Team

Qualifications/Certifications:

Master’s Degree in Multidisciplinary Human Services /Concentration in Not-For-Profit Leadership. I am a NYS Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor- Master Counselor and am certified in Trauma Counseling. My clinical experience and organizational leadership include being responsible for overseeing multiple sites and developing programs to support healing utilizing my leadership skills, educational foundation, and wide experience for over 30 years. I have worked with those bound in addiction, struggling with mental health issues, and primary need issues.

Why Therapy?

Sometimes the burden is too much to carry or understand on our own. We need each other. When our body hurts we see medical doctors, when our mind, emotions, or spirit hurts therapists are here to aid in the healing process. There is no shame in needing help.

Fun Fact:

I love the sunny outdoors and enjoying activities from fishing and scuba diving to bow hunting, hiking to the mountaintops or watching and listening to the birds with morning coffee.

Life Verse:

Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Specialties:
I am currently studying to get my Bachelor's in psychology: Christian Counseling at Liberty University Online.

Why Therapy?
God wants what is best for us and since He has begun a good work in us, He will carry it on until completion (Philippians 1:6). Therapy can help an individual become more like Christ and align a heart to Him and His love. Therapy is a safe place to be able to express the emotions God has given us and be able to learn to process them in healthy ways. I have seen firsthand the ways both God and therapy can change lives.

Fun Fact:
I love to spend time with my loved ones and be active whether that's taking a fun workout class or walking my Goldendoodle, Teddy. I also love the sunshine and the Buffalo summers!

Life Verse:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

Counseling Specialties:
Hello! I specialize in working with children beginning at age 5 through young adults struggling with a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, anger, stress, trauma, grief and loss, and adjustment struggles. I utilize modalities of treatment such as Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing. It is my goal to educate clients about mental illnesses and teach the necessary techniques and coping skills to help clients better manage their symptoms and work toward deeper healing.

Qualifications/Certifications:
I am a NY State Licensed Master Social Worker, and I am currently working toward obtaining my NY State Licensed Clinical Social Worker certification. I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Sports Ministry from Houghton College in May 2014. I received my Master’s Degree of Social Work from The State University of New York at Buffalo in May 2018. I have been practicing in the psychotherapy field since 2018. I utilize therapy modalities of Play Therapy, Solution Focused Practice, and Motivational Interviewing. I have received certifications in Biblical Counseling, Youth Mental Health First Aid USA from the National Council for Behavioral Health, and Distance Teletherapy.

Why Therapy?
My strong desire to help and encourage people on a deep, relational level to work through their various problems has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I decided I wanted to become a counselor to help people gain healing, peace, and success through their struggles. Just as God loves us unconditionally and meets us right where we are, I seek to shine this same care toward my clients by meeting them without judgment where they are in their various situations. It is my goal and honor to help my clients find peace, healing, hope, and possibly even joy amidst the storms of life.

Fun Fact:
I have travelled to 10 countries through my experiences with the On Goal and Chicago Eagles soccer ministries, the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra, and the Go Ed study abroad program! Some of my favorite and most interesting places I have been to include Brazil (also where my husband is from), Rwanda, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and the European cities of Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague! I especially love going on soccer ministry trips with my friends where we use the game of soccer as a platform to share the good news of Jesus Christ!

Life Verse:
One of my favorite and encouraging passages in Scripture is Philippians 4:4-8 (NIV):

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK:
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist, who holds a BA in Social Work from Buffalo State College and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Medaille College. I work with couples addressing issues including conflict resolution, communication challenges, betrayal, and intimacy issues. I also work with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, stress management, and self esteem.

WHAT QUALIFIES YOU TO DO THAT?
I work to create a safe, accepting space in the therapy room for clients to explore complex issues. I know that beginning therapy can be challenging, and for this reason I work to establish a transparent, trusting relationship with my clients. I have a client-centered approach that puts emphasis on empowering my clients to address patterns of behavior that may be ineffective or unhealthy. I draw from a variety of theories with particular emphasis on emotion focused cognitive behavioral, and solution focused interventions to help my clients open their perspectives for a more healthy life.

WHY IS THERAPY IMPORTANT TO YOU?
I feel that therapy is important because therapy can help clients to gain a fresh perspective to the issue that they may be dealing with, as well as offer a better understanding of their own emotions. In time, therapy can promote one’s self-esteem, relationships, and outlook on life.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?
In my free time I enjoy reading spiritual self help books, taking walks with my husband, and spending time with my grandchildren.

SHARE A FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF!
I have a puggle name Zack, and a cat named Midnight, who after 4 years are still not friends.

SHARE A SCRIPTURE VERSE OR QUOTE THAT HAS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE:
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Counseling Specialties:
As a mental health clinician, I provide individual psychotherapy services to adults (18+) suffering from an array of issues from chronic stress, anxiety and depression to PTSD and spiritual confusion. The counseling services I provide are meant to aid in the psychological, emotional and spiritual growth of individuals who are suffering beyond their present ability to cope and who desire to move beyond merely coping, and to living more authentically and wholeheartedly.

