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FAITH - INTEGRATED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING |
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CLINICAL STAFF |
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Susan Brooks, M.A., M.Div., LPC
Susan Brooks is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. She has worked with individuals, couples and families since 2001 and joined the CareNet staff in 2003. Before entering her counseling practice Susan was a hospital chaplain, a church youth minister, career counselor, and mental health professional with the state of North Carolina. Her areas of special interest are anxiety and depression, grief, persons with chronic illness, career counseling, relationship difficulties, and spiritual direction with individuals and groups. She is certified in interpreting the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory, which she uses for career issues, couples counseling and group team building. She works with adolescents as well as adults. |
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Ron Wachs, LPC
Ron Wachs is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a clinical Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. He is an ordained United Methodist minister with over fifteen years service in parish ministry. After completing his clinical training in 1992, he worked as a part-time therapist at Baptist Hospital until becoming full-time in 2001. Having previously earned an M.A. from Wake Forest University and a Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill, he taught History at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton) from 1968 to 1983. His areas of clinical interest include Depression, Marital and Pre-marital, Grief and Loss, Life-stage transitions, and Issues of Aging. |
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Cathy Wilson, LCSW
Ms. Wilson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Professional Geriatric Care Manager who joined the CareNet staff in 2005. Her past experience includes several years at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center providing outpatient clinical services, and several years as a solo practitioner in Geriatric Care Management. Ms. Wilson provides counseling to adults, couples, and families for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, grief, and relationship issues, as well as most forms of personal, marital, and family problems. Her particular area of interest and expertise is working with older adults, their families, and caregivers. In addition to providing counseling for issues related to aging, Ms. Wilson provides consultation and assessment to older adults and their families on long term care planning, community resources, coordination of family meetings, and crisis intervention. Consultation is also available to church staff on aging-related issues, and she is available for presentations and caregiver training. Ms. Wilson holds the following degrees: MSW (social work), University of Louisville 1977; MRE (religious education/social work), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1976; BA (religion), Wake Forest University, 1974. |
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Laurel Link, D.Min., Regional Director, LPC, LMFT Supervision
Dr. Link is a pastoral counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor. Additionally she has earned the Duke University Nonprofit Management Certification. She has been a counselor with CareNet since 1989. An ordained minister, she is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. She counsels individuals, couples, families and groups. She specializes in work with couples, pre-marriage counseling, anxiety and depressive disorders, trauma, grief, and vocational guidance testing. Dr. Link currently operates 5 therapy groups and is certified by the American Group Psychotherapy Association. Dr. Link provides consultation to churches. Dr. Link is a graduate of Wake Forest University (B.A., 1970), University of North Carolina-Greensboro (M.A.,1973), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., 1986) and Columbia Theological Seminary (D.Min., 1993). |
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Terri H. Merritt, MSW, LCSW
Terri H. Merritt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who joined the CareNet staff in 2004. She has worked with children, adolescents, and their families since 1992. Ms. Merritt holds a B.A. from Salem College, and a Master of Social Work from Marywood University. She is licensed as a clinical social worker in the state of North Carolina. Ms. Merritt has worked in various mental health settings as well as in the school setting. She works with children, adolescents, and their families who have emotional, behavioral and adjustment problems. Ms. Merritt also works with adults. She treats anxiety, depression, and other personal problems. |
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Michelle Roach, M.A., M.Div.
Michelle Roach began her residency with CareNet in October of 2007 and is in the process of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has served as the minister of youth and Christian education at Louisburg Baptist Church and as an associate campus minister at Meredith College. Michelle works with individuals, including adolescents, who are facing such challenges as grief, depression, anxiety, family conflict, anger management, or life transition issues. Michelle holds the following degrees:Masters of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Chicago (2007); Masters of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School (2003); Bachelors of Arts in English and Religious Studies from University of Virginia (1998). |
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Samuel T. Gladding, B.A., M.A.Ed., M.A.R.,Ph.D.
