Debbie Mabray
MS, LMFT, LPC, CART
(co-founder)

Originally from Corpus Christi and Victoria, Texas, Debbie King Mabray, MS, LMFT, LPC, CART, is a co-owner and therapist at Adult, Child, and Family Counseling Center, located in Killeen, with additional offices in Austin, Temple, and Round Rock, Texas. She spent nineteen years in the Killeen Independent School District as a teacher and guidance counselor.

Her specialties include working with clinical disorders, school problems, family disturbances, depression, stress management, anxiety and anger management. She works specifically with female adolescent and adult clients.

Mrs. Mabray was first published internationally in 2002 in Sex Education with an article proposing birth control options for teens (coauthored with Dr. Bill LaBauve). Since then she has published The Complete LPC Study Guide, The Complete LMFT Study Guide, Family Interaction Center: Build Your Way to a Strong Relationship, The Ultimate Guide to Psychological Theories, and The Ultimate Guide to Marriage and Family Theories. Currently in press is the first volume in the Let’s Talk series by Mabray and LaBauve, Let’s Talk 1: Communicating with Your Child. Also in press is The Family Handbook to Surviving Deployment with Pamela Haynes.

For more information on Mrs. Mabray's published works including ordering information, click here or go to http://booksforabetterlife.tripod.com

John "Jay" Leach
MSW, LCSW
(co-founder)

Jay attended the University of Kansas from 1983 to 1987 where he earned a bachelor degree in Psychology. He worked for two years at the Washington County Mental Health Center in Charleston, Rhode Island as a counselor in a group home for the mentally ill. He obtained his masters degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Texas in 1991 and during this time worked as an intern at Texas Baptist Children’s Home in Round Rock, Texas. He was a counselor at the Worker’s Assistance Program in Austin, Texas in their EAP program.

He graduated from the University of Texas and worked seven years at Cedar Crest Foundation in the Partial Hospital program as a Clinical Therapist/Assistant Director helping children, adolescents and families.

Jay was the co-founder of Adult, Child and Family Center. He works primarily in the Killeen and Round Rock offices.

His specialties include: anxiety, abuse, behavioral, Bi-Polar, stress management, depression, anger management, ADHD/ADD, substance abuse, marital issues, PTSD, workplace problems, special needs, and family conflict and works with persons age 5 and older.

He conducts training in parenting, anger management, assertiveness, and is a certified critical incident debriefing counselor (CID), and anger resolution (CART).

Linda Pennington
M.Ed, LPC

Mrs. Pennington received her Masters degree in Education (Major in Counseling, Minor in Psychology) from North Texas State University in 1980. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas. As a Texas Certified School Counselor, she served in the Temple ISD for 18 years after teaching in Dallas, Austin and Killeen Independent School Districts.

Since 2000, Mrs. Pennington focused on care for children and adolescents, specializing in individual, family and group counseling to patients with behavioral and psychiatric diagnoses. The primary focus of her work has been to enable young people to achieve control over their own behaviors, be able to communicate with and relate to others and move toward successful and independent functioning as adults.

Mrs. Pennington has extensive training and experience in using Play Therapy and Activity Therapies with children and adolescents. She currently serves clients of all ages and needs in Killeen and Belton.

Areas of Specializations:

Anxiety, Anger, Abuse, ADD/ADHD, Behavioral, Bi-Polar, Depression, Family Issues, Molestation, Neglect, PTSD, School issues, Stress Management, Special Needs, Trauma, and Work Issues. Mrs. Pennington works with ages 4-16 and ages 21 and above.

Pamela Haynes, MSW, DCSW, BCD, LCSW

Education

BA, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas, 1967

MSW, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 1971

Ms. Haynes is currently workd in the Austin and Killeen offices. She works mainly with P.T.S.D., anxiety and depressive disorders, marital and parenting issues, as well bereavement issues. She also serves as an adjunct faculty for the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. She also supervises candidates for licensure in Clinical Social Work (LCSW or LMSW-ACP).

In 2004, Ms. Haynes moved to Austin from Honolulu, HI, where, for 9 ½ years, she had served on the faculty of the Family Practice Residency program at Tripler Army Medical Center, teaching F.P. and F.P. - Psychiatry interns and residents. She developed and implemented the behavioral science curriculum for the residency, teaching a didactic curriculum which included a wide range of topics in the fields of human behavior, family systems, counseling and therapy. She also designed and implemented the Counseling Clinic to provide a 'live supervision' model for the residents to learn techniques in counseling and therapy. Ten years prior she worked mainly in the field of mental health in both Hawaii and Virginia. She used a variety of therapeutic models in her work with individuals, families and groups. She has also worked in a variety of specialized settings such as the family therapist for a Navy Alcohol Rehab Center, as a school social worker, as the adoptions social worker for the State of Kansas, as a caseworker in legal aid and for child protective services for the State of Georgia.

Areas of expertise:
Ms. Haynes practices and supervises a variety of therapeutic models including individual psychotherapy, structural family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, brief or strategic therapy & brief solution focused therapy. She is certified as hypnotherapist and in E.M.D.R. Levels I & II. Group experience includes groups for adults molested as children, groups for sex offenders, and Balint groups. groups. Her first book, “Deployment: A Family Affair” was published several years ago.

Ms. Haynes loves to travel with a passion. In recent years she has traveled to India, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia as well as China, Brazil, Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, Ireland, and the Panamal Canal. She has also traveled extensively in Europe, parts of the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand.

