Pastoral Care Archives

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.

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.

Sondra Doty, 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

As a life and mental health coach, Sondra strives to improve her clients’ lives by providing emotional, physical, and spiritual support. Sondra jokingly calls herself an emotion coach or detective. She desires to get to the root cause, pattern, and/or habit of what is hindering people’s lives. She brings truth, hope, and encouragement with a faith-based understanding.

Sondra is a board-certified master mental health coach through the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) with a focus on professional life coaching. (IBCC Certified).

Sondra has coached others in many different aspects of life for over 14 years. Key areas of coaching have been women’s health, birth, postpartum, motherhood/parenting, emotional well-being, career, chronic illness, habits, and faith challenges.

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.

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.

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.

Douglas Stell, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

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.

Karina Blest, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Karina is a Licensed Resident in Counseling with a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. With a strong foundation in addressing diverse mental health challenges, she specializes in supporting clients through substance use disorders, life transitions, anxiety, depression, and relational concerns. Karina’s therapeutic approach integrates emotion-focused therapy with a holistic perspective, emphasizing the importance of understanding each client’s unique experiences. This personalized methodology allows her to develop tailored interventions, fostering a compassionate and effective environment for growth and healing. Beyond her clinical practice, Karina enjoys creative pursuits such as painting and sculpting and stays active through hiking on weekends. She is deeply committed to the principles of holistic wellness, striving to embody this philosophy both personally and professionally.

Bryce Williams, MA, Resident in Counseling

Providers, Virginia

Bryce Williams is a Licensed Resident at Light Counseling. He is also a pastor of a church, as well as a loving father and husband. Bryce is passionate about supporting others through a therapeutic relationship. He wants to cultivate a space for his clients to heal and grow. This may be through finding stress management techniques, play therapy, and more. In his spare time, he loves reading a good book, walking his dog, or cheering on JMU sports with his family.

Corey Gilbert, LPC

Oregon, Providers

Welcome, I’m Dr. Corey Gilbert!

Over the last 23 years, I’ve devoted my life to counseling individuals, couples, and families struggling with past abuse especially in the areas of trauma, adultery, struggles with sex, sexuality, and gender identity.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor with a PhD in Family Psychology, I knew my passion and purpose in life was to help individuals overcome their pain.

I’ve been able to witness people break free from limiting beliefs that hold them back. I’ve seen people stop constantly questioning who they are and instead become excited about where they’re going. And most importantly to me, I’ve seen people freed from their past experiences and start enjoying life. I want the same for you. I beleive the most important ingredient in our earthly healing is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Our faith matters and has a radical impact on our outlook on life.

I am honored to partner with Light Counseling. I am an acclaimed author, and sought-after speaker. Every day I work passionately to support and coach individuals of all walks of life as they overcome their pain, understand who they are, and even see value in their suffering.

Are you ready to transform your life and future?

It would be my honor to share those same success strategies with you, as you travel down this road to acceptance, healing, and fulﬁllment.