Our Staff

Reverend Marty Phillips, LPC (Executive Director)

Education: Manchester College (BS), Christian Theological Seminary (MA)

Specialties: Marriage and Family, Children, Anxiety, Grief, Depression, Anger Management

Office Locations: Great Bridge United Methodist, Great Bridge Presbyterian and Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk

Availability: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

DR. BILL AUSTIN, LPC

Reverend Marty Phillips, LPC (Executive Director)

Education: Culver-Stockton College (BA), Lexington Theological Seminary (D.Min.), Old Dominion University and Regent University (counseling coursework)

Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions, Marriage/Couples Therapy, Certified Grief Facilitator

Office Locations: St. Aidan's Episcopal - Virginia Beach

Availability: Wednesdays and Thursdays

Community Activities: Member of the YMCA Board, Columnist for "The Shopper" periodical

MRS. PATRICIA HOEFT, LMFT

Reverend Marty Phillips, LPC (Executive Director)

Ms. Brenda Gilmore-Hicks, LCSW

Education: Wayne State University (BS in Nursing), St. Xavier University (MS in Psychiatric Nursing), University of Michigan (MSW, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy), Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic (Post Masters Training in Family Therapy)

Specialties: Couples and Family Therapy, Blended Family Issues, Grief and Loss, Life Transitions, Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Illness, Internal Family Systems Certified Informed Therapist

Office Location: Great Bridge United Methodist Church

Availability: Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays

Ms. Brenda Gilmore-Hicks, LCSW

Education:

Norfolk State University (BSW), Norfolk State University (MSW), Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University (M Div.)

Specialties: Aging Issues, Chemical Dependency, Grief/ Loss and Bereavement, Domestic Violence, and Anger Management

Office Location: Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk

Availability: Mondays and Tuesdays

Community Activities: Retired Norfolk State University Faculty - Assistant Professor and Field Education Director

Robert Rubinow, M.A., LPC

Ms. Brenda Gilmore-Hicks, LCSW

Robert Rubinow, M.A., LPC

Education: Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio (M.A. in Clinical Pastoral Counseling)

Specialties: Sexual Issues, Men’s Issues, Veterans, Marriages in Crisis, Healthy Marital Intimacy, Relationship Challenges, Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Grief/Loss, Spiritual Concerns, and Clergy Care

MRS. SARAH MASSIE, LPC

Ms. Brenda Gilmore-Hicks, LCSW

Robert Rubinow, M.A., LPC

Education: Regent University (MA)

Specialties: ADHD, Marriage and Family, Anxiety, Grief, and Depression

Office Location: Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk

Availability: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays

REVEREND LINDA D.T. CLARK, LCSW

Education: Virginia Union University (BA), Norfolk State University (MSW), Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology (D. Min) (M. Div)

Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Grief, and Marriage/Couples Therapy

Office Locations: New Calvary Baptist (Norfolk)

Availability: Tuesdays and Thursdays

MS. KAY DEZERN

REVEREND LINDA D.T. CLARK, LCSW

Education: Milligan College (BS), Old Dominion University (MA) and Roanoke Bible College (coursework)

Specialties: Grief, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and Crisis Intervention

Office Locations: Oak Grove United Methodist, St. Andrew Presbyterian in Suffolk, First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, and Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk

Availability: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays

Community Activities: Grief Support Groups with Lutheran Family Services

DR. KIM NIELSEN

REVEREND LINDA D.T. CLARK, LCSW

DR. KIM NIELSEN

Education: Rutgers University (BA), New Brunswick Theological Seminary (M. Div) and New York Theological Seminary (D. Min)

Certifications: Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Full Supervisor in the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education and Certified Chaplain in the Association of Professional Chaplains

Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Grief, PTSD, Veterans and Military Issues

Office Locations: Second Presbyterian of Norfolk and Eastern Shore Chapel Virginia Beach

Availability: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings

DR. BILL HEDRICK

Reverend Dr. Marcus Small

Education: Marshall University (BA), Union Theological Seminary (MA and D. Min)

Specialties: Marriage and Family, Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions

Office Location: First Presbyterian of Virginia Beach Availability: Tuesdays and Wednesday

Reverend Dr. Marcus Small

Education: Virginia Union University (BA) Masters of Divinity, School of Theology at Virginia Union (M. Div), Norfolk State University (MSW), Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (D. Min)

Specialties: Pre-Marriage Seminar. His primary counseling focus is at his local church where he is the Senior Pastor of New Calvary Baptist in Norfolk.