Qualifications/Certifications:
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and have been practicing since 2013. I received my MSED in Community Mental Health Counseling from St. Bonaventure University along with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from The University at Buffalo. I have training and experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution Focused Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and Schema Therapy. I also have past training and experience working as a pastoral care assistant for a hospital chaplaincy program.

Why Therapy?
I enjoy facilitating the emotional, intellectual and behavioral journey with my clients.

Fun Facts:
I enjoy reading theological and philosophical books in my down-time or making a mess in my woodshop. You will often find me hanging out with my family eating ice cream and children's cereal, in the pool or watching "junky tv shows" at home.

Life Verse:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:1-4)

Counseling Specialties:
Hello, I specialize in working with clients ages 8 to 88 yrs. old that struggle with symptoms of co-occurring issues, trauma, anxiety, depression, borderline personality, stress, relationship issues, and substance abuse. I treat patients using a person centered approach; I find what works for you, while maintaining an evidenced based approach. I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy, and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

Qualifications/Certifications:
I have my license in clinical social work through NY state and the state of South Carolina. I received my Masters in social work through Daemen College in 2017. I am certified in EMDR, TF-CBT, and have trained in DBT, REBT, MI and SFT.

Why Therapy?
Therapy has always been part of me. As a child I would advocate for those without a voice. I worked in many fields in my lifetime, and it has always come back to helping others. Social work called to me later on in life, and I truly believe this is GOD's work. He led me here, when the time was right, and gave me life experience to be a better guide to others.

Fun Facts:
I like to eat dessert first!

Life Verse:
Life Verse: "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Job Specialties:
I have provided bookkeeping and financial services to Christian Counseling Ministries for over 5 years.

Qualifications/Certifications:
I am a Certified Public Accountant and received my certification in 1991.

Fun Fact:
I like traveling to warm, sunny places in the winter months.

Life Verse:
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Qualifications/Certifications:
Bachelor's Degree in Communicative Disorders

Why Therapy?
Our emotions are an important part of how God made us. Similarly, to how a physician is needed when our bodies have problems, our mental and emotional well-being sometimes needs the help of a therapist.

Fun Fact:
I really enjoy passion fruit bubble tea and reading.

Life Verse:
Psalm 27:4 - “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple”

In this fast-paced and fallen world, it is easy to feel lost and unloved. Christian Counseling
Ministries provides a way to point people back to the truth. We all struggle! I have seen people
change because of CCM. People who come in broken and empty, often leave light-hearted
and full of joy. I thank God for all the counselors that are here. I see the work of the Holy Spirit in
them and I give glory to God for what they do.

Fun fact:
I'm a science geek and love to ballroom dance with my husband, Bob. I have five grown
children and soon to be, three grandchildren who are a source of great joy.

Favorite quote:
“God keeps His choicest wines in the cellar of affliction”
Charles Spurgeon

Life Verse:
One of my favorite verses is from Philippians 3:12-14

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to
take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to
have taken hold of it, But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is
ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus.

Counseling Specialties:

I am interested in attending to adult individuals and couples. Although I am very eclectic in my approach, I primarily specialize in the treatment of OCD, Anxiety, Phobias, Social Anxiety, Communication, and Trauma. I enjoy incorporating techniques from various theoretical orientations, including: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, Humanistic, and Exposure and Response Prevention.

Qualifications/Certifications:

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in New York State. I have also obtained Certification as a Pastoral Counselor and as a Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional. I have graduated and obtained degrees from The Catholic University of America, Oglethorpe University, and Medaille University. Previous to this position, I have worked in Pastoral, Counseling, Community Mental Health, College Counseling, High School Counseling, Telehealth Forums, and the Private Practice domain throughout the past decade.

Why Therapy?

I always took solace from the quote, “Life is about the journey and not so much the destination.” While walking on this “journey,” we can often be faced with various experiences that might be painful, difficult, and heavy. Having someone who can professionally walk alongside ourselves and assist with managing each experience, while also introducing elements of healing, can only benefit our longevity. Typically, we entrust our physical health to a Doctor, our dental health to a Dentist, but we often overlook the importance of our Mental Health treatment. While therapy is not designed to be a forever endeavor, it can be a useful tool to gain empowerment, perspective, knowledge, and self-understanding in a safe atmosphere.

I come from a family where food is love. My grandmother met every hardship, every heartache, and every disaster with a solid 4 pound butter milk lemon pound cake. Baking is not the answer to every problem but it reminds me of a very important truth in life. The beauty is that even when you mess it up it's still delicious.

Fun Fact:

I have had the opportunity to live in 5 different States and have worked/served in at least 10 different Countries around the World. I very much enjoy traveling and am passionate about Fitness, while recognizing the important intrinsic connection existing between the mind, body, and spirit.

Life Verse:
“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Matthew 6:34.