About Amy & Heather | EMDR & Art Therapy

Our Philosophy

At Compass Counseling & Wellness we believe that all individuals have the potential to live happy and fulfilling lives. We believe that the therapeutic process should create a partnership between the client, the therapist and the environment–exploring all aspects of life and wellness to establish a path to meet your goals and live the life you deserve.

Who We Are

Heather and Amy met over ten years ago while working as mental health therapists at a school based partial hospital program. It wasn't long until our passion for helping individuals and families, along with our unique style of client engagement led to dreams of opening a counseling practice that stood out from conventional therapy. Through life transitions, growing families and a changing environment, one thing has remained the same- we are dedicated to bringing compassionate and meaningful therapeutic experiences to the community through our innovative group practice. We are proud to bring our vision to life and invite you to share your journey with us.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
― Lao Tzu

Amy Schafer

M.S. Ed, NCC, LPC

Amy Schafer is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Pennsylvania and is a Nationally Certified Counselor. She completed her undergraduate studies at Susquehanna University where she received a B.S. in Psychology. Amy received her Master’s of Science in Education with a specialization in Community Counseling from Duquesne University.

Amy has over 15 years of clinical experience providing mental health treatment to children, families and adults. In addition to private practice, Amy has worked in a variety of settings including in home, residential, school based mental health and partial hospitalization. Regardless of the setting, Amy believes that therapy should be free of judgement, and should be focused on how people interact with the world around them. Her work includes a mix of goal setting, education, reflection and feedback. Amy believes that your specific therapeutic journey and plan should include your own personal experiences, strengths and lifestyle. Amy welcomes clients of all ages from childhood to adulthood and believes that all people have the ability to manage their mental wellness if given the right tools.

Amy’s professional career has included extensive work in identifying how individuals communicate through behavior and has presented on this subject at both the local and state level. Amy also has specific training in couples’ counseling and parenting, anxiety, trauma therapy, crisis intervention, stress management and mood disorders.

Whether working with children, adults, families or couples, Amy believes that the client is at the center of the decision making and uses an integrative approach to find the right treatment for each individual.

Heather Abbruzzese

MSW, LCSW, PMH-C, EMDR

Heather Abbruzzese is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She completed her undergraduate studies at American University in Washington, DC where she earned her B.S. in Health Promotion and Education. She completed her graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her Master’s in Social Work.

Heather has worked in various clinical settings over the years, and her experiences have always led her to one thing- the desire to help individuals, couples, and families to realize the strength and resilience they possess to overcome life’s most challenging moments. Throughout her career, Heather has developed a holistic and client-centered approach to empower clients to become their most confident, strong, and healthy selves. Heather strongly believes in empowering her clients by teaching them useful techniques and tools so that they can become more resilient and healthy in their interactions with others and in their everyday lives.

In addition to private practice, she has served in clinical, supervisory, and leadership roles in schools, residential facilities, partial hospitalization programs, outpatient, physician offices, and agency settings.
Heather has specific training in treating Perinatal Mood Disorders trough Postpartum Support International. She also has training in EMDR, Trauma Therapy, Crisis Intervention, depression, anxiety, stress management, PTSD, and grief.
Through life’s transitions, we often experience intense emotions (both highs and lows), and significant stress on our personal journey as well as in our relationships. You deserve a calm and supportive space where you can share your story without judgement, and improve your ability to cope in the present, and set goals for the future. Heather would be honored to work with you to find courage, strength, and peace to manage life’s challenges.

Kristen J Ober

MSEd, BCBA, LPC

Kristen has worked in the fascinating field of behavioral health for the past 20 years. Kristen began her schooling at the University of Pittsburgh earning her BS in Psychology. Shortly after graduating, Kristen began her career working with traumatized youth in a Residential Treatment Facility. Kristen found her passion for counseling during this time and pursued her Master’s of Science in Education from Duquesne University.

