physician Medical Group at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.
Laura has enjoyed the fast-paced atmosphere of the Emergency Department, where she performs procedures and other interventions to get her patients feeling better quickly. However, the best thing about working at Michigan Progressive Health is having the opportunity to build relationships with her patients and being able to see them start and continue to feel better. Laura is passionate about mental health and making connections with her patients that will help them along their healing journeys.
Elisabeth Deller - She/Her
Elisabeth is a certified Physician Assistant specializing in Emergency Medicine. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and minor in Biology. She worked as a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor in western Michigan until pursuing her master’s degree from Wayne State University. In 2006, Elisabeth graduated with her Master’s in Science of Medicine, Physician Assistant Studies, and has worked in Emergency Medicine since graduation. She currently provides care to patients at Henry Ford Hospital Wyandotte outside of being at MPH..
Elisabeth enjoys the variety of medicine that the ER environment brings, as well as providing care and comfort to her patients at their most vulnerable times. She brings this compassion to her patients at Michigan Progressive Health and is grateful to be working to heal patients through this unique, multidisciplinary approach, giving them the opportunity to begin the journey to improve their quality of life.
Nate Robertson - He/Him
Nate is a clinical social worker who received his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. His interests focus on understanding how mental health, physical health, and spiritual health lead to a sense of connection and well-being. He is passionate about considering how experiences of loss and resilience can integrate into who we are and who we want to be.
Prior to joining Michigan Progressive Health, Nate worked as a hospice social worker, a therapist for people living with chronic illness, and as a health volunteer with Peace Corps in Zambia. He participated in the Student Association of Psychedelics at Michigan’s School of Social Work and the Creative Dying project, exploring how palliative care can be community based and psychedelic friendly.
Nate was trained in Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with the Polaris Insight Center in California. He believes that Ketamine is a valuable tool which can help people connect to their own innate capacity for healing. He enjoys helping clients uncover and unfold their existing strengths, goals, and values in order to help integrate therapy experiences into daily life. Nate emphasizes the importance of self-direction and dignity in creating a container of trust and safety to honor one’s past and illuminate a path toward wholeness.
Taryn Schiff - She/Her
Taryn obtained her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan. She was drawn to the field of social work for its comprehensive and person-centered approaches to clinical work. During graduate school, she co-founded an organization dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary conversation among students about psychedelics as a means to heal individuals and improve mental health systems.
Taryn received clinical training providing individual and group therapy to adults in a dual-diagnosis outpatient facility. She has practiced in community mental health, educational, and clinical research settings.
Taryn trained in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute. She views the therapeutic relationship as the force that leads to lasting change and ketamine a powerful tool for psychological exploration. Taryn works together with patients to cultivate transformative experiences, increasing acceptance and connection to selves and others and setting the stage for long-term change. Her trauma-informed therapeutic approach draws heavily from humanistic perspectives.
Kelly Jennings - She/Her
Kelly graduated from Oakland University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2015. She immediately started working as a registered nurse at an inpatient psychiatric unit. Kelly is very enthusiastic about her work and her patients. “I always knew that I wanted to work in the mental health field. There is such a need in the field and I meet so many interesting people.”
Christian Smith - He/Him
Christian received his Master’s of Social Work from the University of Michigan, and his undergraduate degree in Biology and Psychology from Michigan State University. He is grateful for the training experience he received as a therapist with Community Mental Health, serving clients with severe mental illness. During that time he facilitated groups in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and a Men’s Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Group. While he continues to draw from these experiences and toolkits, Christian grounds his work in a mindful, relational, and compassionate approach to clients.
Alongside his work in therapy, Christian is developing a sustainable community and farm, and has a long history of working with environmental and socially oriented community organizations. He integrates his passions in the positive psychology of community, spirituality, and nature connection into his work with clients when it serves them. He works to empower clients to be the leader in their healing process, as they engage with ketamine and the therapy relationship in ways that both heal their wounds, and make way for their self-actualization.
Matt Hiller - He/Him
Matt received his Master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago Crown School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and is currently a doctoral candidate in the joint Social Work and Anthropology Program at the University of Michigan. He also received training through the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis and the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Psychiatry. Prior to starting with Michigan Progressive Health, Matt helped found and worked as a therapist at a low-cost mental health clinic in Chicago and had a private practice as a member of the Wellington Counseling Group. He is currently receiving training on ketamine-and psychedelic-assisted therapy through the Polaris Insight Center.
As a therapist, Matt aims to develop a collaborative relationship where there is room to explore what is causing a person difficulties and what might help. This can involve considering experiences from the past, looking at current patterns of thought and behavior, or considering the impacts of social factors and forms of oppression. His areas of expertise include OCD, anxiety disorders, existential and spiritual difficulties, and trauma-focused therapy. He was the lead organizer for the 2021 "OCD in Society Conference" held at the University of Michigan and is particularly interested in working with clients who are seeking Ketamine treatment as an adjunctive or alternative to other forms of OCD treatment. In his free time, he likes to play and record music, go on outdoor adventures, perform improv comedy, and read books about anthropology and philosophy.
Djinn Thompson - They/Them
Djinn has over 20 years’ experience with psychedelic medicines and has been working on education and advocacy for psychedelic therapies in a professional capacity for over a decade. Djinn specializes in working with survivors of childhood trauma, those with treatment-resistant depression, and issues related to LGBTQ identities. Djinn came out as a nonbinary trans person in 2017.
They are currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a focus on Family Therapy at Michigan State University. Djinn was previously the host of the Psychedelic Parenting Podcast under their birth name, and has been a speaker on psychedelics and family life at multiple conferences, both in the US and abroad. They have previously been a Store Manager for Walgreens as well as a medical office manager and an autism educator.
Ashley D’Agostino She/Her
Ashley serves as patient intake coordinator at our Royal Oak clinic and is a former Wayne State University student majoring in biological sciences and Japanese. During her time at Wayne State, she worked as a student researcher, investigating the role of the protein h2-calponin in whole blood thrombosis and platelet adhesion. She has been a violist for over 25 years and plays with the Detroit Medical Orchestra and her own string quartet. She is currently pursuing computer programming.
Ashley is also a bartender of 10 years, having worked at several notable Detroit bars and restaurants. She was highlighted in Hour Detroit as well as Double Strained Collective‘s ’29 Days of Black Bartenders’ Black History Month series highlighting prominent Black bartenders in the Detroit service industry. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys nature, working out, Star Trek, reading (books, comic books and manga), skateboarding, African Dance, braiding hair, and working as an amateur mechanic on her cars. Feel free to ask her about her cat Kritty, the light of her life. She strives to bring warmth to every one of our patients, helping to create an inviting atmosphere for their healing journey.
Ryan Boyle - He/Him
Serving as the Director of Operations for MPH, Ryan Boyle is a proud Michigan State University graduate who was born and raised in northern Michigan. Ryan spent over a decade managing special events for The Andy Warhol Museum and Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
Ryan returned to Michigan in order to partner with Dr. Oxley and run the clinic’s day-to-day operations. He is uniquely committed to patient success with his welcoming personality, and he possesses that innate ability to put people at ease. Ryan makes all of the MPH patients feel welcome, and he takes great personal pride in his ability to help people every day of the week. Ryan’s number one priority is to make every MPH patient’s experience relaxing and curative, a success from start to finish.
