by Laura Thompson | Jun 4, 2021 | counseling, first steps, getting help, Health, therapy, Uncategorized
The Stigma of Mental Health It’s generally accepted that people go to the doctor for an illness. In fact, we’ve seen an influx of clinician visits during the pandemic. Friends don’t generally label you as “crazy” or “psycho” after a doctor visit. However, even in...DNP
Dr Sena comes to Spence Counseling with over 25 years of experience in medicine and nursing. He graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Dr Sena uses an evidence-based approach to assess, diagnose, manage, and educate all patients from age five and older in psychiatric mental health and those with severe mental illness. Psychiatric areas of expertise include Major Depressive Disorder (Depression); Anxiety, Bipolar 1 and 2; Schizophrenia; Schizoaffective Disorder; ADHD assessment for children, teenagers, and adults; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Sleep Disorders. Dr. Sena loves helping people with a holistic approach to providing patient-centered care to all in the context of evidence-based practices and health promotion. In his free time he likes meditation to fellowship with God. He likes to travel, have family time, and cook with his wife.
Assistant Clinical Director MSW, LIMHP, LICSW, LISW
Danielle earned her Master’s in Social Work and Master’s in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Danielle likes to be able to help people holistically heal spiritually, emotionally, and mentally and to grow into what God created them to be. Her specialties are working with teenagers and trauma. She is also certified in Clinical Anxiety Treatment. In her spare time, Danielle likes spending time with her husband, paddleboarding, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and reading.
Office Manager
Kim comes to Spence with over 35 years of administrative experience. She helps with greeting clients, taking payments, and running various reports. She is a great asset to the Spence family. In her free time, she enjoys walks, reading, playing with her pets, and spending time with her grandbabies.
PLADC, PLMHP – Omaha
Andrea pursued counseling because she wants to help those who are struggling to conquer life’s obstacles. Andrea is currently finishing her masters of counseling from Crown College and will start her internship with Spence in Jan 2024. In her free time, she enjoys playing instruments and can play 13 different instruments. She also enjoys walking her dog and playing with her two cats. She will watch independent guards and percussions along with marching bands in the fall and winter. In the colder months she enjoys watching movies snuggled in with her pets.
Phillip Edwards – Intern
Phillip followed God’s calling to help others navigate the challenges they face in life. Phil is currently completing his Masters of Counseling from Crown College with a dual licensure in mental health along with alcohol and drug addiction counseling. He is excited to start his practicum and internship in August 2024. He is passionate about helping individuals, couples, families both traditional and blended to foster healing and growth. His free time consist of reading history with a goal of reading a biography on every President, building model cars, and cooking. Phil is a dedicated father, stepfather, and granddad. He and his wife have a blended family of six.
Administrative and Billing Assistant
Theresa comes to Spence with 31 years of Administrative and Billing experience. She served in the U.S. Army for 7 years. She loves working with people! She feels that you should always great anyone with a smile, bringing a bit of “sunshine” to someone who maybe having a “cloudy” day. In her free time she likes writing, listening to music and spending time with family.
MSW, LIMHP, CMSW, LICSW
Regina graduated from Wayne State College with degree in Elementary Education. She then made a career change from teaching to social work to be able to better serve others and graduated from UNO with a Masters in Social Work. She has worked with adults and the elderly for the past 30 years in the community, nursing homes, and hospice. She specializes in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief and loss. She believes in serving others with the assistance & presence of the Holy Spirit and gets excited when a person experiences the “light bulb” moment when something is figured out and resolution is made. Regina also became a Deaconess. In her free time, she enjoys playing music, quilting, church activities, and being with friends and family.
MA, LIMHP
Andrew has 30 years of experience in the human services field working in corrections, private practice, and community mental health. He earned his master’s degree in professional counseling from Colorado Christian University in 2001. Prior to that, he worked as a corrections counselor in the MA Department of Corrections. He has been trained in several counseling modalities that he integrates consistently into his practice with clients. He also has a wealth of life experience that some say is the best education of all. He is trained in Gottman Level I and II where he provides invaluable marriage and couples counseling. He is also trained in EMDR, a trauma-based modality for those who struggle with the impacts of posttraumatic stress and other trauma-related symptoms. He has extensive experience working with individuals struggling with depression and anxiety, anger management, and other common mental health concerns. In his free time, he enjoys camping and hiking, photography, and spending time birdwatching. He also loves spending time with his wife and four children laughing, hanging out, and enjoying BBQ.
PLMHP
Whitney graduated from Crown College with her Masters in Counseling. She previously attended North West Missouri State University and University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a double major in Art and Art History. She feels God gave her a unique calling to love people and see His healing and purpose come to fruition in people’s lives. She takes delight in following and obeying Him and counseling others is a big part of that. In her free time, she enjoys long walks with her husband, games, eating good food, and cuddling up on the couch with a hot beverage, soft blanket, and watching a good show.
