Choices Counseling and Consulting, Inc.

 LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS:

Council Bluffs Location:

Ron Berube, MS LMHC LMHP   

Ron possesses a Bachelor degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He also has a Masters degree in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Ron has over 19 years of work in the human services field. Ron is a licensed mental health therapist in both Iowa and Nebraska and currently provides individual, couples, and family counseling services to youth and adults. Ron is the agency director of Choices Counseling. 

Robert Andrews,  MS LMHC

Robert graduated with a Bachelors degree from Grand Valley State University and with a Masters degree in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has over 7 years experience providing in-home family centered counseling services and office based therapy services. Robert currently provides therapy services to couples, families, and individuals. He is also trained as a Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapist. Robert is a licensed mental health provider in Iowa. In addition, Robert is the agency BHIS supervisor.

Debra Keifer, MS LMHC LMHP

Deb graduated with both a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Deb has over 7 years of experience working in the human service field.  Deb is licensed to provide mental health therapy in both Iowa and Nebraska. Deb currently provides individual, family, and couples therapy, as well as adult and child BHIS services and DHS permanency services.

Kelli Slagle, MS LMHC LMHP

Kelli has a Bachelors degree from Midland Lutheran College and a Masters degree in Community Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Kelli has over 10 years of experience providing counseling services to youth and adults. Kelli currently serves individuals, couples, and families. She is a licensed mental health therapist in both Iowa and Nebraska and specializes in the use of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Kelli is also the agency therapy services supervisor.  In addition, Kelli was also a collegiate softball player. 

 Omaha Location:

 Elaine Blickestaff, MS  LMHP   

Elaine is a licensed mental health therapist. She earned her master of science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She earned her bachelor's degree from the College of St. Mary in human services with a minor in psychology. She has worked in the mental health business for 22 years with 10 years as a therapist. Elaine has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in many settings. She enjoys helping individuals and families make the changes that helps them reach their own personal goals.

 Mindy Hinton, MS  LMHP   

Mindy Hinton, LMHP has had over 15 years experience working with both young children, adolescents and their families through group home, home and office-based settings. Mindy has worked closely with sexual trauma and domestic violence. Mindy’s experience with children and families includes working with the Intensive Family Preservation Program as a family therapist and crisis intervention. These programs were designed to help children and families that were in crisis, and if possible, to prevent children from having to be removed from the home. Mindy also completed a year long internship with the YWCA in Omaha and was given close supervision and hands-on experience working with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for both adults and adolescents. Interventions utilized throughout these experiences include age-appropriate boundaries, identification and expression of feelings, play therapy techniques, parenting strategies (including expectations and consequences) to offer parents comprehension of developmental stages, coping and relaxation strategies, process through and heal from trauma, and education to parents on how children are impacted by trauma. Mindy has also supervised both provisionally and fully licensed therapists in strategies they can utilize with young children and their families.

Marge McKenzie, MS  LMHP

Marge graduated with both a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Human Behavior Counseling from Wayne State College. Marge has 13 years of experience working in the human service field. Marge currently provides individual, family and couples therapy in Nebraska, as well as adult and child BHIS services and FSRP services in Iowa.

Candace Newland, MS  LMHP   

Candace has been conducting individual and family therapy in the home and office settings since 2005.  The people she serves range from pre-school age to geriatrics.  She works with a variety of issues, such as anxiety, depression, communication, abuse and trauma, emotional distress, anger-management, parenting, independent living needs, parent-child interactions and relationship conflict.  To meet the needs of her clients, Candace utilizes many different interventions, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Parent-Child Interactive Therapy, conflict-resolution strategies, relaxation and exposure activities, narrative therapy, parenting techniques, and solution focused activities.

Candace graduated from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 2000 and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology in 2004.  She has had continuing education training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Sensory Processing Disorders, Behavioral Techniques, and additional activities related to my clientele. 

Currently, Candace is in the process of becoming a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapist with the intention of helping children and families improve interactions, decrease oppositional behaviors, and increase self-confidence.  

