Care & Counseling PastorLicensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor
Ph.D., LCMHCS
David is an ordained pastor and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor. He has supervised many associate counselors in the Charlotte-metro area over the years who are pursuing their license as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. David joined the pastor staff at Carmel in 2000 and serves as an Elder and Pastoral Lead Team member. David oversees the care ministries of the church and the Carmel Counseling Center. He often shepherds Carmel families through the loss of a loved one.
David completed his Ph.D. from the Center of Counseling and Family Studies at Liberty University. His dissertation focused on Christian Spirituality and Marital Wellness. David is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management. David often teaches locally and internationally on marriage and family, parenting and trauma. He has a heart for missions and was part of a team that began a Christian counseling center in Albania.
David is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University where he regularly teaches online for the Rawlings School of Divinity and the Doctor of Education program within Pastoral Care. David also serves on the Dissertation Faculty Team aiding doctoral students in the dissertation process. David has Chaired and or acted as a Reader to many students’ dissertations over the years.
David has been married to his wife Jennifer for 29 years. He and Jennifer have two adult daughters who live and work in Charlotte.
Kathy serves as the Intake Coordinator and Counseling Ministry Assistant for Carmel Counseling Center. She came to us from Neenah, Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services and Education. Kathy enjoyed 25 years working in a middle school setting where her understanding and compassion for those suffering from mental health issues flourished.
Kathy has worked in a domestic abuse shelter and a pediatric therapy office. She marvels over the evidence of God’s presence in an individual’s life and spiritual journey. Kathy has been active in women ministries, mission trips, and organizations supporting mental health.
Kathy thoroughly enjoys spending time with her 3 adult children and grandchildren. She can often be found exploring the outdoors with her golden retriever.
Lindsay is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina. She is also registered as a Professional Counselor Telehealth Provider (Credential #291) in South Carolina. (Please see the SC Telehealth Provider Webpage here)
Lindsay graduated magna cum laude with a Masters in Christian Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2005. In addition, she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Davidson College in 2002. Following internships at Presbyterian Samaritan Counseling Center and Novant Presbyterian Hospital Chaplaincy Services, Lindsay began her career serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Lindsay enjoys working with individuals and couples, including adolescents ages 15 and up. She has experience working with those who have a variety of relational and personal issues, such as interpersonal and marital conflict, grief and loss, trauma, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, parenting concerns, family-of-origin issues, life-stage adjustment, and disordered eating patterns. As a pastor’s wife, Lindsay also enjoys working with women in ministry or spouses of pastors.
Lindsay is most passionate about helping people find freedom from their pain and empowering them to make lasting changes in their relationships and life as they grow in their understanding of themselves and God. She primarily helps clients explore patterns of relating to others as a way of understanding how they think, believe, and behave. Also, she often incorporates other strategies including family systems and personality theories.
Lindsay is married to Wes, a pastor, and they live in Charlotte with their four children.
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate
Christie is an LCMHCA in North Carolina. She enjoys working with women and children and is passionate about walking alongside her clients in their journeys toward hope, healing, and positive change.
She specializes in working with children from the ages of three to twelve and is in the process of becoming a Registered Play Therapist. As a licensed therapeutic foster parent, Christie has a special place in her heart for foster and adoptive families and plans to work toward incorporating both trauma and attachment-based therapies into her practice where appropriate. Christie also enjoys partnering with women of all ages who struggle with depression, anxiety, and related issues.
Christie joined the Carmel Counseling Center team in fall of 2021 as a counseling intern. In January of 2023, Christie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Masters in Christian Counseling Program with an emphasis on Clinical Mental Health. Christie obtained her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Winthrop University in 1993. She and her husband of 29 years live in Matthews and have four grown biological children, as well as a daughter-in-law and soon to be son-in-law. They enjoy “grandparenting” foster children for families in need of respite care, gardening, reading together, travel and spending time with their family.
Christie is a member of the American Counseling Association.
