Addiction Archives | Light Counseling

Matthew Scott, LMFT

Matthew has had over 18 years experience collectively working in Clinical Settings, Residential Treatment Facilities, Home Visiting Programs, Outpatient Hospital Mental Health Facilities and Christian Based Counseling Services.

As a Mental Health professional, he has had over 10 years experience specifically in clinical settings working in both Outpatient and Chrisitan based counseling services. Matthew co-lead a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Program for Adolescents and Adults working for an Outpatient Mental Health Facility in NY State for 2 years. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a modified type of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others. He also has experience practicing in a Chrisitan Based Counseling Center based out of a Baptist Church in Upstate NY where his Father was the Senior Pastor for 24 years. He was able to see first hand as a Pastor’s son the impact healthy relationships can have on others’ overall functioning through radical genuineness, acceptance, validation and being non-judgemental with those you work with.

Matthew is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and works with Individuals, Families , Adolescents, Children and Couples. Matthew works closely with clients to address issues related to depression, anxiety, marital issues or conflict, relationship issues, parent child relationships, parenting issues, stress, trauma/abuse, addictions, mood dysregulation, post traumatic stress disorder, codependency, anger and maladaptive thinking. As an MFT, he works systemically which means he considers his clients’ lives and the problems they present in therapy through a biopsychosocial lens. This means taking into account their mind, their body, and their relationships, and how all of these things affect each other. MFT’S believe we are shaped by where we come from and that informs so much of what we do in other relationships. Matthew utilizes various methods such as CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Insight Oriented, Psychodynamics and Family Systems approaches to help clients reach and achieve their best self and work towards their life worth living goals.

Licenses & Certifications

● Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Virginia)

● Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (New York)

● Intensively Trained DBT Therapist

Natasha Ginter, LMHC

New York, Providers

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I have had the opportunity to work with many different populations such as children, teens, adults, and families. My experience has enhanced my therapeutic approaches in Trauma Resolution, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing. Through an eclectic approach, therapy will include multiple modalities that are tailored for the client’s distinct needs. The therapeutic relationship is best achieved through client driven, nonjudgmental, and strength-based approaches. Therapeutic services will build from the strengths you already possess while developing additional skill-sets and incorporating Faith based principles to help manage life more effectively.

Jonathan Durst, LMHC, LPC

New York, Providers, Virginia

Jonathan Durst has more than 20 years of experience as a people helper focusing on serving individuals, families, and organizations. He received his formal education from St. John’s University in Psychology and from Ashland Theological Seminary in Clinical Pastoral Counseling. He is currently licensed in New York as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (L.M.H.C.) and in Virginia as a Licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.). Jonathan has served his local church as a youth and an associate pastor prior to his profession in counseling. Early in his career, he had experiences working in several capacities of community mental healthcare in a wide variety of settings. He developed his outpatient counseling experience working at EMERGE Ministries in Akron, Ohio. Jonathan has since worked as a supervisor, clinical director, developed satellite counseling centers, partnered and consulted with churches and organizations, helped train future Christian counselors as an adjunct instructor, provided leadership and mental health training internationally, and has served on a few national mental healthcare committees. Most recently, before coming to Light Counseling, Jonathan was the founder and CEO of Bedrock Counseling Ministries, a Christian outpatient counseling clinic located in Syracuse, New York. It was out of his faith and obedience to God that Jonathan and his family relocated to Virginia for this next chapter of serving others.

Jonathan’s number one ministry is to his family. He strives to love God with all of his heart and is continually broken by both God’s goodness and His direction. He is blessed and honored to be married to Carmen and they have 3 children; Alicia, Matthew, and Gabriela.

Marie St. Louis, LMHC

New York, Providers

Hello, my name is Marie St. Louis. I have spent most of my life helping people be the best versions of themselves, in one capacity or another. As a trauma-informed counselor, I have three years of professional experience helping adults successfully navigate a variety of mental health challenges (e.g., anxiety, depression, substance abuse, addiction, loss, relationships, and other life-controlling issues). I collaborate with clients to develop treatment goals, and explore practical and effective coping strategies to help achieve these goals; thereby, leading to happier lives that reflect the client’s core values.
I am a national certified counselor with a passion to help clients heal and begin living victorious lives. My therapeutic approach centers on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a framework in helping clients better understand their inner world and use that understanding to overcome challenging situations; however, treatment is always client specific.
Life offers many unexpected twists and turns that oftentimes leave us overwhelmed with distressing emotions and undesirable behaviors that produce brokenness within. If you can relate, I welcome you into a judgment-free therapeutic relationship to safely discover, explore, learn, and grow into the man or woman you were created to be – an overcomer!

Amy Feigel, LPC

Providers, Virginia

Amy Feigel is a Virginia Licensed Professional Counselor and former California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Amy received her pre and post-graduate education from Liberty University and has nearly 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families.

She has served as a Social Worker for Child Protective Services, a Group Facilitator working with sexual abuse survivors through Parents United International, a Mental Health Clinician providing outpatient counseling for at-risk youth, the Director of Member Care for the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), the Director of the Extraordinary Women organization and as a private practice therapist. Amy is currently employed full-time as a therapist at Light Counseling, part-time as an Adjunct Faculty Professor with Liberty University Online, and is also a Special Assistant to the President of the AACC.

As a past recipient of the Servant Leadership Award from the IBPPC, Amy has experience in conducting numerous workshops that provide local communities with mental health education, in-service psycho-education to teaching professionals, and continuing education training for members of the AACC on a variety of topics such as: eating disorders, teen suicide/cutting/self-injury/physical and sexual abuse/depression, anxiety/stress, women’s issues, social networking, and the online generation.