Pennock Center for Counseling

Staff

Pennock Center for Counseling employs Master’s and Doctorate level clinicians. Our staff therapists are either licensed by the state of Colorado or working towards licensure and are counseling under the supervision of a licensed clinician. Our compassionate and competent staff uses a variety of clinical approaches to meet our client’s needs. If you would like to learn more about our qualified staff, please click on the individual names to the right.

Speaking Engagements

Staff members are available to speak to community groups and organizations. Please contact Karyn Gibson for more information at 303-655-9065, ext. 1.

Internship Programs

The center is an internship site for the University of Denver, the University of Colorado at Denver and Naropa University. Our field instructors are highly experienced and value the many contributions interns make to our organization. Interns carry a clinical caseload and work under the supervision of the field instructor.

Jody Pierce, Director

Jody Pierce, LCSW, is Pennock Center for Counseling’s Director and a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience. Jody has been with the center since 2003 and is committed to making Pennock Center for Counseling a safe, comforting place where people can get the quality counseling they need. Besides her administrative tasks, Jody maintains a clinical caseload and has specialized training in an integrative psychotherapy approach. This approach helps people recover from past difficult or traumatic experiences leading to more fulfillment in their lives today. In addition to working with adults and couples, Jody enjoys helping parents, children and adolescents relate better; and facilitating groups at the center and in the community.

Zina Spata, Bilingual Staff Therapist

Zina Spata is one of two bilingual therapists at the center. Zina brings ten years of experience working with children and families. She obtained her Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She utilizes an individualized, psychodynamic approach to fit the specific needs of each client. Zina moved to Denver in October from Oregon. Much of her experience has been on the west coast in Los Angeles, Seattle, and rural Oregon. Zina is excited about settling down in Colorado and getting to know the Brighton Community.

Christy Elwell, Bilingual Staff Therapist

Christy Elwell, LCSW is a full-time bilingual therapist at Pennock Center for Counseling. She graduated with her Masters from the University of Denver in 2007 and has experience practicing family and individual therapy with the at-risk and latino populations in the Denver Metro area. Christy is passionate about using a strength-based, culturally sensitive approach to meet clients where they are at. She has experience teaching parent education in addition to her therapeutic work and enjoys working with adolescents, parents and individuals in group or individual settings to help them relate better and achieve their goals.

Michael Altman, LPC, CAC II

Michael Altman is a licensed professional counselor and a certified addictions counselor. He has worked with Pennock Center for almost 5 years and has many years of clinical experience. Michael has worked with high risk youth and their families for 18 years as an intervention specialist in the Boulder Valley School District. In his private psychotherapy practice, Michael has worked with adolescents and adults alike. He is also a highly experienced couple’s therapist and enjoys the creative process of change in a trusting, compassionate therapeutic relationship. Pennock Center is thankful to have his expertise available to our clients.

Scott Hutchinson, Psy.D., Staff Therapist

Scott Hutchinson, Psy.D., is a staff therapist with the center. Scott graduated with a doctorate in psychology from George Washington University in 2008 and worked as a child and family therapist using an integrative approach to treat clients prior to coming to the center. Scott has extensive experience in crisis management work, spending 2 years on a mobile crisis team that responded to individual and family emergency situations in the community. He also has wide-ranging experience administering, scoring and interpreting psychological and neuropsychological test batteries. Scott has worked with children and their parents diagnosing learning disabilities and working with school systems to ensure proper services are put in place to accommodate the child’s special needs.

Karyn Gibson, Office Manager

Karyn Gibson is our Office Manager and has worked at the center since the Spring of 2007. She brings with her over 16 years of office administration and human resource experience. Karyn attended Laramie County Community College where she studied Criminal Justice. She then moved to Salt Lake City and attended the University of Utah. Her family has lived in Brighton since 2001 when her husband’s job was transferred to Colorado. Karyn enjoys working with the community and serving the needs of our clients. She is currently serving as a member of the Family Preservation Commission for Adams County. In her spare time, Karyn is a digital restoration artist and photographer. She loves spending time with her family, quilting and finding new outlets for her creativity.