Marnie C. Ferree, M.A., LMFT

Director and Ministry Leader

Marnie C. Ferree is a licensed marriage and family therapist employed with the Woodmont Hills Church in Nashville, Tennessee, which is the sponsoring organization for Bethesda Workshops. She has a national reputation as a leader in the field of sexual addiction, particularly as it presents in women. In 1997, Marnie established a workshop program for female sex addicts that was the first of its kind in the country and today draws participants from across the United States and Canada. She has directed Bethesda Workshops since 2000. Previously, Marnie provided counseling for sexual recovery (both from sexual abuse and sexual addiction) through the Woodmont Hills Counseling Center, a sister ministry at the church.

Marnie is a frequent lecturer at professional and recovery conferences, churches, and schools. She also consults with Christian organizations and churches about sexual integrity, especially in cases where a leader has fallen into sexual sin. Marnie is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (clinical member), the American Association for Christian Counselors, and the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, where she is on the editorial board of the professional journal Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity.

Marnie's book about female sexual addiction, No Stones: Women Redeemed from Sexual Shame, is the first Christian book on the subject by a woman personally in recovery. No Stones has been widely acclaimed as a pioneering work and is considered the standard in the field. (Read the very positive review published by Christianity Today by visiting http://christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/012/35.66.html.) Her second book is L.I.F.E. Guide for Women, a workbook for female sex addicts.

Marnie received her master's degree in counseling from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. She has published dozens of articles in a variety of professional journals, magazines and newspapers. Of particular note is a comprehensive series on childhood sexual abuse, which was published in 1993 in The Tennessean. The series was ground-breaking in telling survivors' first-person stories on the record, and it generated hundreds of responses.

Marnie and her husband David have been married since 1981 and are parents of a married daughter and young adult son.

Click Here for Marnie's Testimony

WORKSHOP TEAM

Ted Baldick, Ph.D.

Small Group Leader

Ted Baldick received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology. He specializes in recovery issues associated with addictive diseases, men's issues, and adult survivors of childhood trauma. He is certified by AACCSAS as a Clinical Sexual Addiction Specialist. Ted is a frequent conference speaker and has served as a clinical consultant to numerous hospitals, colleges and churches. He is a senior clinical psychologist at Christian Psychological Center in Memphis, Tennessee (www.cpcmemphis.net). He and his wife have been married over 40 years and have three grown children.

Rainey Brown, M.A., LPC-MHSP

Small Group Leader

Rainey Brown is a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Brentwood, Tennessee. She specializes in the treatment of sexual addiction, co-addiction and codependency, and she provides individual as well as couples counseling. Rainey is an EMDR Level II therapist. She and her husband, Doug, enjoy facilitating a Celebrate Recovery® 12-step group at their local church. They reside in Brentwood and are the parents of two children.

Jerry Caspell

Worship Leader

Jerry Caspell often serves as the worship leader for the Healing for Men workshops. He has a bachelor's degree in religion, psychology, and sociology, and has led worship music since his college days. In his secular life, Jerry has worked for over 20 years in the telecommunications industry. Currently, he's a software project manager with Cisco Systems in Dallas, Texas. Jerry attended the first workshop for men and has been a part of over 40 workshops since that beginning.

Jim Cress, M.A., LPC

Small Group Leader

Jim Cress is a licensed professional counselor and an ordained minister. He earned a master's degree in Christian education from Dallas Theological Seminary and a master's degree in biblical and professional counseling from Colorado Christian University. He specializes in marriage counseling and counseling men struggling with sexual addiction. Jim is a veteran of over 26 years in Christian radio. He formerly hosted "The Minirth-Meier Clinic" broadcast and currently co-hosts three hours daily of national Christian talk radio. Jim lives with his wife and three children in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Lisa Gohmann, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP

Small Group Leader

Lisa Gohmann holds a master of education from Vanderbilt University and has worked in the field of addiction recovery for several years. In addition to her work with Bethesda, Lisa is part of a private practice focusing on sexual addiction issues and the family. Lisa and her husband Mike are the parents of one daughter and live in Franklin, Tennessee. Visit www.relationalhealing.com.

Ken Graham, M.A., LPC-MHSP, LPE

Small Group Leader

As a licensed professional counselor and psychological examiner, Ken Graham's experience includes some twenty years in the mental health / addiction field. His professional interests include men's issues, sexual health, trauma resolution, and marital intimacy restoration. Currently, Ken has a private practice and enjoys speaking and teaching at various workshops, churches and seminars. He and his wife of almost 25 years have four children and reside in Hendersonville, Tennessee . Visit www.relationalhealing.com.

