Who’s Who On the Counseling Center Staff
 • Dr. Charles R. Bell grew up in Southern California. He earned his psychology doctorate in 1972 from Baylor University. He has been on the pastoral staff at First Baptist since 1982. He and his wife Caren have two grown children, as well as grandchildren. Dr. Bell works mostly in marriage and family therapy.
 • William B. "Terry" Langford, M.A is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of Florida. He began Central Counseling Center as a church based counseling center in 1983. He has over 20 years of experience working in hospital inpatient programs, outpatient practice and church staff positions working with adults, adolescents, children, and their families. Recognized as an expert in helping to strengthen marriages and families, he is regularly called upon by organizations, churches, and companies to speak and conduct seminars. He has frequently appeared on radio and television to discuss issues of the family. His extensive background includes consulting for numerous Fortune 500 companies as Walt Disney World, AT&T, ServiceMaster, Block Buster Entertainment and others. He has facilitated and directed Outdoor Challenge Course experiences for hundreds of participants. He was selected as a trainer of trainers for the Building Family Strengths Project at the University of Nebraska. This groundbreaking project identified the characteristics of healthy families, Nick Stinnet, Ph.D. was the original researcher. He is the creator of CelebrateFamily, an event to strengthen families. Celebrate Family has been presented at places such as Saddleback Church in California and the Glenn Erie Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His vision is to see families staying together and healthy. Mr. Langford received his Masters Degree in Counseling from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. His undergraduate training took place at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. He is a certified Critical Incident Stress Management Specialist. Terry and his wife, Nancy, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, have five children. His unique background, skills, and life experience bring a creative and exciting addition to any organizational event.  • Kay Eck is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and holds a B.A. in Biblical Education and a M.A. in Psychology and Counseling. Kay is also a Certified Human Behavior Consultant and a speaker. Her counseling experience covers individuals, marriage, family, women’s issues and trauma recovery.
 • Kari Russo, M.S. is a Licensed Clinical Supervisor and Mental Health Counselor. She began her career at the Counseling Center of First Orlando in 1994. Kari is skilled in psychological and educational testing and uses it in working with families and marriages. Purposefully helping to develop connectedness in families through intentionally striving to understand their intricate needs is her goal when working with people. Extensively, she has worked with families dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Aspergers, and learning disabilities. Kari has worked in multiple settings with a wide range of personalities and quickly develops excellent rapport. Kari and her husband are involved in homeschooling and have four children from preschool to highschool. Appointments can be made through karirusso@firstorlando.com. Do not hesitate to call with any questions (407) 514-4469.
Services include, but are not limited to:
➢ Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Screening and Evaluation ➢ Marriage and Family Counseling ➢ Assessment for Students entering College needing new or updated evaluations ➢ Gifted, Special Need and Learning Disability Assessments ➢ Psychological Evaluations and Homeschool Evaluations  • Cynthia (Cyndi) Knowles is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who joined First Orlando Counseling Center after graduating from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a Masters in Counseling Psychology. Cyndi has a passion to reach out and help people grow and mature through difficult life situations. She enjoys working with a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, and trauma, as well as marriage, family and relationship issues. Originally from Orlando, Cyndi served in the United States Air Force for 12 years before beginning her career as a therapist. Cyndi is married with twin daughters. She enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, doing projects with her husband and children, watching movies and traveling.
 • Elizabeth Stokes grew up in Orlando, Florida. She attended Liberty University and received a degree in Psychology. She graduated with a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Rollins College. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and is currently a mental health counseling registered intern. Elizabeth’s work as a therapist has included working with children, teenagers, and young adults with issues of anger, coping with divorce, depression, body issues, behavioral problems, chronic mental illness, sexual abuse and trauma. Throughout this experience she has developed a passion for working with children and youth. Elizabeth’s approach to counseling is eclectic, believing that each individual and circumstance is unique. She focuses on encouraging clients to find and utilize their own individual strengths to help overcome challenges. Elizabeth is a member of The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the American Counseling Association (ACC).
