COUNSELING MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT STAFF

Priscilla directs the Counseling Ministries, which includes the Christian Counselors Collaborative (founder and executive director), the Couples to Couples premarital lay ministry, Support Groups, and the Student Internship Program.  She received her Bachelors in English at Houghton College ('75) and her Masters in Social Work at U Pitt ('86).  She has worked in the mental health field since 1983, at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic, Magee-Women's Hospital, and ACAC.  She has supervised masters level students in counseling since 1987, and is on the Supervisory Board at Geneva College for the MA Counseling Psychology Program.    She belongs to the National Association of Social Workers and American Association of Christian Counselors.  She has attended ACAC since '91, and has worked as staff at ACAC since 1998, and feels greatly blessed to be serving Christ at the church.  She is trained in family therapy, and specializes in trauma and abuse issues for women.  She is a native of NJ and has lived in the Pittsburgh area since 1980.

Tom coordinates the process for receiving counseling, talking to clients who call in for counseling, and assigning the therapists to clients.   He has been on staff at ACAC since 1999, and provides an extensive amount of counseling at ACAC.  His areas of specialty and experience include marriage counseling, depression and grief, addiction issues, and relational and spiritual struggles.  He received his bachelors degree at U Pitt in '83, and his masters in Biblical Counseling from Colorado Christian University in '90.  He worked on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of Wisconsin for 6 years.  Tom is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.  Since 1991, he has provided Christian counseling in Pittsburgh and McKeesport.  Tom has attended ACAC since 1990.  He is a native of Pittsburgh, and enjoys spending his free time with his wife, his 4 children, and 2 dogs.  

Shannon has been serving as the Administrative Assistant in the Counseling Ministries department since October, 2006.  She considers it a blessing to be used by God in this capacity.  She has been attending ACAC since 1995, and has been a member of ACAC since 2003.  Shannon is from the Pittsburgh area and enjoys spending her free time with her husband and their two children.   

CHRISTIAN COUNSELORS COLLABORATIVE THERAPISTS

Kate received her bachelors in Medical Technology from Eastern Mennonite Univ. ('88) and her masters in Counseling Psychology from Waynesburg Univ ('07).  Her career change is the result of lifelong joy in encouraging others through their life challenges, and she is honored to walk with others on their growth journeys.  She has a special interest in working with women's issues, and with recovery from trauma of all kinds.  She participates in the CCC as an employee of Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, seeing PPI clients at the CCC site at ACAC.  Kate believes that God, our Creator, wants to heal all facets of us - body, mind, and spirit, and because of this, she has special training in Gestalt pastoral care.  She moved to Pittsburgh with her husband in 2000.

Andrew accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in June of 1982 at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, and was baptized under the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Lacy F. Richardson.  He served as a Deacon from 1984-89, when he was called to preach God's Word.  Andrew was licensed in 1989 and ordained in 1990.  Reverend Cooper pastored the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Library in South Park, PA from June 1994 until June of 2007.  He is married to the lovely Debra Faye Cooper and has two daughters and one granddaughter.  Reverend Cooper loves the Lord, loves God's Word, and is seeking to do God's will. 

Kent received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Pastoral Ministry at Nyack College.  He originally intended to become a pastor but realized that he felt most qualified while engaging in pastoral counseling.  He received his Masters Degree in Professional Counseling at Liberty University in 2011.  Kent enjoys working with a variety of clients and assisting them to achieve a deeper more meaningful life.  Kent specifically likes working with clients who are experiencing anxiety, encountering difficult life choices, conducting couples therapy, and working with clients, especially males, who may be hesitant about trying therapy or those who have trouble learning to express themselves emotionally.  Kent’s approach to counseling is a blend of emotional processing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques that allow the client to integrate emotional and mental facets of one's life into a blended whole.  

Veta is a Licensed Social Worker.  She holds a Master in Social Work from the University of Maryland.  She received her Bachelors in Social Work from Norfolk State University and her post graduate family system training from the Western PA Family Center.  Her training also includes Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI).  She belongs to the Academy of Certified Social Workers through the NASW.  She has attended ACAC since 2000.  She believes that God works through individuals to bring love, hope and healing for His glory.  During the span of her career, she has worked in criminal justice, child welfare, mental health, and in the medical field.  She has supervised graduate level students over the years and is currently a field instructor for the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.  Her areas of specialty include trauma and abuse with families, women, teens, and children.  She also works with grief, depression, anxiety, anger, addiction, and role transition issues.  She is a native of Virginia and has lived in the Pittsburgh area since 1987.  She has a son and a daughter. 

Jessica Gage was born and raised in Washington, PA.  She and her husband were married in 2009 and currently live in the Pittsburgh area. She received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biblical Studies ('09) and a  Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling ('11) from Geneva College.  Jessica has a great passion for serving couples and families, and believes God can use counseling in His timing to heal and give guidance.  Her list of interests keeps growing and currently includes: marriage and family counseling, sex therapy, depression, premarital preparation, and marriage enrichment.

Julie earned both her Bachelor and Master degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Teaching and Community Counseling, respectively.  Post graduate training in the area of Christian Sex Therapy is being provided from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta.  Julie's experience includes counseling adult survivors of sexual abuse, marital issues, co-addiction, bereavement, group counseling and play therapy.  Julie has felt a love for missions since shortly after meeting the Lord as her Savior in 1986.  She is a member of ACAC.  Julie is married and has three adult children.

