Charissa Moreno, Intern
Chris Galdieri, Intern
Mackenzie Moran, Intern
Danielle Watts,
Practice assistant
Sumita Punia, LAC
therapist
Jessie berg, LAC therapist
Karen Gawin, LAC therapist
Andrew Tang, LAMFT Therapist
Molly Johnson, LMFT
Therapist, intern supervisor
Sarah Eldridge, Practice Manager
Elisa MItchell, MACP, Co-founder
Caleb Mitchell, MDIV, MAC, LPC, Co-founder
The Phoenix Office
Lindsey Hall-MeneNdez,LAMFT
Therapist
Stephen Mitchell, PhD, LMFT
therapist
Telehealth Providers
Back to all Team Members
"... we are people of hope. Hope wrestles with despair, but it doesn’t generate optimism. It just generates this energy to be courageous, to bear witness, to see what the end is going to be. No guarantee, unfinished, open-ended. I am a prisoner of hope. I’m going to die full of hope. Their’s no doubt about that, because that is a choice I make."
— Cornel West
Caleb does not approach therapy as the "all knowing" therapist. Instead, believing in his solidarity with his clients in both weakness and strength, Caleb trusts the internal wisdom of his clients to uncover their own answers for their path and replace ineffective coping strategies with effective ways of living more whole. Counseling is the process of slowing down to listen to and be aware of the impact of one’s story and the communal systems at work on one’s life. Out of a new awareness, one is able to choose to practice one’s internal wisdom, which leads to growth and freedom.
For the last 20 years Caleb has treated patients in inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. Caleb typically works with individuals and couples and specializes in working with those with religious trauma, physical or sexual trauma, substance use, sexual addiction, depression, and other relational issues. He also works with those in the LGBTQIA community and those working through racial identity development. Caleb uses EMDR to help clients with trauma or are stuck in other arenas of their life.
As a consultant, Caleb pulls from his leadership roles, understanding of psychology, and national speaking and teaching experience to coaches leaders, run groups, and speak on the topic of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in the workplace.
Caleb is a co-founder of The Phoenix Counseling Collective. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor in the state of Arizona. Caleb believes that his work as a counselor is to facilitate a process where clients listen to their stories, are mindful of their bodies, and become aware of their internal experiences. Out of this process clients become aware of how they are automatically responding out of self preservation, which often leads to poor coping mechanisms and/or relational distress. They then are able to grow and make effective decisions that are in line with who they truly are - leading to freedom and getting “unstuck”.
MDIV, MAC, LPC
Co-Founder
Caleb Mitchell
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"At any given moment you have the power to say, ‘This is not how the story is going to end."
— Christine Mason Miller
She believes our stories not only tell us where we’ve been, but also who we are and where we are going. It is in these stories that we have experienced both great joys and great losses, and have learned how to relate to others and our world around us. How we live in our relationships is core to who we are and how our story continues to unfold. We don’t have to respond automatically in ways that once provided protection and now hinder our ability to be fully ourselves in this world. We have the gift to view our stories with grace and to learn to live in a way that hopes for a full and lovely life. Together we can walk through the stories and relationships of your past in order to illuminate your true self and help you live more freely in your world today.
The systems we live in, whether we are talking about family, culture, or community affect our emotional health. Elisa enjoys working with those in the LGBTQIA community, those working through sexuality identity development, and others who desire to wrestle with the impact the systems around them have had on them. Elisa often integrates traditional psychotherapy with body awareness to help invite clients to connect to their authentic self and navigate their current circumstances. She enjoys working with those desiring to feel less stuck with their anxiety, depression, relational issues, and the transitions of parenting.
Elisa received her Bachelor's from Arizona State University in Nutrition and Family Studies and her Masters from The Seattle School in Counseling Psychology.
Elisa co-founded The Phoenix Counseling Collective after over a decade of work in various therapeutic settings working at inpatient and residential facilities focused on eating disorders and dual diagnosis, a counseling center focusing on relationships, spiritual issues, & addictions, and in private practice working with adolescents, adults, and couples. Elisa feels honored to walk with clients as they gain insight, awareness, and experience growth.
MACP
Co-Founder
Elisa Mitchell
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"Sometimes we don’t need to pursue happiness,
we just need to pause and let it catch up with us."
