Ask an Expert - Meet the Experts

The Rachel's Vineyard Q&A Experts

Celia Ryan, DCSW, LCSW-C, CT  Expertise: Grief & loss, complicated grief & trauma, compassion fatigue Celia Ryan, DCSW, LISW-CP, CT Expertise: Grief & loss, forgiveness, complicated grief & trauma, couples Celia Ryan, DCSW, LISW-CP, CT has extensive experience in clinical social work and is nationally certified in thanatology. She is a national and international presenter in grief and loss issues, including the disenfranchised grief of abortion, and has been a consultant and/or trainer to Hospice Cares Inc., the DC Archdiocese, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, NASW, Rainbows Inc., and many other community agencies. Her social service background is with the homeless, support groups and mental illness. She has been a hospital crisis intervention therapist, part of the mobile crisis team and in private practice for many years in MD. A frequent guest on Cable TV and at several local universities, she has also published articles in professional and community newsletters. Now in SC, Celia is writing a book on Forgiveness... She counseled with Project Rachel since 1991 and ran a post abortion support group for 6 years before finding Rachel's Vineyard. She started the DC Metro's first Rachel's Vineyard retreat in 2000, and has attended or mentored more than thirty Rachel's Vineyard retreat weekends and groups since then.   Cortney Davis, RN APRN  Expertise: Women’s health with particular outreach to medical workers Cortney Davis, RN APRN (Adult Nurse Practitioner) attended a Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreat because of prior involvement in abortions both in Planned Parenthood and in a hospital women’s health center. As a nurse practitioner she is currently responsible for the primary care of men and women in a university setting. She is also a published author and speaker who has written about her conversion from pro-choice to pro-life.   Deacon Neil A. Crispo  Expertise: Marriage & Annulment Deacon Neil Crispo is a Roman Catholic ordained deacon who has worked as a case assessor for the Marriage Tribunal of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa for the last six years. He often meets petitioners for an annulment who reveal that they have had an abortion. Once they realize the cause of their divorce, he suggests they participate in the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat to begin healing from the effects of the abortion.   Fr. Scott Daniels  Expertise: Pastoral Care Fr. William S. Daniels, O.P. has been an advocate for all human life issues since his seminary days in the late eighties and early nineties. Fr. Daniels was assigned to St. Peter's Dominican Community in Memphis, Tennessee where he served as teacher and chaplain for six years at both St. Agnes Academy/St. Dominic School and St. Benedict at Auburndale Catholic High School. In 2009, he was granted permission to work as a full time priest associate with Priests for Life. Fr. Daniels has also served as a priest team member for Rachel's Vineyard--an experience, he says, that has changed his life.   Fr. Victor Capriolo  Expertise: Pastoral ministry Father Vic Capriolo of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has thirty-five years of experience in parish ministry and one year as spiritual director to college seminarians. He is an on-call pastor for Milwaukee’s Project Rachel.   Fr. Victor K. Salomon  Expertise: Spiritual direction for Hispanic community Father Victor Salomon collaborates on Rachel’s Vineyard retreats. He was pastor of a parish, rector of a seminary, and member of council of government in Venezuela. He is Spiritual Director of Sol Center in Washington, DC and Vice Director of Sol Institute. He is an associate priest of Priests for Life for the Hispanic community.   James T. Owens, Esq  Expertise: Civil Law James Owens, Attorney at Law earned his law degree at Temple University. He is permitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and Florida. He’s gained many years of experience in pro-life legal advocacy. He makes himself available to Rachel’s Vineyard to offer prayers and legal advice.   Jason Baier  Expertise: Men and Abortion Jason Baier started working with post-abortion men in 2005, ten years after his own experience with abortion, by founding the organization Fatherhood Forever Foundation. His goals were to bring light to the fact that men are hurt by abortion through public awareness, to inspire other men to share their experiences and seek help, and to connect like-minded organizations and ministries to assist. He is a member of M.A.N. (the Men and Abortion Network) and a contributing author of “Redeeming a Father’s Heart” by Kevin Burke of Rachel’s Vineyard. He attended his own Rachel’s Vineyard retreat in February 2006 and worked on teams for two other retreats since then.   Katherina A. Nikzad-Terhune, Ph.D., LCSW  Expertise: Adult mental health, gerontology Katherina Nikzad-Terhune earned her Ph.D. in gerontology and her master's degree in social work from the University of Kentucky. She is currently a therapist at Beaumont Behavioral Health in Lexington, Kentucky, and serves as adjunct faculty within the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Katherina has extensive clinical and research experience in the fields of mental health, aging, and caregiving. She has served numerous professional organizations, and is the recipient of several national awards and scholarships. She has published in various academic journals and books, and has given many conference presentations across the U.S. Katherina attended an educational seminar given by Dr. Burke, and refers clients who are dealing with abortion related issues to Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, Jon, and their five children.   