Meet Our Counselor Trainees

Cornerstone Family Services is committed to increasing accessibility of Christian counselors and furthering counselor education in Central Ohio by providing internship opportunities for counseling graduates. Each Counselor Trainee (CT) is required by the State of Ohio to log 600 hours of supervised counseling before receiving their Licensed Professional Counselor designation. Each counseling session is reviewed with their supervising Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC-S). After reaching the 600-hour milestone, CT’s are required to pass the National Counselor Exam (NCE) to receive their Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) designation.

During the training and supervisory period, state law prohibits interns from receiving direct compensation for their counseling services. Through the internship program, Cornerstone provides no-cost counseling services for social agencies such as Mental Health America of Franklin County (MHA), as well as low-pay counseling for economically disadvantaged clients. Fees collected from low-pay clients go directly to Cornerstone to support our mission of providing quality professional mental health care to anyone in need, regardless of financial means.

 

Laura Lakatos, CT

Focus: Adjustment Issues, Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions, Trauma
Email: llakatos@cstoneohio.org
Phone: 614-459-3003 ext 817

Laura Lakatos is a counselor trainee under the supervision of Seth Evans, LPCC-S at CornerStone. She is getting her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Ashland Theological Seminary. Her bachelor’s is in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University.

Professional Focus:
Laura is interested in working with adolescents and adults in all walks of life who are struggling with adjustment issues, mood and anxiety disorders, spiritual issues, and trauma in the journey of mental wellness.

Additionally, Laura is focused on developing clinical skills in areas involving career counseling, co-dependency, relationship issues, and self-esteem/self-worth struggles.

Personal Interests:
Laura enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves walking/hiking, cooking, and painting and is involved in serving through her local church.

Jenn Peddicord, CT

Focus: Adjustment Issues, Anxiety, Children, Depression, Spiritual Issues, Trauma
Email: jpeddicord@cstoneohio.org
Phone: 614-459-3003 ext 744

Jenn Peddicord  is a counselor trainee under the supervision of Tracy Whiteside LPCC-S at CornerStone. She is getting her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Ashland Theological Seminary. Her bachelor’s is in Social Work from The Ohio State University.

Professional Focus:
Jenn desires to support children and adults as they are struggling or transitioning in life. She is passionate about helping people feel less alone and feel more impowered.

Personal Interests:
Jenn enjoys spending time with friends and family during her spare time. She loves to travel and trying different cuisines from other cultures (as well as trying out new recipes on her own). She also relaxes by going on walks and listening to podcasts.

Lisa Riddle, CT

Focus: Adoption, Anxiety, Couples and Family, Crisis, Grief/Loss, Life Transitions, Parenting, and Women’s Issues
Email: lriddle@cstoneohio.org
Phone: 614-459-3003 ext 819

Lisa Riddle CT is attending Ashland Theological Seminary for her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from The Ohio State University. Lisa is currently under the supervision of Tracy Whiteside LPCC-S.

Professional Focus:
Lisa has always felt a call to serve others and is passionate about walking along others in time of need. She is interested in working with adolescents and adults in all walks of life.

Personal Interests:
When Lisa isn’t working, she is most likely spending time with her husband, daughter, and their 2 cats! She loves reading, the outdoors, and she is super competitive when it comes to card games. She is a veteran in the Army National Guard & also a youth leader at her local church.

Gwen Verhoff, CT

Focus: Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Women’s Issues
Email: gverhoff@cstoneohio.org
Phone: 614-459-3003 ext 814

Gwen Verhoff is attending Ashland Theological Seminary for her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from The Ohio State University. She is under the supervision of Chad Kays, LPCC-S.

Professional Interests:
Gwen is passionate about walking alongside people during difficult times in their lives and helping them get to know themselves. Her areas of clinical focus include grief and loss, women’s issues, anxiety, and depression.

Personal Information:
Gwen enjoys spending time with her husband and children preferably outdoors hiking, gardening, kayaking, or taking care of her backyard chickens. She also enjoys cooking for family and friends and loves to read.