Therapists

Ashley Phillips, LMSW
Therapist

Ken DeBlock , MA, LPC, MCB Clinical Supervisor
Executive Program Director Bio

Ken DeBlock , MA, LPC, MCB Clinical Supervisor // Executive Program Director

As the Executive Program Director Ken desires to shape the Shelterwood experience in a way that creates for each teen and their family an opportunity for healing, restoration and hope that is found in a relationship with Christ. Ken is licensed as a Professional Counselor with the State of Missouri and joined the Shelterwood team in 2014 as a therapist with a focus on bringing addiction education to the Shelterwood program. Ken established and supervised the Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery Program. Ken particularly enjoys working with the mentor teams and younger professionals helping them learn how to develop healing relationships, implement therapeutic interventions and integrate their faith into daily life at Shelterwood.

Ken received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Rutgers University. During his senior year, Ken became an assistant chaplain at the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center in New Jersey. Over the next two years, he completed a family life ministry internship at his local church and discovered his passion for working with at-risk teens and their families.

Ken earned his master’s degree in counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary. Ken and his wife, Janelle, moved to Kansas City in 2011, where he worked as both a case manager and a therapist in residential, transitional and intensive outpatient substance abuse programs. Ken enjoys spending time with his wife Janelle, his two small children and their dog. When not working you can find Ken playing golf, hunting and fishing.

LaTisha Robinson , MA, LPC
Therapist Bio

LaTisha Robinson , MA, LPC // Therapist

LaTisha earned her bachelor’s degree in child and family development at Missouri State University. She later earned her master’s degree in counseling from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, where she completed the dual track program in both Licensed Professional Counseling (LPC) and Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). LaTisha has experience working with anxiety, attachment, behavioral issues, depression, grief and loss, self-harm, trauma (physical, mental and sexual), and the family system. Prior to joining the Shelterwood team, LaTisha worked for a private practice group where she worked with both individuals and families. LaTisha joined the Shelterwood team in 2017. Outside of Shelterwood, LaTisha enjoys going on walks, riding her bike, eating good food, spending time with her family and friends and being with her husband and dog, Tucker.

Melissa Winston , MSMFT, LMFT
Chief Operations Officer Bio

Melissa Winston , MSMFT, LMFT // Chief Operations Officer

Melissa received her bachelor’s degree in Christian education with an emphasis in youth ministry. Melissa has served adolescents for her entire career in various ministry and public-sector capacities (they’re kind of her thing). Over time, she discovered a great need for ministers and youth-service professionals who not only understood the unique dynamics of teens and their families, but who had the clinical skills to help them with life’s toughest issues.

Melissa went on to earn her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from CACREP & COAMFTE accredited Capella University. Since then, she has worked in public education, a Level IV residential facility for adolescents, private practice with teens and their parents, and a therapeutic boarding school for adolescents before coming to Shelterwood.

Melissa is passionate about helping teens and their families find wholeness and healing. She appreciates that Shelterwood offers the unique opportunity to integrate the latest evidence-based therapeutic practices with the truth of scripture. Outside of Shelterwood, Melissa loves to decorate and spend time with friends and family.

Nate Rayburn , CBT, EMDR**, PT, TFCBT, TIC
Therapist Bio

Nate Rayburn , CBT, EMDR**, PT, TFCBT, TIC // Therapist

Nate has a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and achieved a master’s degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. As a therapist, Nate has experience working with addiction, attachment disorders, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, developmental disorders, autism, cognitive disorders, personality disorders, grief and loss, premarital and marital issues, family issues and issues related to faith. Nate has worked in the residential setting for the past five years in the therapist role. Nate also worked in the direct-care role as a mentor at Shelterwood in 2008. During his free time Nate enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and two dogs.

Jessica Wood , Psy.D.
Executive Clinical Director Bio

Jessica Wood , Psy.D. // Executive Clinical Director

Dr. Jessica Wood earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in the Chicago-land area and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist for the state of Missouri. Since becoming licensed, Dr. Wood has focused her practice on working with children, adolescents, and their families. She has focused her continuing education on developing a deeper understanding of and incorporating effective therapeutic methods for treating adolescent trauma, self-harm, attachment issues, anxiety and depression and other emotional, behavioral, and family system issues.

Prior to becoming the Executive Clinical Director on the Shelterwood team, Dr. Wood worked in an outpatient community mental health service center, an outpatient substance abuse treatment center for families and adolescents, spent 8 years working as a therapist providing individual, group, and family therapy services in a residential center for children and adolescents in the foster care system, and served for 4 years as the Clinical Director at Shelterwood.

Dr. Wood has a passion for working with adolescents and their families and loves seeing relationships and lives restored. She was initially drawn to Shelterwood because of the opportunity to integrate faith with evidence-based therapeutic treatment approaches in working with adolescents and families toward healing and restoration.

Outside of Shelterwood, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 kids, as well as being active, traveling, and relaxing with friends and family.

