Our Team
Gerard, Coslow & Tielker-Sharpe Associates is a respected practice serving the community for over 50 years. Our experienced team of skilled therapists treat a broad range of ages and mental health issues. We are confident that we can meet your needs. With diverse backgrounds and extensive behavioral health experience, our master level practitioners are dedicated to providing the best care for our clients.
Browse our therapist profiles below to find the right fit for you!
Our Team
Lindsey Anderson, LCSW
Lindsey graduated from Cleveland State University in 2011 with a dual major in Psychology and Criminology. She worked as case manager at Westwood Behavioral Health Center in Ohio for several years before deciding to pursue her master’s degree. Lindsey completed her master’s in social work in 2016, and provided outpatient counseling at Westwood until transitioning to Parkview Health. Lindsey worked in the emergency room completing assessments for all age groups with a variety of symptoms for two years before becoming a full-time therapist on the adolescent unit at Parkview Behavioral Health. She worked with families, children, and adolescents for five years before transitioning to private practice full time. Lindsey has been at the practice since February 2022 working with clients of all ages. Her Clinical Social Work license is valid in both Indiana and Ohio.
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Lindsey has an eclectic therapy style. When working with youth and families, she enjoys utilizing the whole family system to assist with issues. Lindsey works with clients starting at age ten. She is qualified to see clients who are working through depression, anxiety, major life adjustments, and family conflict. Lindsey uses a wide range of therapeutic techniques including CBT and DBT skills, and solution-focused approaches. She enjoys providing skills and educational material regarding diagnoses, applicable interventions, and how to manage successfully in the community environment. Lindsey has also facilitated groups in multiple settings.
In her personal life, Lindsey enjoys traveling, spending time with her dogs, and taking care of her many house plants. Lindsey also enjoys hosting events, baking, and reading. She can be described as outgoing, people-oriented, enthusiastic, and engaging.
Deanna Derry, LCSW
Deanna provides client-centered, affirming therapy to help individuals lead more peaceful and balanced lives.
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Her areas of specialty are coping with anxiety and depression, gender identity issues, adjustment reactions, and clients with developmental disabilities. She draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing in her practice.
Adam Gayer, MS, LMHCA
Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Adam works with children ages 10 and older, adolescents and adults experiencing depression, generalized anxiety, grief/loss, ADHD, life transitions and adjustment disorders. Adam's approach to therapy is integrative, utilizing methods such as CBT, motivational interviewing, expressive art and play, family systems and solution-focused therapy. Adam practices collaboration with families and will often involve client support systems during the therapy process.
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Adam's experience includes providing inpatient and outpatient therapies for children, adolescents, adults and geriatric clientele. In addition to his 18-months at our private practice, Adam is employed as a staff therapist at Parkview Behavioral Health. Related experiences include teaching art classes (self-identity themed), facilitating support groups to patients with Huntington's Disease, and he is an active facilitator at Erin's House for Grieving Children.
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On a personal level, Adam has a passion for art making - specifically oil painting and drawing, loves to travel internationally, try new foods and spend time with his family/friends. Adam is often described as down-to-earth and relatable. Adam's education history includes: BS in Art-Therapy, concentration in painting, minor in psychology; MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Both degrees were completed at the University of Saint Francis with high honors. Adam is currently working towards state licensure and board-certification during the next couple years.
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Adam sees up to 15 clients/weekly. Due to his in-patient schedule, please contact our main office to refer to his private contact information.
Grant Gerard, LCSW, LAC
Grant's experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker includes clinical service to individuals and groups - counseling adults and adolescents with mental illness, co-morbid disorders, trauma anger, adjustment and behavioral issues.
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He has direct involvement collaborating with the criminal justice system, DCS, and family courts.
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Grant accepts both private and institutional referrals and, with client consent, communicates with other providers with the purpose of achieving the optimal outcomes for his clients.
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Grant holds a BS in Psychology from Ball State University and a Masters of Social Work from Indiana University. Grant has been practicing since 2005.
Alica Gibson, MA, MHC
Alica graduated from Western Michigan University in 2005 with a double major in Psychology and Family Studies. In 2009, she obtained her Masters in Counseling Education/Counseling Psychology. She next completed her Masters in Educational Leadership.
Alica taught at Kellogg Community College for 9 years and currently, for the last 8 years, has been with Western Governors University supervising teachers for licensure. She spent 6 years as a school counselor, and over 7 years in school administration. Alica also worked for Parkview Behavioral Health on the youth and adolescent unit for 3 ½ years. She spent most of her time working with youth, but also helped in the assessment center and the geriatric and adult units.
Alica counsels adults and adolescents with a wide range of behavioral and emotional concerns. She has specifically worked in treating youth, families, and adults. She works with ADHD testing for adults and children, runs groups for teens, parent education, educational consulting, schools, courts, and lawyers. Alica is currently a licensed school administrator and school counselor.