Ms. Haynes also enjoys hiking and sailing. In the summer of 2004 she hiked with a backpack for 180 miles across rural Spain. She has a private pilot’s license, but it has been a while since she has flown….you probably would not want to fly with her.

Lusan D. Clark MS, LMFT, LPC

Ms. Clark graduated from Tarleton State University in 2007 with a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She joined Adult Child and Family Counseling Center as the office manager and continued on in the group to complete her practicum and internship. Ms. Clark is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist- Associate. She currently works in the Killeen and Belton offices.

Areas of Specialization include:
Anger, Depression, Personality Disorders, ADHD, Behavioral Issues with children and adolescents, Stress Management, Pre/Post deployment concerns. Ms. Clark enjoys working with children, individuals, families, and couples.

Ms. Clark uses a variety of techniques that include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Brief Solution Focused Therapy. Alternative techniques used for anxiety or high stress include Mindfulness Training, Breathing Techniques, & Yoga.

Lynn Ellen Ryals MA, LPC

Mrs. Ryals is a native Austinite currently working in the Austin and Round Rock offices of The Adult, Child, and Family Counseling Center. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist.

In 1996, Mrs. Ryals received her BFA from Jacksonville University in Florida where she then moved back home to attend St. Edward’s University to begin preparation for graduate school. In 1999 she graduated from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she received her MA in Art Therapy.

Quickly returning home to Texas, Mrs. Ryals began her career at The Brown Schools, working as a counselor for emotionally disturbed adolescents in residential care. She then went onto further her experience, working with physically and emotionally disabled adults and children at the Marnie Paul Arts Center. In her most rewarding work yet, Mrs. Ryals worked at the YWCA women’s counseling center, serving a specialized population of young girls. Her work there is debuted in the PBS documentary Troop 1500 (1995). Along the way, Mrs. Ryals has also been contracted by the Austin Independent School District to provide Art Therapy for emotionally disturbed elementary aged children and to present at various emotional growth workshops and lectures.

Mrs. Ryals’ passion and skill lie in working with women and adolescents.

While Mrs. Ryals is trained as an Art Therapist, her work does not center around this approach. She, most frequently, uses a variety of therapeutic interventions, some of these include, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Brief Therapy, and Imago Therapy. A true quote from Mrs. Ryals is “…whatever it takes and whatever the client is willing to try!”



“I look forward to working with all ages, populations, and needs. Everyone has a “story” and I feel honored to be, sometimes, the only individual they tell their story to… it’s such amazing work!”

Juanita Franklin, LPC

Ms. Franklin is originally from California but as a child of a career army soldier she has lived all over the country and overseas. Ms. Franklin is an educator and a school counselor after graduating with her Master’s Degree she implemented the Career/Technology and Counseling Programs at the Bell County Alternative School. She has also worked at Communities in Schools as an AmeriCorps “Volunteers In Service To America”, working with at risk youth within the Bell County region.
Ms. Franklin completed her Master’s degree in 2006 and did internship with both the school district and Central Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Her passions include: foster children, at risk youth, and single parents. She decided that she would be able to help more people if she worked in private practice and in 2009 she joined Adult, Child, and Family Counseling Center. She also teaches Dual Credit Introduction to Psychology for Central Texas College.
Her specialties include working with children 3 and up, adolescents, and adults. To include school problems, ADHD/ADD, abuse, behavioral, depression, stress management, anxiety and anger management, substance abuse, marital issues, workplace problems, special needs, and family conflict.

Maryann Bell, LPC

Maryann Bell; is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX. She has over 16 years of clinical experience and extensive training/certifications in experiential therapies, and is co-owner of Stable Life Solutions using Equine Assisted Psychotherapy in the treatment of mental health issues. Her areas of expertise include marriage and family issues, mood disorders, PTSD and trauma, and addictive behaviors. Maryann has co-authored an article entitled "Redeployment and reintegration - Military Family Issues", which was published in the Family Therapy Magazine. She has also co-authored a book "Treating the Wounded Warrior: The Comprehensive Family Systems Approach to Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)", and co-presented at the TAMFT 2010 Annual Conference "Brains in Connection: Interpersonal Neuroscience in Marriage and Family Therapy."

Roger Heeren MA, MDIV, LMFT

Mr. Heeren has extensive experience in counseling with children, teens, adults, couples and families. His goal is to help people deal with issues such as conflict, broken trust, intimacy, communication and forgiveness.
One area of specialization is his work with individuals and families as they cope with the effects of PTSD and other deployment issues.
Mr. Heeren seeks to walk alongside his clients as together they find the tools to meet the challenges of life’s struggles.

Dan Bray MS, MDiv, BA, LPC

Dan Bray is a former Army Chaplain. Dan served as the first certified Army Family Life Chaplain to be deployed in a theater of operations. He is an international presenter on marriage and family workshops, and he is a published author. His book, “From Seattle To The Sand: A Soldier’s Spiritual Journey” is a devotional book detailing the issues, concerns, and struggles of deployment. He also co-authored a professional journal with Debbie Mabray and Maryann Bell on PTSD regarding treatment for wounded warriors and families.

Dan’s specialty areas are as follows: marriage, family, PTSD, individual counseling, couples, stress reduction, Christian and spiritual counseling, and pre/post deployment concerns.

He is a graduate of Walla Walla College, Andrews University, and Tarleton State University. Additionally, he attended the University of Oregon, Louisiana State University, and Loma Linda University.