Staff
Our well-trained and licensed therapists provide counseling for a wide variety of individual, relationship, and family issues in an atmosphere of confidentiality, acceptance, trust, and understanding.
Judy Tuttle-Zollner, LPC; Codirector
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 105
I am a trained marriage, family and individual therapist. My approach to counseling is based on “family systems” theory which emphasizes problem-solving therapy within the context of the family-of-origin, the marital family and the social system. I have had 31 years experience as a special education teacher and counselor for the Salem-Keizer School District working with handicapped and difficult children. I have a particular emphasis on helping parents access resources and develop appropriate parenting skills. As well as family systems theory, I also use cognitive-behavioral and solution focused therapy. I have worked with children with mental health issues and my particular areas of emphasis are marriage and family counseling, children and adolescents, ADHD, and adoption issues. I am a member of Salem Alliance Church.
George Olson, LPC; Co-director
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 108
I believe that individuals are capable of change when given the right tools, a heightened self-awareness and empowerment to take control of their lives. I recognize and affirm the wholeness of the individual: mentally, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually. I generally believe that the person is not the problem; the problem is the problem. I work collaboratively with clients to find solutions and strategies to solve the problem. I am aware of my values as a Christian and I do not impose my values on my clients. I practice helping clients understand and clarify their own values as applied to their life needs.
I employ an integrative and strength-based approach to counseling with a strong reliance on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and Positive Psychotherapy utilizing individual, couples and group counseling, biblio-therapy and homework assignments. If for any reason I determine that I do not have the experience, training or knowledge to work with your particular concerns, I will refer you to another professional who is prepared to work with your presenting concerns.
Kathy Back, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 119
I believe that people are created for relationship, and that relationship is where we thrive. Counseling provides the opportunity for a relationship of support and encouragement where individuals have the opportunity to overcome difficult circumstances and experience personal growth. We all need to be heard and to have our experiences validated. It is my goal to truly listen and honor your life story. While my personal orientation is Biblical and Christ centered, I will respect each client’s spiritual frame of reference.
My approach to counseling is holistic and person centered. I believe that wholeness is the result of spiritual, mental, emotional, and relational health. Because of this, the counseling process may include exploring your family of origin, your life experiences, relationships, thought processes, the way you interpret events and the integration of new skills.
Jill Conrad, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
503-370-8050 ext. 110
I hold the belief that each individual is valuable and unique with the ability to change. Life is not static, but constantly changing and presenting challenging circumstances that often leave us feeling hopeless, powerless, and stuck in our relationships with others. My goal is to meet individuals and families where they are and walk alongside them as they strive to cultivate a deeper and more meaningful connection with one another. I employ an integrated systemic approach, working from various marital and family therapy frameworks.
Blending theology and psychology is natural and exciting for me, allowing me to explore both avenues with my clients. I do not impose my personal beliefs on my clients and I am committed to operating within each individual or family’s belief system to the best that I can.
Aubrey Dobrkovsky, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext.116
It is my belief that counseling is a partnership and journey whereby strength based exploration of values, choices, and beliefs facilitate growth not only individually, but in the community around you. I consider my role as a guide or facilitator in the process of therapy not the director of your choices. I adhere to a person-centered model of therapy, where I provide a genuine, empathetic, and safe place that empowers you to steer the direction of your own future. I also see people through a holistic lens and believe that wellness includes physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of your life. Working together with my clients, we will determine which approach and techniques will best meet your needs.
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Tyrone "Ty" Dripps, LPC, CADC-1
Licensed Professional Counselor; Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor, Level 1
503-370-8050 ext. 115
I believe that everyone can reach an optimum state of mental and emotional health as they commit to the process of growing in wholeness. As a Person-Centered therapist, I believe that people hold the keys to a healthy emotional balance within themselves. I believe that counseling provides opportunities for self-awareness and personal growth within the context of a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship. I employ a collaborative approach where together we will identify treatment goals and work toward achieving those goals. To help attain this, I employ an eclectic approach with a strong reliance on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Strength-Based approaches. I am a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and will abide by its code of ethics. Although counseling sessions involve intimate personal issues, client and counselor both understand that we have a professional relationship rather than a social one.
Karen Keller, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 111
My role as a counselor is to assist clients in making desired changes leading to greater satisfaction and effectiveness in their lives. I strive to provide a respectful, supportive environment and a collaborative approach to assessing strengths, identifying issues, and solving problems.