— Rabbi Sacks
It is my sincere pleasure to assist you in connecting with our therapists and to answer any questions you have about what to expect. I will also be your point of contact for any billing questions you have along the way. I am available each business day at: 623-295-9448 or office@phxcounselingcollective.com
I have worked in marketing, conference planning and higher education, and I had a decade long hobby of pursuing master’s degree in Christian Studies, Counseling Psychology, and Adult Education.
Taking a big, courageous jump to engage my story through counseling changed my life, and now I have the privilege of supporting this group of therapists as the Practice Manager for The Phoenix Counseling Collective. It was taking the time to talk about my story in therapy at different points in my life that brought me the healing and self-awareness I needed. It helped me to find meaning, reconciliation, and personal growth. All of which now bring richness to my relationships and life pursuits.
Practice Manager
Sarah Eldridge
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
— Henri Nouwen
When clients invite Molly into that sacred space of healing, she will sometimes offer reflections of what she sees in them, reminds them of their values, helps them plan for future goals, or shares teachings from the research, but mostly she enters into their world and helps them piece it together so that it tells the story that most resonates with them. All of this work helps them get to their true story, not the lie that has snuck in and gotten stuck. (You know these lies, "I'm not good enough." "I'm powerless." "I don't have control." "I'm not safe.")
This journey together often creates space for you to realize your worth and purpose. Then you can actually believe the truth about yourself. Through this work, you are able to embrace and become a person who can handle honesty and intimacy in authentic fulfilling relationships. Molly's work with couples comes from a framework where the emotional experiences and needs of both partners are explored as the couple works towards deeper intimacy, including experiential and “turning towards” exercises. This work is to change the pattern in the relationship from hurtful, to healing. And so, the most powerful relational transformation can come during a phase of life when you feel most alone.
Molly graduated from Friends University in 2013 with a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Molly is licensed as a LMFT in Arizona and a Board approved Supervisor. She specializes in relational work, especially for couples and individual adults with childhood trauma. Molly believes that relationships are both where our deepest wounds and our greatest healing take place. This is why she sees her work with couples is so powerful. In couples work lies the opportunity to do the healing of those deepest wounds, with one’s partner right in the room, aiding in the process, and simultaneously receiving their own healing. Molly has seen countless times how rooting yourself in a foundation of a secure and constant relationship can help you face all that life brings.
Therapist, intern supervisor
Molly Johnson
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.”
— Fyodor Dostoevsky
He believes that it takes curiosity, courage, and compassion to peel back the layers of our pain and tend to the wounds we experience below. Until we can do this, we limp around as shadows of who we truly are, often pretending everything is okay. He understands that a number of us are walking around with open emotional and relational wounds. Afraid of painful stitches, we convince ourselves our wounds will heal on their own. But left unattended, they get infected, swelling into things like addiction, rage, anxiety, and depression. They prevent us from doing what we love and becoming who we truly are.
Andrew is passionate about walking with adults and adolescents through depression, anxiety, addiction, transition & loss, and other relational challenges. He works with individuals, couples, and families across diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds with a focus on trust, understanding, and collaboration.
Prior to entering the therapy field, Andrew also spent five years as a mentor for adolescents, helping them overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse, substance and sexual addiction, and various life-transition and family related challenges.
Andrew is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He received his undergrad from Arizona State University in Psychology and a Masters of Strategic Ministry from Johnson University. He completed his Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Seminary.
After serving adults and families in a multi-ethnicity community where he developed systems of hospitality and care, Andrew recognized a need for culturally agile mental health therapists. His priority as your therapist is to create a safe and secure space to acknowledge your pain, to sit with you in dark moments, and to accompany and encourage you in your journey. Together with his clients he seeks to cultivate their capacity to acknowledge, lament, and integrate their pain and become aware of their strengths, which leads to deeper connectedness with themselves and others.
therapist
Andrew Tang
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
“Every life story can be a miracle or a tragedy – it just depends on how you write it.”
— Dr. Ramani Durvasula
In session, Karen uses a combination of narrative therapy, interpersonal therapy and EMDR (trauma reprocessing therapy) techniques. She loves hearing peoples’ stories and believes therapy is a dynamic process that, while sometimes challenging, leads to positive change and growth. Karen works with clients to develop greater self-compassion and understanding of their personal values and dreams, so that they can lead more authentic lives.
