Meet Our Staff
John Mokkosian
John Mokkosian, M.Div., D.Min. is the Executive Director of the New England Pastoral Institute, Inc. He is one of the founding members of the institute's staff, and has held the position of Executive Director since the Institute's incorporation in July of 1996. Dr. Mokkosian is a certified "Fellow" in the American Association of Pastoral Psychotherapists, and licensed by the state of New Hampshire as a licensed Pastoral Psychotherapist.
Ordained in 1978, his ministerial service has taken many forms. He has pastored churches in Los Angeles, CA and Salem, New Hampshire, in addition to having served as a denominational consultant in youth and adult ministries. He is an active member of the Northern New England Presbytery (Presbyterian Church: USA) as well as holding ministerial standing in the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. Dr. Mokkosian received his M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and D.Min. in Psychology from the Andover Newton Theological School.
Beyond his doctoral training he has two years of specialized training in Marriage and Family therapy as well as two additional years of training in the integration of psychology and spirituality. His private practice includes individual, couple and family psychotherapies. Dr. Mokkosian specializes in adolescent psychotherapy, with particular interest in family and peer relationships, self and body image, depression, academic performance and special needs. He also has a special interest in working with families with special needs children and adults. He is a popular workshop leader on the topics of spirituality, faith development, adolescent issues, couple's enrichment and lay leadership development.
Dayl H. Hufford
Dayl H. Hufford, M.Div., D.Min. is the Clinical Director of the New England Pastoral Institute, Inc. She is a trained and certified EMDR clinician. Dr. Hufford's clinical interests specialize in the treatment of trauma and abuse. Her private practice includes individual, couple, and group psychotherapies.
Dr. Hufford is an instructor for the Criminal Justice Training Council where she teaches victim and offender psychology. She is a popular workshop leader on the topics of abuse and violence; depressions and anxiety; and issues of spirituality and healing. Dr. Hufford practices in Salem, NH and Newton Centre, MA.
Ruth Bersin
Ruth Bersin, M.Div., D.Min is an Episcopal Priest, a member of American Association of Pastoral Counselors, the Association of Trauma Stress Specialists and a Pastoral Psychotherapist at the New England Pastoral Institute. She is the Executive Director of Refugee Immigration Ministry in Boston. She has had chaplaincy training in a reform school, a medical center and specialized training for police chaplaincy. She has trained lay-chaplains for detention in numerous communities across the country. Dr. Bersin has done work on Spirituality in the Recovery Process after Traumatic Experience and has given papers on the subject to numerous conferences including the Episcopal East Coast Military Chaplains Conference, Association of Trauma Stress Specialists, and American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Dr. Bersin has published an article: "Healing Traumatic Memories: A Spiritual Journey." in Theological Literacy for the 21st Century, Eerdmans, 2002, and in 2006 an article in The Antioch Agenda, "Life Beyond the Gates: Seeing Ourselves in the Other."
Ara Heghinian
Ara Heghinian, M.Div., D.Min. is ordained by the United Church of Christ and holds ministerial standing with the Presbyterian Church USA and the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. He has served as a pastor to congregations for more than 15 years.
As a Pastoral Counselor, Dr. Heghinian works with adults, and youth, couples, individuals and families. His counseling focuses on helping them as they seek knowledge about themselves and search for meaning in their relationships with others and with God.
Ara received the M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993 and recently completed a Doctor of Ministry Degree at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts in Pastoral Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy. He is a Pastoral Care Specialist of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. He has worked extensively with couples in pre-marital counseling, with children and teens, in groups and with individuals dealing with the aftermath of trauma and abuse.
Laurence Heckscher
Laurence Heckscher, D. Min., is a Licensed Pastoral
Psychotherapist with the NH Board of Mental Health Practice, and a Fellow in the
American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
She works with individuals, couples and families, addressing interpersonal
issues, depression, anxiety, loss and grief, life choices, change management,
cancer survival, and spiritual development.
She also offers workshops and leads therapy groups on topics of hope, grief,
and the handling of changes associated with physical and mental illnesses.
She is an in-network provider with Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Anthem Blue Cross
and Blue Shield, and the Matthew Thornton Health
Plan and Health Initiatives.
Dr. Heckscher received her Masters in Psychology from Harvard, her Doctorate in Pastoral Counseling and Marriage
and Family Therapy from Andover Newton, and her training in spiritual direction from the National Retreat
Association in London.
She currently serves as Secretary of the New Hampshire Pastoral Psychotherapists Association.
She is Roman Catholic and bilingual French-English.
Jane Ross
Jane Ross, M.B.A., M.Div., M.Ed., meets with individuals and couples in crisis or wishing to mature spiritually. She gently supports recovery from anxiety, sexual addiction, gambling, and other behavioral compulsions, as well as teaching clients skills needed to manage mood disorders with minimal medication. Her clinical experience includes counseling veterans with PTSD and financial counseling. She has worked as a professional organizer and is on her home town's Hoarding Task Force. Jane worked for twenty years in management at corporations large and small, resulting in sensitivity to organizational issues in business. Her unique background finds special application in treating individuals suffering censure or injury within their church communities.
Jane received her M.B.A. from Northeastern University, her M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and her M.Ed. from Cambridge College.
Lori Davis
Lori Davis, B.S., M.M.H.C. After 20 years in the hospitality industry, Lori Davis received her Master?s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Springfield College. She is also a graduate of Simmons College with a degree in Business Management.
Her practice is devoted to a diverse population of individuals and groups, focusing on anxiety, depression, grief and loss, self-esteem and identity issues and self-harming behaviors. She brings a varied set of skills based upon her experience as a surgical counselor, a corporate consultant and business owner, and her insatiable dedication in listening to others? life stories. Utilizing an integrated approach incorporating solution-based and patient-centered strategies, she focuses on individual empowerment and strengthening identity formation.
She enjoyed her early work as a volunteer in a Mom-to-Mom program, promoting parenting skills to those who have had little or poor modeling. She has strong interest and skill in counseling within the mother/daughter relationship and is developing a therapy based on a mother/daughter framework.
Lori has particular interest in adoption issues as well as issues related to learning disabilities in children. She also offers an empathic corporate perspective to adult employees who may need assistance in today?s business world.
Gavin Smith
Our resident greeter, Tyler:
