Our Team
Kristin Huntzinger, MS, LPC, CDVS, CCFC
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Owner
Kristin is a Licensed Professional Counselor since 2011. She has been working as a counselor in the mental health field for 12 years. She holds additional certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Certified Domestic Violence Specialist, and Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor. She has extensive experience, over the past 12 years, working with youth who are involved with Berks County Children & Youth Services and Berks County Juvenile Probation. In 2015, Kristin began completing evaluations, which include diagnostic impressions and treatment recommendations, for both Berks County Children & Youth Services and Berks County Juvenile Probation. These evaluations include specialty areas such as domestic violence, psychosexual, and juvenile offenders.
Megan Werley, MSS, LCSW, CTFCBT
Clinical Therapist
Megan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 12 years of experience working with children, adults, families and schools. After receiving her Masters of Social Service, she began her career by working with adults who experienced Traumatic Brain Injury. She then went on to work with children and adolescents in the school based environment (primarily middle and high school youth) with a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and trauma. Megan is a certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist and also utilizes other treatment modalities such as CBT, Mindfulness and Creative/Expressive Arts Therapy.
Brianna Sears, LMFT
Clinical Therapist
Brianna Sears is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with nearly 6 years of experience working with children and families. After receiving her degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, she began her career by working with children and families in a community based service. She spent time working with children and adults in their homes, communities, and school settings. Brianna recently made the transition into an outpatient setting to provide support for children and families working through anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, family dysfunction, divorce, etc, after completing the process for licensure. Brianna practices using various approaches including: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), attachment therapy, and various family therapy models, such as experiential, strategic and structural family therapy.
Brianna's work in the mental health field focuses on using a systemic approach. She places value on the client's relationships and will explore the interactions that take place in the client's systemic world, meaning their supports in the family, in the school, and with peers. She places significant value on the closest relationships to the client and will work with caregivers and children in an effort to reduce symptoms and improve connections.
For formal education, Brianna attended Mansfield University for her Bachelors in Psychology. She then proceeded on to obtain a Masters in Marriage and Family therapy from Appalachian State University.
Alexa Mattise-Nauman, LSW
Clinical Therapist
Alexa is a Licensed Social Worker with 10 years of experience. She is passionate about supporting adolescents, adults, veterans, and families. She is also an LGBTQIA+ ally. Some of her initial experience stems from volunteering with a youth group at a shelter for domestic violence survivors. Throughout her experiences she has gained clinical knowledge working in community-based, outpatient, inpatient, and residential settings. She possesses a strong clinical and working knowledge of the juvenile justice system and forensic services. Alexa is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and utilizes trauma-focused CBT and motivational interviewing to address a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rachael Stamm, LCSW
Clinical Therapist
Rachael is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker passionate about creating genuine connections, and “holding space” for clients in their difficult moments. She has worked in the social work field for over 7 years and has a diverse background working with people of all ages in mental health emergency services, homelessness, evaluating, consulting, and more. After earning her Master of Social Work degree at Edinboro University, Rachael began to specialize in work with children, eventually earning both her Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credentials in 2019. As a play therapist she works from a foundation of Child Centered Play Therapy and she also has training in Animal Assisted Play Therapy® , Applied Behavior Analysis, and other types of modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT.) She is able to pull from this diverse skill set to choose appropriate interventions while working to maintain trust as the first priority.
Benjamin Super, MFT
Clinical Therapist
Ben is a Marriage and Family Therapist that is currently working towards his licensure and has 3 years of experience working with families and children. He graduated from Kutztown University with a major in clinical psychology and a minor in sociology. He continued his journey towards higher education at Northcentral University to earn a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Ben’s experience in family-based programs has made him proficient in the Ecosystemic Family Therapy model. Ben views the client’s situation from a systemic lens, which allows him to see the bigger picture of what may be challenging for the client. During his experience, Ben has gained a special focus in the LGBTQIA+ community and wants to create more support for youth and families within the community.
Kate Floren, MFT
Clinical Therapist
Kate is a Marriage and Family Therapist working toward licensure in Pennsylvania, with over four years of experience working with youth, families, and individuals in a clinical setting. She believes in fostering a collaborative and accepting environment in which clients feel supported to recognize their strengths and develop new strategies to improve their quality of life. Kate’s experience includes work with youth, adults, and their families, with concerns related to anxiety, attachment, low self-esteem, grief, and loss. Kate is trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma-informed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR), utilizing these and other family systems theories to address a variety of mental health concerns.
Marcia Nolan, LPC
Clinical Therapist
Marcia is a Licensed Professional Counselor since December 2020. She has been working as a counselor in the mental health field since 2018 upon completing her master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University. She has previously worked as a School Based Therapist in the Reading School district for three years before resigning from that position to raise her son (who is the light of her life!). She has recently returned to the workplace where she is a School Based Therapist at Southern Middle School and Cornwall Terrace Elementary School.
Marcia uses a systemic approach where she places values on the client's relationships and explores the interactions that take place in the client's world, such as support within the family, school, and peers. She will often use play therapy with clients to help build rapport so a strong foundation can be set in an effort to make each, and every client feel safe and comfortable during his/her therapy session. Marcia is also training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and utilized trauma-focused CBT to address a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kelly McCaughey, LSW
Clinical Therapist
Kelly is a Licensed Social Worker that has garnered 5 years of experience in the field working with a variety of populations, including children, teens, adults, and families. Her current primary focus is working with teens and adults, especially members of the LGBTQIA+ community. She graduated from Kutztown University with her Master of Social work and also holds a Behavioral Health certification as well as is a Certified Trauma Professional. She has worked with individuals experiencing a large variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, interpersonal issues, anger management, among others, providing outpatient therapy services to said individuals. She utilizes a client-centered approach to therapy, including modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic techniques, in order to achieve the clients' own specific goals and objectives.
Audra Smallwood, LBS
Clinical Therapist
Audra is a Licensed Behavioral Specialist and Clinical Therapist working towards licensure in Pennsylvania, with over 15 years of experience working with all age groups from toddler to geriatric. Audra has worked in a methadone maintenance program, inpatient hospital, IBHS programs, and outpatient services. Audra’s experience includes work with mental health including depression, anxiety, anger management, grief, loss, and trauma; substance abuse; adult and juvenile forensic services; domestic violence; behavioral and autism services for children and adolescents. Audra utilizes a systematic approach, a form of psychotherapy that focuses on how an individual's personal relationships, behavior patterns, and life choices are interconnected with the issues they face in their life. Audra provides a safe space for individuals to talk about personal issues that may have been too painful or difficult to share with others.
Ashleigh Levan
Administrative Assistance
Nacho
Therapy Dog (In Training)
Nacho makes EMPOWERMENT a special place to be when it comes to therapy. Nacho is currently working toward becoming a certified therapy dog. In his free time, he enjoys running in circles, sleeping where he sees fit, and chewing anything he can get his paws on. He looks forward to helping others and soaking up cuddles in the process.