Marcia Grant, LCSW
Marcia’s thirty years of experience has been at various settings including community mental health, an outpatient psychiatric agency, and private practice. She finds it very rewarding to help clients address such concerns as anxiety and depression, relationship issues, grief and loss, parenting challenges and life transitions.
Her belief is that when we achieve more clarity and understanding of ourselves, we can much better manage our thoughts and feelings, make conscious and productive choices, and be more effective in relationships.
Kendra Miklos, LSW, LCACa
Kendra is a Licensed Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor Associate. She is currently under supervision for to obtain full certification for Credentialed Sexually Abusive Youth Clinician. Kendra works with teenagers and adults who present with a variety of mental health, substance abuse, sexually harmful behaviors, and trauma. She is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(TF-CBT) and utilizes a humanistic, client centered, and strengths-based approach in her work with individuals.
Kendra’s experience includes eighteen years working within the juvenile justice system and five years working in collaboration with the child welfare system and the courts. Kendra understands the impact of involvement with the court system and can help clients as they navigate their own system involvement.
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Kendra obtained her bachelor’s degree in social work from Ball State University and returned to graduate school later in life where she obtained her master’s in social work in 2022 from Indiana University. She has been practicing as a Licensed Social Worker since May 2022.
Bernadine Payton, LMHC
“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” -Soren Kierkegaard, Philosopher
Bernie joins Gerard, Coslow, and Tieker-Sharpe Associates with several year’s experience in mental health including 11 years at Parkview Behavioral Health as a social worker and discharge Planner. Bernie also worked with patients one on one and conducted psychotherapy groups for the geriatric unit, adult unit, and children’s unit.
Bernie has worked at Amani Family Services for five years. Amani is a small agency with a large mission to “partner with immigrant and refugee families and the community to promote safety, encourage personal growth, and foster a spirit of belonging.” Bernie provides psychotherapy to this population along with DCS and probation families. Therapies include play therapy, Trauma-focused CBT therapy, family therapy, Gottman, and therapy with translation assistance.
Bernie currently works at Park Center on the in-patient unit completing assessments, and at a local hospital working as a social worker and a discharge planner.
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Bernie worked for Raj Clinics 5 years under the leadership of Dr. Umamaheswara and Dr. Sitha Gita Kalapatapu, Psychiatrists. During this time, Bernie provided psychotherapy for patients with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders; in addition to patients with substance abuse issues that were receiving Suboxone treatment. This also included a clientele of children, adults, elderly, families and couples. Therapies included CBT, Narrative therapy and emotionally focused therapy.
Bernie attended Ball State University for her undergraduate degree in Social Work and earned her Master’s degree from IPFW, School of Education and Counseling.
Abigail Powers, Ph. D.
It is a privilege to walk alongside individuals as they encounter life’s challenges and to be a part of their personal growth. Therapy provides an opportunity to increase self-worth and gain more understanding of our thoughts and feelings. It helps us navigate our lives in ways that are more fulfilling. By developing a stronger sense of who we are, we can build more resilience when facing life’s difficulties. In therapy sessions, I lean towards Strength-Based, Cognitive Behavioral, and Mindfulness approaches. I also like to teach new skills that can be used to function more effectively.
I began my career as a school psychologist. I later returned to Ball State University for a Ph.D. to pursue training in family counseling and have worked with individuals of all ages for over 25 years. At this stage in my career, I am especially interested in working with older adults, assisting them with issues of aging, such as retirement (redirection), loss of loved ones, health concerns, unresolved conflicts, and difficult life transitions. I hope to help clients enhance their quality of life during their later years.
Salee Reese, LCSW, ACSW
As a licensed clinical social worker, I have spent thirty-five years helping people who are struggling with a wide range of challenges such as depression, a sense of hopelessness, grief, relationship and parenting issues. Some are tormented by undeserved and overblown guilt and shame – toxins that rob them of joy, self-love, and acceptance. Others are at a turning point in their lives and feel torn about which path to take.
Whatever the struggle, freeing people from their psychological cages is at the core of my work. I assist them in overcoming obstacles and breaking free of self-limiting patterns in order to live a happier life. Through the years, I have facilitated workshops and formed groups with the same focus.
You can find me online at www.saleereese.com, where I offer the same insight and guidance for dealing with life’s many challenges.
Tavis Schlundt, LSW
Tavis empowers clients to overcome personal obstacles and reach their goals while more richly experiencing the innate joys in life and more capably dealing with its challenges. Through an emphasis on evidence-based mindfulness practice, Tavis guides clients through tailored approaches by enhancing their capacity for change.
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“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any” – Alice Walker
Having significant experience working with clients struggling with substance abuse and addiction, Tavis applies a mindfulness-centered approach, in tandem with other evidence-based recovery strategies, toward helping clients establish a new relationship with their thoughts and feelings. Along the way, Tavis helps them find the relief and peace they have often long sought within themselves rather than externally, while helping them foster the strength to thrive along their journey to rediscovering the joy of a clean and sober life.