Josiah Johnson , BS CRADC
Addiction Counselor Bio

Josiah Johnson , BS CRADC // Addiction Counselor

Josiah Johnson has been engaged with the youth of Shelterwood since 2013. He has served as a Direct Care Staff and Assistant House Director. His focus has always been on walking through the hardships of life with students as they work on their personal and family struggles. In his current role, Josiah uses his real-life experience working with corrections and serving as a leader in Celebrate Recovery. Josiah’s focus is on addiction, recovery and maintaining sobriety. His goal for students is to regain a fun, positive and healthy lifestyle as they transition into adulthood. Josiah enjoys playing tennis, photography and reading.

Tiffany Rensberger , BS CRADC
Addiction Counselor Bio

Tiffany Rensberger , BS CRADC // Addiction Counselor

Tiffany Rensberger earned her bachelor’s degree in Biblical counseling from Calvary Bible College. Her areas of study included marriage and family therapy, counseling youth, crisis counseling, and addictions counseling. Upon graduation, Tiffany spent the summer working as a crew counselor over the high school staff at Life Action Camp. She began her journey at Shelterwood as a Mentor in 2012.

Tiffany is passionate about Shelterwood’s holistic approach and vision to see teens and their families restored physically, emotionally and spiritually. During her time as a mentor, Tiffany developed an appreciation for twelve-step addiction programs and group therapy as she attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings with students. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball, going to the gym, being outside, playing guitar, drinking coffee and eating cereal.

Julie Faddis , MSCAT, LPC
Assistant Clinical Director Bio

Julie Faddis , MSCAT, LPC // Assistant Clinical Director

Julie completed her master’s degree in counseling and art therapy at Avila University and is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Missouri. Julie’s passion is for teenagers, and she uses art as a creative therapeutic strategy to help students resolve the tension and pain in their lives. Prior to Shelterwood, Julie worked at Spofford Home for Children, Re-Discover Program, and Wyandotte Center for Behavioral and Community Health.

Her desire to work more exclusively with adolescents and families led her to the Shelterwood team in February 2012. Julie enjoys applying art therapy as a catalyst for growth and healing. She also desires to help teens discover their passions and to be productively involved at Shelterwood, in their community and ultimately when they transition home.

Megan Bartlow , MS, LMFT
Therapist Bio

Megan Bartlow , MS, LMFT // Therapist

Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Texas State University and continued on to Friend’s University, where she completed her master’s degree in family therapy. Megan has experience working with anxiety, depression, identity issues, attachment, problems that stem from family systems, and physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Prior to joining the Shelterwood team, Megan worked with the families of children and adolescents who experienced various forms of trauma. In 2016, she joined Shelterwood to work with a strong clinical and interdisciplinary team who values clinical excellence and integrates faith to help families find a systemic approach to healing. Outside of Shelterwood, Megan enjoys traveling, going to local festivals and trying new restaurants with her friends and family.

Kayla Belle , MAADCII
Addiction Counselor Bio

Kayla Belle , MAADCII // Addiction Counselor

Kayla Belle earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Oklahoma Baptist University. Her areas of study included marriage and family therapy, youth ministry, crisis counseling, and substance abuse counseling. Upon graduation, Kayla spent the summer working to prepare for her move to Missouri. She began her journey at Shelterwood as a Mentor in August 2015.

Kayla is passionate about Shelterwood’s focus on restoring families from a therapeutic, emotional, and spiritual approach. During her time as a mentor, Kayla developed an appreciation for working with the Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery Program and later worked in the house as a Residential Manager. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking, going to the gym, being outside, learning new hobbies such as long-boarding and DIY projects, drinking coffee, and spending time with her community.

Neurotherapy Team - Brain Balance

Josh Spangler
Program Director Bio

Josh Spangler // Program Director

Josh graduated with a counseling and psychology degree from Toccoa Falls College, a Christian liberal arts school in the foothills of the Appalachians in northeast Georgia. In his senior year, Josh interned at a therapeutic boarding school similar to Shelterwood and fell in love with working with teens in this type of environment. So much so, that when the opportunity arose for him to move halfway across the country to work at Shelterwood, he jumped at the chance. After a year of being a mentor at Shelterwood, Josh was offered a job as the sensory-motor coach for Brain Balance. Over a period of two years, he worked up to be the lead sensory-motor coach at the Brain Balance Center in Overland Park. After a year off from Brain Balance, he came back in December of 2017 to join the Brain Balance team at Shelterwood as a program director.

Elisabeth Klemme
Brain Balance Director Bio

Elisabeth Klemme // Brain Balance Director

Elisabeth (Lis) Klemme attended the University of Missouri where she received bachelor’s degrees in religious studies and journalism. During college she worked in after-school programs and realized how much she loved working with teenagers. After college she worked for the Boys & Girls Club in Columbia, Missouri, as their teen director and manager of grant writing and grant compliance. After getting married and moving to Kansas City, she found Brain Balance. She started as the Assistant Director and was later promoted to Program Director at Shelterwood. Working at Shelterwood merged Lis’s love of God, excitement for working with teenagers, and her love of the Brain Balance program. Shelterwood and Brain Balance are both in the business of restoration and healing. Lis loves to see God’s healing in the lives of teens and to witness their process of restoration. In her spare time, Lis spends a lot of time at the park with her 2-year-old daughter, Corrine, and husband, Jason. She enjoys healthy cooking and traveling to see family and friends.

Therapists and Clinical Team

Jessica Wood, Psy.D. — Executive Clinical Director