MS, LIMFT, LIMHP, LMFT
Betsy is passionate about assisting individuals, couples, and families as they navigate difficult circumstances that life and relationships bring. She offers a compassionate ear and applicable resources to help her clients. Betsy utilizes evidenced-based theories and a trauma-informed approach to understand each situation while acknowledging that Christ is the ultimate source of healing. She strives to help clients identify and adapt core beliefs that may lead to or result from anxiety, depression, PTSD/trauma, relationship distress, grief, and a variety of other concerns, in order to promote true freedom in life and relationships. Betsy is EMDR trained and earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
PhD, Clinical Psychologist
Kevin received his doctorate in Psychology from Colorado State University. He has been practicing for over 30 years. He specializes with those dealing with anxiety/panic attacks, marriage, counseling; working with children and adolescents with behavioral problems; those with addiction, and pain management. He chose this path because it gives him the privilege and opportunity to serve God and others, alike. In his off time he enjoys spending time with his family, pheasant hunting, fishing and cooking with his wife.
PLMHP
Linda received her Bachelors in Behavioral Science from Bellevue University and received her degree from Crown College for her Masters in Clinical Counseling. She interned at Spence Counseling Center and then was hired on to continue her work. In her free time she enjoys gardening, crafts, and soap making.
MS, PLMHP, PLCSW
Kim earned her Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Nebraska – Omaha in 2019 and has worked in the fields of child-welfare and behavioral health for over 20 years. Kim and her husband are adoptive parents of three children. Kim’s personal and professional experience have equipped her to work with parents with complex family dynamics and histories of attachment and trauma difficulties. Kim sees clients of all ages and has experience with parenting children with complex needs, trauma, grief, behavior disorders, depression, and anxiety. Kim also enjoys working with individuals experiencing life transition stages and career changes. Kim believes in equipping others to find their unique and individual strengths, helping them to see themselves as Christ sees them, a beloved son or daughter of God. In her free time, she enjoys photography, traveling, hiking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Administrative and Billing Assistant
Laura comes to Spence from Alaska with four years of medical billing and customer service experience. She loves to put a smile on the face of clients by helping in whatever way she can. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, reading poetry, and sitting in her outdoor hammock on a nice day. Laura is also fluent in ASL.
MA, LIMHP, LPC, CDGC
Terapia en Español.
Amelia holds a MS in Rural Development as well as her MA in Mental Health and Counseling from Grace University. She specializes in Couples, Family, and Children’s Therapy, and caters to those who speak either English or Spanish. She loves traveling home to Columbia and visiting her family. Amelia finds that helping people is like giving a glass of clean water to a thirsty person and then show them the way to the fountain so that they can go and drink the water by themselves. She loves to see how the Holy Spirit empowers people to make the right changes in their lives so that they can heal, healthy and whole.
MS, LIMHP, LPC
Melissa earned her Master’s in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2003. She is a licensed therapist in Nebraska and has been with Spence Counseling since 2021. As a former homeschool mom, she understands the struggles of parenting and family dynamics. Melissa sees clients of all ages and has experience with grief, autism, behavior disorders, depression, anxiety, anger, and trauma. She enjoys helping clients discover their strengths and find hope through Christ. In her free time, she enjoys being involved with Boys Scouts and creating things with her hands – knitting, crocheting, needlework, etc.
Executive Administrative Assistant, CNC
Laura has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Grace University, an Associates in Communication, and is currently getting her Masters degree in Applied Nutrition Science. She hopes to blend nutrition and psychology to help those with disordered eating patterns. Laura grew up in the Omaha area and has worked with a diverse group of people in many different business settings. She has been at Spence Counseling since 2017 and loves interacting with the clients, therapists, and staff. Laura has extensive experience with administrative tasks including scheduling, billing, training, and correspondence. She also enjoys writing handouts and blogs for Spence Counseling as well as posting on Spence’s Social Media accounts. In her free time, Laura coaches high school cheerleading and loves fishing at the lake or traveling with her husband and 3 girls.
Certified Therapy Dog, Good Girl
Eva pursued counseling because she loves helping people and being there for her clients. She is fully certified as a therapy dog with her mom/handler Danielle. In her free time, she enjoys sticks, long walks, napping, and meeting new friends.
LMHP
Bob earned his Master’s in Community Counseling from the University of Portland (Oregon) in 1996. Bob has served as a Youth Director in churches since 1988 and genuinely enjoys teenagers and their families. As a therapist he has historically worked with individuals addressing chemical dependency, marriage and family issues, depression, anxiety, grief, and vocational transition. He has been joyfully married to his wife since 1989 and they have three adult children with their own families. Bob enjoys woodworking, home remodeling, bicycling, reading, singing, playing guitar, and goofing off with the family’s three dogs and two horses! Bob’s mission is to encourage individuals to discover their unique design in God’s creation and experiencing the freedom for which Jesus died and rose again for them.
