Our Team
At CMHC, our strength lies in our diverse and passionate team. Each member brings unique expertise, unwavering dedication, and a heartfelt commitment to bettering the lives of our clients. Dive in to learn more about the individuals who make healing, growth, and transformative journeys possible.
Counseling Team
Stephanie Ford
Therapist
LCPC
Stephanie recognizes that starting therapy can be intimidating and starts by prioritizing a space that feels safe to be vulnerable and imperfect. As a clinician, she values humility, collaboration, empowerment, empathy, and presence. Stephanie primarily uses ACT to help clients identify and connect to values, release sticky unhelpful thoughts, and take the steps to move towards the person that you want to be. Stephanie often works with anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, and identity development. Stephanie sees adolescents and adults and is an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist.
Katie Chen
Therapist
M.S, LCPC
A Licensed Clinical Professional Counsel (LCPC), Katie earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Professional Counseling at Loyola University Maryland. Prior to pursuing her path toward licensure, she enjoyed a career in the performing and visual arts, which meandered slowly toward and within the wellness field before finding a home in mental health counseling. Katie’s eclectic experience has led her to feel passionate about providing and holding space for adults dealing with transition, upheaval, change, loss, grief, stress, anxiety, and depression, especially as these elements pertain to relationships, family, divorce, roles, career, identity, burnout, performance, injury, or illness.
Amy Edmunds
Therapist
M.Ed., LGPC, NCC
Amy believes in the client’s need to be heard and validated. She understands that the client holds within them the answer to their struggle. Amy has a collaborative communication style with a calm and warm energy. She knows that you are the expert on your life and her role is to challenge, clarify, and pose insightful and thought-provoking questions. Amy earned a Master of Education in School Counseling and Post-Masters concentration in counseling from Loyola University Maryland. Amy’s undergraduate studies were in Journalism at the University of Maryland.
Renee Vanderstelt
Therapist
LGPC, LGPAT
Renee help clients address mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, grief/loss, trauma and difficulty adjusting to change. She works individually and in small groups with solution-focused, strength-based and person-centered holistic approaches. Renee offers genuine warmth and curiosity about experiences for deeper reflection and processing. Art therapy helps people understand themselves in ways that can not be shown with words. Renee offers patient and empathic support when working through trauma with safety in mind. Art making with diverse materials also supports long term self-care and health.
Veronica Gugel
Therapist
LGPC
Veronica believes that every human being has unfulfilled potential and internal wisdom that can be unlocked during therapy. Her goal is to enable her clients to tap their true potential by exploring challenges to live more fully and implementing effective strategies for addressing those challenges.
In addition to a Master’s degree in counseling psychology, she has gained additional education in the Treatment of addictions and substance abuse disorders from Grand Canyon University, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training, Dance and Movement Therapy, and other evidence-based practices. She loves mindfulness-based counseling for alleviating symptoms of trauma-related issues, depression, anxiety, and life transitions (i.e., career changes, divorce, or loss).
Veronica has been working with adults as a therapist for more than seven years, and with children for the last two years. Her professional background includes teaching yoga and art, implementing applied behavioral analysis with autistic children, helping teachers struggling with burnout, and career counseling.
As an immigrant who moved to the US in 2015, Veronica provides culturally-sensitive counseling for international clients, including counseling in Russian.
Zoe Jack
Executive Director
LCSW-C
Zoe Jack, LCSW-C, has been a professional in the intersecting field of nature, mental health and education for over a decade. She currently works as the Executive Director of Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative and the Director of the Center for Nature Informed Therapy. Zoe is Co-creator and Senior Faculty for the Nature Informed Therapy Training and Certification Program, the first nature-based training program approved for CEUs for social workers through the Association for Social Work Boards. Zoe is a licensed clinical social worker and practices psychotherapy in nature primarily with adolescents and adults. Zoe is the author of "Social Work Outside: Evidence Based, Micro and Macro Perspectives" and believes in advocacy efforts that increase incorporation of nature into a social worker’s professional practice.
Gina Strauss
Therapist
LCPC
For over 30 years, Gina has worked as an advisor, counselor and teacher in a variety of educational settings with children, adolescents, and adults. She currently works as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor at Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative and as the Program Coordinator and Senior Faculty Member for the Center for Nature Informed Therapy. In addition to her M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology from Towson University, she has a M.A.degree in Applied Healing Arts from Maryland University of Integrative Health (formerly Tai Sophia Institute) which adds a unique perspective to her clinical approach. In her personal life and through her professional experience as a certified nature informed therapist, Gina partners with the wisdom of Nature and inspires others to do the same. She enjoys working with children, teens, and adults and brings an awareness of cultural sensitivity to her practice.
Matthew Lowe
Therapist
M.A., LCPC
If you're looking for growth and/or healing- if you feel motivated by pressing questions about life, specifically your own- then Matthew may be a good fit! Matthew studied counseling at William James College, following advanced studies in philosophy and theology at Harvard Divinity School and Columbia University.
Eliane Coates
Therapist
LCPC
Eliane earned her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She has several years of experience working with adults, adolescents, children and families. Prior to pursuing her counseling degree, Eliane worked in outdoor education and fully believes in the healing powers that come from being in nature.
Ryan Boarman
Therapist
M.A., LGPC
Ryan takes a "big picture" approach to helping others, acting as a companion to clients as they find and traverse their life journeys. He emphasizes aspects of identity such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, spirituality, and ability, and how they impact us individually and systemically. Experiencing how powerful stillness and nature can be for psychological healing, Ryan deeply values each person’s untapped potential. He wants to help you figure out who you are, who you want to be, and how you see yourself fitting into the world.