Ann is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker having received her MSW from the U. of Pittsburgh in 1986.  Prior to that time she had worked as a high school English teacher with a bachelor's degree in English and Education.  She left the teaching field after adopting 2 children (one an international adoption) and was home raising children for a few years before returning to graduate school.  She has worked in a variety of areas of counseling since that time including substance abuse, family treatment, end of life care, child and adolescent work and both inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment.  She has also supervised a number of therapists both as students and those seeking licensure.  Ann believes that keeping Christ at the center of counseling is a vital part of the counseling process as people work through a variety of struggles.  Ann attends ACAC.

Carol recently graduated with a Master's in Professional Counseling from Liberty University.  She has also completed certified programs related to counseling from the American Association of Christian Counselors and Emerge Ministries, and a certified course in basic critical incident stress  management, as well as studying to become a minister with the Evangelical Church Alliance, and was ordained in 1994.  In addition to formal studying related to counseling, Carol has several years of relevant experience.  She worked at Teen Challenge of Western PA, a Christian drug rehabilitation center, for three years; The DoorWay, a ministry to teens and adults in addiction for six years; The Network of Hope, a Christian ministry working within churches to promote lasting change, for six years; and several years of volunteer lay counseling through the church she attended.  Carol brings to the the counseling relationship the experiences of marriage, divorce, and living with a disability, as well as 33 years of being a Christian. 

Diana is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of PA as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor.  In 2002, she graduated with an MA in Counseling Psychology from Geneva and has been practicing therapy ever since.  Her training includes Client Centered Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic and Trauma Resolution Therapy (TRT).  She is currently active on Geneva College's Supervisory Board for their MA Counseling Psychology Program.  For the past several years, she has been supervising interns from area universities as they complete their graduate work in counseling. Additionally, she teaches as an Adjunct professor for Penn State University at the Beaver campus.  Prior to going into private practice, she was the Director of Counseling for the Network of Hope, a non-profit organization which served community needs in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

Tom is a Licensed Professional Counselor.  He received his masters in Counseling from Regent Univ. ('94) and his bachelors in Social Work from U Pitt ('89). Tom is called to help people discover their true values and beliefs, and find courage to change, or accept what they cannot change.  He has experience working with issues of anxiety, depression, addictions, serious mental illness, and marital discord.  He is trained in psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies, as well as Theophostic Prayer Ministry.  Tom participates in the CCC as an employee of Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, and as an independent therapist.  He was born and raised in the Crafton-Carnegie area of Pgh, and lives there still with his wife and children.

 
Jennifer recently received her Masters in Counseling at Geneva College. She is originally from Lancaster, PA. It was there that she received her B.A. in Psychology at Millersville University. Jennifer's passion is to see God's redemptive work in individuals' lives and to enable a path for healing in individuals and in the community. Her areas of expertise include working with teenagers, depression, anxiety, and life transitions. 

Mari has a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary.  Prior to her work as a counselor, she was in the social service field, working with adjudicated teens and families in crisis.  Mari grew up in Japan, where her parents are missionaries.  She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and three kids.  Mari loves to watch God’s story of redemption and healing take hold in the lives of hurting and wounded people.  Her areas of interest and expertise include: teens, cross-cultural counseling, depression, trauma, anxiety, pre-marital, marital and family counseling.

David completed his BA in English Education/Communications from Grove City College in 2003.  He received his master’s in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. David is a Licensed Social Worker with specialized training in Marriage Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, and experience with survivors of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. David has worked with a variety of people who struggle with how their sexual identity relates to their faith and/or their self-concept. He has counseled single mothers struggling with the responsibility of parenthood in the wake of divorce and has had the honor to work with couples planning to be married as well as couples who want to enrich their existing marriage. David has also worked with people who struggle with personality disorders, addiction, anxiety and depression.  Other experience includes work at Gateway Drug & Alcohol Rehab as an individual and group therapist and work at Anchorpoint Counseling Center.  He also served as the Director & Personnel Supervisor for Youth for Christ Peters Twp. for the past nine years. David lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, and has a wife and daughter.  “I look forward to joining you for a few miles on your path toward the life you were created to live and helping you find your own strength and hope along the way.”

Bob received his bachelors in English ('80) from the Virginia Military Institute, and then served 3 years in the US Army Infantry as an officer.  He served 3 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, East Africa, and then worked for the federal government for the following 6 years.  Bob received his masters degrees in Christian Education, from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, and in Divinity, from Union Theological Seminary in VA ('96).  He has served as a pastor of a number of Presbyterian congregations in NY and DE, and has been serving as the Senior Pastor of a church in West Mifflin in the South Hills since 2002.  He is currently working on a doctorate in marriage and family counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and plans to graduate in 12/09.  Bob believes that just as Christ came as the Wonderful Counselor, the Spirit of Christ works to heal those who are suffering emotional or mental distress.  His areas of interest and training include marriage and pre-marital, family, individual, and psycho-educational counseling as a means of spiritual growth.  Bob has been married since '89, and has 4 wonderful children. 

Doreen graduated from Geneva College with her bachelors in Community Ministries ('01), and from Indiana Univ. of PA with her masters in Community Counseling ('07).  She is the founder of Psalm 119 Ministries for women who are spiritually, emotionally and /or physically at risk.  She has done Biblical counseling for 10 years, and is a member of the Association of Biblical Counselors.  She specializes in a Biblical approach to cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma resolution, crisis counseling, post abortion syndrome, depression, and working with women who are victims of abuse from childhood.  She participates as an employee of Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute, and sees PPI clients at the CCC site at ACAC.

STUDENT INTERNS 

Lisa is a Counseling Student Intern from Geneva College.  She received her Bachelor's Degree from The Ohio State University and is currently seeking her Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling.  Lisa has a heart for teens and young adults and has been a youth leader in her church for the last six years.  She will be graduating from Geneva College in May of 2012.