Love Archives

Susan Best, LCSW

Susan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 17 years of experience in mental health. She has worked with people experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, addiction, and many other issues. She received her master’s in social work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Susan works with adults older than 21 and strives to provide a safe, non-judgmental space. She utilizes cognitive-behavioral, strengths-based, and solution-focused interventions. For those with Christian faith, she incorporates a worldview based on God’s character of loving-kindness, compassion, and restoration. She looks forward to working with you in your journey towards growth and healing.

Tiffany Dobbs, BCMHC

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Conditions, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Providers, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

“Hello from Minnesota! My name is Tiffany, and I’m so delighted you’re here! Personally, I live in the great, northern Minnesota with my husband, two cats and one dog! My story of how I got to where I am dates to when I was just a little girl. I have had many obstacles, faced numerous health challenges from a skin condition that required consistent doctor appointments and out of 80-90 doctors, no one knew what skin condition I was facing. Each one gave a different diagnosis, which resulted in different medication, only to make my symptoms worse. Along with skin challenges, I’ve also underwent a period of abdominal issues and faced other emotional/mental health challenges over the years that came from these experiences. Despite all these challenges, my parents tried many things to help and provide the care I needed, but they never allowed me to use those struggles to miss out on life. They taught me in various ways to rise above and how to preserve when life gets tough. I remember vividly, my mom would always tell me, “Tiffany, you have a sermon within you that the Lord is preparing, that one day you’ll be able to share.” In my early twenties, this was the onset of a decade long battle between me and God, as I wrestled with him, in the lies that I once believed regarding my self-worth, my self-esteem, my beauty, my desire to be married but struggled with singleness. This was a full decade of sorting out all the lies I had once believed to receiving the truth that God was writing on my heart. The truth of seeing myself as he saw me, through his eyes, as an image barrier and creation by His hands, for His purpose. I had a small idea of who God was then but would later understand it in a much deeper way, as during this decade, while wrestling with God, I got to know him more, on a deeper level. He is a God who cares so deeply, and who is so faithful. One who’ll meet us in our mess, and ready to help us mend those broken pieces back together. Given my story, and the challenges that I have faced, but the perseverance that came from it all, God created my heart to love after people, wherever they’re at and for who He has created them to be.
In college, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Since then, I have had numerous careers that rallied around people of all walks of life, from a direct support professional working with youth to build social, emotional and behavioral skills; to being a vocational coordinator (job coach/developer) working with individuals with disabilities/mental health to seek and retain employment; to case management for a managed care organization in WI, where I worked with individuals with physical disabilities, development/intellectual disabilities and frail elders; to working in a care management role for a counseling agency in International Falls, MN. In the spring of 2023, I enrolled into Center for Christian Coaching, where I spent six months being trained as a Christian Life Coach, receiving that certification in late fall of 2023. Most recently, I am currently working on being board certified as a mental health coach through American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC).
My heart and passion are to Love God and Love people. God is marvelous and wondrously faithful. He sees you; He hears you and He knows you. As your coach, I would be honored to come along side you, explore the possibilities of what God is doing in your life, and where he’s taking you on this journey of life.”

Destini Gray, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Destini Gray is a Licensed Resident at Light Counseling who received her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. She meets clients where they are by providing different therapeutic models in her sessions. Destini is also a certified Saving...

Michael Mickens, BCMHC

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Providers, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dr. Michael C. Mickens, D.Min., currently serves as a Pastor and Chaplain in training (CPE Internship). He completed his Doctorate of Ministry in Community Health and Sustainability at Virginia Union University, his Master of Divinity at Andrews University, and his Bachelors of Arts in Theology & Pre-Counseling/Chaplaincy Ministry at Oakwood University. He is a Duke trained Integrative Medicine Health and Well-being Coach and specializes in Mental Health Coaching. He has completed multiple certifications to include: Mental Health First Aid Training Adults, Mental Health Coaching First Responder Training, Mind, Body & Spirit: Mental Health in the 21st Century, Lay Health Education and Congregational Depression Awareness. He is passionate about supporting people on their journey towards health, hope, and wholeness.

