RE:CON 2025
PRESENTER BIOS
re:con 2025 Presenters
Backgrounds & Bios
Melissa Kaekel LPC LMHC
Melissa Kaekel, LMHC, LPC, is the owner of Birdsong Wellness Center, Inc. and a licensed counselor specializing in anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, sleep concerns, and life transitions. She holds counseling licenses in Florida, Michigan, Idaho, and Delaware and has extensive experience in rehabilitation counseling, vocational evaluation, disability services, and behavioral health. Melissa is the developer of the WATER Method, an experiential framework that integrates water metaphors and activities into clinical practice to support emotional regulation, resilience, and meaning-making.
Scott de Varona
Scott is the MiABLE Program Director since its creation in 2015. Scott has worked for the State since 1999 in various positions within the Departments of Treasury & Health & Human Services.
Throughout his career, Scott has served the citizens of Michigan by:
• Returning lost, abandoned, and unclaimed property to the owner or heir.
• Designing, Developing, Testing, and Implementing new Management Information Systems
• Teaching Financial Empowerment, Loan Literacy, and Repayment Strategies
Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northwood University and an MBA from the De Vos Graduate School of Management.
Scott is a lifelong Mid-Michigan resident and lives in the Lansing area with his wife and has 2 college aged children.
Yarden Blumstein
Yarden Blumstein is the Executive Director of the Resolution Services Center of Central Michigan, where he leads initiatives focused on restorative justice, mediation, conflict resolution, and community collaboration. With more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Yarden has built and expanded programs, developed strategic partnerships, and led organizational growth across education, behavioral health, and community services.
A certified suicide prevention trainer, domestic mediator, and experienced facilitator, Yarden has trained thousands of professionals in communication, conflict resolution, de-escalation, and restorative practices. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in counseling, further strengthening his work in behavioral health and human development.
Yarden is passionate about helping individuals, organizations, and communities move from conflict to connection by fostering collaboration, strengthening relationships, and creating systems that promote healing, accountability, and long-term positive change.