Jennifer is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North and South Carolina. She graduated with a Master’s in Theological Studies in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2001. In addition, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from UNC-Greensboro. Past experience includes working for Forest Hill Church in the counseling ministry as well as Pastoral Care, support groups, and was the State Representative for Celebrate Recovery. Additionally she counseled incarcerated women through Changed Choices Ministries, co-facilitated DBT groups for teens, and counseled college students at Belmont Abbey College. She has been at Carmel since January 2022. She has been trained in the Gottman marriage method, and is SYMBIS certified for premarital counseling.
She enjoys working with young adults especially, as well as married couples, premarital couples, and individual men & women. She has experience working with those who have a variety of issues including relationship struggles, anxiety, depression, sexual and emotional abuse, substance abuse & addictions, low self-esteem, marital stress and spiritual counseling. Jenn is active in her church as former children’s program coordinator & deacon, and serves in Bible Study Fellowship in the Children’s department.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Wendy is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina. Graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling in 2007, Wendy enjoys working with individuals, families, and groups. She has completed counseling internships at Carolinas Counseling Group, and The Barnabas Center, as well as Carmel Counseling. She graduated from Georgia College and State University with a Bachelor of Music Therapy in 1997. She began counseling at Carmel Counseling Center in 2007.
Wendy loves working with people who are developing boundaries, those experiencing grief and loss, learning about conflict/resolution, dating, and singleness. Wendy loves helping people explore their emotions and develop emotional regulation as well as understanding how emotion impacts current behaviors. She has experience working with those with adjustment disorders, bipolar, post-traumatic stress disorder, third-culture kids, depression, and anxiety. She is experienced in helping folks navigate life transitions and develop healthy identities. She works well with teens, young adults, and middle-aged clients. In addition to counseling, she also works in leadership development, training, and consulting those working in international contexts.
Casey Eutsler is a Licensed Occupational Therapist in North Carolina and Registered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Casey received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 and Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from East Carolina University in 2012. She specializes in pediatrics, working over the years in a variety of multi-disciplinary settings. She is trained in the evaluation and treatment of children with physical, developmental, emotional, and behavioral needs. She has training in sensory integration, praxis, visual motor/visual perception, gross and fine motor skills, social emotional development, and feeding.
Casey is passionate about the collaboration with families, teachers, and other medical professionals to best serve her clients. She believes that an interdisciplinary approach is essential to helping a child reach his or her best potential across settings. Her greatest joy is seeing her clients build self-confidence and achieve their goals. Outside of her work with children, Casey enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to the beach and spending time in nature, as well as cooking and practicing yoga.
Julia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who earned her graduate degree from the University of South Carolina in 2008 and undergraduate degree from Furman University in 2005. She is a Master Addiction Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (II).
Julia was driven into the field by a passion to help individuals, families, and communities heal and pursue wholeness. Julia has worked in organizations helping those suffering from chronic illness, with adolescents in group homes and the foster care system, alongside individuals and couples in a church counseling center, and most recently at an addiction treatment center and outpatient mental health clinic. It was there that she earned her national and state certifications in addiction therapy. Julia also has multiple certifications as a trauma specialist that she draws from in her counseling approach including story work, narrative therapy, IFS, attachment theory, EMDR, and somatic therapy. Additionally, she has trained under Dr. Kenneth Adams and is listed as one of his preferred providers. She has also completed training as a Gottman couple’s therapist.
Julia believes we are all storied individuals who need faithful and trustworthy witnesses as we heal. She has experience walking alongside clients struggling with depression, anxiety, grief and loss, substance and behavior addictions, trauma, sexual brokenness, abuse, and a variety of relational difficulties. She views each person through a holistic lens of mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational dynamics.
Julia is married and has 4 children. She has a passion for care in the local church and enjoys serving alongside others in her local congregation.
Donavan is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina who earned his Master’s Degree in Christian Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
He has over eighteen years of experience in the area of domestic violence working with victims, child witnesses, and specializes in working with perpetrators. Donavan also has a background in working with youth and adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties. He is also proficient in bereavement counseling and couples counseling. Donavan is experienced in individual and group therapy on various life issues and incorporates biblical principles with psychotherapeutic modalities to assist individuals in increasing their spiritual and emotional well-being.
