Michael Yates, MDIV is a husband to Ruth and a father to Max and Ellie. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Albion College in 1986 and his Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University in 1990. His child welfare experience includes two years of residential services at Vanderbilt Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital, followed by 12 years of therapeutic foster care and adoption with the Helen Ross McNabb Center in Knoxville prior to joining Harmony Adoptions of Tennessee, Inc. in Maryville in October of 2004. Michael is currently the project director for Adoption Support and Preservation, Healthy Marriage, Healthy Family, and Permanency Unit programming. A good laugh, active friends and a forgiving family help keep Michael centered.

Lenna G. Allen, MSW is one of Harmony’s Adoption Support and Preservation family therapists. Lenna received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in clinical Social Work from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Her previous professional experience includes working with children at mental health centers, group homes, runaway shelters, and within the juvenile justice system. Lenna lives in Maryville and shares her life with her husband and two young sons.

Farah Cecil, MA is one of Harmony’s Adoption Support and Preservation family therapists. She lives in Chattanooga with her husband and their two children. Farah immigrated to the United States in 1990 from her native home of Pakistan. She left behind her family, parents and siblings to pursue her education in hopes of building a better life for herself. Farah earned a Bachelor of Arts in Family Science from Montreat Anderson College in North Carolina and a Master of Arts in Education and Human Services with specialization in Marriage and Family Counseling from Regent University in Virginia. Farah brings to Harmony an extensive background in counseling. Her previous professional experience includes working at Phoenix Foster Homes with their therapeutic foster care program. Farah is fluent in 6 languages and is very involved in her children’s activities and her church.

Allison Cole, MS, NCC is a family therapist for Harmony’s Adoption Support and Preservation program. Allison received a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. Her most recent professional experience includes work at an outpatient treatment facility with individuals struggling with substance abuse. Allison is committed to the work of helping both children and adults overcome mental illness. Allison loves to laugh, travel and be creative.

Sarah Collins, LPC, NCC is an East Regional Coordinator for the Adoption Support and Preservation program at Harmony Adoptions. Sarah received a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Tusculum College. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Tennessee, as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor. Prior to joining the Harmony staff, Sarah worked for Frontier Health as an outpatient therapist where she treated children, teens, and adults and specialized in substance abuse disorders. She is a native and resident of Greeneville, Tennessee, where she resides with her husband, her son, and their German Shepherd. Sarah's hobbies include beading, singing, fishing, and participating in and watching sporting events.

Brandi Johnson, MSSW is a family therapist for the Adoption Support and Preservation program in the North East Tennessee region. Brandi graduated from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, and received her Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Brandi’s professional experience includes working with children and adolescents in an acute inpatient setting, as well as providing therapy to a diverse population in an out-patient treatment facility. Before joining Harmony, Brandi most recently worked as the Continuum Clinical Coordinator at Florence Crittenton Agency in Knoxville. There she provided individual/family/group therapy and case-management services to adolescent girls in foster care. Brandi resides in the Tri-Cities area with her roommate and dogs and loves to travel, read, and laugh in her spare time.

Kristi Kulesz, LMSW is an East Regional Coordinator with the Adoption Support and Preservation program and joined the Harmony family in July of 2006. Kristi received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee. Her professional experience includes over 9 years of work with children that have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect in various settings such as Columbus Home, Peninsula Lighthouse and Foothills Care. Kristi lives in North Knoxville with her best friend and two dogs. She enjoys music, reading and traveling.

Kimberly Liberatore, M.Ed. is a family therapist for Harmony's Adoption Support and Preservation program. Kimberly was born and raised in the warm and sunny state of Florida. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and an Education Specialist degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida. Before joining the Harmony team, Kimberly was a counselor at PACE Center for Girls in Ocala, Florida, where she worked with at-risk adolescent girls who were struggling to heal from the past and make positive changes in their lives. Kimberly enjoys riding horses, reading, traveling the world, and cheering on the Florida Gators. She lives in Knoxville with her best friend and 2 pit bulls.

