A counselor for over thirty years and a veteran professor of twenty-eight years, Dr. Welch has been invited to lecture at four different universities and is in private practice and previously employed as a marriage and family therapist staff member at Charter Behavioral Health System of Kansas City, a psychiatric hospital.

Gina Smith joined the MACC Program as an adjunct faculty member in 2017. She came to PLNU with approximately 12-years of mental and behavioral health experience and over 12-years of financial management experience. Gina has served in a variety of clinical settings including inpatient and outpatient chemical dependency recovery programs, hospice care, and in private practice. Since 2014, Gina has served as a Consultant to the Department of Navy’s Civilian Workforce where she provides short-term, solution-focused counseling to civilian employees.

Professor Kylie Lewis, a PLNU alumni herself, is overjoyed to be a part of the Clinical Counseling program! After attending PLNU and earning a B.A. in Child & Adolescent Development, she went on to earn her M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy at Alliant International University. Professor Lewis currently teaches within several PLNU programs aside from the MACC program, which includes the Child Development Degree Completion Program and the Family & Consumer Sciences Program. Professor Lewis also continues to serve private practice clientele in Mission Valley.

Dr. Frank Ogle joined the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MACC) program as an adjunct professor in 2017. He came to PLNU with nearly 19 years of counseling and teaching experience. Specifically, he has worked as a clinical therapist at several mental health companies, including Lighthouse Psychological Services/Center for Enriching Relationships, Sharp HealthCare’s Mesa Vista Psychiatric Hospital, and Del Sur Crisis Center where he served for 18 years, 13 of which he held a position as Assistant Program Director. Dr.

What did you do after you graduated from Point Loma?

I graduated from PLNU with a degree in Management and Organizational Communication.  My first career job was in our Admissions Office!

Dr. Ben Coleman is a licensed psychologist and the Director of Clinical Training in the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling Program at Point Loma Nazarene University. He completed his Ph.D. at Fuller Theological Seminary Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA. Dr. Coleman has worked extensively with children and adults, both in treatment and assessment, across diverse hospital and outpatient settings.

Dr. Denise Nelson has been a member of PLNU's Ryan Library faculty since 2004 and a member of the department since 1999. In addition to her responsibilities leading the library, she provides support at the Research Help Desk and teaches information literacy and research strategies for various courses. She serves as the library's liaison to Psychology and Communication Studies.