Kevin Burke, MSS/LSW, MEV   Expertise: Men's Issues Kevin is a licensed social worker, Co-Founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, a Pastoral Associate of Priests For Life and a lay member of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. He is a graduate of The Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work. Kevin's presentations address the effects of abortion on Men/Couples/Families, The Healing Team Model for Clergy, Servant Leadership in Post-Abortion Healing and Marriage and Family Issues. Kevin is the co-author of Redeeming A Father’s Heart-Men Share Powerful Stories of Abortion Loss and Recovery. Kevin and his wife are authors of Grief to Grace-A Retreat for Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse and Contemplating the Shroud: Meditations on the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus (Pauline Books and Media). Kevin participates regularly in radio interviews, has been a guest on EWTN and Fr. Frank Pavone’s program “Gospel of Life” on the Sky Angel Network. He has contributed to and authored articles on post-abortion healing. Kevin formerly served as the administrator of Mother's Home, a crisis pregnancy residence that provides housing, computer job training and programs for women and their children. Kevin also worked as a clinical social work supervisor for Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia. Kevin and his wife Theresa have worked together in marriage and family counseling and established Covenant Family Resources, a licensed children and youth agency that supports couples as they build families through adoption. They also spent 15 years working in youth ministry. Their development of high school retreats and youth programs earned them the "Apostle to Youth Award," which recognized their contribution to the spiritual growth of teenagers in Philadelphia. Kevin's greatest blessing is his wife Theresa and their 5 wonderful children.   Lee Anne Martinez, BA  Expertise: Encouragement Lee Anne Martinez has a BA in Special Education/Elementary Education. She is a wife and mother. She is a post-abortive woman who has been co-facilitator of Rachel’s Vineyard retreats for the last three years in western Washington.   Robert R. Cassman, MA, LPCC, NCC, CCMHC   Expertise: Substance abuse, mental health, relationships Robert Cassman, MA is a professional counselor with experience in private practice, substance abuse treatment facilities, youth development centers, and as a college instructor. He is the Clinical & Program Director for a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility in Central KY.   Susan Swander, BA, JD  Expertise: Sobriety Susan Swander is a post-abortive woman who has been sober for twenty-two years. She has attended two retreats for her own healing and has been on the Oregon retreat team for several years. She presented on "Alcoholism in the Vineyard" at the Rachel's Vineyard Leadership Conference in 2005.   Theresa Burke, PhD, LPC, NCP  Expertise: Rachel's Vineyard Theresa is the founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries and the author of The Rachel's Vineyard Weekend Retreat Manuals for both Catholic and Interdenominational settings. She is also the author of the 15 week support group model Rachel's Vineyard - A Psychological and Spiritual Journey of Post Abortion Healing with Barbara Cullen. (Alba House) The Rachel's Vineyard TM support group and retreat models are now offered in 47 states. The International outreach of Rachel's Vineyard is now growing in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Africa, South America, Ireland, England, France, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Taiwan and Russia with new translations in progress for Korea, Japan and China. Theresa has facilitated the Rachel's Vineyard weekend for women and men throughout the country, training retreat teams in the method and process. She has lectured and trained professionals internationally on the subject of post abortion trauma and healing. Her books include Forbidden Grief - The Unspoken Pain of Abortion with David C. Reardon (Acorn Books) and The Contraception of Grief - The Genesis of Anguish Conceived by Abortifacients and Sterilization. Theresa has also published a new retreat specifically designed for those who have suffered sexual abuse entitled: From Grief to Grace - Reclaiming the Gift of Sexuality. This new retreat model will soon be available throughout the United States and internationally to offer healing to victims of abuse, including those who have survived sexual abuse from clergy. Theresa serves as a Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and for the newly formed Apostolic Society - Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. She is a frequent guest on EWTN and served as host of the television series Making Abortion Rare. She has recently appeared on PBS, the Religion and Ethics News Weekly, Focus on the Family, Sky Angel's Gospel of Life and has been interviewed for numerous radio, television, print magazine and news stories. Back to Forum List