Candace's passion is to help her clients become happy, healthy, confident individuals by teaching strategies to alleviate emotional distress and by working through painful experiences and relationship issues. She also desires to help individuals and families develop meaningful connections that will provide life-long support and encouragement in their lives.  

Erin Williams, MS  LIMHP   

Erin graduated from the University of Omaha at Nebraska in 2007 with her Master's in Community Counseling. She has worked the past 4 years with a variety of ages and backgrounds. She utilizes an eclectic group of therapeutic techniques however her style is very person centered and humanistic. She views therapy as a collaboration in order to help the client's achieve their therapeutic goals. Her interests include problems with  Depression, Anxiety, Attachment, Grief/Loss, Trauma, Low Self Esteem, Sexual Orientation, Anger management, Communication and Codependency. Erin is currently trained in Parent Child Interaction Therapy. This focuses on the young ages between 2-8 years old and helps the parent and child form a healthier bond. It also improves behaviors and parenting skills and has been proven to be highly effective.

 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTERVENTION SERVICES (BHIS) WORKERS:

 Council Bluffs Location:

Jennifer Felix, BS

Jennifer has a Bachelors degree in Human Services and Psychology from Buena Vista University. Jennifer has experience working with children and adults in both chemical dependency and nursing home arenas. Jennifer currently provides in-home family centered remedial services for both children and adults. Jennifer works out of our Logan, Iowa office. 

Mike Foose, BS

Mike graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor degree in Psychology. He has over 7 years of human services experience including work as a Student Offender Coordinator, Family Therapist, and Certified Family Teacher. Mike currently works part-time for Choices Counseling providing BHIS services. Mike is also active with his church and has been the leader of the OTR youth ministry for teenage boys. 

Rachel Green, MS

Rachel graduated with a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree from Bellevue University. She has over 4 years of experience providing in-home and family centered crisis intervention and counseling services. She has experience in a variety of settings and currently provides BHIS services, CMH services, and DHS services. In addition, Rachel is a former college athlete and academic all-american. 

Sylvia Mezzell, MS

Sylvia possesses both a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Human Services from Bellevue University. Sylvia has over 5 years of experience working in the human services field in a variety of capacities. She has provided intensive family preservation services, foster care services, and home-based therapy. Sylvia currently provides BHIS services, CMH services, and DHS permanency services. Sylvia is also a veteran of the United States Air Force.  

Deb Olerich

Deb possesses an Associates degree and is currently working toward her Bachelors degree. Deb has over 30 years of human services experience in a variety of capacities. Deb currently provides BHIS services for agency.Deb is also the adoptive mother of two children.

Teena Seguin, BSW

Teena has a Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is currently working toward her Masters degree in Social Work. Teen has over 12 years of experience working with children and families. Teena is currently the director of the Choices Counseling Logan office. She also provides BHIS services, CMH services, and DHS Permanency services. 

Jennifer Shafer, BS

Jennifer possesses a Bachelors degree in Social Work from Colorado State University. She has over 9 years of experience working with youth and their families in a variety of settings. She has worked as a foster care specialist, family specialist, and family partner prior to her employment with Choices Counseling. Jennifer is currently providing BHIS services for both youth and adults and is also able to provide CMH services and DHS permanency services. Jennifer is currently pursuing her Masters degree. 

Justine Sindt, BA

Justine has a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Justine has over three years experience working with children with various cognitive deficits in a child care setting and loves to work with children and adolescents in gaining new skills.   Justine currently provides in-home and in-office BHIS services for Choices Counseling.

Jeff Tierney, BS

Jeff possesses a Bachelor degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He has over 11 years of human services experience working with individuals of all ages. He currently provides BHIS services, DHS permanency services and CMH services. Jeff has an interest in assisting others achieve their goals by becoming a certified life coach. 

Shari Whitehead, MS

 Shari graduated from Peru State College with both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Education. She is currently a full-time teacher and works for Choices Counseling part-time as an in-home counselor providing BHIS services and DHS permanency services in the Southwest corner of the state. Shari has also been a foster parent. 

If you have an hour, will you not improve that hour, instead of idling it away?
Lord Chesterfield