Dan Del Missier – Therapist
Dan has been a therapist at SPBHS for almost 20 years and works with all ages and diagnoses. He is an avid outdoorsman and spends as much time hiking through the great Alaskan Wilderness as he can. The comfort and serenity of nature are the hallmarks of Dan’s practice and he brings a combination of mindfulness and compassion to those he works with. His favorite color is fuchsia.
Donna Duncan – Clinical Director
Donna’s academic and internship work took place in northern California. Her undergraduate time spent at San Francisco State University was toward becoming an elementary school teacher and she went on to receive her Master of Social Work degree at California State University, Sacramento. Donna also has experience in the field of drug and alcohol counseling as well as assisting people with a variety of transitions such as life after trauma, establishing new partnerships, co-parenting through separation and divorce, reinventing ourselves in retirement and/or career re-direction, as well as gender and sexual orientation affirmation.
It is Donna’s intention to consistently be an active advocate who supports people in
- Clarifying their personal values
- Finding meaning in their unique life story
- Cultivating relationships that are nurturing
- Establishing the best ways to receive, contribute and find purpose
Donna is available for individual, couples and family counseling.
Kathryn Dziekan – Therapist
Dr. Kat has been a Mental Health and Addiction Clinician for several years along with being an Associate Professor teaching Counseling Students. She has specialties in psychiatric rehabilitation, addictions, learning disabilities, diversity, and distance education. Dr. Dziekan has served clients and students in a variety of states from Wisconsin to New York to Montana to Connecticut to Hawaii to New Mexico now in Alaska. She enjoys experiencing life by traveling, hiking alone, being with friends, family, and her dog.
Jennifer Gibson – Therapist
Jennifer Gibson is a clinical therapist working with adults in all stages of life and with a spectrum of mental health concerns. She uses trauma and attachment informed practices by following the client’s lead in determining what happens in session and prioritizes building safety. She has a focus on LGBTQ+ and neuro-divergent experiences.
Jennifer lived in Portland, Oregon for over 20 years and is happy to be living in Homer, closer to family. She has visited Homer regularly since she was a young child. Jennifer has an adult son living out of state. She lives in Homer with her partner, young son and a bunch of animals. She balances work with spending time with her family including extended family, walking the dog, looking at rocks on the beach and a regular yoga practice.
Jennifer has a bachelor’s of arts degree in Psychology from the University of Oregon and a master’s of arts degree in Professional Counseling from Lewis and Clark College. Mental health counseling is a second career for Jennifer, she spent many years working in customer service and management roles where she had a valuable education in working with people.
Brent Harmon – Therapist
Brent Harmon attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He taught middle and high school History and English for many years. In 2021, Brent completed his Master’s degree in Social Work, and has worked with many families, groups and individuals of all ages and diagnosis. Brent has moved back and forth from Nevada to Alaska with his family since 2004, they always find the beauty and treasures of the places where they live. Brent’s pedagogy has always been: meet people where they are at in life’s journey, work together to empower each person so that they can gain insight and knowledge, and always work with strength toward success in life.
Judy Kamara – Therapist
Judy is a relationally oriented psychodynamic therapist. Her emphasis looks at family history and environmental circumstances to understand family dynamics and build on individual and family strengths.
Judy received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Massachusetts in 1991, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in 1999, and her Masters in Social Work from Smith College, School of Social Work in 2015. She also attended University of Massachusetts, Boston’s Infant Parent Mental Health Fellowship program and is now a Certified Infant and Early Childhood clinician.
Judy enjoys working with families who are early in their parenting journey, early childhood development, trauma and generational trauma, Military members and their families, substance recovery, and anxiety and depression.
Judy works from a framework of journeying with clients empowering them to overcome mental health challenges, gain insight into how their past has informed their present, and identify strategies for thriving in their life.
Lise Kirsis – Therapist
Lise has been a psychotherapist in practice since 2003, first employed with Anchorage Community mental health and since 2006 with Homer’s Community mental health services.
She has a B.S. in Biology from University of Washington, a Masters in Social Anthropology focused on medicine and Alaska Native historic medical traditions from University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a Masters in Counseling from University of La Verne.
She was licensed as a professional counselor in 2007 and became a licensed counselor supervisor in 2017.
Lise enjoys working with Women’s issues, Men’s issues, family trauma and addiction, and serious and long term mental illness in all ages of people.
Her approach in therapy uses EMDR, ACT, CBT, Reality therapy, Existential therapy, Client Centered therapy and Attachment theory.
Lise believes that treating historic family systems problems and historic trauma is often a part of helping an individual with their current life problems.
Drue Smith – Therapist
Drue started at The Center in the fall of 2021 as an art therapy and counseling intern. She received her Masters Degree in Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling from Southwestern College in the fall of 2022 and was hired onto our team as a Clinical Therapist. Southwestern College’s consciousness-centered and holistic educational experience led Drue to support a client-centered approach. In addition to her emphasis on using art making and creativity to help support one’s healing, she has completed coursework towards certificates in EcoTherapy, Children’s Mental Health, and Human Sexuality. She enjoys working with children, adolescents and adults.
Drue grew up outside of St. Louis, Missouri, and then moved to Arizona where she received a BFA in Art and Visual Culture Education from the University of Arizona in Tucson. After college Drue moved to Flagstaff, AZ and worked at an off-grid charter school, working primarily with Navajo students. She has called Homer ‘home’ since 2014 where she has worked in early childhood education, taught art classes to children, worked on organic farms, and tendered in Prince William Sound.
Drue hopes to merge art making and creative expression with mental wellness to help support individuals and families in their healing processes in the community she loves.
Savannah Wilhite – Nurse Practitioner
Savannah is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse focused on helping people live their best lives. She has ten years experience with medication and medication support working with multiple diagnoses and assisting clients in managing and controlling symptoms. She provides services remotely, choosing to live in Alabama as it is the only state which precedes Alaska alphabetically.
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