Emily Bura, LPC, Csac, CPSC

Reverend Martha Mitchell, MSEd, MDiv, MACE, Licensed Resident in Counseling

Education: BS Psychology, MSEd Mental Health Counseling at Old Dominion University

Specialties: Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, individuals age 10+

*Spanish availability

Reverend Martha Mitchell, MSEd, MDiv, MACE, Licensed Resident in Counseling

Education: James Madison University (BA in Psychology), Union Presbyterian Seminary (MDiv and MA in Christian Education), Old Dominion University (MSEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling)

Specialties: Clergy care, anxiety, depression, adult ADHD, women’s issues, seniors, life transitions, self awareness, mindfulness, trauma, self harm and suicidal ideation, LGBTQ+ issues

Office Locations: Second Presbyterian Church of Norfolk and Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church of Princess Anne in Virginia Beach

Availability: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

FAQ

Is Pastoral Counseling only for pastors or church members?

How does the financial part work? Can I use my health insurance?

Is Pastoral Counseling only for pastors or church members?

No. Pastoral counseling only describes the style of counseling we do. Pastoral Counselors are trained mental health professionals that also incorporate a spiritual element into their therapy process. However, you do not have to be a church member to use our services. Several of our clients are referred by local pastors and congregations but many of our clients find us on the internet, in the phone book or by talking to someone else we have helped. We see people from various religious and non-religious backgrounds.

Where are the counseling sessions held?

How does the financial part work? Can I use my health insurance?

Is Pastoral Counseling only for pastors or church members?

Several congregations in the Hampton Roads community have generously donated office space to TPCS to facilitate our counseling sessions. Please click here for a complete list. When a potential client calls the office, our staff attempts to match the client with the most convenient location possible. The rooms are private and are reserved specifically for TPCS use during our schedule times.

How does the financial part work? Can I use my health insurance?

There are two financial options. We accept most health insurances as well as self pay agreements. Most health insurances include a mental health benefit. If you have any questions about what is covered and what your copay might be, we encourage you to call your insurance company and ask their customer service for more information. Must insurance companies will cover individual and family sessions. If you do not have insurance or you choose not to use your insurance, our counselors also offer a self pay option. We work on a "sliding scale" which means we try to match the counseling fee to your income and make counseling as affordable as possible. Please consult our Payments and Forms page for more information.

What do I expect at the first session?

What does marriage and family counseling look like?

How does the financial part work? Can I use my health insurance?

At the beginning of the session your counselor will ask you to complete a minimal amount of paperwork. We want to spend as much time as possible getting to know you and educating you about the counseling process. The first session lasts about an hour and consists of collecting background information about you and your counseling goals. TPCS does not set a limit on number of sessions. You are treated as an individual case and we customize a treatment plan according to your needs.

What kinds of counseling happen at TPCS?

What does marriage and family counseling look like?

Grief
Depression
Anxiety
PTSD
Couples & Marriage
Pre-marriage
Substance Abuse & Addictions
Parenting and Children
Caregiving and Elder Care
Life Transitions
Anger Managerment
Family Counseling
Mood Disorders
Spritual Guidance
Clergy Support
EAP

What does marriage and family counseling look like?

You are welcome to bring your spouse and/or other family members to a counseling session if the issues you are concerned about involve them. In fact, we encourage couples seeking marriage couples to come together to at least the first session. Several of our counselors are skilled in marriage communication and conflict. We also have experience in various family situations and topics.Please let our office staff know what kinds of issues you are dealing with and we will be happy to match you up with a counselor best suited for your situation.

How do I learn more about the different counselors on staff?

Please visit our Staff page for detailed information about each staff member. Also,our bimonthly newsletter features a counselor each issue where more information can be found regarding specialties and expertise. We have both male and female counselors as well as therapists with different denominational backgrounds (Presbyterian, Episcopal, Disciples of Christ, just to name a few).

Is my story confidential?

How do I learn more about the different counselors on staff?

TPCS is held to the same standard that other medical professionals are held to regarding confidentiality. We provide all our clients with information about the HIPAA laws protecting their privacy. You may view a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices on our Forms page.