Our Story

At Polaris Counseling Group, we believe everyone deserves a guiding star on their journey. Our mission is to provide compassionate, evidence-based counseling that helps individuals, couples, and families navigate life’s challenges with clarity, resilience, and hope.

A man in outdoor gear, including a green beanie and gray jacket, sitting on a large rock in a rocky riverbed with a mountainous, snow-capped peak in the background, surrounded by evergreen trees and cloudy sky.

Meet Cody Arnett, LPC — Founder & Counselor

As the founder of Polaris Counseling Group, I believe everyone deserves a guiding star on their journey. My counseling work is grounded in compassion, clarity, and hope, with a focus on helping clients move forward with confidence and purpose. I specialize in trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and life transitions, and I use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).

Alongside my clinical work, I bring over a decade of leadership experience in building supportive teams and systems, which allows me to create a practice that is not only client-centered but also designed for growth and innovation.

When I’m not counseling, you’ll often find me exploring the outdoors, practicing astrophotography, or training in strongman — all of which keep me grounded and energized. I look forward to walking alongside you as you take steps toward healing and growth.

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Meet Kaylyn Gimbel, LPC

As a Licensed Professional Counselor in Ohio, I’m passionate about helping clients find balance, purpose, and self-understanding. My style is calm, authentic, and collaborative. I believe meaningful change happens when clients feel safe enough to be themselves. In our work together, I aim to create a space that blends empathy with practical tools, so growth feels both grounded and achievable.

I work with teens and adults navigating depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem concerns, and major life transitions. Alongside my counseling background, I’m pursuing additional training and education in sport and performance psychology. This work deepens my understanding of motivation, focus, and confidence, and how those skills support growth both in and beyond athletics.

Outside of counseling, I enjoy painting, playing tennis, and finding creative projects that keep life inspired and balanced. Both art and tennis remind me of what therapy often teaches: progress takes patience, practice, and trust in the process.


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Meet Rita Kanareff, LPCC-S, LPAT, ATR

As a Licensed Clinical Counselor and Art Therapist, I am dedicated to specializing in the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), along with a diverse array of mental health disorders. My advanced training in therapeutic modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), equips me to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to your healing journey. I believe in an eclectic treatment style, tailoring my methods to best suit the unique needs of each individual.

With extensive experience as an adjunct professor in the master’s program for art therapy and counseling at Ursuline College, coupled with my compassionate support for both adults and children in various settings, I am committed to facilitating personal growth. Whether you seek to navigate challenges related to trauma, anxiety, depression, or chronic illness, I offer convenient online therapy sessions designed to align with your lifestyle. Take the first step towards transformation—your journey to healing and self-discovery begins here.

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Meet Micah Wright, LPC

Many people come to therapy because they are tired of feeling like they are just managing a heavy mood, a constant sense of dread, or a relationship with substances that has grown out of control. These things are usually just a signal that something is happening under the surface that you haven't been able to resolve yet. I am not here to treat a diagnosis or a list of symptoms. I am here to work with you as a person. If you feel stuck in the same cycles, it is usually because of patterns you picked up a long time ago. Those patterns likely helped you survive at one point, but now they are just getting in your way and stopping you from living the life you actually want.

In our sessions, you are free to say whatever comes to mind. We are going to look for the echoes of your past that are still playing out in your life today. My job is to help you uncover these patterns and understand where they actually came from. When we notice them unfolding in real time as we talk, that nagging question of why you keep doing this finally starts to have an answer. That is the moment where you actually get to make a different choice.

I have nearly a decade of experience specifically working with physicians and healthcare providers facing burnout, substance use, or the unique pressures of mandated monitoring. While I have deep experience in those high-pressure environments, I work with people from all walks of life. Whether you are carrying old pain or are ready for life to feel meaningfully different, we will work to make sense of what you are carrying so you can move toward change that lasts.

A woman with brown hair and light skin sitting in an office chair at a desk, wearing a black dress and black high-heeled sandals, with her right arm resting on her knee and her chin on her hand, smiling at the camera.

Meet Jess Koski, LPC

Feeling stuck, unheard, or unsure where to go next? I’m here to help. I work with individuals navigating chronic illness or chronic pain, neurodivergence, women’s issues, and perinatal challenges. Living with health concerns or adjusting to new stages of life can feel overwhelming, isolating, and exhausting, and you do not have to do it alone. I focus on helping clients reframe unhelpful thought patterns, build practical coping strategies, and find realistic solutions that support a better quality of life. I also have experience working with children and adolescents with diagnoses such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

My approach is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and empowerment. I understand how deeply physical and emotional struggles can affect daily life, relationships, and self-identity. My goal is to meet clients with empathy rather than judgment while helping reduce distress, strengthen resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change so they can feel more supported, capable, and empowered in their lives.

If you are ready to take the next step, I would be happy to meet with you in person at our Centerville office or online through our HIPAA-compliant telehealth portal.

If you’re ready to begin your journey toward healing and growth, schedule an appointment today. We’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Location:
Polaris Counseling Group is based in Centerville, Ohio, with two convenient locations, and serves adults, couples, and adolescents in Centerville, Kettering, Bellbrook, Washington Township, Springboro, Beavercreek and the greater Dayton area. We also offer online therapy to clients anywhere in Ohio.

Regency Ridge Office
361 Regency Ridge Dr
Dayton, OH 45459 info@polariscounselinggroup.com
937-453-8893

Westpark Office
116 Westpark Rd
Dayton, OH 45459 info@polariscounselinggroup.com
937-453-8893

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Polaris Counseling Group logo with a compass rose symbol and the tagline 'Your Guiding Star' on a dark background.