Samuel T. Gladding is Director of the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of North Carolina. His academic degrees are from Wake Forest (B.A., M.A.Ed.), Yale University (M.A.R.), and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Ph.D.). Prior to his arrival at Wake Forest in 1990, Sam held academic appointments in counseling at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Fairfield University in Connecticut. He has also been a clinician at a mental health center, worked in private practice, and is a past president of the American Counseling Association. |
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Sara D. Hepler, MS, NCC, LPC
Sara D. Hepler is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of NC and a National Certified Counselor who joined the CareNet staff in 2008. She has worked with adults, adolescents, and foster families since 2005 in both the college counseling setting as well as a full-service mental health agency. She works with adults, adolescents, and couples who are struggling with life transitions, or who have emotional, behavioral and/or adjustment problems. Ms. Hepler’s special areas of interest include college students, women’s issues, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, wellness, substance abuse, career issues, and relationship issues. Ms. Hepler holds a B.A. in Psychology from Salem College, and an M.S. in Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She enjoys using a creative approach with her clients and will work with them to develop strength-based solutions to their life problems. |
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Steve Gerhard
Steve Gerhard has served as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in parish and campus ministry for nearly forty years. Twenty-one of those years were in Raleigh, first as Lutheran Campus Pastor at NC State and then as pastor of the Lutheran university church. The last thirteen years he served as pastor of Epiphany Lutheran in Winston-Salem during which he was also Lutheran Campus Pastor at Wake Forest. He received the Master of Divinity from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and the Master of Theology in pastoral care and counseling from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He received training in spiritual direction through the Sursum Corda Spiritual Director Training Program of the South Carolina Diocese of the Episcopal Church. Sursum Corda, meaning "lift up your hearts," begins the Thanksgiving Prayer of the Holy Communion liturgy. It is one of many ways to define spiritual direction as people giving keen attention to their walk with God "lift up their hearts to the Lord." |
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Anthony Pitaluga
Anthony Pitaluga is a bilingual licensed professional counselor who has worked in the field of mental health since 1994. He obtained his Bachelors Degree in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from Queens College in 1994, and earned his Masters in Mental Health Counseling from the Miami Institute of Psychology (Carlos Albizu University) in 1997. He achieved licensure as a mental health counselor in Florida in 2000 and in 2008 in North Carolina. He specializes in working with children and adolescents. Anthony is also licensed by the Florida and North Carolina Departments of Instruction as a school guidance counselor, a career that has allowed him to work with elementary, middle, and high school students. Anthony specializes in working with school-age children and young adults on substance abuse, motivational issues, adjustment issues in school or home, social skills, conflict resolution, and academic performance. As a father of three children of several ethnic backgrounds, Anthony has experience with issues related to adoption and multiethnic families. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
Anthony Pitaluga es un consejero profesional y bilingue, trabajando como consejero desde el ano 1994. El obtuvo su bachillerato en psicologia y filosofia de la universidad Queens College en 1994, y su titulo de maestro de consejero de salud mental de Miami Institute of Psychology (Carlos Albizu University) en 1997. Recibio su licensia como consejero en la Florida en el ano 2000 y en el estado de Carolina del Norte en 2008. Se especializa trabajando con ninos y adolesentes. Anthony tambien tiene su licensia de consejero de escuela en la Florida y en Carolina del Norte. Esta carrera le ha permitido trabajar con estudiantes de todas edades y niveles—de 5 anos a 18. Trabaja en una escuela publica como consejero, y entiende el desarrollo de jovenes y temas escolares. Anthony se especializa trabajando con ninos y jovenes con problemas de usar drogas, problemas de motivacion, problemas de adaptarse en la escuela o en casa; mejorar relaciones sociales, resolver conflictos, y mejorar trabajo en la escuela. Como padre de tres hijos de varias culturas, Anthony tiene experiencia con temas como adopcion y familias de varias razas y culturas. Habla Espanol e Ingles. |
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Nancy Turner is an Administrative Assistant who serves as administrative support to our Center Director and clinical staff. |