Catherine Kioi
Clinical Supervisor
LCPC, ACS
Catherine Kioi (a.k.a Cathy) is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and a board approved supervisor. Cathy received a master’s in counseling psychology from Loyola University in 2012. She has worked in the field of mental health for the past 12 years, and specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, grief and relationship problems. Cathy enjoys working with children, teenagers and adults and especially those from the BIPOC community.
Jan Trammell-Savin
Therapist
DMin, LCPC
As a lifelong seeker for wholeness in personal, professional and spiritual life, Jan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with an MA in Clinical Psychology from Towson University, focusing on supporting the journeys of clients toward resilience and fulfillment, through mindfulness-based counseling. An expression of positive psychology, mindfulness-based counseling helps clients rediscover their inherent strengths and skills, and develop greater capacities and strategies for leading valued lives.
Scott Harrington
Therapist
EdM, LCSW-C
Scott has been an educator, counselor, and coach his entire adult life. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C) with a Master’s of Education, (Counseling and Consulting Psychology - EdM), he has worked in public and private schools, community health organizations, and Maryland Correctional Institutions (Facilitator for Alternatives to Violence Program). He earned his Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland, his EdM from Harvard School of Education, and his Bachelor of Arts from Williams College. His approach to therapy is client centered with the goal of helping clients recognize and build on their own strengths. Through his compassionate listening, the people he works with feel heard, seen, and valued so that they recognize in themselves their own resiliency as they navigate the challenges in their lives.
Rachel Oppenheimer
Therapist
M.S., LGPC
Creating a safe space to help clients achieve self-awareness and feel accepted is Rachel's priority. Rachel earned her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Villanova University. She helps adults with anxiety, emotion regulation, and negative self-talk. Holistically, she is a trained sound healer and has experience incorporating nature in her therapeutic work. She assists adults (18+) with maintaining eating disorder recovery. If you are an adult seeking eating disorder recovery support, she will strive to help challenge your eating disorder thoughts and strengthen your True Self utilizing an Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT) approach.
Timothy Ayd
Therapist
LGPC
Timothy Ayd, LGPC believes that there is no growth without challenge and has embodied that belief by spending the past several years furthering his education in the field of psychology. He received his Master of Science in Clinical and Professional Counseling from Loyola University Maryland, where he received a lifetime achievement award from Loyola’s Department of Recreation and Wellness. Timothy spent several years gaining experience in providing psychotherapy, most notably by helping Native Americans in Baltimore City. Born and raised in Maryland, his previous outdoor experiences have fueled his passion for joining CMHC and he enjoys bringing his passion for the outdoors into his sessions.
Timothy is an avid Lord of the Rings fan and his favorite quote from the series in many ways represents his approach to therapy and to life: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Coaches
Phillip McKnight
Life Coach
Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher
Phillip McKnight completed a two-year training program for teaching awareness and compassion-based practices accredited by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. Phillip has experience teaching a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and abilities and uses his MA in Instructional Systems Design to determine the needs of the participant and help them develop skills in mindfulness meditation with tools for body, heart, mind, and community.
Bev Gorman
Life Coach
Registered Nurse, Health/Relationship/Enneagram Coach / Co-active Coach
Bev is a Registered Nurse, and a Riso-Hudson Certified Enneagram Teacher through the Enneagram Institute. She has trained as a Co-Active Life Coach and is also a professional member of the International Enneagram Association. She has been working as an Enneagram coach with individuals one on one and assisting couples/partners in their relational strengths and challenges using the Enneagram as a guide. She currently teaches both Introductory Enneagram courses as well as Going Deeper with the Enneagram workshops . She leads Enneagram workshops for schools, businesses, ministries, non profits and Board of Directors. She also leads Enneagram guided retreats for small groups, churches and businesses.
Interns
Shelly Slyker
Clinicial Intern
Pursuing Masters in Mental Health Counseling
Shelly embraces a holistic, person-centered approach and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in clinical counseling with Adams State University. With warmth, humility and presence, Shelly collaborates with clients to foster a sense of safety, self-compassion, and awareness of patterns. This foundation creates fertile ground for learning and new possibilities to flourish. Listening deeply, Shelly actively partners with clients to individualize the therapeutic experience in service of their goals. Her unwavering belief in every person’s innate wisdom and capacity for growth supports clients to find their voice, moving past feeling stuck by patterns that no longer serve them.
Audra Howard Ferguson
Clinicial Intern
Pursuing Masters in Mental Health Counseling
Audra is an impassioned seeker of mental wellness, currently pursuing her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. Her journey in this field is shaped by a deep-rooted belief that nobody should traverse life's complexities alone. Audra incorporates the person-centered approach, solution-focused approach, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into her practice. She holds a holistic perspective that includes sound therapy, mindfulness, Buddhist psychology, and nature, acknowledging the profound connections between the mind, body, and spirit in the pursuit of healing.
Driven by a commitment to collaborative therapy, Audra actively partners with her clients, valuing their unique strengths, personal values, and aspirations. She tailors her therapeutic approach to accommodate the distinctive needs of each individual, ensuring a personalized and effective journey toward mental well-being.
Within her practice, Audra fosters a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Her aim is to provide a sanctuary where clients feel empowered to explore their inner landscapes, fostering growth and embracing transformation. In Audra's world, navigating life's challenges becomes a shared journey toward self-discovery and healing, one marked by resilience, support, and unwavering compassion.
Admin
Jenny Gulino
Billing Manager
Jessica Wodarczyk
Office & Marketing Manager
Jess has a background in the nonprofit sector, formerly working for the American Red Cross, and more recently, at the Student Support Network. She attended Towson University and the College of Notre Dame. Jess loves photography, cooking, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. She lives with her husband Alex, daughter Maya, and fur babies Dane and KitKat in Baltimore county.