Professional Staff
STANLEY E. SCHNEIDER, Ed.D., CAC
Clinical Director
Licensed Psychologist (PA)
Certified Addictions Counselor Diplomat
Registered Custody Evaluator
Diplomat, American Board of Professional Disability Consultants
Fellow and Diplomat, American Board of Medical Psychotherapists
National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
Permanent Certification, School Psychologist (New Jersey)
Professional Certification, School Psychologist (PA)
Graduate, University of Maryland
Dr. Schneider has had extensive training and experience as a Clinician in private practice working with children, adolescents and adults. He has served as a consultant to courts, agencies, private schools, nursing homes, business and industry. He has presented many workshops and seminars and is a frequent speaker to community groups and a recognized expert to the media. His assessments include individual, couple and family therapy (cognitive behavioral, insight-oriented, educational-didactic). He is an evaluator for individuals and the courts, regarding divorce, custody and forensics.
DESPINA AFTOSMES, M.S.W., CAC
Certified Addictions Counselor, Licensed Social Worker
Individual and group therapy for mental health and chemically dependent clients and families. EAP and DUI assessments and ongoing therapy.
ELIZABETH COGLEY, M.Ps.Sc.
Psychological Associate
Ms. Cogley, a Master's level psychotherapist, has been in private practice since 1989 and has extensive experience in working with individuals, couples, and groups. She has post-graduate certification in Family and Marriage therapy from Temple University and holds a Masters degree in psychology from Penn State University.
Her areas of expertise include couples counseling, relationship and intimacy issues, depression management, self-esteem, separation and divorce, co-dependency, and insight-oriented therapy. Ms. Cogley specializes in depression, anxiety and related stress disorders, relationship issues, premarital therapy, co-dependency, separation and divorce, empowerment, grief and loss, and women's issues.
JOANN ELLENBERGER, M.S.W.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
A licensed Nursing Home Administrator and Clinical Social Worker, Ms. Ellenberger has a diverse clinical and professional background. Prior to entering full-time clinical practice in 2003, she spent twenty years working with the elderly and their families as well as a focus on employee relations.
Ms. Ellenberger's varied background includes working in a partial hospitalization program for the mentally ill and mentally challenged, counseling Children and Youth families who were involved in the foster care system. She also ran support, task-oriented and therapy groups for all ages.
JoAnn has expertise in geriatric case management including intake, assessment and evaluation, and effective short-term psychotherapy for the mature adults and their families. Other areas of expertise include staff development training in stress management, team building, conflict resolution and assertiveness. Her interests extend to individual counseling for all ages, couple's counseling, bereavement concerns, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and behavior management training for children and their families.
CHRISTOPHER GIPE, MS
Licensed Psychologist
As a licensed psychologist since 1977, Mr. Gipe joined Guidance Associates in 1981. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and a consultant to the Alzheimer’s Association as co-leader of a support group and member of their Speakers Bureau.
Mr. Gipe provides individual and marital counseling using a cognitive-behavioral approach. He provides Employee Assistance Program services to various businesses as well as psychological testing. Mr. Gipe specializes in the treatment of anxiety and depression, relationship/intimacy issues, stress relief, grief, and issues involving the elderly, specializing in Alzheimer’s Disease.
Mr. Gipe works in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He has over thirty years in the practice of psychology.
DENNIS GRAYBILL, MA
Licensed Psychologist
Mr. Graybill has been a psychologist since 1969 providing psychological services to individuals, couples, and families. He has extensive experience in brief and long-term therapy with a wide-range of problems including anxiety, depression, anger management, relationship issues, abuse, divorce, stress, and parenting issues. Mr. Graybill specializes in working with clients who suffer from anxiety and depression. He uses cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, and Eriksonian hypnotherapy procedures.
Dennis Graybill worked in Dauphin County as the Director of Outpatient Services before coming to Guidance Associates.
RICHARD B. HIRSCH, M.S.W.
Licensed Social Worker
Rick takes an eclectic approach to his work with adults, teens, couples and families. Short-term brief therapy and solution-focused models are often used. He earned his Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University in 1998. Areas of specialization include depression, anxiety, couples communication, and men's issues.
ELAINE L. MCKENNA, MSN, RN, CS
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Ms. McKenna has been in practice since 1974. She maintains a private practice at Guidance Associates. Ms. McKenna provides individual and couples therapy utilizing a broad range of clinical skills including short-term therapy modalities, cognitive-behavioral approaches and hypnotherapy. She specializes in assisting people with depression disorders, life adjustment concerns, separation and divorce, and coping with trauma. In addition, Ms. McKenna has expertise in providing Clinical Incident Stress Management
services. She is co-author of The Crisis Management and Response Team Manual.
Elaine McKenna is a frequent presenter of workshops and seminars on topics that include Stress Management, Dealing with Difficult People. Managing Change, Building Conflict Management Skills, Balancing Family and Work, and Violence in the Workplace. Ms. McKenna also provides organizational consultation on behavioral dynamics in the workplace.
JAMIE ORRIS, M.S.W.
Licensed Social Worker
In practice since 1991, Jamie Orris provides counseling services to adults, children, and families. Ms. Orris' areas of expertise include treatment of anxiety, depression, and stress management. She also specializes in child and adolescent issues and disorders such as behavioral, attention deficit, eating, and parent/child communication problems.
GREGORY P. PLOTICA, M.A.
Licensed Psychologist
Working in the mental health field since 1988, Gregory Plotica, has extensive experience with individuals and groups in inpatient and outpatient settings. He has also served as a psychologist in juvenile detention facilities. He provides a wide range of psychological, academic and neuropsychological testing for individuals ranging from children to the elderly.
His areas of specialization include play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive therapy, and insight oriented approaches. His expertise extends to issues including depression, anxiety, divorce, and school and work adjustment.
EVA S. SIEGEL, MSW, LCSW, DCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Diplomate in Clinical Social Work
Ms. Siegel has been in practice since 1979 when she received her Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University. She is the Director of Employee Assistance Services as well as maintaining a private practice at Guidance Associates.
Ms. Siegel provides counseling services to individuals, couples, and families, adolescents and children utilizing a broad range of therapy modalities including cognitive-behavioral approaches, brief therapy, and play therapy. Her areas of expertise include anxiety and stress, bereavement, relationship issues, parenting concerns, life adjustment concerns, chronic illness, adoption and infertility, women’s issues, geriatrics and work related conflicts.
Ms. Siegel presents workshops and seminars on topics that include Stress Management, Workplace Conflict, Balancing Work and Family, Parenting Issues and Who Cares for the Caregiver.
In addition, Ms. Siegel has training and expertise in providing Critical Incident Stress Management services.
EUGENE STECHER, M.A.
Licensed Psychologist
Registered Custody Evaluator
After earning a degree in divinity and a fifteen-year career as a pastor, Mr. Stecher subsequently attended Loyola College where he obtained his training in clinical psychology. A licensed psychologist, Mr. Stecher specializes in couples, family and adult counseling interventions. He maintains expertise in custody evaluations and clinical psychological evaluations for children, adolescents and adults.