Shea Watts, LPC-MHSP, NCC is the Master Trainer/ Specialist for the Healthy Marriage-Healthy Family program, as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor. Upon receiving her Bachelor and Master degrees from The University of Tennessee, Shea worked in a residential treatment center for children and adolescents. She has also taught at Roane State Community College and worked for UT as a facilitator for the Master of Business Administration Department and the Engineering Department. She currently serves as the co-chairperson for the advisory board of the counseling program at UT and considers this to be one of the biggest honors ever bestowed upon her. In her spare time, Shea enjoys spending time with her family, friends and cheering on the Big Orange. She lives in Maryville with her wonderful husband and best friend and their beautiful daughter.

Emily Anderson, LPC - MHSP is both a family therapist and clinical supervisor for the Middle Tennessee region’s ASAP program. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and Family Relations from The University of Texas at Austin in 2000 and a Master’s of Education in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University in 2003. Emily began her counseling career with Catholic Charities in 2003 as a school counselor and then transitioned to the ASAP program as it began the following year. She is delighted to be a part of the ASAP family and enjoys the relationships she forms with the families she encounters through the ASAP program. Emily enjoys cooking, being “crafty”, and sharing laughs with her husband and daughter.

Jan Clifton, LMSW is the regional coordinator in Middle Tennessee. She has been employed by Catholic Charities since 1988 and has worked in pregnancy counseling/adoptions, school counseling and individual and marriage counseling. She has a BSW and MSSW from UT’s College of Social Work. Jan is married and has two daughters in college and a son in high school. She loves working with families and children and in her free time (ha-ha) enjoys walking her dog in Edwin Warner Park, coffee from Starbucks, reading, and of course being with family and friends.

Ryan Duprey, MMFT is an ASAP family therapist in the Middle Tennessee region. Ryan graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and received his Master’s degree in Marriage Counseling and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University. Ryan began working with children as a Child Care Supervisor at a local day care, and moved on to do child testing for the UT-Chattanooga's Psychology Department. He has worked as a case manager for "Family, Child, and Adolescents" at Mental Health Cooperative in Davidson County, and has also done family therapy at a private practice in Lavergne, Tennessee. Ryan has a love for music, and considers himself to be the only guitar player he knows who doesn't know any songs!

Hanna Holt, MA is employed with the Adoption Support and Preservation program as a family therapist in the South Central region. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Martin Methodist College and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Trevecca Nazarene University. Hanna is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Organizational Psychology. Her professional experience is diverse and includes therapeutic foster care/adoption agencies’ environment, recruitment and training of therapeutic foster care and adoptive parents, HIV/AIDS awareness educator, and behavioral intervention specialist for at-risk youth. Hanna resides in Mt. Pleasant with her adult son who has special needs. She enjoys worshipping in her church and spending time with her grandchildren.

Sarah Lane, LMSW is an ASAP family therapist in the Middle Tennessee region. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Murray State University, and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Tennessee. Sarah began work with ASAP as an intern and happily stayed on after school. Her work experience includes Cumberland Heights of Nashville, an alcohol and drug center, where she was a clinical assistant in the youth program working with teens in a residential setting. She also facilitated groups for Adventureworks focusing on teambuilding, trust, communication, and personal empowerment. Sarah is currently working towards her LCSW.

Jenn MacMaster, LMSW is an ASAP family therapist in the Middle Tennessee region. She began working with ASAP in March of 2007. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Emory University in 1999 and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in 2003. Jenn’s work experience includes working as a triage specialist for three years, deescalating consumers in crisis as well as linking clients to appropriate community resources, while working for Centerstone. Jenn has also interned with the Tennessee Commission for Children and Youth as well as Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee. Most recently, Jenn has undergone training to become an Imago certified therapist and is also working toward her LCSW. She is blessed in love and marriage to Sam MacMaster and together they have a blended family of three children: Ian, Spencer and Cam.

Russell Massey, MA is a family therapist for the Adoption Support and Preservation program in the Middle Tennessee region. Russell graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and received his Master of Arts in Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Russell is currently working on his Master of Marriage and Family Therapy at Trevecca Nazarene University. Russell’s professional experience includes working with children and youth in a therapeutic group home setting as well as teaching children with special needs and case management for people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Before coming to ASAP, Russell worked with Partners for Recruitment in recruiting adoptive families for children in the foster care system. He enjoys playing and watching sports and listening to music. He is married to Jeanette and has a 1 year old daughter, Erica.