My essential philosophy of counseling springs from a Christian worldview, with the conviction that every person is valuable, unique, and has the potential for healing and growth throughout life. I draw from a variety of methods – particularly Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and conciliation work – adapted to the needs of each client.
Rena McGrath, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 112
My approach to counseling is based on attachment, or the relationship interactions we have with others as I believe that it is within healthy supportive relationships that we thrive and grow. In addition to this, I also utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. I have a passion for helping parents access resources and develop effective parenting skills, as well as caring for their own mental health. My particular areas of interest and training are marriage and family counseling, children and adolescents with anxiety or behavioral issues, post-partum depression, and adoption issues. I have experience working with high-risk children and adolescents in conjunction with their families both in the office and in the community and home settings. I attend DaySpring Fellowship church and serve in the children’s ministry program there.
Jodi Miller, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 202
I believe that individuals inherently desire to create and maintain healthy relationships with others. Individuals may need guidance and perception in order for them to accomplish healthy boundaries, emotional regulation, and understanding of themselves and others. I also believe that ultimately, people desire to create changes in their lives that bring a positive life experience (for example goal-setting, academic or work performance, friendships, relationships with family members, etc.). That is why I became a counselor. My goal is to support others in creating healthy relationships with themselves and others as well as developing any desired change in their lives.
Joel Nelson, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 106
My initial objective is to promote a safe and non-threatening environment where each client is heard and offered hope toward wholeness. I utilize a systemic approach while implementing various cognitive-behavior techniques. Included in my practice is an emphasis on family of origin dynamics. This service is a favorite among many of my clients, as it is often times one of the keys to a happier, healthier life. My job is to give you the tools and techniques to achieve a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. After several sessions, you will become well-versed at handling issues whenever and wherever they arise. Call now to schedule a session.
Sarah Pluister, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 104
Your willingness to seek counseling is a bold and brave decision. As your counselor, I will welcome you with warmth and tenderness and honor your story. I will walk alongside you as you explore and make sense of your experiences, move toward a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships and begin a process of wholeness. I believe that interpersonal relationships provide the ability to transform and heal our lives. I hope that in working together, our relationship can be one of safety and healing.
I am trained to assist individuals, couples and families that are hurting, in transition or weighed down by life stressors. I work from a systematic perspective, always considering one’s family of origin and important relationships. My style is slow and purposeful, with pacing led by you. It would be a true privilege to join you in your journey of transformation, empowerment and freedom.
Brandee Ratzlaff
Professional Counselor Registered Intern
503-370-8050 ext. 118
Counseling is an invitation and opportunity for clients to discover who they are, who they want to become and how to get there. Together, counselor and client explore these areas. I believe the client’s past holds valuable information for gaining insight and understanding into current behaviors, perspectives, and ways of thinking. With such discoveries, forward progress can be made to find healing and freedom, as the client is empowered to make choices congruent with their own goals for the future.
Counseling is a collaborative effort between counselor and client. As counselor, I will create a safe and confidential environment to explore areas of concern. I will listen, ask probing questions, provide honest feedback, encourage and challenge clients to take hold of the life they desire. It is the client’s responsibility to engage in the process and direct the focus. I work from a psychodynamic perspective that seeks to bring healing to the root issues of a client’s hurts and concerns. I operate from a Christian worldview but am happy to work with clients from any faith background or none at all. I consider it an honor and privilege to journey with clients in their quest for living a healthy and meaningful life.
The length of treatment and methods used will depend on the specific circumstances of the client. While I believe the counseling process to be beneficial, there are no guarantees. It can be hard work and may conjure up difficult emotions and experiences as we seek healing. I’m willing to walk through this normal process with my client. However, the client is at liberty to stop counseling at any time or choose a different counselor if desired. My goal is to assist the client in any way I can.
Janet Rickman, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 107
I am a trained professional counselor. My approach to counseling is based in the belief that people are dynamic, and ever evolving toward self-actualization by identifying and getting their needs met, as well as defining meaning in their lives. Exploring, obtaining, and healing relationships with others and self, are all primary to my approach to counseling, as I believe relationships are central to the meaning people find in their lives.
Jeff Rodin, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
503-370-8050 ext. 203
Life is a journey and sometimes along the path we run into obstacles that interfere with the enjoyment of our adventure. I believe that everyone is created for a purpose and there are times when we stumble as we try to find our place in life. My aim is to assist people in identifying the barriers that hinder their joy, to help them create personal solutions to the difficulties they face in life, and get back on the road that can lead to personal fulfillment and satisfaction.