Since then Kristen has worked in a multitude of different settings including inpatient hospitalization, residential, in-home, school, and outpatient, which provide valuable experience. No matter the setting, Kristen prides herself in rapport building and finding the motivation in the client and family to make necessary changes. In addition to being a licensed professional counselor, Kristen is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and looks for behavioral change to be the forefront of treatment.

Kristen has worked with predominately children and teens in conjunction with their families but has also worked with and is open to helping adult clients as well. If you are seeking assistance to function in a more effective manner and are motivated to make the change, Kristen is a supportive therapist that will assist with goal setting and personal accountability while keeping an empathetic and realistic approach.

Brent Hansen

LPC

Brent Hansen is a Pennsylvania Licensed Professional Counselor and a lifelong Pittsburgher. He attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he received a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Social Work. He earned a Master of the Arts Degree with a focus in Counseling Psychology from Waynesburg University, where he finished at the top of his graduating class.

Brent has over 15 years of professional experience working with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. He has experience helping children and adults facing serious emotional and behavioral challenges, including individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Career and faith-based counseling have also become prominent in Brent’s recent experience. Brent is the co-founder of an athletic program for students with emotional disturbances, and has coached football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse.

Brent feels his role as a counselor is to help others be more aware of their own strengths, so they can set and achieve positive goals. He is strongly influenced by his Christian faith, which drives him to view every individual as intrinsically valuable, with the potential to achieve great things.

Rachel Diaz

MA, LPC, ATR-BC

Rachel Diaz MA, LPC, ATR-BC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered, Board-Certified Art Therapist. Rachel utilizes an integrative, creative, mind-body approach to helping others. Rachel has ongoing experience working with adults, children, families, groups, and couples in office, home, school, and community settings. Rachel's priority is to provide a safe and trusting environment for you to feel fully heard and validated. Rachel's person-centered approach is used to promote autonomy and increaseconfidence in your ability to heal and change. With this, Rachel will meet you where you are in your process of healing while striving to help you move forward at your own pace. Rachel is equipped to provide you with a variety of individualized skills and techniques to assist you in your process.

Rachel primarily practices within the framework of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and the Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) model, and she has ongoing training and experience utilizing Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and Emotional Freedom techniques & Tapping (EFT). As a board-certified art therapist, Rachel is well versed in utilizing art therapy with both children and adults. Rachel can guide you with utilizing art making as a tool to minimize stress, promote mind-body connection, and increase self-expression, self-awareness, and self-worth. Rachel guarantees no experience with art making is necessary to engage in this type of therapy.

Rachel began her career working with children on the Autism Spectrum and children struggling withADHD and other behavioral disorders. Rachel further gained experience working with homeless and disadvantaged youth as an independent contractor with the non-profit organization, Art Expressions, Inc. Rachel progressed in her career by providing specialized, recovery-based treatment to those suffering from addiction, complex addictions, and dual diagnosis. Throughout her journey, Rachel has treated co-morbid disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), adult ADHD, major depression, bi-polar disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, and grief and bereavement.

Kelly Corr

MA, LPC

Kelly believes that clients are at the center of their own treatment and uses her time with clients to create realistic and attainable goals. She spends time empowering clients to see the control they have over their own outcomes, and assisting clients in seeing their true potential to live and love the life that is their own. Kelly’s compassion, experience and desire to navigate clients away from negative thoughts and toward strength based decision making has allowed her to become a true support through all of life’s ups and downs.

Kelly utilizes a variety of counseling approaches and is skilled in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Motivational Interviewing which have been proven to be effective treatment styles for anxiety, depression, trauma, drug and alcohol issues, stress management and life transitions.

Kelly Corr is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 20 years of experience working in the mental health and counseling field. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Masters degree in Community and Agency Counseling at the California University of Pennsylvania.

Kelly has worked in a variety of settings, including inpatient mental health hospital settings, in-home work, and outpatient settings. Kelly has worked in both leadership and clinical roles for programs that focus on adult mental health struggles as well as individuals and families who have been impacted by drug and alcohol dependency.

Kelly currently sees adult clients and offers both virtual and in-person appointments.