About Us

Who Are We?

Becky DeGrossa

CounselingWise is the work of Becky DeGrossa, who has been contributing to the world of online marketing for therapists since 2007. After earning a degree in Computer Science from Cal Poly and spending 20 years at IBM, Becky pursued a master’s in psychology and became a successful therapist. Now she combines her technical, marketing, and psychology backgrounds to serve the therapy community, and has helped hundreds of therapists in the fine art of website communication. Becky is a “process nerd” meaning that she LOVES Learning something new…Testing it out to see if it works…Tweaking it so it works better…and then Systematizing it so it can be done over and over. This predilection has resulted in efficiencies that range from…yes, the loading/unloading of the silverware basket in her dishwasher…to…rapid increases in marketing effectiveness for her clients. In her spare time, Becky loves hanging out with two-year-olds, reading good novels, and listening to thought leaders while on the beach in Maui.

Our Team of Amazing Folks

Sarah Grosboll

Billing Manager

Sarah was born and raised in Fort Collins, CO, and is a true Colorado native.  Sarah graduated from Colorado State University. Sarah has been in the office management and billing world for over 14 years.  From Fort Collins, CO to Johnstown, CO, Sarah did not venture very far but enjoys the slower pace out East.  If Sarah is not working,  you can find her spending time with her husband Chris and two boys, Connor and Hunter and running from sport to sport with them.  Sarah also had two dogs that run the household, a yorkie poo named Botwin and a Golden Doodle named Winston.

Angela Evers

Administrative and Marketing Assistant

Angela is a Cleveland, Ohio native, currently residing in Cincinnati.  Angela is a graduate of John Carroll University, with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Before joining CounselingWise Angela worked in the non-profit world marketing and fundraising for private day schools. If Angela is not working, she is spending time traveling or outdoors with her husband Chris, daughter Avery, and dog Odie.

Rocco Baldassarre

AdWords Specialist

Rocco consults companies with online advertising strategies like Google AdWords, Facebook and cross-channel advertising among other things. Rocco has been shortlisted as Young Search Professional of the Year in 2013 and 2014 by the European and the US Search Awards. He holds two Master of Science and two Bachelor of Science degrees and is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian.

Project Managers

Bill Bradley

Project Manager

Bill is from Georgia originally. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in Business Education and a Master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Denver in Instructional Technology. After college, Bill traveled the world as a flight attendant and a supervisor of flight services. He taught classes in Web Design, Animation, and Graphic Design in high school for many years. Bill has coached high school basketball for the last 25 years in Georgia, Tennessee, and Colorado. When he isn’t working, he and his wife, Kim, love traveling and are both avid disc golfers.

Willie Milam

Project Manager | Strategy Consultant

Born and raised in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Willie is a native Northwester at heart who loves the greenery, colorful seasons, and amazing running trails that Oregon and Washington have to offer. Graduating from Gonzaga University with an undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics, and continuing on to get his Master’s in Business Administration, Willie moved back to Portland in the summer of 2015 to work as a Financial Analyst for an Investment Firm. Through his education and time in Portland, he gained valuable experience and analytical, project management, and communicational skills that he excited to apply to CounselingWise and its’ clients. His passion for running takes up most of his free time and is what led him to Colorado, as he joined an Olympic Development Group named Roots Runnings Project where he is hoping to continue running competitively.

Alyssa Bishop

Project Manager

Alyssa is from Hermitage, Pennsylvania, a small town nestled between Erie and Pittsburgh. Alyssa received her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in English from Robert Morris University in 2014. In 2019, she received her Master of Arts in Communication Technology from Point Park University. If she is not working, you can typically find her reading a book, making and selling crafts, and focusing on her freelance business. She enjoys being in the sun and in the water when the weather cooperates, and she also enjoys writing and hopes to someday publish her own books. She also enjoys spending time with her three cats. Alyssa loves helping clients achieve their goals and looks forward to helping as many people as she can.

Aimee McLachlan

Project Manager

Aimee is originally from the UK, but moved to Colorado in 2018 after living in Spain for the previous 7 years. She graduated from the University of Sheffield, UK with a Bachelors in Biology in 2009. Before working at CounselingWise, she worked in various program management roles in the education field. During this time, she also completed a coding bootcamp to learn the basics of web development. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, their one year old son and their dog, going hiking, cooking and learning new things.

Laura Troxel

Project Manager

A Midwestern native, Laura now goes wherever the Navy sends her and her husband, two children, and Blue Heeler—Bear. Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Public Health from the University of Illinois Springfield in 2017. Since earning her degree, she has gained experience in project management, marketing, and web development through her work with various entrepreneurs throughout the military community and in the civilian world, as well. 

When she isn’t making magic behind her computer screen, Laura spends most of her time wrangling her rambunctious kiddos, enjoying the beach, or reading any book she can get her hands on. If her husband is home, they enjoy watching The Office, Psych, and Monk. If he is deployed, you can find Laura watching Hallmark Christmas movies on repeat and eating way too much popcorn.

Developers

Mohammad Bayezid

Developer

Mohammad is a professional web developer, who upholds a strong inclination towards technological advancements and enjoys internet surfing to discover cool stuff around the web.

Lance Richardson

Developer

​​Lance was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He currently lives in St. John, IN. Lance has a degree in Art from Grambling State University as well as a degree in Interactive Multimedia from Columbia College Chicago. He enjoys taking new web designs and bringing them to life. He enjoys learning new things from each project he takes on. When he is not working he loves doing things with his family: traveling, taking long walks, little league baseball games, cheerleading competitions, etc. When the kids allow him to, he enjoys watching all things Chicago sports.

Website Copywriting Team

Carola Garvin

Writing Department Coordinator | Editor

Carola received her formal education in her native, Germany, where she also learned English. Her love affair with creativity – particularly drawing and writing – began early in her life. Many years later, after coming to the United States, Carola began working as a substitute teacher. During those years, she enjoyed helping children of various backgrounds and ages, including those with special needs. Eventually, she put all her time and energy in homeschooling her two teen-aged sons. It was them that sparked her renewed interest in creative writing. The knowledge Carola acquired throughout the years and through her ongoing volunteer work has proven to be invaluable to her writing endeavors. In 2015, she joined CounselingWise, which has provided her with new opportunities to expand her experience and skill as a writer/editor. A geek at heart, Carola loves watching, reading, and writing sci-fi stories in her private time. When she’s not space-bound, she enjoys knitting, baking, and painting…here on earth.

Flash Clark

Copywriter | Editor | Writing/Editing Coach

Born and raised in the fertile Shenandoah Valley of the Virginian Blue Ridge Mountains, Flash Clark, or Michael Wayne, as his parents named him, is a professional fashion designer, musician, and writer with thirteen years experience in journalism. He has published everything from food recipes and cartoons to textbook rewrites and high-profile interviews. He is a proud, lifetime VA Tech Hokie with a degree in apparel design that led to an MFA degree in prose writing from the Jack Kerouac School at Naropa University. He also once built a Charlie Brown-style lemonade stand and offered advice, resumes, and laughs to passersby. Co-founder of 16 Blocks Magazine and Innovative Thought Consultants, LLC., Flash now writes freelance while working on several personal literary projects, pursues running, Aikido, and the Colorado sunshine.

Parker Desautell

Copywriter | Editor

Parker Desautell lives in Massachusetts and has a bachelor’s degree in English from Eastern University, Pennsylvania. He likes to read, write, play guitar and spend time in nature. Before working at CounselingWise, he worked in childcare for four years, helping run a summer camp and after-school program. In college, he worked as a peer writing tutor, where he gained his first real editing experience. In addition to writing for CounselingWise, he’s also a staff writer at PopMatters, where he writes music reviews here and there. He is an avid record collector and his favorite genre is techno.
When he’s not writing for work, he’s usually writing short fiction. He’s had short stories published in The Wrong Quarterly, Cadaverine Magazine, and Everyday Fiction. He’s a huge baseball fan, a lover of cats, and a total bookworm.

Mamie Stevenson

Copywriter | Editor

Mamie was born and raised in Denver, Colorado before moving to Portland, Oregon in 2008 to attend Reed College. There, she studied Russian, linguistics, and completed a thesis that focused on representation of suburbia in post-war American fiction. After graduating with a degree in English, Mamie began her life as a starving artist, serving tables and starting her first novel. While that book remains unfinished, she has published cover stories, essays, and profiles for a variety of outlets, including Portland’s alternative weekly newspaper, The Mercury. Alongside her work for CounselingWise, she reviews and edits college admissions essays on a seasonal basis. When she is not reading or writing, her time is spent with her beloved husband, sister, and two chihuahua mixes.

Russell Livingston III

Editor | Copywriter

Russell is a freelance writer/editor based in Hampton, Virginia. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Full Sail University, graduating as one of the top in his class. He dreams to make a career writing for films and television. His passion for the written word has brought forth a wide variety of projects throughout the course of his career thus far. In his spare time, Russell enjoys watching a binge-worthy series, spending time with loved ones, or working his other occupation as a Guest Services Manager. With his extensive background in both writing and customer service, Russell understands what it takes to assist someone in achieving their goals.

Jennifer Cole

Copywriter

Jennifer has lived in San Diego, California, for the past 25 years, her previous place of residence having been a 40-foot sailboat in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Prior to her five-year sojourn in the Caribbean, she received a B.A. in English from UC Santa Barbara. For over twenty years, Jennifer worked in the commercial real estate industry in San Diego. However, in 2018, she decided she was ready for a change. She shifted gears to pursue her passions as a birth doula and writer. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jennifer launched a collaborative writing project which resulted in ten novellas being co-written with other authors that all began with the same paragraph. She is also active in the San Diego improv community, both performing and teaching improv.  

