Clinicians and Staff
Alpha Omega Clinic and Consultation Services offers a team of professionals and externs who integrate the principles of psychology, mental health, parenting and successful business practices with the wisdom of the Catholic faith.
Art Bennett, M.A.
Director
Art A. Bennett, M.A., has been the Director of the Alpha Omega Clinic for seven years. He is a marriage and family therapist who has managed international mental health and employee assistance programs and agencies in the United States, Europe and Asia. He was Vice President and Division Manager for a major international consulting firm. He brings over 25 years of clinical, employee assistance programs, program management, training, and consulting experience to the Alpha Omega Clinic. He provides talks, workshops, retreats, on topics related to parenting, the integration of psychology and faith, temperaments, motivation, parenting, fatherhood and high risk youth.
He has written a study series on John Paul II’s On Human Work called Men and Work published by Familia. Contact Jean Stolpestad at (763) 391-0204 for more information. He and his wife Laraine have written the book, The Temperament God Gave You (2005) and The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse published by Sophia Institute Press. Go to www.sophiainstitute.com for more information.
Clinicians
Kathleen Gallagher
LCSW-C
Kathleen Gallagher is a licensed Clinical Social Worker with 23 years of individual and family therapy experience. During her career, she has gained extensive experience with child and adolescent treatment. Kathleen has worked for Alpha Omega Clinic for ten years integrating the Catholic faith and psychology. Kathleen sees clients in the Alpha Omega offices in Bethesda and Crownsville Maryland. She also is a school counselor in Howard County, Maryland. Kathleen’s focus is on individual treatment with focus on relationship issues, forgiveness, mood difficulties, and vocational discernment. She also works with clients who seek healing from trauma such as post abortion and sexual abuse. Kathleen is married with two children, a grown step daughter and son. She converted to the Catholic faith.Carolyn Hansen
M.S.W., LCSW-C
Ms. Hansen works with individuals, couples, children, and families. She is certified as a Relationship Enhancement¨ Marital/Couples Therapist and a Relationship Enhancement¨ Program Leader, specializing in working with couples recovering from divorce, affairs, as well as remarriage issues, parenting and stepfamily issues. Ms. Hansen is certified at the Masters level by the Step-Family Foundation, and is certified in IMAGO Therapy and Child Centered Play Therapy. She is a specialist in communication and conflict resolution, and sees clients in Bethesda, Maryland.Ms. Hansen provides communication workshops and workshops for second marriages at the Alpha Omega Clinics. Call 301 767 1733 ext #9 for more information.
Mary Ann Hayes
LCSW-C
Mary Ann Hayes, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has been in practice for over twenty years. Formerly a member of the treatment team at the Eating Disorders Program at the Shady Grove Counseling Center, she has extensive experience working with persons struggling with eating disorders in individual, group, and family psychotherapy. In private practice since 1991, Ms. Hayes works with adolescents, young adults, adults, and couples. She has been trained in Relationship Enhancement model of marital counseling. She also has a particular interest in Affirmation Therapy. A Third Order Carmelite, Ms. Hayes seeks to assist the lay community integrate contemplative prayer into contemporary life.Michael Hayes
LCSW-C
Mike Hayes received his BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Iona College in NY, his Masters in Counseling from Fordham University, NY, and his MSW from New York University in 1997. He has worked for Franklin Square Hospital Center and Catholic Charities Community Services. He has been with Alpha Omega for four and a half years. He sees clients in Bethesda, Maryland.Carol King
LCPC
Carol King, LCPC, has been counseling in the Maryland area since 1991, and currently is seeing clients at the Alpha Omega Clinic and Consultation Services in Bethesda. Mrs. King is licensed by the State of Maryland as a Clinical Professional Counselor and is certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors. She is a member of the Maryland Association for Counseling and Development. Mrs. King holds an MA in Education from New York University, and an MS in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola College in Maryland. As a personal counselor, Carol's work focused on women, relationships, adolescence, parenting, marriage, and workplace dynamics. Mrs. King has been married for 33 years and has four children. She sees clients in Bethesda, Maryland.Dr. Frank Moncher
Psychologist
Frank J. Moncher, PhD., received his graduate degree from the University of South Carolina Clinical-Community Psychology Program in 1992. After 7 years on the faculty of the Medical College of Georgia where he coordinated the Adolescent Intensive service programs and was on staff in the outpatient clinic, he relocated to the Washington, DC area to join the faculty at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS). Dr. William Nordling
Psychologist