When speaking with Karen, she will notice both your strengths and your wounds, and work with you to help you find the best way forward. It takes courage and determination to embark upon a therapeutic relationship, and Karen is honored to be a part of her clients’ journeys.
Karen works with people who struggle with perfectionism, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, body image issues, career transitions, codependency, decision-making, depression, eating disorders, and identity issues, as well as people with a history of sexual trauma, narcissistic abuse, and the children of personality-disordered parents.
Karen is a Licensed Associate Counselor and has experience working at ASU’s Counseling Services where she enjoyed working with teens and young adults. Prior to becoming a therapist, Karen worked as a professional ballet dancer. Her work in the arts has led her to see people through a creative lens and to appreciate their unique idiosyncrasies and strengths.
Karen believes that every person has the potential for a meaningful and joyous life, even after experiencing times of great suffering, abuse, or trauma. She believes her role as a therapist is to offer a space for healing by helping clients process trauma, develop insight, and experiment with behavioral change.
Therapist
Karen Gawin
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
“We can do hard things.”
— Glennon Doyle
Jessie has provided support to children and young adults learning to regulate their emotions and improve communication skills in the school, clinic and home setting. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand their thought patterns and discover where their behaviors and thoughts stem from. Discovering new ways of looking at things helps children and adults learn how to respond differently and improve situations. Jessie also uses somatic experience therapy tools to help clients be more grounded and to regulate the nervous system. Jessie believes in focusing on daily habits that will support change and that each person requires a treatment plan that is unique to them.
While she specializes in working with children and teens, Jessie also works with adults. She has a special interest in helping individuals who are dealing with societal pressures, self-esteem issues, anxiety, depression, stress, disability and relationship issues. She wants to help you see that past experiences may help you have a better understanding of your present but they do not define you. Jessie offers empathy, compassion and occasionally some laughter. She will work with you to pay attention to your needs and honor them.
Jessie has over ten years of experience helping families who are navigating Arizona’s educational options. She has extensive experience working with people with disabilities and their families and is trained in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) but prefers a more positive reinforcement approach. Her undergraduate degrees are in Anthropology and Global Health from Arizona State University and she holds a Masters of Science in Professional Counseling with an Emphasis in Childhood and Adolescence Disorders through Grand Canyon University.
Creating meaningful change in your life takes work, Jessie wants to help you or your family along the way.
Jessie is a Licensed Associate Counselor committed to treating individuals and families. While working in the primary and secondary education field she saw a great need for support for children, adults and the entire family unit. She believes that it is important to talk to kids and teens about asking for help and the benefits of therapy so that they understand there is nothing wrong with asking for help when they are older.
Therapist
Jessie Berg
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."— Marianne Williamson
Sumita believes in meeting you where you are, and she works with you to establish goals for your healing journey. She is fierce in helping you achieve your goals and kind in her approach by creating a safe holding space for processing your dilemmas and deep wounds. She structures therapy time in a manner that meets your short-term needs and long-term goals.
Sumita was born and raised in India and immigrated to the US in 2000. She has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and an MBA from Indiana University. Sumita graduated from the University of St. Thomas, MN in 2022 with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (Marriage and Family Therapy). Sumita’s prior mental health experience includes conducting trauma assessments at the Veteran’s Administration (VA) in Minneapolis, MN and as a Mental Health Practitioner at Natalis Counseling and Psychology Solutions in St. Paul, MN. She had 26 years of experience in Corporate America prior to pursuing her career in counseling.
Sumita has personally experienced and understands first-hand the stress of life’s transitions due to loss, move, job, parenting, blended families, marriage, divorce, and inter-personal relationships. Sumita works with couples, families, individuals, and kids to explore insights and solutions to help you live your best possible life. Sumita is also trained in Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and she utilizes the DBT skills training to help you improve quality of daily life, and gently enable therapy to address and heal deeper wounds. She believes in a holistic approach to a healthy life and prefers using culturally informed interventions. Sumita also has additional training in sexual health and gender issues to compliment her work with couples and is an LGBTQIA affirmative therapist. Sumita offers consultations in English or Hindi based on client preference.
Sumita’s areas of practice include couples counseling, family therapy, life transitions, parenting support for biracial and/or blended families, acculturation/Immigration/identity development concerns, career counseling, depression, trauma and loss, and anxiety.
Life can get the best of us sometimes. It can be overwhelming and lonely to find a solution and a path forward amid a struggle. We can only see the stars at night and a silver lining among thunderstorms. Sumita believes that crisis gives us the opportunity to grow and having a safe, supportive environment helps us heal. Shifting our internal dialog and thoughts can prepare us to see and receive the gifts the universe has to offer. If you are going through one of life’s transitions and are motivated to seek support, Sumita would feel privileged to help you find the answers.
therapist
Sumita Punia
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid.
The new dawn balloons as we free it.
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it."
- The Hill We Climb, Amanda Gorman
I recently moved to Phoenix having relocated from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June of 2020. In my spare time I love to stay active and engage in activities such as hiking, swimming, and exploring new areas. I am excited to be a part of the Phoenix Counseling Collective family and I look forward to handling all your billing inquiries.
I received my undergraduate degree at Kutztown University in Elementary Education in 2010 and I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Counseling and Counseling at Northern Arizona University. I am expected to complete my master’s course work in the Spring of 2023 and will work towards licensure.
I have a strong passion for working with at-risk youth. While working in elementary education I saw a pressing need to provide emotional support to children and families from underserved backgrounds. I believe all children can learn, grow, and succeed even in the face of trauma and adversity. It is with this belief that I transitioned from education to behavioral health. I have provided educational and therapeutic services to at-risk children in school settings over the last ten years.
practice assistant
Danielle Watts
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field, I'll meet you there."
- Rumi
Mackenzies intention as a counselor intern is to create safe and brave spaces for her clients to feel comfortable showing up as their whole selves. Mackenzie takes a holistic strengths-based & wellness approach looking at the biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual aspects of a client's life. Mackenzie aims to meet the client wherever they are in the present moment, making space for whatever is happening now to be seen, heard, expressed and moved through.
Mackenzie is in her second year of graduate school for Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Saybrook University. As she moves forward in her work as a mental health professional she hopes to begin integrating trauma-informed counseling with clients as well as polyvagal theory, somatic experiencing and other expressive art therapies that allow clients to move through trapped trauma in the body.
Mackenzies ultimate intention is to create and hold space for the client, to help guide each client back to their own intuition and move through whatever it is they need to at the time. Mackenzie hopes her clients gain more strength, courage, and confidence in showing up as their true authentic selves over time as they work together. Ultimately Mackenzie hopes her clients are able to tap into their own intuition to make the right decisions for themselves outside of their client-counselor relationship. Each person's healing journey is completely unique and Mackenzie can't wait and is honored to be a witness and support her clients in theirs.
Showing up in our authenticity takes bravery, it is a lifelong process that continues to unfold through millions of little moments where vulnerability and courage are present. The expectations and pressures of today's world can be overwhelming and sometimes throw us off track or make it hard for us to move forward with clarity. Finding safe and brave spaces where we are able to show up fully in our humanity and express whatever it is we need to in order to move forward is an important element of the healing journey.
Intern
Mackenzie Moran
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"Life is not what it is supposed to be. It is what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference"
- virginia satir
While working for a children’s behavioral health clinic, Chris realized the importance of natural support and how individuals tended to flourish more often when supported by friends, family, and their community. This is why he believes building the tools to effectively communicate one’s thoughts, needs, and feelings is fundamental to the healing process. Chris also worked as a support coordinator for Arizona’s Early Intervention Program. During this time, he worked with infants, their families, and an interdisciplinary team to create and implement effective treatment plans to aid in the development of the child. This also helped further his understanding of how crucial those early years are to an individual’s development and how traumatic experiences during this time shape the trajectory of one’s life.
Although Chris has primarily worked with children and adolescents, he has also worked with families, adults, and couples. Utilizing CBT, DBT, and psychoeducation on trauma and development he has co-facilitated groups with Marriage and Family Therapists, Professional Counselors, and Clinical Social Workers. He has worked with individuals experiencing anxiety, depressive mood, trauma, and also has experience in crisis intervention and safety planning.
Chris is pursuing his master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Grand Canyon University and received his bachelor’s in Psychology from Arizona State University. He is eager to start helping individuals learn, grow, heal, and thrive.