Donavan is a member of the American Counseling Association, and the current elected Chair of the North Carolina Providers of Abuser Treatment. He was a recipient of the National Association of Counties Award in 2010 for innovation in the delivery of services to the community.
Donavan is married with two children and enjoys spending time with his family.
Erin Hockett is a Licensed Occupational Therapist in North Carolina and Registered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
Erin Hockett graduated from Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education in 1997 and University of Florida with a Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy in 2000. She has a passion for pediatrics and worked in a variety of settings such as homes, daycares/preschools, schools, and clinics. Her certifications and areas of specialty include Sensory Integration (SIPT), Handwriting Without Tears, behavior and self-regulation strategies, sensory processing, fine motor and visual motor training, early intervention, and self-care. Erin has experience treating children with developmental delays, sensory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, handwriting difficulties, and fine motor delays. She loves the opportunity to be a part of a team and collaborate with children and families to promote independence in their daily lives.
Erin is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and rescue dog, exploring the outdoors, hiking and traveling.
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate
Leah is an LCMHCA in North Carolina. She enjoys walking alongside women and children as they navigate life’s many challenges. Leah is trained in child centered play therapy and is particularly passionate about working with young children as they process traumatic experiences, life transitions, and behavioral or relational difficulties. She also sees teenage girls and adult women who are struggling with anxiety, depression, life transitions, or relationship dysfunction.
Having grown up as a missionary kid in Mexico and Central Asia, Leah also has a heart for working with children and adults who have lived abroad or served in international ministry. She understands the complex nature of blending culture and has a desire to hear these individuals’ stories and walk with them toward wholeness.
Leah joined the Carmel counseling team in 2024 after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary with a Masters in Christian Counseling. Prior to her time at Gordon Conwell, she attended Liberty University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology. Leah currently lives in Matthews with her husband and two boys. She loves being with her family, watching movies, and traveling to new places!
She would love to partner with you and your family as you walk toward finding renewed hope, joy, and peace.
Rebekah is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). She is also registered as a Professional Counselor Telehealth Provider (Credential #1148) in South Carolina. (Please see the SC Telehealth Provider Webpage here.)
She graduated in May 2019 with a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from Columbia International University. She grew up in a missionary family and lived in South America as a young child and then in Miami during her later childhood and teenage years. Her B.A. is in English and Russian Studies from Stetson University. Before becoming a counselor, Rebekah taught English as a Second Language for several years to adults in Charlotte. Following that, she worked in Southern Europe for two years with an NGO working with women and children. Her experiences as a missionary kid and as an adult overseas were an important part of her decision to become a counselor.
Rebekah has worked at Carmel Counseling since 2019, with a focus on helping teens and adults walk through life’s challenges. She has a special passion to work with those who have lived internationally. Her approach to counseling is influenced by her faith in Christ and incorporates psychological principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as a variety of other techniques. Additionally, she is trained in EMDR, a therapy specifically focused on helping those who have gone through traumatic experiences. In her counseling, she seeks to help her clients find healing and wholeness by building up their strengths and equipping them with new emotional and relational skills.
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate
Vinita is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in NC and a member of the American Counselor Association. She graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In May 2019, she earned a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Her graduate internships included Transformation Church, Rodgers Christian Counseling, and Hickory Grove Baptist Church.
Vinita enjoys working with individuals ages 5 and up and couples. She has experience working with children, teens, adults and couples in a variety of areas including anxiety, depression, identity, life transitions, and marriage. Her theory of therapy is influenced by her personal relationship with God, life experiences, and psychological modalities in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Person-Centered Therapy. She is currently pursuing her certification as a Registered Play Therapist.
She has a passion for helping people and journeying alongside her clients. She also seeks to build relationships rooted in empathy, trust, and mutual respect in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. Her mantra is: where there is help, there is healing, and where there is healing, there is hope.
Vinita resides in Fort Mill with her husband and 3 daughters.
Emily is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT) in North Carolina. She is also registered as a Professional Counselor Telehealth Provider (Credential #344) in South Carolina. (Please see the SC Telehealth Provider Webpage here).