Brenda McElyea, M.Ed. has been with the ASAP program since its inception in 2004. She coordinates and facilitates support groups, trains on adoption-related issues, provides home-based counseling, and performs the infamous ‘other duties as assigned’ when assigned. She has a M.Ed. with several years’ experience counseling at-risk families and children in multiple settings and providing presentations on a variety of relational issues. She’s wild about her dog, Maggie, and would rather be on the beach than anywhere else in the world.

Kimberly Morris, LMSW is an ASAP family therapist and clinical supervisor in the Middle Tennessee region. She is one of the original team members of ASAP and has enjoyed being part of a wonderful program and watching its services grow to meet the needs of adoptive families. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University in 1994 and a Masters of Social Work from University of Tennessee in 2004. Kim’s work experience includes working in Centerstone’s preschool for abused and emotionally disturbed preschoolers for five years, as well as teaching parenting/behavior management skills at the Regional Intervention Programs in Nashville and Gallatin. She co-parents three nieces, who are the greatest joy in her life.

Mary Katherine Rand, MSSW works with the Adoption Support and Preservation program in the Middle Tennessee region as a family therapist. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College in 2002 and received a Master of Science in Social Work degree from the University of Tennessee, College of Social Work in 2005. Mary Katherine’s previous professional experience includes working with children and adolescents who struggled with emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues in the home, school, and hospital settings. She also works part-time as a school counselor for Catholic Charities of Tennessee, Inc.

Melissa Canterbury, LMFT joined AGAPE Child and Family Services in 2005 with the Adoption Support and Preservation program (ASAP). She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Melissa currently provides therapy and support to adoptive families in West Tennessee who have adopted youth formerly in the state foster care system. Melissa's former experience includes being the Child and Adolescent Therapist and a family counselor for the TREK program, a therapeutic foster care program for Lookout Mountain Community Services. She is interested in attachment issues with children and their families; couples therapy, and grief and loss. She is excited to be working with individuals, couples, and families whose lives have been touched by adoption.

Hannah Coffman, MS joined AGAPE Child and Family Services in November 2008 with the Adoption Support and Preservation program (ASAP). She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Counseling. Hannah currently provides therapy and support to adoptive families in West Tennessee who have adopted youth formerly in the state foster care system. Hannah's former experience includes interning with Youth Villages as a family counselor, the STAR Center as a vocational evaluator and at West Tennessee Children’s Home as a group and individual therapist for teenagers placed in state’s custody. Prior to joining Agape she was a counselor for the students of the Tennessee Technology Center in Jackson advising students along their educational and vocational path. Hannah resides in Henderson along with her husband and two Pomeranians. She thanks God for the opportunity to work for a Christian organization and for her co-workers that exemplify His vision.

Anna Dempsey, BA joined AGAPE Child & Family Services in August 2009 as the Family Advocate. Anna graduated from Harding University in May 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish. Anna currently organizes the monthly adoptive family support groups in Memphis. She is excited about her with AGAPE Child & Family Services and with Adoption Support and Preservation. Anna hopes to one day attend medical school and become a pediatrician or family physician.

Rebecca Ellis, MMFT is one of the family therapists for Adoption Support and Preservation in the West region. Her role is to provide assistance for individuals, couples, and families affected by adoption. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian University in Family Studies and then received her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University. During her time in Abilene, she had the opportunity to counsel individuals, couples, and families in different areas such as anxiety and depression, marital counseling, play therapy, parenting, and more. Rebecca also has interests and experience in working with siblings of children with autism, grief counseling for children and families, and counseling children from inner cities. Rebecca comes to us from Fort Worth, Texas, along with her husband Marcus Ellis. She grew up in a family with biracial adopted twin brothers, one adopted sister, and two biological brothers. Because of her experience and family background, Rebecca is looking forward to working with those who are touched by adoption.

George Kohlbacher III, MA joined the ASAP program this July as a family therapist. He has worked for Agape Child and Family Services since May of 2004. Formerly, he worked as a family therapist in the family preservation program at Agape. George received his Master's in Counseling from Harding Graduate School after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Buffalo. George is excited to be working with families that have been touched by adoption. George and his wife, Debbie are the adoptive parents of two young boys themselves. George enjoys traveling with his family, reading, and collecting Superman memorabilia.

