Our Training Faculty
David DeBlaey, MA, CPC, CMFT
David has been in the practice of counseling for 19 years. He is state licensed as a mental health counselor, in marriage and family therapy and in clinical hypnosis which he utilizes for treatment of anxiety, phobias, stress management, trauma, pain habit control and other medical problems. His therapy specialties include anger, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship and family issues, blended families, depression, and spiritual concerns. David is also an active member of Valley Presbyterian Church.
C. Caryn Kondo, MA
Caryn has been involved with New Song Center since 1997. Caryn earned her BA from Case Western Reserve University in Psychology and her masters in Clinical Social Work for The University of Chicago. She has experience in Child Life, Medical Social Work, Hospice, individual and family counseling, and facilitating support group for both children and adults. She specializes in children and families grief issues and facilitating support groups. Caryn has made numerous local and national presentations on understanding and working with grieving children and adults. At home she helps facilitate life for a husband, two beautiful children and a large bull mastiff named Uma.
Kate Kendig, BSN
Kate began as a volunteer facilitator with New Song Center in 2001 and joined the staff in 2003. She earned her BSN from Arizona State University with a specialization in Mental Health Nursing. She has twenty years of work experience in behavioral health with children and families. She is passionate about the inner life of children and loves to do origami, pottery and poetry.
Gabrielle Lawrence, Ph.D.
Gabrielle is a licensed psychologist, a certified counselor in the state of Arizona, a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor. She is a recognized clinician working in the area of grief recovery and traumatic loss. Dr. Lawrence received her masters in Early Learning and Development in 1973 and her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. In her private practice, she specializes in working with children as well as working with adolescents and adults with issues of early trauma, abuse, bereavement and with couples in crisis. In 1989, she founded the Good Shepherd Counseling Center and in 1990, she co-founded New Song Center for Grieving Children, a support program for children and families who have experienced the loss of a family member through death. In 2002, Dr. Lawrence was a recipient of the Hon Kachina Award and the Scottsdale Life Magazine Five Who Care Award for her work as a founder of New Song Center for Grieving Children. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Lawrence is a recent board member and past president of the Arizona Association for Play Therapy. She is also is a member of the graduate faculty of the University of Phoenix in the Department of Counseling. She lectures for schools, hospitals, parents, professional, corporate and community organizations concerning children's issues and wellness and relationship management topics such as conflict resolution, anger, and stress management.
Lisa E. Schmitt
Lisa brings over 20 years of experience in public relations, marketing and advertising to New Song Center. She served on New Song Center's Board of Directors for 3 years prior to joining the staff in August of 2000. Lisa is married with a teenage daughter, loves to cook and make beautiful classical ballet costumes.
Sandra Howlett, Ed.D.
Sandra Howlett has two decades of experience designing and delivering effective, highly interactive workshops and training programs. She is principle in Howlett & Company Inc., a seventeen year old Phoenix based management development organization dedicated to improving personal and organizational performance and quality through communication, understanding and experiential education. In addition to presentations and training, Dr. Howlett also offers strategic planning and communications skills coaching to individuals and organizations.
Dr. Howlett offers values based training programs as well as consulting and facilitation on a variety of special projects. She has a unique ability to assist others in their individual and organization transformation by posing clarifying questions to examine situations from many angles, thereby identifying options. In addition, she works jointly with clients to co-create realistic implementation plans for the desired changes. Her personal style is both content rich as well as compassion based with humor.
Her interest in grief work began in childhood and she has both extensive experience and expertise in loss, grief and healing work. She has been the featured speaker at hospice retreats and celebrations, conducted grief workshops for hospice support groups as well as schools, corporations, private groups and does extensive 1:1 work. She is currently a volunteer facilitator for New Song Center in addition to her role as a member of the training faculty.
KT Thompson
Program Director
KT has a BA in Secondary Education, an MA in Clinical Counseling, and has worked with the Fire Department in Crisis Intervention for 5 years. Speaking, training, and teaching are her strong gifts, along with working with children. Originally from Southern California, she has lived in the Phoenix Valley for 20 years. She loves to be outdoors, playing or coaching softball. She is a published freelance artist, but mostly enjoys acrylic painting on large wall size canvases. KT says she missed out on her childhood, so she is having a re-do, never overlooking an opportunity to have fun.
Gary Anderson
Jason Mingus
Peg Borden, LSCSW
Preschool & Young Adult Coordinator
Peg is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed counselor. She works with children and adults at Valley Counseling Center and has been with New Song Center since moving to Arizona in 2005. Peg and her family moved to Arizona from Kansas City and love the community. She is passionate about her work with children because she enjoys their spontaneity and honesty.
DeeDee Kaplan
Monday Evening Coordinator
DeeDee began volunteering as an adult and teen facilitator with New Song Center in 2003. She has worked in the crisis counseling field for many years, working specifically with suicide prevention. She has a BA in Social Work and is completing a Master's in Substance Abuse Counseling. Her three children are incredibly interesting and talented and all enrolled in college at the same time. She lives with 2 large and untrained, ill-mannered dogs who help keep her sane. She loves hiking in the desert, sleeping outdoors, doing yoga, photography and traveling.