Our Team

Daniel Umfleet is the current President of the Kindbridge Research Institute and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kindbridge Behavioral Health, positions he has held since August 2020. In this role, Daniel has led numerous client engagements with organizations such as NFLPA PAF & Trust, Playtech, Entain, and NASCAR. He has advised C-Suite executives on mental health care strategies, designed consumer-facing education programs, built in-race fundraising programs for veteran programs, and supported telehealth clinic growth.

Daniel has actively lobbied in multiple state legislatures for better mental health provisions and funding in upcoming spend bills. Prior to his role in Kindbridge Behavioral Health, Daniel served as the Chief Operations Officer for Beanstalk Enterprises based in Southampton, England, where he helped create the SAAS strategy for the company’s Regulatory Technologies product, Gamban, which is now a permanent pillar of the UK Gambling Commissions consumer protection strategy and continues to expand into the global marketplace.

Before joining Beanstalk Enterprises, Daniel worked as a Senior Business Analyst for Renoir Consulting in Miami, Florida, where he led select client engagements with organizations such as Mercy Youngstown Hospital Systems, Stanford Hospital Systems, and Alameda Health Systems. Daniel designed and implemented several process and policy strategies, resulting in significant cost optimization savings for the organizations and an increase in quality outcomes for clients seeking care from these systems.

Daniel holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, completed Lean Mastery from George Mason University, and attended the Entrepreneurship Development Program at MIT’s Sloan School. He graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Communications in 2005.

Michelle Hatfield is the esteemed Chief Clinical Officer at Kindbridge Behavioral Health, a vanguard institution renowned for its unparalleled commitment to mental health, gambling addiction treatment, and well-being. Adept in managing both clinical and operational spheres, Michelle’s extensive background spans diverse dimensions of behavioral health, positioning her at the forefront of innovative therapeutic interventions.

Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in multiple U.S. states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington, Michelle’s credentials also cross international borders. She is recognized as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) in Ontario, Canada. Moreover, her expertise in addiction counseling is evident through her certification as an International Certified Gambling Counselor-II, a testament to her in-depth understanding and proficiency in this domain.

Currently engaged in advanced academic pursuits, Michelle is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in cyberpsychology. Her incisive research emphasizes the implications and intricacies of internet-based process addictions, specifically targeting gambling, video gaming, and pornography. This investigative focus serves to bridge the gap between technology and therapy, ensuring that clinical interventions remain relevant in our increasingly digitized world.

Her recent professional endeavors and clinical training stand as a testament to her dedication to lifelong learning and growth. Michelle has acquired the ICGC-II gambling certification and International Gaming Disorder Certificate (IGDC), from the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (IGCCB). Furthermore, her training as a Sex Addiction Recovery Therapist from the American Association for Sex Addiction Therapy exemplifies her comprehensive understanding of process addictions and optimal treatment approaches in behavioral health.

Beyond her clinical commitments, Michelle boasts executive management experience that is nothing short of impressive. As the former Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Stars Behavioral Health Group, a Californian Statewide behavioral health organization, she was instrumental in steering the company towards positive trajectories. Her acumen in overseeing growth, fostering a healthy company culture, managing revenue, and skillfully curating budgets underscores her holistic grasp over both the micro and macro dimensions of organizational leadership.

In summation, Michelle Hatfield is an embodiment of dedication, innovation, and leadership in the field of behavioral health. Her multifaceted expertise, from clinical to operational, positions her as a beacon of excellence, inspiring peers and impacting countless lives.

Kirk Robinson brings more than two decades of marketing and communications leadership to Kindbridge, grounded in brand strategy, digital innovation, and creative direction. Since 2001, he has worked across film production and advertising agencies, leading brand and creative efforts for public and private organizations including ROGA, the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the Colorado Division of Gaming, NASCAR, TELUS, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Ford, Mattel, and the University of Calgary.

At Kindbridge, Kirk serves as the brand architect for Kindbridge Behavioral Health and the Kindbridge Research Institute. He leads all external marketing and communications, including digital strategy, creative development, and outreach across Kindbridge USA’s clients, partnerships, and special initiatives.

Rooted in a commitment to access and community impact, Kirk’s work helps ensure that people facing mental health challenges can find support, understanding, and empowerment through meaningful connection and purpose-driven communication.

Dr. Daniel Kaufmann, Ph.D., LMHC / LPC, ICGC-II, IGDC, BACC, is an Associate Professor at Grand Canyon University and has served in multiple roles related to program development for Gambling and Video-related treatment programs. He currently serves as the Board President for the IGCCB. He is currently the co-chair of the APA research task force on gaming issues and is working on several nationwide training programs to help mental health professionals understand video games in innovative ways.

His research on the psychology of player types has been presented internationally and continues to evolve with each new world players can inhabit across PCs and consoles. Dr. Kaufmann’s publications cover the areas of video games, personality theory, online education, and counselor development. He offers supervision to an international list of clinicians to help bridge the gap in learning about technological impact on society and specific insights related to effective treatment for clients experiencing games-related issues.  

At Kindbridge, Dr. Kaufmann spearheads our gaming services and program development. Dr. Kaufmann brings a fresh and innovative perspective to supervision to guide our staff toward professional certifications in the mental health treatment of gaming and gambling. Dr. Kaufmann also develops programs to help mental health professionals understand the impact of gaming on their client’s mental health. Through these programs, clinicians have the knowledge and tools to effectively treat clients dealing with game-related issues.

His upcoming book release, entitled “The Gamer’s Journey,” focuses on explaining the steps of narrative development in our lives as we experience them through the stories of video games. This subject merges the monomyth, first explained by Joseph Campbell, with a world that turns to various forms of technology to experience their forms of narrative entertainment.

Dr. Kaufmann is the host of The Gaming Persona podcast, a show that seeks to share various insights related to psychological connections in the play of video games. He also streams regularly on YouTube as Dr. Gameology and is on a never-ending quest to discuss mental health and video games to encourage audiences of all types to be their very best as they continue the journey. You can view Dr. Kaufmann’s research via his ResearchGate Profile.

Dr. Natalie Spiteri-Soper is a psychologist, skilled nursing home administrator and founder of
H.O.P.E. Psychological and Consulting Services, Inc. Additionally, she provides clinical and
operational consultation to Kindbridge Behavioral Health, Inc. along with expert witness
testimony related to standard of care matters. She has recently become certified in ADHD as
well completed 30 hours of training related to problem gambling disorder.  She has an extensive
25-year career that encompasses both clinical and operational expertise.

Dr. Spiteri-Soper obtained her Psy.D. in Psychology from a California School of Professional
Psychology. During her studies, she developed a keen interest in the intricacies of human
behavior and dedicated herself to operationalizing various facets of psychology.

For the first decade of her career, Dr. Spiteri-Soper served as a Clinical Director, providing
compassionate care and therapeutic interventions to clients facing a diverse range of mental
health challenges.

In 2010, Dr. Spiteri-Soper transitioned into an administrative role, where she could leverage her
clinical expertise and leadership skills to effect positive change on a larger scale. As a senior
administrator and executive team member, she demonstrated exceptional strategic planning
and operational management skills, overseeing the implementation of policies and procedures,
managing budgets, and optimizing resource allocation to improve client outcomes and
organizational performance.

Additionally, Dr Spiteri-Soper received credits in the Film “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” as
the Assistant Animal Wrangler and as a Psychological Consultant in the Netflix show “The
Healing Powers of Dude”.

Personally, Dr. Spiteri-Soper lives with her husband, 2 children and 2 dogs in a family friendly
neighborhood in Long Beach, California which she enjoys very much.