Heather MacLeod, MMFT is a family therapist for AGAPE, working in the Adoption Support and Preservation program in Jackson, Tennessee. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University in 3D Art and Youth and Family Ministry. She then continued on in her graduate studies and received a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University. During her time in Abilene, she counseled individuals, couples and families who were journeying through issues such as addiction, marital issues, behavioral and life issues, anxiety and depression, Alzheimer’s and dementia, eating disorders, mood disorders, parenting, grief and loss, self esteem issues and more. Heather facilitated various group therapy meetings during her time in Abilene with populations consisting of recovering addicts, abused women and men, and recuperating homeless teens and adults. Having traveled to various countries and lived in various places throughout the world, Heather’s worldview and heart have been shaped by all that she has seen and experienced; making her a long time advocate for adoption. As a therapist, she has particular interest in working with teenagers, couples and families. She often utilizes art in therapy as an essential tool to help with exploration and understanding of oneself. Heather came to us from Texas in October of 2008. She feels very blessed and excited to have the opportunity to work with families whose lives have been touched by adoption.

Michael McDonald, LCSW is the regional coordinator in West Tennessee. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. He went on later to obtain a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Tennessee’s College of Social Work. Michael has years of clinical and adoption social work experience, allowing him to better understand adoption and the special needs that adoptive families may have. He served as an intern at Pinnacle Point Hospital, Little Rock, AR and was an Alcohol and Drug Treatment technician at Southeast Community Treatment Center, Salem, MO. He also worked in the Domestic Violence program and parenting program at Exchange Club/AmeriCorps Program in Memphis, Tennessee. He facilitated group, individual, and family therapy at Compass Intervention in Memphis. In addition, he worked as a medical social worker for LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, dealing with abuse and bereavement issues. Michael also provided special needs adoption case management, counseling and support as the Coordinator for the adoption and maternity services program at AGAPE Child and Family Services, Inc.

Roderick Vester, M.A. is a family therapist in West Tennessee. Roderick received his Bachelor’s in Psychology from The University of Memphis. He received his Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Harding Graduate School of Religion. Prior to joining Agape, Roderick worked as a school therapist. As a school therapist, he worked with a diverse population of students of all age groups; from elementary age children to teenagers in the high school setting. This position allowed him to work with various ethnic groups, cultures, and social classes. He provided comprehensive psychological services, including but not limited to, assessments, evaluations, consultations, and psychotherapy. Roderick enjoyed working closely with educators to develop behavioral plans and strategies to assist with controlling behaviors in the classroom setting. He also enjoyed collaborating with parents regarding intervention planning. This joy continues with working with adoptive parents and families. Being committed to professional and personal growth, Roderick plans to pursue his doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology in the Fall of 2010.

Karen Ratliff, LMSW is a family therapist for AGAPE Child & Family Services with the Adoption Support and Preservation program (ASAP), in the West region of Tennessee. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Crichton College in Memphis, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee. Karen is excited to be working with children and families touched by adoption who are facing challenges of attachment, grief, abuse and emotional issues. She is currently working towards obtaining licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Kevin Wood, MS is a family therapist and clinical supervisor in West Tennessee. He obtained his Master's degree in Counseling and Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. Kevin was employed from 2001 - 2004 at The STAR Center in Jackson, Tennessee as a Vocational Assessment Evaluator. In that position, he helped individuals with disabilities explore vocational options based upon their physical and mental capacities. Kevin has experience working at The Exchange Club’s Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Agape Child and Family Services in Jackson, Tennessee. Kevin specializes in working with families (including adoptive/foster families), couples, individuals in therapy, and children. Kevin is currently working towards attaining his Licensed Professional Counselor/Mental Health Service Provider designation.

Alisha Worthey, MS joined Agape Child and Family Services, Inc. in January 2008. She is employed full-time in the Jackson, Tennessee office in the ASAP program as a family therapist. Alisha earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Social Work from Freed-Hardeman University in 1994. She later returned to FHU to complete a Master’s of Science degree in Counseling, graduating in 2005. Alisha was employed as a Vocational Assessment Evaluator for five years at Madison-Haywood Developmental Services and for nine years at The STAR Center in Jackson, Tennessee. As a vocational evaluator, Alisha assisted individuals with emotional, physical, and mental disabilities to explore work and/or training options that would lead them to successful vocational placements. Alisha has completed a practicum at The Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and at The STAR Center in the Art Therapy Program.