Emily is passionate about walking alongside people through the restorative process of counseling. She values providing a compassionate, safe, and supportive environment in which individuals can grow and become empowered. Emily believes that her role as a counselor is to meet clients where they are and to walk with them through healing and growth. It is Emily’s desire that all of her clients will feel accepted, cared for, and encouraged throughout the counseling relationship.
In counseling, Emily works with all ages, but she is especially passionate about working with children and families through play therapy, as well as with parents through parent coaching sessions. Emily’s therapeutic approach to counseling integrates psychological principles with a Biblical foundation. Emily has specialized training in the play therapy modalities of Child-Centered Play Therapy and Theraplay®. Emily also serves as Carmel Counseling Center’s Child and Family Specialist, overseeing therapy services to children and families at Carmel Counseling Center, as well as working as a liaison between the counseling center and other ministries of Carmel Baptist Church.
Emily joined the Carmel Counseling Center team in 2019. She holds a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. Emily also earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Wingate University.
In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with her husband, playing board games, and baking.
Ali is a counseling intern in graduate school at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary who is studying for a master’s degree in Christian Counseling.
She grew up in Maine and studied Health Sciences and Holistic Health in her undergraduate degree. After her undergrad, Ali embarked on a mission trip called the World Race where she traveled to 11 countries in 11 months with a team of missionaries across Asia, Africa, and South America. Her experience overseas helped her grow in her ability to connect with and understand people from different countries and backgrounds.
Before attending counseling school, Ali was a preschool teacher at a Montessori and has a passion for working with children. She has experience in play therapy and is working towards becoming a Registered Play Therapist. She has a passion for working with people of all ages and feels she has a natural ability to connect with children and teens. In her counseling, Ali seeks to help her clients have a safe and welcoming space to express their emotions and help clients work towards healing within themselves.
Amber is a counseling intern under supervision with Dr. David Dixon. Amber received a Masters in Christian Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2011. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University.
Amber works with children and adults and is passionate about helping people pursue wholeness and well-being. She uses narrative and client centered approaches working from a holistic perspective. She seeks to help people better understand their stories and the impact their story has on their emotions, bodies, minds, and spirits. Amber’s approach recognizes that healing and growth arise from embracing the entirety of your being and a better understanding of your life story. She seeks to support clients by cultivating self-compassion, and exploring values, passions, and the complex interplay between thoughts, emotions, relationships, and environment. She helps clients to develop strategies to navigate life’s challenges.
Amber enjoys working with children and families who are impacted by diagnoses such as ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Autism. She helps children and parents navigate the complexities of neurodiversity and their impact upon caregiving and family life. Additionally, Amber has served as an overseas missionary and enjoys supporting missionaries home on furlough or transitioning out of mission work. She understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come with cross-cultural living and service.
Amber is married to a pastor and loves doing ministry alongside him. She has three children and enjoys spending time with her family.
Nancy is a Licensed Psychologist. She earned her Ph.D. (1992) in Counseling Psychology and her M.Ed. (1983) in Counseling and Student Personnel, both from the University of Georgia. She holds a B.A. (1979) in Psychology from Randolph-Macon Women’s College. Between her masters and doctoral degrees, Nancy worked full time as a Career Counselor at Indiana University for three years. Upon completion of her Ph.D., Nancy worked as a Psychologist in the Counseling Center at UNC-Charlotte. In 1996, Nancy entered private practice in Charlotte, where she practiced with Morrocroft Psychological Group for four years. Out of this group, Southeast Psychological Services was formed, where Nancy practiced for seven years.
Nancy joined the Carmel Counseling Center out of a deep desire to be part of a Christian counseling center. In all, Nancy has worked in the field of counseling for over 30 years with adults of all ages. She is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the Mecklenburg Psychological Association. Nancy offers Christ-centered counseling to adults on a wide range of emotional and spiritual issues, including chronic illness, marital and relationship issues, singleness, depression and anxiety, career assessment and counseling, premarital assessment, and counseling and family of origin issues. Nancy combines cognitive-behavioral and insight-oriented techniques with a Christian world view. Nancy has been a frequent speaker to area chronic illness support groups on coping strategies, and to women’s ministries on various emotional and relational issues.
