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We can also help you obtain insurance approval before surgery, and deal with the emotional and physical changes that you will experience after surgery. To reach any of them by email, simply click on their names below and send a message directly to them.
 Denise Grace is our Practice Manager.
In addition, she serves as our Bariatric Coordinator. Denise is the person to help patients completely through the process from seminar to surgery. Being bilingual in English and Spanish makes her invaluable in this position. She has a number of years experience in our practice and can assist patients in every aspect of our program.
 Rachel M. Handley
Psychotherapist
Rachel M. Handley brings more than eight years experience as a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed drug, alcohol and gambling addiction counselor and crisis counselor. In her current position as a psychotherapist at the Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas (GBI), Handley is responsible for conducting psychological evaluations to determine if potential patients are ready to pursue weight loss surgery. She also leads two support groups at GBI each month and teaches “Mindful Eating” classes to help individuals struggling with weight loss.
Handley is passionate about working with bariatric patients. She can relate to their hardships because she has friends and family members who have also struggled with obesity and the illnesses stemming from weight issues. Because of this, Handley was determined to study and research weight gain and the issues that coincide with it. She pursued a graduate degree in 1993 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where she received a master’s degree in social work.
With a number of years of leading bariatric support groups at her previous employer, Harrah’s Entertainment, Handley has also directed various support groups such as parenting classes, psychotherapy sessions and crisis interventions.
As a member of the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) Handley is able to help patients confront and resolve their personal dilemmas by continuing to learn the latest psychotherapy tools and techniques. As a skilled professional, she helps people help themselves by providing useful information and a wide range of resources.
Giving back to the community that she’s called home for 20 years, Handley has volunteered with the State of Nevada Children’s Behavioral Center, conducted a 12-step addiction group at Mountain View Church, volunteered at MASH Village, a shelter for single women and homeless families and has participated in numerous mission trips to Brazil and Mexico to help build schools, churches and work with children in orphanages.
During her free time, Handley enjoys spending time with her three children, Gabe, Lizanni and Christine. They enjoy hiking, camping and traveling all over the world, especially to her native country, Brazil.
 Prudence Ticknor
Bariatric Dietitian/ Health & Wellness Coach
With more than ten years experience developing nutritional programs for school districts and counties, Ticknor has educated people of all ages and walks of life about how changes in behavior can positively affect our health and wellbeing.
At the Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas (GBI), Ticknor will assist patients in losing weight and implementing behavior change prior to surgery to support long-term success. As a registered dietician, she is also equipped to educate patients on the specific guidelines of nutrition and vitamin and mineral supplementation needed post surgery.
Prior to joining GBI, Ticknor was a Bariatric Dietician for Caesar’s Entertainment, where she played a key role in developing their bariatric program.
Ticknor is able to relate to individuals struggling with weight loss because she also battled obesity as a child and young adult. Therefore, Ticknor has special insight into understanding her clients’ mindset and everyday struggles. She is able to apply a balanced approach of positive psychology and nutrition expertise to each client she works with. Fascinated by the connection between mind and body, Ticknor is always stimulating her brain by continually studying the psychology of “why we do what we do” on a deeper level.
As a member of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the Center for Mindful Eating and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Ticknor is well positioned to maximize the current resources that the Gastric Band Institute currently provides to their patients.
An outdoor enthusiast, Ticknor enjoys running, bicycling and many more recreational activities. She resides in Las Vegas with her daughter, Felise.
 
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