VYFS Staff


Cyna Brandt, BFA Receptionist	BFA in Communication Arts, PLU; previously worked at Xerox, Microsoft, and NW Kidney Center. Former editor and board member with the Arthritis Foundation.

Shelley Calabrese, BA Office Manager	BA in English Literature from Scripps College. Accounting and reception at VYFS since 1995.

Chris Causey, M.Div Counseling Intern	Intern Counselor #RC00058247 Chris is currently working on his MA in counseling from The Leadership Institute of Seattle. He provides counseling to individuals and couples and families, bringing over 15 years experience in working with spirituality, grief and addiction from many years as a clinical chaplain. He is also a trained blacksmith!

Sam Collins, BA Executive Director	BA in History, Tufts University Fifteen years' experience serving youth in Boston, San Francisco, Oakland, and now Vashon. Experience includes running Service Learning, Mentoring, and Outdoor Leadership programs.

Cynthia Evans, MA Counselor	Counselor #RC00044532 Provides counseling for children, adults and families. She interned here one year, and brings with her experience as a parent of two daughters, as well as being a member of the Vashon community for 17 years. Cynthia recently completed a masters of arts (M. A.) degree in applied behavioral science from the Leadership Institute of Seattle. She has experience and training in nonviolent communication skills.

Allison Kennedy-Taylor, BA Birth to Six Assistant	BA in anthropology from the University of Minnesota, Morris and a certificate in technical communication from the University of Washington, Seattle. She enjoys learning new languages and living on islands.

Diane Kjellberg, Operations Manager

Ariel Larson, MA Counselor

Daniel Macca, BA, CMHT Chautauqua Liaison	Works with youth and adults. Advanced training in hypnotherapy and neurolinguistic programming. Has worked with the ROPES Challenge course and kayaking with at-risk teens.

Lori Means, BS Birth to Six Coordinator	BS Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University Former adolescent chemical dependency counselor; seven years' experience developing and facilitating group experiences to support and educate parents

Deborah Rieschl, BA VIVA Manager	BA-emphasis in design from Kent State University/ Twenty years various trainings in social services Twenty years experience working with at-risk youth and young adults in San Francisco and Seattle. Fifteen years managing transitional housing for homeless young adults; facilitating life skills in areas of self-reliance and worth from permanent housing, financial management to bridging differences and reconnection with their families. Nine years working with families at the YMCA/ Chautauqua program and have been living on Vashon for twelve years.

Traci Stokes Counseling Intern	Currently working on a Master's of Arts (M. A.) in Counseling Psychology from City University. Works with children, adolescents, adults, and couples. Has done extensive volunteer work with children and adolescents. Experience with foster care issues, autistic spectrum disorder, and ADHD. In her free time Traci enjoys hiking, reading, scrapbooking, and making dolls and quilts.

Greg Thompson , MA Counselor	Intern Counselor RC#0055788 Currently graduate student at Pacifica Graduate Institute, working on MA in Counseling Psychology. Interest in psychodynamic, family systems, and self psychology. Photography, a wide variety of arts, writing, fishing, and hiking interest him when he is not in school or at VYFS.

Jeff Tipp , MA, CHT Counselor	Completed child, couples, and family therapy master's-level program at Antioch University. Trained in narrative therapy and Erickson hypnosis. Has 30+ years' experience with Buddhist meditational disciplines. Jeff's practice is solution focused.

E Earl Westfall, MS Systems' Specialist	MS, Biophysics, The University of Chicago Retired as Director of Research and Database Services, Pacific Maritime Association. Five years' experience as Concert Manager, Music of the Baroque Concert Services, Inc, Chicago, IL.

Sarah Wright, MA Counselor/LGBTQ Program Coordinator	Trained with the Center for Family Connections in Cambridge, MA. Provides counseling and clinical resources to children, youth, adults and families, in particular, to those whose lives are touched by adoption, foster care, kinship, guardianship and other complex/blended family issues. Coordinates support program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth on Vashon and provides training resources to the adults in their lives. Other tools in her kit include: nonviolent communcation, co-counseling, children's creative movement education, authentic movement as therapeutic resource, nature-based methods of mentoring, psychodramatic techniques and a social justice/anti-oppression perspective in her counseling practice.

Jeffrey Zheutlin, MA, LMHC Clinical Supervisor, Intake Specialist & Anger Mgmt Facilitator	Licensed mental health counselor; facilitator-instructor for adult Anger Management classes; child mental health specialist.

Yvonne Zick McMurray Liaison

Contract Psychiatrist:	Melanie Brace, MD

Vashon Youth and Family Services (VYFS) offers a wide range of services including Counseling, Therapeutic Groups, Anger Management Classes, Prevention Services, Life Skills Education, VIVA, JobFind for adults, Parent University, and more!

Some of our programs are especially for families, children, or youth, but most of our programs are open to individual adults, and individuals are welcome to participate. Many of our programs are offered at no charge; others are offered on a sliding scale basis or may be fully covered by Medicaid or partially covered by insurance. With advance notice, we can provide interpreters for sign language, hearing impairment, or non-English speaking clients using our counseling services. We are pleased to be a United Way of King County agency.

Mailing Address:
Vashon Youth & Family Services
PO Box 237
Vashon, WA 98070

Stop by in person at: 20110 Vashon Hwy SW (on the VHS campus)

Or call for more information:	206-463-5511
	TTY 206-463-5513
	206-463-5513 (fax)