DIVORCE HURTS. KIDS IN THE MIDDLE HELPS.®

ABOUT the Kids In the Middle staff

Judy Berkowitz, M.Ed, Executive Director

Judy Berkowitz joined the staff of Kids In the Middle in August 2004. Ms. Berkowitz brings a variety of experiences to her role as Executive Director including those of teacher, therapist, actress and public speaker. Originally from New York, Ms. Berkowitz earned her BS degree in music education from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and her M.Ed. in Counseling from Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan.

Before leading Kids In the Middle as its Executive Director, Judy spent twenty years as a clinical social worker and clinic coordinator at Jewish Family Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Moving to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1999 gave Ms. Berkowitz the opportunity to expand her administrative experience by working as the Executive Director of the St. Louis Chapter of Hadassah, a local branch of a national women's membership and philanthropic organization.

Ms. Berkowitz has a simple vision for her tenure at Kids In the Middle - expand the agency's reach in the St. Louis region and beyond so that more children who are "in the middle" of their parents' separation, divorce or remarriage will thrive and that their parents will co-parent without conflict providing safe, loving homes for their children.

Therapists

All of the clinical staff at Kids In the Middle are experienced psychotherapists with graduate degrees. Each therapist typically provides group therapy for children, family therapy, and individual therapy for children and parents. Many of the therapists also provide consultations and assessments, as well as high-conflict/co-parenting therapy and parent group meetings.

Therapists specialize in one of two primary programs:

Support, education, and counseling services for children and families experiencing the difficulties of separation, divorce, and remarriage at our Kirkwood office.

OR

In-school counseling of elementary and middle school children experiencing family disruptions including death, violence, military deployment, incarceration, and drug abuse at various schools in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Interns

Kids In the Middle is a teaching facility and conducts an Internship Program for select graduate-level students who are pursuing a career in clinical treatment services. Five to seven Interns spend two semesters working under the close supervision of experienced therapists in both of the programs described above.

John Borders, MSW, LCSW, CCFC, CCCE

John Borders is Clinical Director. He also provides individual, family, and co-parenting therapy. John earned an A.B. from Princeton University and an M.S.W. with a concentration in Family Studies from the George Warren Brown School at Washington University, where he was awarded an Eleanor Roosevelt Fellowship. He completed the Advanced Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Program at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute, studied hypnosis at the Menninger Clinic, and is certified in EMDR I and II. He has completed mediation and parent coordinator training, as well as disaster services training for the American Red Cross. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor, and Certified Child Custody Evaluator.

For the past sixteen years, John has provided and supervised clinical care for children and families in a wide range of practice settings including in-home, outpatient, day treatment, acute care, diagnostic, and residential. He has worked with runaway youth, traumatized/abused/neglected children, divorced parents, and multi-family groups focusing on effective family behavior and the treatment of trauma. Prior to his career in mental health, John created, developed, and managed businesses in New York and St. Louis for fifteen years.

John is a member of the Planning Committee for the Missouri Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and on the Executive Committee of the Nonprofit Presidents Council. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of Princeton University’s Alumni Board and the Psychiatric Diversion Team of the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services. John has also been on the boards of numerous arts and community organizations including the Altenheim Retirement Center and the Harlem School for the Arts in New York. He joined Kids In the Middle in January, 2006.

Peter Bogart, M.Ed.

Peter Bogart joined Kids In the Middle as a School Outreach Counselor in August 2009. Through the agency’s School Outreach Counseling Program, Peter provides group and individual therapy to children in schools in the City of St. Louis. Peter earned a B.A. in history and psychology from the University of Arizona. He studied in the graduate department of counseling and family therapy at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where he received a M.Ed. in counseling. Peter is a dual-certified professional school counselor (K–8 & 7–12), a member of the American School Counselor Association, and is currently being supervised for national licensure in counseling. He worked for Special School District in the Parkway South region, and coordinated a behavior intervention program that provided group and individual therapy for students at Logos School. Peter has conducted extensive research and worked with numerous individuals suffering from dysthymic, bipolar, and major depressive disorders.

Caroline Borgmann, MSW

Caroline Borgmann, Clinical Coordinator, joined the staff of Kids In the Middle in January 2009 after working with the agency as an Intern. Caroline graduated from Washburn University with a degree in Human Services, specializing in Victim/Survivor studies. Caroline has also explored an interest in Eastern therapies, having studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan. Caroline received her MSW from St. Louis University with a specialization in working with families. Ms. Borgmann is also trained in crisis intervention, and has completed forty hours of divorce mediation training.

