Meet Our Staff
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Debbie Insley, MS, LCAS Office Hours:
Debbie has been in higher education/ substance abuse field for the past thirty years. Before coming to Catawba College in 2014, she retired from UNC Charlotte with twenty four years of service – the last ten as Director of Center of Wellness Promotion. While, Director of Wellness Promotion, she is credited with starting the very first Colligate Recovery Program on a college campus. Mrs. Insley’ efforts and accomplishments were recognized by the past Governor Pat McCrory which led the governor to appoint Debbie to the NC Governor’s Substance Abuse and Underage Drinking Prevention and Treatment Task Force in 2015. Then in 2015/16 the then Chairman of the NC ABC Commission James Gardner contracted her to work with him, and together they submitted a comprehensive report to the governor on underage drinking, prevention, treatment and recovery efforts in North Carolina. |
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Avery Barber, Jr., MED, LPC, NCC Office Hours:
Avery is a Licensed Professional and Nationally Certified Counselor for personal health, mental health, and substance abuse counseling and holds his Masters degree in Human Development and Learning from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Avery opened a private practice in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1985 and has worked in conjunction with Catawba College since 2006. He works within the guidelines of ACA and CAS Counseling Service and Standards and Guidelines. He works to plan and implement individual and group counseling, educational programming, crisis intervention, psychological testing, on and off campus consultation and referral, and annual evaluation services. He also participates in assessing and providing intervention for students at risk for academic or social failure, works with Academics on issues of mental health disabilities and provides study coaching for students with academic concerns. Avery also has a history with the US Military and worked as a counselor to US Army men and women and their families. Therapeutic services consisted of individual and family therapy for both outpatient and outreach settings. |
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Lauren Stephenson, MS, LPCA Office Hours:
Lauren hails from the great state of Texas, but has been a proud North Carolinian for 12 years. She has worked with families at Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC on issues relating to grief/loss, stress management, anxiety/depression, and body image disorders. She especially loved developing support groups for mothers and teens on Brenner’s Pediatric Oncology unit. Lauren also gained individual and couples counseling experience while working at a church in Columbia, Missouri, where she gained experience in couples/relationships and spiritual/existential counseling issues. When not at Catawba, Lauren enjoys performing and volunteering in local community theatres and is a founding member of Salisbury’s vocal group, the Moonglows. She and her husband, Brad, a professor in the Theatre Department, are attempting to raise two bright, energy-filled boys – Jeffrey and Emmett. |
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