Dr. Bill Nordling is a licensed psychologist and Chair of the Psychology Department at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences. He formerly served as the Clinical Director of the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement where he conducted training nationally in the areas of child therapy, marriage therapy and family therapy. Dr. Nordling has published and presented widely in these areas. His research interests include the development of Catholic approaches to child, marital and family therapies. Dr. Nordling holds a Ph.D. and MA from the University of Maryland, and MA from Duquesne University, and a B.A., from the University of Dallas. He sees clients in Bethesda, Maryland.Dr. Philip Scrofani
Psychologist
Dr. Scrofani received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Catholic University of America. He was the Director of Family Psychotherapy Training for 5 years and Director of Psychology for the Commission on Mental Health Services in Washington, D.C. for 12 years, before accepting a faculty position with the Psychiatry Residency Training Program for the Department of Mental Health in Washington. He received the Psychiatry Residency’s Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year Award in 2004 and the Distinguished Service Award as an adjunct member of the residency faculty in 2006. Dr. Scrofani left the Department of Mental Health in 2004 to accept a dual position as Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Training at the Institute for Psychological Sciences in Virginia. During his career, he has had administrative responsibility for an APA approved psychology internship and he continues to serve as adjunctive faculty within the Psychiatry Residency Branch of DC DMH. He has been a member of the Alpha Omega Clinic since 2003. His expertise is in clinical psychology, interpersonal psychology, family psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy and research review. Dr. Scrofani is Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology since 1990. He has been married for 39 years and has three grown children.Laura Thieman
LCSW
Laura Thieman received her social work graduate degree from the University of Maryland in 1995 and is licensed in the states of Maryland and Virginia. She worked for nine years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital specializing in mental health, addictions, community outreach and adjustment to physical illness. She joined the Alpha Omega Clinic in 2004, and brings a strengths-based approach to her work with individuals, couples and families, creatively integrating mental health with the Catholic faith. She has extensive experience leading psychotherapy groups. Currently, she is leading a “Healing a Marriage” support group for wives. Other areas of focus include parenting, the role of humor and resiliency in the healing process and Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. She is married and has three children. Laura meets with clients in the Fairfax, Virginia office.Nelly Valero-Wills
Nelly Valero-Wills is a catholic psychotherapist from Argentina. After presenting her thesis: Celibacy in Religious Life, A Psychological Approach, she received her Masters in Psychology from the Catholic University of Salta in 2002. Since then she focused her studies and practice in the field of Clinical Psychology, treating adults and adolescents. Having the blessing of a priest in her family, she also did research on Psychology and Religious Life. She moved to Mexico in 2002 where she worked as a therapist for the State of Guanajuato. She returned to Argentina in 2004 to work as a part of multidisciplinary teams for the Ministry of Education of Salta. She was responsible for the assessment and treatment of school population and families at risk. She also held private practice until 2007 when she moved to the USA to marry. Ms. Valero-Wills joins the Alpha Omega staff as a Bilingual Therapist looking forward to bringing the best of Faith and Psychology as a science to the Clinic. She sees clients in the Bethesda, Maryland office.
Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown received his B.A. in Theology & Psychology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1997, and his M.A. in Psychology from American University in 2002. He is working towards his license as a Professional Counselor and is finishing his coursework at Loyola College in Baltimore, MD.
Daniel is working as an extern at the Bethesda, MD clinic. His main interests are in individual and group psychotherapy with persons suffering from depressive and anxiety-related issues including, but not limited to, trauma, social anxiety, phobias, and addictions, including sexual addiction.
Administration
Alicia Lamison
Administrative Assistant
Alicia Lamison has worked as an Administrative Assistant for Alpha Omega Clinic since October 2007 and assists in Marketing and Promotions for the clinic. She came to Alpha Omega after graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2007 with a B.A. in Mental Health and Human Services. She lives with her husband in New Carrollton, MD.Susan Scrofani
Office Manager
Susan Scrofani has worked as Office Manager for Alpha Omega Clinic since 2004. She is married to Dr. Philip Scrofani for 40 years and has three adult children. She has done office work since 1968 along with several years of case management work. Along with managerial work at Alpha Omega, she also is Office Manager for Dr. Scrofani’s private practice. A native of London, England, Susan moved to the United States in 1946