Michelle Wilson

Copywriter

Michelle was born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachians and has been a Kentucky girl her whole life. Since she was a young girl she’s loved to get lost in the magic of imagination in books or the magic of nature exploring the mountains in her own backyard. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BA in Psychology and a BA in English in 2013. Michelle has always had a passion for mental health awareness and since graduating she’s worked in community mental health centers, substance use prevention, with her local health department, and as a suicide prevention trainer. Her passion for reading and writing never dimmed. She’s a published fiction author and has been freelance writing for the last five years. Nowadays, she lives in charming, small-town Kentucky with her husband, child, and their three dogs. When her nose isn’t buried in a fantasy book, you can find her training dogs, exploring the outdoors with her son, or drinking vanilla tea lattes at her favorite tea shop.

Blog Writing Team

Aisha Geaither Simmons

Blogging Coordinator | Editor

Aisha is a freelance writer, short story author, and poet. She is still learning the ways of the Internet and enjoys unlocking its doors of writing opportunity. She graduated from DePauw University where was awarded the Roy and Anna Kennedy Prize in Creative Writing and fell in love with the dream of quiet hours and a good idea. With the dream still alive, she spends half the day driving hither and yon to football games and gymnastic practice with her adolescent brood and the other easing the pain of writer’s block by systematizing pantries, office files, and closet piles for fun or profit.

Brittani Rable

Blogging Coordinator | Editor

Brittani is a freelance writer with a background in digital marketing and a published poet. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in English and Creative Writing minor. She’s currently a freelance copywriter and also runs her own jewelry and needlework business. She lives with her two four-legged feline roommates, Lenore and Stevie, and dreams of traveling the world to experience the beauty of other cultures.

Liv Birdsall

Blogging Coordinator | Editor

LivBirdsall is a writer and copyeditor interested in art, literature, travel, yoga, and all things sustainability. She is passionate about living an Earth-friendly lifestyle and exploring interdisciplinary connections. Outside of work, she enjoys teaching yoga, gardening, cooking, reading, and breathing fresh air. She lives in Columbus, OH with her plants and her betta fish.

Sophie Cherry

Blogging Coordinator

Sophie Cherry lives in southwest Ohio with her husband, two small boys, one dog, two cats, and 15 chickens. Sophie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication-Public Relations from Anderson University in 2010, and a Master of Arts in Apologetics from Houston Baptist University in 2018. Before working at CounselingWise, Sophie worked as a program coordinator for an MFA in Creative Writing, on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Since moving to Ohio, she’s worked as a stay-at-home-mom and application reader for Miami University of Ohio. When she isn’t chasing after babies or collecting chicken eggs, Sophie enjoys running, golfing, hiking, skiing, and rock climbing.

Stacey Blaske

Blogger

Growing up in an (extremely) small town in Southwest Michigan, Stacey Blaske has always enjoyed the simple things in life. After trying out the corporate world for a few years in her post-grad days, she quickly found out she missed her little town and all the charms that went with it. She’s been a full-time freelance writer for over three years, and loves being able to work at home with her little boy and two dogs. In her free time, Stacey enjoys baking, walks with her child and four-legged children, and unapologetically binging on her favorite Netflix shows!

Mickey Z

Blogger

Born and raised in NYC, Mickey is a self-taught, self-employed writer. He’s worked in a wide range of mediums (from blog posts to screenplays to poetry and beyond) and covers an even wider range of topics. When he’s not writing, he’s reading or exercising or taking photos or…

Madison Task

Blogger

Madison is a writer of all kinds based in Columbus, OH. After graduating from The Ohio State University in 2019, she became the editor-in-chief of 1870 Magazine, where she produced 8 monthly editions and kick-started the company’s first podcast, Off-Script Ohio. She now works as a Social Media Copywriter, Part-Time Blogger, and Freelance Editor. Madison enjoys writing poetry, songwriting, and performing in songwriter rounds with other local musicians (plus the occasional pick-up volleyball game). On the weekends, you can find her thrift shopping yet again or watching Big Brother with her two cats, slowly building up the courage to audition for the reality TV show.

Jane Harkness

Blogger

Jane is a freelance writer and New Jersey native currently based in Norfolk, Virginia. She earned her BA in English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and she decided to go abroad to study for her MA at University College Dublin, where she started freelancing part-time. Upon returning home, she chose to pursue full-time freelancing, and today, she creates content for small businesses, startups, and nonprofits. She loves reading, cooking, and traveling at every opportunity.

Kat Reid

Blogger

Born and raised in West Virginia, Katrina Reid moved to Berea, Kentucky in early 2012 and is in love with her picturesque, postcard town. She’s a published short story author and has been a freelance copywriter and editor for seven years. Flower and herb gardening is one of her favorite hobbies alongside baking and crocheting. In 2016, Katrina graduated with a degree in Health Information Technology but chased a career in writing instead. Married to her best friend, they’re raising four children and two pitbull rescues together. When she’s finished at her computer for the day, Katrina snuggles with her dogs and children (or both) to read. She’s a bibliophile, but her favorite genre is high fantasy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top