Administrative Assistant – Kansas Location
Rhonda comes to Spence with over 30 years of office experience. She works in our Kansas location helping the therapists with billing, insurance, and administrative duties. She enjoys being part of a team to help the office run smoothly and successfully. In her free time, she loves to travel with her husband, spend time with family, play with her grandchildren, and go for long walks.
MS, PLMHP
Luci earned both her Bachelors of Science in Psychology and her Masters in Clinical Counseling from Bellevue University. She has experience working with individuals, couples, and families struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar, binge eating, and post traumatic stress disorder. She is a Certified Precision Nutrition Coach and specializes in obesity that is directly related to mental health. In her free time, she enjoys learning about health and fitness and working out. She loves spending time with her family while going on walks, hiking, and camping together.
MS, PLMHP, PLCSW
Amy comes to Spence with 16 years of social work experience. She gained her Masters in Social Work from the University of Missouri at Kansas. Amy loves providing a safe space for clients to talk. She wants people to know it’s okay to not be okay. She loves helping people work on themselves daily to create a positive outlook for their future. In her free time,she enjoys road trips, crafting, walking, cooking, and being with family.
MA, LMSW
Ryan earned his Master of Social Work degree from The University of Kansas and Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Kansas State University. His work experience in the mental health field has been in both inpatient and outpatient services and with individuals that struggle with anxiety/panic attacks and trauma/PTSD. He chose his path in counseling because it gives him the opportunity to serve God and others alike. Ryan is married with his two wonderful children. In his off time, he enjoys being a dad, spending time with his family and friends, following the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, and barbecuing.
MS, LIMHP
Shelly earned her Master’s degree in Professional Counseling through Mid-America Christian University and is a member of the American Association for Christian Counselors. She has been known for her down-to-earth style, and has a heart for helping people transform through mind renewal and finding their health/wholeness in Christ. She seeks to tailor therapy to the needs of each individual client, but enjoys creative/artistic assignments and integrating veins of therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, while integrating things with a spiritual perspective to best help with anxiety, grief, depression, trauma, misplaced self-worth/identity, relationship issues, emotional eating, boundaries, and discovering passion in life. Shelly is enjoying her journey with Spence Counseling and finds it a privilege to care for every client walking through her door.
Clinical Director, MSW, LIMHP, LISW, LICSW
Mark earned his Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006. He is a licensed therapist in both Nebraska and Iowa. Mark has been a part of the Spence Counseling Center family since 2006 and meets with individuals at the Omaha, Council Bluffs and Red Oak, IA locations. He has counseling experience with marriage, family, depression, anxiety, grief, PTSD/trauma, spiritual issues, and ADHD. Mark sees anyone from ten years old and up, including elderly individuals. He integrates Christian principles into his counseling work. He enjoys helping the people he meets discover how our Creator designed them, and the purposes for which He created them.
Executive Director, MA, LIMHP, LMHC, LPC, CDGC
Chuck earned his Master’s degree in Counseling from Western Seminary in Portland, OR in 1997. He is a licensed therapist in both Nebraska and Iowa. He joined his father at Spence Counseling Center in 1999, and since 2010 has overseen the operation as Executive Director. His counseling experience expands over 20 years and involves meeting with men and women of all ages in the areas of marriage, family, depression, anxiety and addictions. Currently, he spends most of his time observing the growth of the individual therapist and the counseling center as a whole. Chuck has a passion for writing, public speaking, and mentoring new therapists, but none greater than helping people find genuine healing by solving issues at the core. Chuck is married to his wife, Rhonda and together they have two great kids, Karyna and Joel.
Director of Operations
Rhonda earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her experience includes records management, organization, insurance contract credentialing, claims recovery, billing/insurance issues, and project management. She has worked as Spence Counseling Center’s Director of Operations since 2006. She has oversight of all administrative staff, interfaces with all outside vendors and clinical staff, and has been part of the management team since 2008. She and Chuck have two children and in her spare time enjoys time with their family and loves to read.
PhD, Clinical Psychologist
Kevin received his doctorate in Psychology from Colorado State University. He has been practicing for the last 28 years. He specializes with those dealing with anxiety/panic attacks, marriage, counseling; working with children and adolescents with behavioral problems; those with addiction, and pain management. He chose this path because it gives him the privilege and opportunity to serve God and others, alike. In his off time he enjoys spending time with his family, pheasant hunting, fishing and cooking with his wife.
MS, LIMHP, LMHC, CDGC, NCC
Megan earned her Master’s degree in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2007. She is a licensed therapist in both Nebraska and Iowa. Megan has been with Spence Counseling Center since 2008, working with clients in the Omaha and Council Bluffs locations. Megan sees clients of all ages and has experience with gambling addiction, marriage, family, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief issues. She enjoys getting to see growth in her clients as they allow the Holy Spirit to bring about healing and change.
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