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Tavis also uses mindfulness-centered strategies in therapy toward helping clients with behavioral addictions, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, and chronic pain. With an approach largely drawing from Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), he is eager to work with you along your personal journey.
Terri Schlundt, Reiki Master
I strongly believe in an innate capacity for self-healing within each and every one of us. My approach seeks to draw this out in each and every one of my clients. Traditionally trained in Reiki since 1994, Master Reiki trained and formally practicing since 2019, then becoming Access Bars Certified in 2021, throughout this journey I was guided by my angels. With the help of universal life force energy, it is within personalized and intuitively guided energy work sessions that I serve as your facilitator.
My sessions are a unique combination of energy work modalities including Reiki (in person or distance), Access Bars, Cord Cutting, Shamanic Modalities, Singing Bowls, Messages from Spirit, Crystal Augmentation, and Heat Therapy. As a client of mine, you will receive treatments however is most comfortable for you: lying or sitting, with or without touch, sleeping or talking about whatever is on your mind. Within the confines of its principles and practice, there is really no wrong or right in Reiki.
For centuries, people have practiced energy work for healing benefits. By transferring unconditional love from the universe, among its many applications, I help people improve their mood, sleep, ease acute/chronic pain, increase focus, and open the flow of energy. While energy work is not a replacement for medical or psychiatric care, it serves to augment your innate self-healing alongside the care received from other practitioners. If this sounds interesting, please reach out to me, by phone or text. With the assistance of your angels and guides, I would like to help you help yourself achieve your goals.
Bonnie Smith, MSW, LSW
​​Bonnie graduated from the University of Saint Francis in 2018 majoring in Biology with a minor in psychology. She worked as a 911 dispatcher for the city of Fort Wayne and Three Rivers Ambulance Authority and as an EMT at the Aboite Township Fire Department for six years before deciding to pursue her master’s degree in social work. She graduated in December of 2023 from Indiana University. During her Master’s, Bonnie completed internships at FWPD Victim’s Assistance and as an individual therapist at Phoenix Associates. Bonnie continues to volunteer as a member of the NE Indiana Critical Incident Stress Management team that responds to incident debriefings with first responders following traumatic incidents while on duty. In 2022, Bonnie began working as a case manager at Allendale Treatment, a dual-diagnosis inpatient treatment facility that focuses on detoxification, substance dependence, and mental illness. She continues to work full-time there as a therapist and enjoys the variety of experiences she gets while working at Allendale and now with our organization. Bonnie is licensed in the state of Indiana and requires supervision while she pursues full licensure.
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She enjoys working with teens starting at age 15 and young adults. Bonnie works well with clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, life changes, personal and professional
boundaries, addictions, and processing singular traumatic events. She loves working with first responders (firefighters, paramedics, police officers), their families, individuals in the healthcare field, and veterans and their families. Her experience as a first responder makes her especially comfortable with this population. Bonnie is also passionate about working with substance dependency or abuse, especially with teenagers and adults who may be worried their use has gotten a bit out of hand. Finding a therapist that is a good fit can be a daunting task. For this reason, Bonnie offers a free, 15-minute consultation call to verify that she is the right therapist for her clients and their needs. If you are interested in working with Bonnie, call our office so we can verify your insurance and connect you with her!
Ron Furniss, ACSW, LCSW, LCAC
Ron Furniss ACSW, LCSW, LCAC is new to Gerard and Associates, but not new to Fort Wayne or to the social service mental health community. He has 44 years of experience in the field working with a variety of clients for mental health services: adults, children, teens in a variety of combinations. He has done individual, couples, family and group counseling with an extensive background in areas of addiction, trauma and abuse both physical and sexual, as a body of his work.
Ron’s grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy and has experience utilizing MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction techniques and EFT Emotional Freedom Techniques with a variety of populations. He believes the purpose in therapy is for empowerment for the individuals involved. Identifying strengths and resources, developing strategies to utilize those strengths and putting into action those strategies for improved outcomes.
Ron has his undergraduate degree, BA in Social Work from Saint Francis College, Fort Wayne, Indiana, his Master’s degree from Indiana University, MSW program. He is married and has a son, and an energetic grandchild. In his free time, he enjoys spending time gardening, reading, walking and running. He regularly participates in meditation practice and also enjoys time with his family, friends and traveling. He can be reached at Gerard and Coslow Associates where you can set up a time to meet him for an appointment.
Christine Potter,
Office Manager
Christine has over 24 years in the healthcare industry with a particular emphasis on billing for more than 12 years.
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Duties include registration, insurance eligibility, billing, and payment posting. Christine also oversees compliance with HIPPA regulations.
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Christine holds an Associates Degree of Applied Science from The University of Saint Francis.