 • Holly N. Rockefeller, M.A. is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. She has over five years experience working with clients in the Orlando area, both in private practice and in the church setting. Holly’s passion for counseling grew out of her experience on staff with the college ministry, Campus Outreach, working with college women through a variety of issues including anxiety and grief. Holly has had experience as a counselor working with individuals, couples, adolescents, and children. Holly enjoys integrating traditional psychological theories with Biblical truths in her counseling. She has a relational approach to counseling, believing that we are often wounded within relationships, and therefore need to trust God to bring healing within the context of relationships. Holly works primarily with issues such as anxiety, depression, healing from sexual abuse, self esteem, and co-dependency. While her focus is on individuals, often working with women and adolescents, she also works well with couples. Holly received her Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Oviedo, FL, where she also pursued her Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. She did her undergraduate work in English at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. Holly and her husband, Dan, live in Orlando, FL with their two sons, Andrew and Wil, and their dog, Alli.
 • Linda Hartman provides Marriage and Family Therapy to couples, families, and individuals. She is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern for the State of Florida. Linda taught the Social Skills and Life Skills class at Tri Alliance Preparatory School in Orlando to adolescent students with various mood disorders. She also participated in group, individual and family therapy with the students. She worked for Kidspeace Community-Based Programs of Florida (formerly STAR Consultants) and Behavioral Support Systems (BSS) conducting assessments and treatment plans for children and adolescents in the home setting. Linda is also a therapist with Pathway Counseling Ministry providing marriage and couple relationship counseling. She has assisted Jim West of Total Life Counseling Center with leadership camps and social skills groups. She is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy-AAMFT, the Central Florida Association for Marriage and Family Therapy-CFAMFT and the American Association of Christian Counselors -AACC. Additional certifications include Stephen Leader and Stephen Minister with Stephen Ministries based in Saint Louis, Missouri in 2000, and Central Florida Helpline training in 2006. Linda completed her BS degree in Business Management from the University of Central Florida in 1983. She earned a MA degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Webster University in 2006. Linda is a native Floridian and grew up in DeLand, Florida. She is married to Dan who is an Engineering Program Manager with General Dynamics Corporation. They have been married for 25 years and have 2 children: Jessica, a magazine editor in New York City, and Scott. Education: Linda completed her BS degree in Business Management from the University of Central Florida in 1983. She earned a MA degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Webster University in 2006. Personal: Linda is a native Floridian and grew up in DeLand, Florida. She is married to Dan who is an Engineering Program Manager with General Dynamics Corporation. They have been married for 25 years and have 2 children: Jessica, 22 a magazine editor in New York City, and Scott, 17 a Freedom High School student in Hunter’s Creek. Vision: Linda has a passion for equipping couples with the skills to help them withstand the many distractions and obstacles to a strong, committed relationship. She believes in the joy and complementarities that a loving marriage can provide both partners for a lifetime. Likewise, a strong and healthy family unit supplies an invaluable foundation for the health and success of the children of today, the future of tomorrow.
 • Bart Colom M.S., AFC is a registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, having earned a Bachelor degree in Organizational Management and a Master degree in Counseling Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Bart is a Certified Life Coach and an Accredited Financial Counselor, as well as a member of the Society of Consulting Psychology and the Financial Planning Association. Bart has extensive experience as a manager, trainer, coach, and advisor from more than 20 years in the Financial Services Industry. He has a passion for helping individuals and couples find healing through an individualized approach that integrates some of the most effective therapeutic modalities, and equipping his clients to use their God-given power to pursue their life’s purpose. Bart has been living in Central Florida since 1991, together with his wife and three children.  • Keith Vennum, M.A., M.D. is a Medical Doctor, Licensed Anesthesiologist with an outstanding career as a physician. He is a registered Mental Health Counselor intern. His desire is to minister to individuals using his unique background and counseling skills. Keith served for three years (1974-77) with the U.S. Army in Germany and was honorably discharged. On two occasions for a period of a year (1978, 1981) He served as a short-term medical missionary in Swaziland training Nurse Anesthetists. From 1979-2007, he was an anesthesiologist with Lakeland Regional Medical Center and was Chief of Obstetrical Anesthesiology for much of that time. He has four daughters, a son, and a grandson. His first marriage ended in the death of his wife in 2002. His second marriage to his wife Pauline is an E-Harmony success story and they have been married 5 years. • Student Interns Jody Green, Tammy Matthews, Chris Hammond |