Susan Florentin, MSW, LCSW

Susan Florentin provides assessments, consultations, and individual & family therapy to children and their parents as well as co-parenting training. She earned a B.A. in psychology from the State University of New York in Albany, an M.A. in Human Relations from Webster University, and an M.S.W from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. Susan worked as a supervisor for the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole for many years. She also worked as an outpatient therapist at The Child Center of Our Lady of Grace prior to coming to Kids In the Middle. Susan is a licensed clinical social worker in Missouri. She has worked as a therapist at Kids In the Middle since 1986.     

Jenny Forward, MSW

Jennifer Forward, Therapist, joined the Kids in the Middle staff in January 2009 after working with the agency as an Intern.  Jennifer graduated from University of Dayton in 2000 with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. Subsequent to her undergraduate education, Jennifer worked extensively with children and adults with developmental disabilities. Jennifer has a great deal of experience working with children on the Autism Spectrum. Jennifer is an advocate as well as presenter at national conferences on Positive Behavior Support for people with developmental disabilities.  Jennifer received her MSW and Certificate of Clinical Specialization from Saint Louis University in January 2009. Jennifer is a certified Divorce Mediator.

 Diane Hibbs, MSW, LCSW

Diane Hibbs provides assessments and consultations, as well as individual, group, and family therapy. Diane is a licensed clinical social worker.  She also provides co-parenting therapy to parents and conducts parent groups. Diane received a B.A. degree in Religious Studies and Literature from Webster University and a master’s degree in clinical social work from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. She also has training and experience in Mediation, Relationship Building, and Eating Disorders. Diane provides training and lectures to a variety of local early childhood organizations. She began as an intern at Kids In the Middle and then joined the staff as a full-time therapist in January 2006.

Carol Love, M.A., D.A.P.A.

Carol Love joined Kids In the Middle as a therapist at the agency's Kirkwood location in August 2009. Carol provides Group and Individual Therapy to children as well as therapeutic services to parents including Individual Therapy, Co-Parenting Counseling and Family Therapy for all family members. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of Missouri – Columbia and completed a special program in Human Development at the Merrill-Palmer Institute in Detroit. She received her master’s degree from the University of Connecticut – Storrs in Family Studies specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy.  Carol has over 25 years of experience and has worked in many settings including a residential facility, mental health clinic, youth service agencies, schools, and the St. Louis County Family Court where she was a Domestic Relations Counselor.

Amanda Moeller, M.Ed, PLPC

Amanda Moeller is the Coordinator of the Kids In the Middle School Outreach Counseling Program which provides group and individual therapy to St. Louis City elementary school children at their schools. She also provides group services for children and adults in our court-based programs at the St. Louis Family Court and transition-focused counseling services to families, individuals, and groups at Kids In the Middle’s Kirkwood Facility. She received a B.S. in Psychology from Missouri State University and a M.Ed. in Counseling from University of Missouri in St. Louis. Amanda has also been a volunteer with the National Council on Youth Leadership working with high school students since 2003. Amanda was an intern at Kids In the Middle for one year and then joined as a full-time therapist in February 2007.

 Stephanie Niewoehner, MSW, LCSW, RPT

Stephanie Niewoehner is the Internship Program Supervisor for Kids In the Middle in addition to being a therapist. Ms. Niewoehner's therapeutic responsibilities include family assessments, consultations, and individual, family, & group therapy. Ms. Niewoehner also brings her skills as a Certified Play Therapist (CPT) to her work with children at Kids In the Middle. Stephanie received a B.A. in psychology from Truman State University and earned a master’s degree in social work from Saint Louis University. Prior to coming to Kids In the Middle, Stephanie worked as a child and adolescent clinician and case manager for Chestnut Health Systems. She is a member of the Association for Play Therapy and utilizes play therapy in her work with young children. She is a frequent speaker at various parent, educational, and early childhood organizations. She was an intern at Kids In the Middle and then returned as a full-time therapist in 2004. 

 Jeanie Ransom, MA, LPC, NCC

Jeanie provides individual and group therapy at Kids In the Middle, and works primarily with children ages 5-12. Jeanie joined Kids In the Middle in January 2007 as a School Outreach Counselor, and has also been involved in a psycho-education program for groups of divorcing adults at the St. Louis City Family Court. Prior to joining Kids In the Middle, Jeanie worked as an elementary school counselor. In addition, she is the author of several children's books, including the award-winning "I Don't Want to Talk About It," a story about divorce for young children, and "Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A Tale of Tattletales." Jeanie has a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Cornell College, and a Master’s degree in professional counseling from Lindenwood University. She also maintains her certification as a K-8 school counselor.