Mark MacDonald, M.A., LCSW

Small Group Leader

Mark MacDonald is a licensed clinical social worker with nearly 25 years experience working with codependency, addictions and various mental health issues. He directs Mark MacDonald & Associates, a private practice clinic in Wheaton, Illinois, and has previously worked in outpatient, inpatient and intensive programs. Mark is the co-author of Setting New Boundaries, a devotional book published through Thomas Nelson. He received his undergraduate degree from Wheaton and his master's from the University of Chicago. Mark and his wife Parvine are the parents of three children.

Eli Machen, M. Div., M.A., LCSW

Small Group Leader

Eli Machen holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut. He has 25 years of experience working with clients, leading intensive workshops, and presenting at conferences and training seminars. Along with Mark Laaser, Eli conducted the first workshops for male sex addicts starting in the early 1990s. He has worked with Bethesda Workshops since the program's beginning and is the key leader for the Healing for Men and Healing for Spouses workshops. He and his wife live in Ashville, North Carolina. Eli's videotape, Surviving Life with a Sex Addict, is available in our products section.

Kirk McDermott, M.A., LPC

Small Group Leader

Kirk McDermott has a Master of Arts in marriage and family therapy from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Kirk has worked with addictions in inpatient and hospital settings, including the Masters and Johnson's unit at River Oaks Hospital. He and his wife Audra have a private counseling practice together, and he is also on a church staff as the Minister of Music and Families.

Dolores Parlato, M.A., LPC

Small Group Leader

Dee Parlato graduated from Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina, in May 2006 with a Master of Arts degree in clinical counseling. She is employed as an independent contractor and is pursuing licensure at The Christian Counseling Center of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia. Dee works with both individuals and groups and is completing certification as a Sexual Addictions Specialist with AACCSAS. Before her counseling career, Dee served as a photojournalist in the United States Navy for 20 years and received numerous awards for photography.

Fern Sutton, M.A., LPC-MHSP

Small Group Leader

Fern Sutton has facilitated with Bethesda for a number of years and maintains a part-time counseling practice through the Woodmont Hills Counseling Center. She specializes in working with spouses of sexual addicts and female addicts, in addition to providing couples counseling. Fern is a pastor's wife and frequently speaks at Southern Baptist conferences. She and her husband live in Nashville and are the parents of two adult daughters.

Ken Taylor, M.A., LCSW

Small Group Leader

Ken Taylor is a licensed clinical social worker with an M.S.W. degree from Aurora University. He has over 25 years experience working with inpatient and outpatient populations regarding issues of major depression, anxiety disorders, and addictions. Ken directed an inpatient program when he was on staff at the Minirth-Meier Clinic. Currently, Ken is part of Mark MacDonald & Associates, a private practice clinic in Wheaton, Illinois. He trained with Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., and is a certified sexual addiction specialist. Ken also served as a pastor and is involved in leadership in his church. He has been married to Ruth since 1968 and they have four grown children.

Angela Thompson, M.A., LPC-MHSP

Small Group Leader

Angela Thompson is also on the full-time staff with Woodmont Hills Counseling Center. She specializes in treating codependency, working with addicts, their spouses, and providing marital therapy. Angela also facilitates a Divorce Recovery Program. Before coming to WHCC, she worked with troubled teenage girls in a residential setting. She has served on the board of directors of The Restore Ministry, an outreach effort of the YMCA. Angela and her husband are the parents of two children.

Barbara White, M.S., LCSW and Dee White, M.S.

Small Group Leaders

This husband and wife therapy team have worked with individuals, couples and families for over 20 years. In their private practice, they specialize in marital therapy, especially with couples struggling with addictions. Dee and Barbi White have served churches in a variety of capacities through the years as pastors, counselors and lay leaders. They are the parents of four grown sons and grandparents of several wonderful grandchildren. They live and minister in Nashville, Tennessee.

SUPPORT STAFF

Nicole Hobson

Administrative Assistant

Nicole is responsible for the nuts-and-bolts of the ministry operation and is in the office each weekday afternoon. In addition to her administrative gifts, Nicole has extensive advertising and marketing experience.

Diana Cavender

Financial Coordinator

Diana brings almost 20 years of accounting experience to Bethesda, where she handles all the ministry's financial operations. Diana is a CPA and worked as an internal auditor for the state of Tennessee for almost a decade. She is in the office weekday mornings.