Chris believes that every individual has the intrinsic need to grow and better themselves. Throughout one’s life, situations and experiences create barriers that may make this process difficult. He understands that working through these issues takes time and can often be difficult to handle alone. This is why he strives to offer a safe and understanding environment in order to collaboratively find the most effective resolutions for each individual.
Intern
Chris Galdieri
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
"Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light." — Brene Brown
Charissa desires for the counseling relationship to be a tool of connection moving in the direction of increased hope as well as what the client deeply values and desires. Charissa counsels from a trauma-informed and family systems framework and borrows from other evidence-based modalities depending on the unique needs of the individual client. Charissa enjoys working with individuals of all ages and partnering with them on their healing journey
Charissa brings over a decade of experience in human services working with youth and individuals of all ages impacted by developmental disabilities and or neurodiversity. She received her undergraduate degree from Central Methodist University, with a focus on Psychology and Philosophy. She has also completed additional coursework, training and mentorship related to spirituality and is comfortable integrating this into the counseling process if desired by the client. Charissa has completed the coursework for her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Grand Canyon University and is expected to complete her internship, graduate, and then work towards licensure in January of 2023.
As a counseling intern, Charissa is committed to holding space for clients to address and explore a wide range of challenges, whether those present through relationships, anxiety, depression, spirituality, grief, or barriers preventing joy and peace. When experiencing difficulties in life, it can be common to believe that we are alone in our struggles. Counseling has the unique ability to illuminate our shared humanity and empower us to identify areas where we can learn, grow, and heal.
Intern
Charissa Moreno
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
“He dreamed, simply, of a world intact, the family together, the place cared for, and all well.” — Wendell Berry from A World Lost
For the last 15 years, Stephen has worked with others to help them deepen their relationships with their partner and/or themselves. Trained as a Marriage and Family Therapist, his PhD research centered on helping couples navigate the grief and pain of pregnancy loss and infertility. Stephen has also worked with individuals and couples struggling with addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, and those processing life transitions.
Stephen understands that therapy can seem daunting, and that clients can at first feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, and scared. He believes in the power to change lives because he has seen it change his clients’ lives and has impacted his own.
Dr. Mitchell received his undergraduate degree from Taylor University and his Masters of Divinity and Masters in Counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary. He completed his PhD in Marriage and Family Medicine from Saint Louis University.
Stephen is a licensed therapist in Colorado and Georgia. He has a wide range of experience working with individuals and couples in outpatient and inpatient settings. Stephen primarily focuses on helping clients understand how experiences in their life have influenced their beliefs, behaviors, emotions and relationships. He believes that when clients become aware of how their life has developed, they gain the ability to discern if they want to continue on their path or choose what action they need to take to feel connected to themselves and others in a different way.
Therapist
Stephen Mitchell
Back to all Team Members
Back to all Team Members
“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
— Mary Anne Radmacher
Alabama • Arizona • Colorado • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Indiana • Iowa • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Nebraska • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New York • North Carolina • Ohio • Rhode Island • Tennessee • Utah • West • Virginia
Now working with telehealth clients in:
Lindsey feels deeply honored to listen to and participate in her clients’ stories. It is very important to her that therapy be a collaborative, shame-free experience where clients can explore, come to know themselves, and let themselves be known authentically. She understands that it can be uncomfortable to face the unknown and will walk with you through this process.
Lindsey specializes in working with couples, families, and parents and often works with identity issues, connection or attachment concerns, grief, life stage changes, general relationship and family concerns, and individuals struggling with anxiety. She has worked with a diverse population, ages 5-75, in private practice, medical facilities, university settings, and substance abuse in-patient facilities. Lindsey is trained in EMDR and utilizes this technique when it feels helpful to clients.
Lindsey is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Arizona. She earned her Master of Marriage and Family Therapy from Utah State University.
Lindsey’s work is centered around helping clients find inner peace by creating new relationships with their emotions through replacing judgement with curiosity. As their relationship with their emotions changes, clients often find themselves less overpowered by emotions and even find moments of inner peace and connection in place of deep pain and loneliness. Lindsey believes this is particularly transformative in the context of relationships, whether that be a significant other, parents, siblings, or other family. As the internal state changes, relationships are given more space to change as well.