KeYanna Roberts, MSSA, LCSW

KeYanna Roberts provides group and individual therapy to elementary school children in the St. Louis City Public Schools as part of Kids In the Middle’s School Outreach Counseling Program.  She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.S. in Social Administration from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.  In addition, KeYanna completed a School Social Work certification program at the University of Michigan.  Prior to joining Kids In the Middle, KeYanna worked as a counselor in St. Louis City and County Lutheran schools with Footprints Christian School Counseling.  She also gained experience as a therapist providing trauma-focused individual and group therapy in a child abuse prevention and treatment center in Cleveland, OH.  KeYanna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a member of the National Association of Social Workers.  She joined the Kids In the Middle staff in August 2009.

Bob Rosen, MSW, LCSW

Bob Rosen provides group, individual, and family therapy at Kids In the Middle. He received a bachelor’s degree and secondary teaching certification from Washington University and his graduate degree from Washington University’s George Warren Brown School of Social Work. Bob is a licensed clinical social worker, a Certified Trainer of the Crisis Prevention Institute, and a Certified “Second Step” Social Skills Trainer. He has over 18 years of experience providing family and individual therapy in a variety of settings including the Family Resource Center, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, and Ranken Jordan Children’s Rehabilitation Center. He also has extensive experience in designing and facilitating numerous therapy groups and as a consultant to schools and nonprofit organizations. He utilizes his therapeutic training in Gestalt therapy in his work at Kids In the Middle. Bob has been a therapist at Kids In the Middle since 2003. 

Michelle Sebek, MSW

Michelle Sebek has been providing group services for children in Kids In the Middle’s court-based program at the St. Louis Family Court since June 2008. She expanded her work at Kids In the Middle in January 2009 as a School Outreach Counselor. Michelle received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Evansville and earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Missouri - Saint Louis after which she worked as an outpatient clinician for Chestnut Health Systems providing individual, family & group therapy to children, adolescents, & adults.

Christine Stallis, MSW, LCSW

 Christine provides group, individual, and family therapy at Kids In The Middle.  She received her Bachelors Degree from Fontbonne University with a major in Human Services and her Masters in Social Work from Saint Louis University with a concentration in Children and Families.  Christine is a licensed clinical social worker.  She has over 10 years experience providing individual therapy, family therapy, and parent groups.  Prior to joining Kids In The Middle, Christine worked at Catholic Family Services and an alternative school in St. Louis and Illinois.

Kara Stergos Sullivan, MSW

Kara Sullivan is the Kids In the Middle Clinical Coordinator. She oversees the client intake process and coordinates the clinical staff. In addition, Kara provides ongoing clinical performance monitoring including the development / management of Kids In the Middle’s clinical database and client outcome measurement. Kara received her B.S. and M.S.W. degrees from Saint Louis University. Prior to coming to Kids In the Middle, Kara was Assistant Program Director for a residential eating disorder treatment facility where her responsibilities included direct clinical work with eating disordered (often dual-diagnosed) clients, program development / improvement, and staff training.  Ms. Sullivan has been a therapist at Kids In the Middle since February 2007.

Shirley Walker, M.S., Ph.D.

Shirley Walker provides individual and group therapy to elementary and middle school children and facilitates school staff workshops in the St. Louis City Public Schools as part of Kids In The Middle’s School Outreach Program. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University in Columbia, Missouri, an M.S. in Counseling and Education from Missouri Baptist College, and a Ph.D. in Christian counseling from Elohim College. Shirley is Executive Vice-President of Manna Community Counseling and Coordinator / Administrator of school and youth programs for the Heavenly Bread Church. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and the National Christian Counselors Association

Prior to working at Kids In the Middle, Shirley was Assistant Manager of five Gymboree Schools and a Before and After School Activity Instructor for in Bowie, Maryland. She was Mayor of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Housing Complex in Washington, D.C. and district-wide Assistant Superintendent for the Church Teachers and Instructors Association in Kansas City. She has also taught and counseled in the Hazelwood, Jennings, Riverview Gardens, and Ferguson-Florissant School Districts. Shirley is a frequent speaker to various parent groups and conducts workshops for teachers and school staff. Shirley has been a School Outreach Counselor at Kids In The Middle since 2004.

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