A Brief History of PCCA

Pierce County Counselors Association (PCCA) started as a small group in 2007 with seed money provided by Seattle therapist and webmaster Floyd Else.  Phil Prudhomme was the first President and Mary Phillips-Green was the first President-Elect.  Mary developed the bylaws which have undergone various revisions and are still used today.  The small organization was started with the mission of providing education and the opportunity for networking and exchanging of resources among counselors of various stripes.  PCCA met on the third Friday of every month at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church near Allenmore Hospital for several years, then moved to nearby Destiny City Church.  After about three years, PCCA relocated back to Gloria Dei, where it stayed until the COVID pandemic, during which time events were held over Zoom.  In October 2022, PCCA held its first hybrid event, and has been doing that since then – speakers, council members, and attendees meet in person at the Trinity Presbyterian Church on 6th Ave., while others attend over Zoom.

Annual ethics trainings have covered various topics and have been facilitated by panels and individual trainers such as Laura Groshong, Joseph Shaub, Roy Huggins, and, most frequently, Eric Ström.  Topics covered at regular monthly workshops have included eating disorders, internet addiction, Emotion Focused Therapy, the cycle of deployment, TRE, nutrition and mental health, EMDR, clinical supervision, and many, many others.  PCCA continues to address the needs of the counseling community in the greater Puget Sound region by providing a forum for learning and networking.

Current

Leadership Team

President-Elect – Sharon Shadwell

Sharon Shadwell, LMHC is passionate about the importance of relationships to our emotional well-being as humans. She is a practicing psychotherapist for children, adolescents, and families; a mental health consultant; and a champion for the wellbeing of transdisciplinary early childhood and behavioral health workforces through her engagement in policy advocacy. She is the behavioral health representative appointed to the Pierce County Birth – 25 Advisory Board, a member of the statewide Prenatal – 25 Behavioral Health Strategic Planning Advisory Group, and a board member for the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association.

Past President – Heather Cozad Staley

Heather Cozad Staley, MA, LMHCA, is currently taking a leave of absence from practicing psychotherapy to care for her young children. She previously worked as a therapeutic case manager for The Coffee Oasis in Tacoma, combining mental health counseling with social work to support youth experiencing homelessness. She has a background in community mental health and primarily works with teens and families. She also serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

Member at Large – Rick Crozier

Rick Crozier, LMHC, GMHS is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and certified as a Geriatric Mental Health Specialist through the State of Washington. He recently retired from Community Mental Health and is now active in a part-time private practice in his community with a focus on adults struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma.

Member at Large – Eric Lundstrom

Eric Lundstrom, LICSW, GMHS, is active in a private practice working with adults and has a passion for helping people overcome depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, grief, and manage various forms of chronic mental health conditions.
 He recently worked for Multicare Behavioral Health in the Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration program and has worked in community mental health for most of his career, primarily with the older adult population.

Treasurer – Susan Cherry

Susan Cherry, BA, SUDP is currently working as a clinical outreach specialist for Northpoint Recovery. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Evergreen State and has been a licensed substance use disorder professional since 2009. She is a fierce advocate for individuals and families in need of recovery services.

Secretary – Charin Hedstrom

Charin Hedstrom, MA, LMHC, has a passion for families in the juvenile justice system. She has worked as a counselor at Remann Hall, has provided Functional Family Therapy to youth on probation, and has assisted the juvenile court with system improvement initiatives. Charin is currently helping her own family, hoping to use her “adventures” with caregiving for her parents to write a humorous novel someday.

How to Get Involved

Become a Member

Regular membership costs $75 a year. As a member, you are able to attend our monthly CEU presentations for free. Most presentations earn 1.5 CEUs, plus we offer at least one annual Ethics training that counts for 3 or 6 CEUs. In addition, we are always looking for new ways to serve our members, the profession as a whole, and our clients. We offer special discounts on membership to students, related professionals, and group members.

Attending a Meeting

All mental health providers and related professionals are encouraged to attend our monthly meetings. No need to contact us in advance. We will be pleased to welcome you when you arrive and answer any of your questions. Attendance costs $20 for non-members but is free if you decide to become a member.

We meet at Trinity Presbyterian Church
1615 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98405

Volunteer

We have many opportunities to volunteer and we welcome your participation. We need help with setting up for our meetings or working at our refreshment table or the registration table. We have a number of committees that work on everything from developing our CEU programs to nominating our officers, improving our social media outreach, and refining our bylaws. We also encourage members to consider leadership roles in the organization, including serving on the Executive Council as an officer. If you are interested in volunteering with PCCA, please contact us by email.

Volunteer Now!

Present Your Expertise

Our Education Committee is always looking for great speakers to offer interesting and informative CEU presentations at our monthly meetings. We now offer a small honorarium to our speakers. If you have a topic that reflects your expertise that might be helpful to other mental health providers and related professionals, we would love to hear from you. Please, contact us by email.