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
Angela Evers
Administrative and Marketing Assistant
Angela is a Cleveland, Ohio native, where she currently lives. 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 Allie.
Joel DeFazio
Sales
All his life, Joel DeFazio has been passionate about helping people grow their businesses. His journey with CounselingWise began because of his sister-in-law, who is a therapist herself. He worked with her to help her market her practice and attract new clients. She knew Becky DeGrossa and she thought her brother-in-law’s expertise in marketing and business strategizing could be a valuable asset for Becky’s company. She told Joel about the opportunity and that’s how he became part of the team.
Before working at Counselingwise, Joel worked in sales for several decades. He has a wealth of experience helping run ad campaigns and empowering people to visualize and achieve their business goals. Outside of work, you can often find Joel hiking a mountain trail. He and his wife have an RV, and they take every opportunity they can to get off the grid and spend time in nature.
Project Managers
Bill Bradley
Project Manager
Willie Milam
Project Manager | Strategy Consultant
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. 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 enjoys spending time with her three cats and dog. 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.
Sania Panjwani
Project Manager
Sania is from Sugar Land, Texas. She has a BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from UT Austin. After graduating college a year early to start working at a clinic before graduate school, she realized it was a bit too emotionally overwhelming for her, so she got an office job where she worked with accounting software. Then she returned to UT Austin and gained certifications in Health IT, Informatics, and Project Management. From there, she did a project management internship at Texas Children’s Hospital and began traveling to different hospitals/clinics as a consultant for Epic and Cerner software systems. During this time, she realized that the intersection of project management, technology, and being of service to others is where her passion lies, which led her to CounselingWise. In her free time, she likes to read, cook, and do the Chicken Dance with her nephew.
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.
Web Pages Copywriting Team
Carola Garvin
Writing Department Manager | 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.
Jasmine
Writing Project Coordinator
Flash Clark
Copywriter | Editor | Writing/Editing Coach
Parker Desautell
Copywriter | Editor
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.
Jim Santilli
Copywriter
Originally from Connecticut, over the years Jim has lived in Boston, Brooklyn, and New Orleans. He has a B.A. in English from Eastern Connecticut State University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Lesley University. He has worked as a copywriter, a copy editor, a grant writer, and a ghostwriter. On his own time, he’s into reading, cooking, hiking, and old-school hip-hop. He currently lives in Durango, Colorado.
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.
Christine Bolton
Copywriter
Christine was born and raised in the beautiful Caribbean island, Jamaica. For the past 5 years, she has been a freelance content writer with a background in digital and content marketing. She graduated from The University of The West Indies with a BSc in International Relations and Psychology. She has always had a passion for reading and writing, and as a child would write just as many books as she read. When she’s not engrossed in a novel or writing away, Christine enjoys spending her days at the beach, catching up on true crime documentaries, discovering new hiking trails, tending to her plants, or learning new yoga poses.
Melissa Pelletier
Copywriter
Melissa is from Lindenhurst, NY where she lives with her husband, two kids, as well as their dog and cat. She has a BA in Communications from the University of Miami, and a MA in Educational Communication and Technology from NYU. She was drawn to writing for Counseling Wise based on her long-held appreciation for mental health professionals. She began writing in 2014 and has worked as a freelancer in curriculum development, Educational Technology journalism, market research, and digital marketing. She has also been a copy editor, having edited everything from emails to full manuscripts for a publisher in the STEM field. She writes satirical articles and comedy pieces as a hobby in addition to being an artist of traditional mediums.
Miranda Moore
Copywriter
Born and raised in New Orleans, Miranda moved to Hammond, Louisiana, after high school graduation to pursue a degree in English from Southeastern Louisiana University. After graduating in 2013, she set her sights on graduate school for Professional Writing. By 2018, she started her own freelance writing business.
Miranda was born with cerebral palsy and runs her own disability-centered podcast with her long-term partner. When she isn’t writing or striving for disability awareness, she enjoys her mountains of books, anime, and playing with her demanding Chihuahua, Momoko.
Jane Harkness
Copywriter
Jane was born and raised in Beach Haven, New Jersey, where she developed a lifelong love of reading and writing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a Master of Arts in Media and International Conflict from University College Dublin. Today, Jane is a freelance writer and editor, working with clients in various niches including health and wellness, career services, sustainability, and more. She lives in Norfolk, VA, where she enjoys spending time at the beach, hiking, writing poetry, and watching classic movies.
Blog Writing Team
Alyssa Bishop
Manager | Editor
In addition to her project management work with CounselingWise, Alyssa is the manager for the blogging department.
She enjoys writing and taking on a leadership role with something that she loves to do.
Brittani Rable
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.
Sophie Cherry
Editor
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.
Mickey Z
Blogger
Stacey Blaske
Blogger
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.
Taylor Staus
Blogger
Taylor is from Peru, Illinois, a small town about two hours outside of Chicago. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Northern Illinois University in 2013, she moved to Chicago, Illinois to start her career in digital marketing. Not long after that, she found her true passion in the events world planning endurance events and trade shows. She currently resides in Columbus, Ohio as an Event Marketing Manager. When Taylor is not working, you can find her working out, playing beach volleyball with friends, and hanging out with her boyfriend, Eric, and dogs, Arya and Titan.
We are also honored to have a handful of other dedicated bloggers who help to make up our amazing blogging team.
