Fair Haven Family of Therapists Helps Others
Cope with COVID-19 Stresses
Office (732) 842-3200 (ext. 5510)
Website: MaraBrowndorf.com
17 West River Road, Rumson NJ
14 JUNE 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
Every industry has its own unique challenges when dealing with
COVID-19, and mental health is no exception. The crisis has created the
largest paradigm shift in the delivery of mental health services in the
history of the country. Many therapists were overwhelmed with trying to
it. These are unprecedented conditions. There is no clinical research available
on how to deal with something of this global magnitude. It was clear a
guide was needed to help the community of therapists, coaches and parents
transition to virtual treatment.
That was until the Fair Haven family of therapists who operate Lighthouse
Counseling & Sand Play Training Center, LLC created a free, downloadable
guide to Telehealth.
Gretchen Morgan, LCSW and her partner (and mother), Mary Pat Mc-
Geehin, opened Lighthouse Counseling & Sand Play Training Center in 2000.
Heath, LCSW; Linda Law, LPC; Heather Koenigsfest, LPC; Barbara McGinley,
LPC; Bianca Valentini, LCSW; and Charlotte Stant, RYT. Each of these clinicians
contributed articles on different topics for the Telehealth Guide. Users can eas-
in the situations they are encountering from the effects of the quarantine.
Lighthouse specializes in trauma, Sand Play Therapy, EMDR, yoga, addictions
and coaching, and serves individuals, couples, families and children.
Lighthouse is a Continuing Education Provider, and they have trained
more than 3,000 clinicians in Sand Play Therapy. Sand Play therapy invites
clients to work with a sand box palette to create scenes using sand shaping,
patterns and the addition of numerous objects to the sand tray which serve
as symbols that help clients express their feelings and allow the client to
interpret their messaging.
Morgan, her husband and family – including her 17-year-old daughter,
Charlotte Stant, who also serves as Lighthouse’s yoga instructor – have lived
in Fair Haven since 1999. She is a cheerful and curious student of the current
set of challenges.
“We, as a community, nation and planet have never experienced anything
like this,” she said. “We are dealing with effects of the pandemic while
collecting the essential data we need to understand it all, kind of like working
From left: Mary Pat McGeehin, Charlotte Stant and Gretchen Morgan
back to the beginning. I believe that the lessons of this shared pandemic
experience will continue to reveal themselves for many months
to come, yet therapists are a dedicated to our patients. We continue
our work as our collective knowledge expands. It is a fascinating time
to live through.”
In addition to helping clients through this time, the industry is
also working through administrative issues like insurance billing and
regulations, the shift to a work-at-home setting from an industry that
is traditionally conducted face to face, and guiding patients through
those new developments.
“So of course, with all this going on, we decided to write a manual,”
Morgan laughed.
Morgan also works in Costa Rica as a trainer and workshop leader.
Among her greatest pleasures is the work she and Sally Nilsson, LLB,
CPC do with their Equine Facilitated Sand Play Therapy, a technique in
their Healing the Healers workshop held annually. Nilsson contributed
a coaching section to the telehealth guide as well.
Stant, a junior at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, also contributed
a section of the guide.
McGeehin, a 20-year resident of Fair Haven, worked on the editing
of guide. Rounding out the family practice is Jenn Morris, also
of Fair Haven, who has served as the Lighthouse’s photographer and
billing manager since 2002.
All are invited to read and download a free copy of the guide at
lcsnj.com. Lighthouse is accepting clients for telehealth counseling,
coaching and clinical supervision.
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