Marvena A. Simmonds
Minister and Counselor/Preventionist
January 2021 to Present: Works with the International Gospel Center of St. Thomas/One Voice Ministries Global Assemblies, Teach/Counsel “Christian Absolutes For Life,)
During 16 years of employment at SAMHSA, worked as Public Health Advisor -Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Project administration for Logistics and Support contracts providing travel, hotel reservation, seeking meeting space, honorarium payments, completed grant applications’ Assisted in the development of technical assistance for various states, worked with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Resources Administration (HRSA) through an Inter-Agency Agreement. Seventeen (17) years worked with The Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security, Office of Hearings and Appeals, New York, NY. Supervised high-level employees who served as policy experts writing decisions for SSID/SSDC cases for persons with a disability who cannot work an eight (8) hour day for a while and within the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR 42). B.S., Psychology/Criminal Justice MPA. IC&RC/MAPPA – International Certified Prevention Specialist. Appointed Minister, 2020 IGC/OVM Global Assemblies
Yvonne V. Williams has been working in the counseling and substance use field for over 27+ years, working in mental health, substance abuse, corrections, and leadership. Serves various individuals who seek assistance in working through life issues and moving forward. Offers Counseling and Psychotherapy Services to address: Relationship Issues, Anger, Depression, Anxiety, Work/Home Stress, Life Transitions, Grief and Loss, Healing from Current and Past Trauma, Interpersonal Relations, Parenting, Self-Esteem, Sexuality, Gender Identification, and other impasses.
Treatment modalities are Individual, Group, and Family Counseling. Extensive experience working with formerly incarcerated individuals, men, women, same-gender loving individuals, adolescents, and the elderly. My therapeutic styles are person-centered and cognitive behavioral. Safety, accountability, and empowerment in sessions are essential.
My goal is to create a safe, warm and non-judgmental environment where the individual can be his/her//their authentic self. My practice is unique because I provide culturally specific and non-traditional counseling settings such as treatment within the home or in a pleasant environment within the community done within boundaries.