Reanna Burch, MA, Supervisee in Clinical Social Work

Providers, Virginia

Reanna graduated from Radford University with her Master of Social Work in 2020. She previously worked as an AmeriCorps State and National Member for a non-profit agency in the New River Valley facilitating afterschool and summer programs for at-risk youth, organizing food, and hygiene drives in the community. She also partnered with Feeding America to distribute food to local communities. She has professional experience as a Family Services Specialist for the Department of Social Services in child welfare. Reanna also has worked with children and adults on issues such as family dysfunction, parenting, substance abuse, anxiety, and more. Reanna is passionate about trauma-informed care and the concept of Imago Dei (“Image of God”). She believes that all people have been created in the Image of God and thus have immeasurable value and worth. Her goal is to come alongside her clients to help them make positive changes both in how they see themselves and how they relate to others, so that they may live into their full, God-given potential.

Skyler Heston, LCSW

Providers, Virginia

Skyler is a Supervisee in Clinical Social Work who is passionate about creating a safe space to facilitate healing. Skyler grew up on the mission field and quickly gained a heart for loving people and meeting individuals where they are at. This led Skyler to pursue her master’s in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University. Skyler has a wide variety of experience including play therapy, trust-based-relational Intervention, anger-management counseling, and working with those who have experienced sexual assault. She also has experience working with a home visiting program that sought to support expecting mothers and connect individuals to resources. When she is not working, Skyler loves spending time with her husband, family, and friends. Skyler also enjoys doing anything outdoors, such as hiking, kayaking, or running.

Jessica Hauser, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Jessica earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master of Arts in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults and has a background in treating anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, psychosis, autism, applied behavioral analysis, solution-focused therapies, and trauma incident reduction. Jessica is TIR trained and a member of the Trauma Incident Reduction Association. Jessica is consistent in gaining more insight and increasing her competency and knowledge to ensure her clients are getting the most up to date and valid treatment strategies. She utilizes TF-CBT, CBT, DBT, TIR, and LSR strategies to help her clients with their individual struggles.

Jessica’s approach is person-centered and she leads from a nonjudgmental, compassionate standpoint. She finds fulfillment and passion in helping individuals gain control over their mind by implementing evidence-based treatments and spreading awareness of the importance of mental health. Her goals of therapy include the implementation of these evidence-based interventions to aid in her clients’ ability to build resilience and increase their confidence so that they may tackle anything that life may throw at them.

In Jessica’s free time she enjoys spending time outdoors, doing yoga, meditation, and playing with her two miniature schnauzers.

Johnny Dixon, BCMMC

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Providers, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Johnny Dixon is a dedicated, certified master mental health coach specializing in marriage and family services. Johnny has been helping individuals and families in crisis for twenty-six years. He has an academic background in Human Development and Family Studies with an Emphasis on children, youth, and families from Penn State University. He received diplomas in Master Mental Health Coach and Biblical Counseling from Light University. Johnny is certified by the International Board of Christian Care Board of Mental Health and is passionate about helping others heal holistically. Johnny believes life can be different.

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.

LaShell Pope, LMFT

Georgia, Providers

LaShell is a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist who loves working with young adults, adults, and couples of diverse populations of different races, cultures, and ethnicities. Her mode of therapy is collaborative. LaShell uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused, and Bowenian therapy concepts to journey with individuals who have experienced depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and different mood disorders. Her passion is relationship management, offering pre-marital and marriage counseling, couples counseling, family therapy, and spiritual therapy as a certified Trainer/Facilitator with Prepare-Enrich and Level 1 Gottman certified therapist.

LaShell graduated from Wright State University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and then went to Amridge University, obtaining her Masters’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has worked in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, as a Staff Therapist. She also has worked in churches and hospices as a Chaplain in Georgia and California, offering pastoral counseling and grief/loss therapy.

Lauren Burns, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Lauren Burns is a Resident Counselor at Light Counseling who received her master’s degree in counseling from Virgina Teach. She has extensive experience working with middle schoolers and adults. She focuses on helping her clients work through anxiety, depression, trauma, difficult relationships, and more. Lauren strives to create an environment that allows her clients to find their strengths and help them process and grow through any circumstance life may have.

Lauren Rowell, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Lauren is a Resident Counselor at Light Counseling. She graduated in 2020 from Liberty University. She is married with one child and enjoys volunteering with her church’s praise and worship team. She works with individuals 15-years-old and older. Lauren has a heart and a calling to help people in their journey towards healing from life’s hard circumstances.

Genevive Drews, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Genevive Drews is a Licensed Resident at Light Counseling. After living in California for 20 years, she moved to Christiansburg, Virginia in 2019. Genevive is passionate about helping her clients become the best version of themselves, even if it means embracing change for healing. Genevive is also a licensed pastor in Foursquare Church, as well as a professor at Life Pacific University. She is passionate about working with college students and young professionals as she helps them understand biblical mental health. Genevive also loves traveling and experiencing new cultures in her free time.

Gina Forgione, BCMHC

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Providers, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Faith-Based Licensed, Certified Nutritional Health, Diabetes Coach & Mental Health Coach IBCC, AACC

Henry Liscio, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Henry Liscio is a Licensed Resident at Light Counseling. He earned a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Liberty University after studying psychology, philosophy, and music at the University of Missouri. Pursuing counseling as a vocation was a given for Henry. He has always been the ‘go-to’ confidant for his friends and family as he was known as a great listener as well as honest, insightful, and robust with any feedback. In addition, Henry has always had an interest in people, the mind, relationships, personality, mindfulness, building a good life, and developing new ways of seeing the world and oneself within it. Henry’s goal for his clients is to make them feel seen, heard, and supported. In his free time, Henry enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing basketball, whittling, or playing in his band.

Jackie Williams, LPC

Providers, Virginia

Jackie Williams is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her master’s degree from Liberty University in 2016. Jackie enjoys challenging her clients to seek transformation through self-acceptance and seeing oneself through God’s eyes. She started her journey in helping others overcome their challenges in her role as Theophostic and Transformational Prayer Facilitator in 2007. Now, she finds EMDR, CBT, DBT and solution-focused therapies to be most helpful for clients. Jackie believes loving self acceptance and a sense of calling by seeing yourself through God’s eyes are foundational for a meaningful life of peace and joy. She loves working with people who want to clean out shame and excess guilt. She believes no person is so lost that they are out of God’s sight, care, or reach for healing. Jackie also utilizes solution-focused therapy, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectal therapy, to help her clients heal and become open about their emotions.

Amy Dillingham, LPC

Providers, Virginia

Amy Dillingham is a graduate of Liberty University with her M.A. in Professional Counseling. She has experience working alongside people of all ages. Amy’s goal is to help every person she counsels reach their highest potential using a holistic wellness approach. Amy is passionate about integrating faith into her counseling, while utilizing different therapy techniques, such as play therapy, nutrition, and more. Amy works alongside clients who struggle with anxiety, grief, marriage issues, and more.

Angela Sutsakhan, BCMHC

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Providers, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Angela has worked with women individually and in small groups in faith based settings for over 20 years to help them handle life struggles. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in guidance and counseling and is a Master Mental Health Life Coach. Her passion is to bring hope to women who are hurting by coming alongside, listening well, and offering a way forward. Core areas of coaching include relationship issues-marriage, parenting, family of origin; identity/self-esteem; and spiritual issues.

Cindy Stafford, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Cindy Stafford is a licensed resident at Light Counseling. She received her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May of 2023. She has worked with individuals in the past coming out of psychiatric hospitalization in the hopes of preventing clients from cycling back into crisis. She has previously worked in foster care and adoption with the Department of Social Services. In her free time, she loves serving the local church alongside her husband of over 30 years and spending time with her adult children. Cindy says she has a special place in her heart for providing support to care givers of those dealing with long-term mental illnesses.

Donna Westcott, LPC

Providers, Virginia

Donna Westcott is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 20 years of counseling experience. She studied Religion at Carson Newman University, and she has a graduate degree in education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Donna has also done additional graduate work in counseling from Liberty University. She is passionate about providing a safe environment to share their struggles with transparency and without judgement. Donna uses talk therapy, along with expressive therapies, such as art, music, or writing, to help her clients grow. Donna has a variety of experiences in counseling, but she specifically has focused on restoring marriages broken by infidelity, as well as supporting women in abusive marriages.

Douglas Kowieski

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Providers, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dr. Doug Kowieski serves as the Director of Care & Counseling at a church in N.E. Florida. He is married to his beautiful wife of 30 years. Doug earned his Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling and is a certified Master Mental Health Coach and Pastoral Counselor by the International board of Christian Care. They have four children ranging in age from 16-25 years of age. They also have four dogs that keep them pretty occupied. Doug has a 27 year career in law enforcement and retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. In his spare time he likes to read, go to the beach, play with his dogs, and spend time with his family. Doug has a heart for helping foster and adoptive parents.