There’s a kind of knowing that lives in the voice of someone who’s sat with human pain—without trying to rush it away. That kind of knowing is what I heard in every conversation with the four women who make up ASK Psychological Services in Mount Clemens.
Founded by Dr. Karen Groth, ASK is a fully women-run practice built around clinical precision and radical compassion. Alongside Karen are therapists Arianna Zimmerman, Krysta Rybarczyk, and Samantha Holman. I spoke to each of them individually—but what they said wove together naturally, as if they were answering each other’s sentences.
Karen’s story starts with a door slammed shut.
“I initially went to college to study sports medicine. I had a male professor who told me—and the only other female in the class—that women didn’t belong in the sports industry and we would never make it. I was 18. I believed him.”
She left the program. Drifted. Then found herself in an intro psych class.
“I didn’t even get a great grade, but I loved what I was learning. Eventually I got a job at a children’s psychiatric hospital. That changed everything for me.”
Samantha sees it similarly to Karen—at least in how psychology offered her a way to understand complexity.
“I was always interested in criminal behavior. What made people act in ways that harmed others? I found forensic psychology and realized I could put those puzzle pieces together—understanding risk, environment, and background.”
For Krysta, the path took an unexpected turn.
“I was originally in music education. I did it for a year and just hated it. I felt lost. A college advisor suggested social work because it was versatile. I tried it and fell in love. That was it.”
Arianna’s spark came later—during her MSW program.
“I wasn’t loving it. It felt macro, policy-heavy. Then I took an elective on intimacy dysfunctions, and it just hit me: I loved it. That wave of relief and inspiration—I’ll never forget it. I became a certified sexual health therapist and never looked back.”
Misconceptions about the work
Each of these women has had to correct false assumptions about what they do.
Karen, who now works primarily in forensic assessment and therapy, has faced the deepest public stigma.
“People assume that individuals who’ve engaged in predatory behavior are beyond help. But research shows they actually have among the lowest rates of reoffending—lower than other criminal offenses. When people only get punished, and not treatment, that’s when we see them reoffend. But treatment works.”
Arianna often has to explain what sexual health therapy is—and what it isn’t.
"We sit across from each other and use correct anatomical language. I talk with people about relationships, trauma, and yes, sometimes serious boundary violations. But it's always therapy. It's always clinical.”
Krysta has dealt with the common “gossip hour” stereotype.
“People think I just talk all day. Like it’s a big chat-fest. But therapy is so much more than that. I could see ten people with anxiety and give ten completely different strategies. There’s no one-size-fits-all. It’s work.”
Samantha sees the disconnect too—especially around her assessments.
“People don’t know what forensic evaluations really are. There’s a gap in understanding, especially among clients. And with therapy, some people think they’ll just feel better all the time. Life still has ups and downs—therapy helps you ride them with more stability.”
What lights them up
Krysta lights up when she sees a client start to believe in themselves.
“When someone comes in unsure and weeks later says, ‘Hey, I used that skill out in the world, and it actually worked’—that’s everything. That makes my therapist heart explode.”
Arianna keeps a folder.
“It’s filled with thank-you letters, cards, emails. When I feel like I’m not doing enough, I read them. Sometimes people will text me a photo of a win they had and say, ‘I thought of you.’ That just…it gets me.”
Samantha finds meaning in the unique vulnerability of her first-responder clients.
“These are people who’ve seen trauma most of us can’t imagine. They’re trained to push it down. So when they finally feel safe enough to open up? That moment matters.”
Karen feels it most when she’s decoding something complex.
“I love assessment. It’s like dumping a 5,000-piece puzzle on the floor and figuring out how it all fits together. You get to help someone understand themselves—sometimes for the first time.”
Taking care of themselves
All four agree that showing up well for others means caring for themselves first.
Karen turns to movement and connection.
“I’m a workout-holic. It keeps me grounded. I lean on my husband, our dogs, my faith. And yes, I have a therapist. Every therapist should, when we need it. You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
Arianna’s rituals include sweating it out—and laughing.
“I come home, snack, hug my cats, and go to Orange Theory. That’s my therapy. That and deep one-on-one time with my friends. I love to laugh. I love real talk.”
Krysta listens closely to her body.
“I walk, read, go to the gym—and I give myself grace when I don’t. I’ve learned to adjust how many clients I take, when I take time off. It’s an ongoing process.”
Samantha is clear on boundaries.
“Therapy requires me to be fully present. That means I have to protect my energy. I need space away from the work to stay sharp inside it.”
On the state of mental health
Karen reflects on how much the cultural conversation has changed.
“When I was growing up, no one talked about mental health. Now it’s everywhere—which is great. But I worry about the rise of self-diagnosis, especially on TikTok. Not everything online is rooted in training or science.”
Krysta sees it in her sessions too.
“Clients say, ‘I think I have this—TikTok told me.’ And it’s not always wrong! But that’s the start of a conversation, not the end.”
Samantha’s work with first responders shows that stigma still lingers.
“There’s been progress. But it’s still hard for a lot of them to say, ‘I need help.’ Creating a space where that’s safe—that’s what matters.”
“Because people matter”
ASK was built to be true to what therapy really is, and what people really need: sustainable healing.
Karen says it best:
“We’re here because people matter. Their healing matters. Their stories matter. And everyone who walks through our doors deserves to be seen as a whole human being—not a label, not a case file. That’s why ASK exists.”
You can feel passion and commitment in every one of these doctors. In a time when the mental health crisis is louder than ever, this team of women is listening.
To find out more about ASK, visit askpsychologicalservices.com or call (248) 733-3907.
“It’s not a chat-fest. I could see ten clients with anxiety and use ten different strategies.”
—Dr. Krysta Barzik
“[First responders] have seen things most people can’t imagine. Being the one they trust enough to talk to? That’s powerful.”
—Dr. Samantha Holman