I am a family system based therapist with 25 years of experience working with youth and families. I will help you create a safe place that will allow you to explore your family of origin, unravel your life experiences, as well as study your current relationships and community. In doing so, you will learn how you perceive the world around you and to enhance your skills to make your world a better place. I believe in the Biblical principles of forgiveness, restoration and redemption.
Pam Standridge, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
503-370-8050 ext. 109
Discovering who we are, where we came from and what has transpired in our lives is vitally important in understanding how we relate to others and the world around us. My approach to counseling utilizes the Family Systems Model and Cognitive-Behavioral techniques. I believe our past experiences and environments help us to develop how we think and respond to life’s stresses. This is where cognitive behavior techniques can be helpful in changing false thinking and negative responses. As a client understands themselves and their current situation they can change their thinking process and subsequently their behaviors to work toward positive outcomes.
In addition, I have worked as a school counselor, in a crisis pregnancy center, hospice, as a life coach, and a pastor’s wife for 20 years. I have also had training as a Life Coach with an emphasis on life and leadership development with Ministry Coaching International.
Christina Steele, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
503-370-8050 ext. 113
It is my belief that psychological growth is possible at any stage in life. I work alongside my clients helping them discover their strengths and assets in order to facilitate growth and change. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, couples and individuals, using various types of therapies including: Play, Cognitive Behavioral and Psychodynamic.
Stewart Stout, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 204
I practice an interpersonal narrative approach to family therapy, viewing our work together as a mutual contract. I focus energies on the immediate problem behavior, attentive to the past influences, open to future possibilities. Our work will uncover creative, adaptive, and constructive ways of removing the various constraints, including gender, class, and cultural roles, which keep us “stuck.”
Jessica Teigland, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 117
Therapy is a journey in which a client seeks to find meaning, truth, positive ways of living, and finds potential for rebuilding and establishing healthy relationships with the self and others. A counselor helps a client along this journey by being patient, trustworthy, tolerant, creative, and able to promote self-worth. In being patient, I will listen with an open mind and an open heart. I also trust that you will make progress that is fitting for your wellbeing. You have the potential to practice being transparent during sessions, to allow the therapeutic process to assist you in desired changes, and to seek guidance from positive influences. I honor the differences among people, regardless of what type of difference it is. Furthermore, in effort to be an effective counselor, I will think creatively. In doing so, I can maintain the importance of your needs in counseling services. To speak specifically, people often find that they are in control of how they can affect their outlook on life and relationships with others. What I aim to do is work with you to uncover this potential. In a life full of doors to choose from, I will aim to help you to discover what is behind each door. Additionally, I, as a professional and as a human being, find value in every individual. As you seek assistance in your own life, I will draw mainly from a person-centered theory to walk along side you on your journey.
McKenzie Trautman
Master's Level Student Intern
503-370-8050 ext. 201
mckenzie@salempastoralcounseling.org
I am a graduate student intern working towards my Master’s in Mental Clinical Health from George Fox University. I am under the supervision of George Olson (SPCC’s co-director). I view counseling as a sacred privilege and am honored to walk with others through all stages and circumstances of life. I believe in a holistic approach to mental health and wellness which seeks to integrate the past, present and future along with paying attention to our physical, spiritual, social and emotional well-being. I strive to provide a space that allows my clients to be completely authentic without fear of judgement or expectation. I have worked voluntarily with teens, adults (young and old), parents, grandparents, and people in positions of leadership for the past 20 years. As a graduate student intern, I am unable to accept insurance payments; however, my fee is only $20/session. My office hours are limited to Tuesday, Thursday, and an occasional Friday.
Sheryl Wakeling-Cook, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
503-370-8050 ext. 114
Each person is a unique individual and is capable of responsible and rational choices, and has great potential for desired change. The relationship between the therapist and the client is built on trust and the hope-filled possibility of change as determined by the client. The therapist acts as a guide, enabling the client to discover and map the final objective. Each person lives their life in some form of interconnectedness with others. Small changes in the client’s life may have larger implications within his or her own system, which must be taken into account in the counseling process.
Administrative/Billing
Please contact us with any insurance, billing or payment plan questions.
DeeDee Voigt
Office Manager
503-370-8050 ext. 103
Carolyn Beyer
Reception
503-370-8050 ext.205
Netti Miller
Billing Specialist
503-370-8050 ext. 102
