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. As an ordained United Church of Christ clergy she served in churches in Lexington and reading, Massachusetts, before retiring from parish ministry to devote full time to the clinical ministry of Licensed Pastoral Psychotherapy. She is trained and certified in the treatment of emotional trauma resulting from interpersonal violence, bullying, military service, chronic pain, as well as grief and loss issues. Her private practice in our Salem, NH and Lynnfield, MA, offices includes individual, couple and group psychotherapies. She is part of the intervention and consultation team serving the needs of pastors and congregations in crisis and offers seminars, retreats, and worships on a variety of topics including Spirituality and Healing, Faith and Depression, Recovery and Forgiveness. Dr. Hufford was trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) by its founder, Francine Shapiro, and has utilized this powerful and effective clinical resource to treat symptoms of trauma, to enhance academic, athletic and artistic performance skills, and to alleviate anxieties. Her former vocation as a trauma nurse provides a unique clinical understanding of the relationships between mind, body, emotional and spiritual resources as they serve the needs for healing and recovery of the whole person.
Ruth Bersin
Ruth Bersin, M.Div., D.Min., PhD, 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, M.Psy., Th.M., D.Min. is a Licensed Pastoral Psychotherapist
with the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice and currently serves as Secretary
of the NH Pastoral Psychotherapists Association. She received her Master in Psychology from Harvard
University and her Doctorate in Marriage and
Family Therapy from Andover Newton Theological
School.
She provides individual,
couple, and family psychotherapy services. Her areas of interest include
understanding emotions, communication and social skills, lifestyle choices,
spiritual development, and the management of serious physical and mental illnesses such as cancer, depression,
trauma-related disorders, and alcoholism. She is skilled at integrating beliefs
and values into the therapeutic process to
help encourage and facilitate change.
Dr. Heckscher is an
in-network Mental Health Provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Matthew
Thornton, Cigna, United Behavioral Health, Medicaid, Mines Associates and
Teamsters Behavioral Health.
She is bilingual
English-French.
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
Gavin Smith has worked with adolescents in multiple settings for more than 14 years. He taught high school in New Jersey for two years with an emphasis in psychology, creative writing, mythology and typing. For over two years Gavin worked as a Field Staff and Field Specialist for a rehabilitation agency in western Colorado that provided wilderness rehabilitative experiences for adjudicated youth from detention centers. Before coming to New England Pastoral Institute, Gavin worked for Families In Transition (FIT) in Manchester, NH, with homeless children, adolescents and their parents. There he aided the youth in addressing the challenges of homelessness while helping to build their self-confidence, social skills and positive self-images.
As a psychotherapist at New England Pastoral Institute in Salem, NH, Gavin works with children, adolescents, adults, parents, couples, families and groups. He addresses issues such as anxiety, depression, communication techniques, and conflict resolution. His clinical work has also included Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and abusive relationships. Gavin is an expert on the psychodynamics of social networking, internet video gaming and the potentially addictive nature of electronic technology. His expertise helps parents and children develop healthy guidelines and practices around computer and video game use. One of Gavin's greatest skills is his ability to relate to those with whom he works and quickly develops an energetic therapeutic relationship with them. This relationship provides a solid foundation from which he can aid his clients in finding ways to produce positive change in their lives.
Gavin received his undergraduate degree from Susquehanna University, where he majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing and minored in psychology and religion. He earned his Master of Social Work from the University of New Hampshire.
Amy Allen
Amy Allen, M.S. W., has a Master of Social Work from the University of New Hampshire. She has a special interest in working with adolescents, survivors of trauma and abuse, and individuals who are looking to gain empowerment and develop a healthy internal locus of control.
Amy has education and experience in utilizing meditation and mindfulness techniques, and is a strong believer in the power of spiritual energy and how it influences psychological health. Her past work includes counseling with individuals with developmental disabilities and a dual diagnosis of developmental disability and mental illness. She has also worked as a clinician in an adolescent residential treatment center, and has training and experience in family therapy and treatment for addictions.
Amy's undergraduate degree is in engineering; she spent ten years in the high tech industry providing technical training and coordinating product development teams. In addition, she is a Freelance Musician and is interested in Creative Arts Therapy.
Norman Bendroth
Norman Bendroth M.Div., D.Min., has been working with churches and non-profit organizations for over thirty years in a variety of capacities. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, he has served urban and suburban churches as a settled (8 years) and an interim minister (15 years). He has also worked in the non-profit world for ten years as an Executive Director, Development Associate, and Director of Communications. Rev. Bendroth is a Transitional Ministry Specialist certified with the Interim Ministry Network where he also serves on their faculty. He also has training in Conflict Transformation, Family Systems, and Appreciative Inquiry. Norman is especially adept at guiding churches through times of conflict and assisting them in discovering their identity and mission. Dr. Bendroth is known as a lively teacher and preacher and has published articles in the Christian Century, Reformed Worship, Perspectives, and Sojourners.
Norman received his B.S. in Art Education from the University of New Hampshire, the M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and the D. Min. from Andover Newton Theological School.
Rev. Bendroth's cell phone number will be made available if you email him and ask for a consultation.
Derek Price
Derek Price B.A., has worked with adolescents experiencing homeless as a street outreach social worker and a direct care staff member at a homeless shelter for four years before coming to New England Pastoral Institute. In his work as a street outreach social worker he built up clients' self confidence, developed their life skills and offered nonjudgmental support in overcoming homelessness. The most meaningful lesson he took from his work with people experiencing homelessness was the power and importance of offering people in crisis hope, compassion, and support.
As a counselor, Derek is interested in working with adults and youth who may be experiencing trauma, grief and loss, self esteem issues, anxiety, depression, and relationship dysfunction. Derek is an ally to the LGBTQ community and is comfortable working with folks who want to explore issues around their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. He was trained as an advocate of the University of New Hampshire's Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) and remains an open and sensitive ally to survivors of rape and sexual assault. His experience working with and relating to people from a wide variety of cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds other than his own taught him to value diversity and he looks forward to bringing this open minded attitude to his work here at NEPI.
Before graduating from the University of New Hampshire for his Bachelor?s Degree in Social Work and an English minor in writing in 2009, Derek spent a year working as an assistant kindergarten teacher and later interned at Somersworth Middle School's afterschool program. In his work there he focused on building up young people?s self esteem and conflict resolution skills and he put a special emphasis on creativity, art, and music. As a therapist, he blends humor and creativity with insightful empathic listening. His knowledge of human development and his warm, friendly demeanor lend him an exceptional ability to connect with people of all ages, especially youth.
Derek is currently working on completing his Masters in Social Work at The University of New Hampshire.
Jaclyn Jenkins
Jaclyn Jenkins B.S., 2nd year MSW Intern. Jaclyn graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Suffolk University and is currently working towards her Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire.
Jaclyn's experiences in the clinical field mostly relate to the child and adolescent populations. During her time at Suffolk University, Jaclyn worked as a psychological research assistant and received authorship in Early Childhood and Emotion Regulation research. She was also able to present the research findings at the ACBS Child Advances Symposium in Reno, NV.
Jaclyn has participated as a volunteer intern at the Chinese Church Head Start Program in Boston Massachusetts working with children in a classroom environment. Her experience helped develop some of the necessary skills needed to work with children of multicultural backgrounds and enforced the psychological concepts needed in order to conduct research with children.
While working towards her Social Work degree, Jaclyn interned at the Strafford Learning Center's alternative high school where she developed and implemented therapeutic groups as well as advocated for students with emotional disabilities.
Our resident greeter, Tyler:
