Directors

 Jack Rockefeller, JD MPH, Executive Director

 rockefeller(at)windhorseimh.org

Jack is a psychiatric epidemiologist trained at Johns Hopkins.  With a deep background in philanthropy and the management of research institutions, he brings a trained eye to the provision of innovative health services.  Over the past two decades Jack has directed medical and biotechnology projects in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.  While training as an attorney in San Francisco, Jack became focused on universal healthcare and health services for homeless populations across the U.S.  He is an ardent supporter of increased healthcare access, and hopes to guide Windhorse toward an increasingly supportive role in the lives of all who request the support of our system of care.

Sara Watters, MA LMHC, Director of Clinical Operations

 swatters(at)windhorseimh.org

Sara has been a part of the Windhorse clinical staff since 2002, working as Intensive Psychotherapist, Team Leader, Team Counselor and Clinical Mentor. She earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School and an advanced clinical supervision certificate from Smith School of Social Work. Sara brings her years of experience in management before Windhorse to the Clinical Director and Interim Co-Executive Director roles. In addition to working with clients with extreme states of mind, Sara also has experience in bereavement counseling and career counseling. Outside of Windhorse, Sara is interested in gourmet food, gardening, Celtic spirituality, and creating an inviting home environment in which to entertain friends and family.

Jeff Bliss, MSW, Director, Admissions and Marketing

jbliss(at)windhorseimh.org

Jeff's first degree was in Zoology (Marine Biology). He has combined his personal interests with working for n0n-profit social change organizations which have included teaching on a boat on the Chesapeake Bay, six years as the dancer in residence at the National Childrens' Hospital in Washington DC, as a Senior Program Manager at Lincoln Center Institute, and teaching in the graduate Gerontology Department at Naropa University for 5 summers. He has also continued with his professional interest in focus group moderation.

Clinical & Program Staff

(** All Senior Clinicians serve as Intensive Psychotherapists (IP) 

Marilyn Marks, LICSW, Clinical Director, Senior Clinician

Marilyn joined Windhorse in 2004. She earned an MSW from Smith College and is a LICSW and RPP (Registered Polarity Therapist).  In addition to her clinical education, Marilyn's work is informed by her meditation practice and her training and experience in Polarity Therapy, an energy based form of body work.

Nick Boutros, MA, Team Leader/Substance Specialist

Nick is a graduate of Naropa University's Contemplative Psychotherapy MA program and a long time student of mindfulness meditation and Tai Chi Chuan. Before becoming a team leader at Windhorse in the fall of 2008, Nick worked in Chicago with urban homeless clients struggling with psychiatric distress and substance abuse problems. Nick has extensive training in working with diverse ethnic populations and with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals. In his spare time, Nick writes poetry, hikes, cooks vegetarian meals, and refurbishes old computers.

Kermit Cole, MA, Team Leader

After a successful career in filmmaking, Kermit returned to his studies at Harvard University, where he completed both bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology. While working in mood disorders and schizophrenia research at Harvard, Kermit was also the director of a residential treatment program for people with serious mental illness.  Since coming to work at Windhorse, Kermit has completed the nine-month certification program at Bessel van der Kolk's Institute for Trauma Studies in Boston, as well as programs in yoga and psychopharmacology for trauma. Currently he is enrolled  in the certification program offered by Pat Ogden's Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.

Annie Collins, Fiscal Manager 

Annie Collins joined the Windhorse staff as Fiscal Manager in September 2007. She brings with her over 20 years of fiscal experience gained from working in a variety of for profit and non profit settings. She has served on the board of directors of her church and currently volunteers there as a prayer chaplain. You might also see her contra dancing, selling her own unique line of handmade skirts, or singing for peace and freedom in the Amandla Community Chorus.

Eric Friedland-Kays, MA, Senior Clinician / Admissions Manager

Eric has been working for Windhorse since 2000. He earned a Masters degree from the School for International  Training and has achieved Psychosynthesis Levels I, II, and III. In 2002 he trained in Intensive Psychotherapy with Jeffrey Fortuna. For the past 15 years, Eric has been a daily Vipassana meditator. He spent five years living in Japan in the 90's teaching and studying.

If you have any questions regarding Admissions at Windhorse, call him at 413-586-0207 x106 or 413-586-0207 x333 or email at: eric(at)windhorseimh.org

Jamila Gore, BA, Office Assistant

Jamila joined the Windhorse administrative team in January 2009.  She has a BA in English from the University of Maryland. She is an active member in the Windhorse Community as well as the local Northampton artist community as a writer and spoken word performer. She supports an "uplifted environment" for Windhorse clients, staff and visitors.

Nick Luchetti, MS, Housemate, Senior Clinician

 Nick has worked at Windhorse since 1998. He and Mary Tibbets-Cape coordinate the Education and Training Initiative at Windhorse. In addition to his work with psychosis, Nick has a particular interest in how mindfulness oriented approaches can be applied to develomental issues such as Aspergers and ADHD. For many years Nick has had an interest in Christian contemplative practices and is a practitioner of Bag Gua Zhang, an internal martial art.

René Mendez, RN, MA, Nurse, Senior Clinician

 René came to Windhorse in February 2002 as the Director of Nursing until the fall of 2005. She is a Registered Nurse and has a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University in NYC. Renee has been in private practice for 25 years and is currently an Intensive Psychotherapist at Windhorse. She has a passion for cooking Caribbean/Creole cuisine and is an exercise enthusiast.

Phoebe Murray, MA, Senior Clinician

Suzanne Rataj, Respite

Harold Raush, PhD, Elder

Ben Ross, MA, Respite

Ben has been working at Windhorse since November 2007. He earned his MA in Contemplative Psychotherapy from Naropa University. Ben loves seeing people become confident in the use of their voices to tell stories from their lives in ways that empower and open new possibilities for them. In his personal life this love has expressed itself mainly through creative writing and music. In the field of healing arts, this love is often expressed through his ability to make an encouraging space for others to tell their stories in the ways that are most fulfilling for them.

Sparky Shooting Star, Spiritual Counselor

Lindsay(St. John) Weremay, BA, Team Counselor

Following her degree in Anthropology at UMass, Lindsay traveled west to California where she became a counselor for a Community Counseling Center in Santa Cruz. She found her way back to the beautiful Pioneer Valley where she tries to find time to hike, snowboard, and develop her skills as a banjo player.

David Stark, BA, Peer Counselor, Peer Coordinator, Board Member

 Certificates/Licenses: WRAP, Peer Advocacy, Boston University Recovery Workshop

David has been on the Board since September 1997 and Peer Coordinator since March, 1999. He earned a B.A. from Princeton University in Psychology/Linguistics in 1987. David was Windhorse Associate's first client. He wrote "Sanity Recovered" in House Calls (Springer is publisher of this collection), has worked at a warmline, facilitates the Windhorse Writing Group and Peer Social Hour, was a DMH consumer initiative grant recipient, trains peer counselors, and is completing Shambhala graduate level training.

Cheryl Stevens, Respite

Mary Tibbetts, LICSW, Senior Clinician, Family Coordinator

Mary began studying Buddhism and Psychotherapy at Naropa Institute in 1975. In 1976, she went to Karme-Choling for a brief retreat and made a decision to stay for three years. After receiving a degree in Social Work from Columbia University in 1991, Mary moved with her family to Amherst and began working at Windhorse in 1994.  Mary enjoys spending time with her children (now young adults), as well as reading, painting, photography, and yoga.

Stephanie Westphal, BS, RN, Wellness Nurse

Stephanie studied creative movement and dance therapy before completing a degree in Psychology and Nursing. She worked as a nurse in England, Switzerland, and America. Her work as a nurse inspired by her lifelong study of contemplative Christianity and Buddhism and the desire to practice both where they meet in compassion and loving kindness. She and her husband recently moved to western Massachusetts to be closer to their children.

Elise White, BA, Peer Counselor, Administrative Assistant

Medical Consultants

Robert Gardiner, MD, Psychiatrist

Robert E. Gardiner, MD is a graduate of the Stanford University School of Medicine and trained at the residency program in Psychiatry at Stanford Hospital (Palo Alto, CA).  Dr. Gardiner has many years' experience in the treatment of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and co-occuring disorders.

Dr. Gardiner has been in private practice for many years and has been the university psychiatrist for Sacred Heart University and University of Bridgeport for 7 years. He offers detailed diagnostic evaluations, state-of-the-art psychopharmacology, and the application of meditation to the treatment of illness.  Dr. Gardiner is skilled in working with children, adolescents, and adults.

Bruce Goderez, MD, Psychiatrist

 Dr. Goderez received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and did his postgraduate training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.He worked for many years as a community psychiatrist, including starting a community mental health clinic in Springfield, Massachusetts.He has been in private practice since 2000.

In recent years, Dr. Goderez has received training in Holistic Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine through a variety of organizations, including the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), the American Academy for the Advancement of Medicine (ACAM), and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (AAAM).He is also among the first physicians given Board Certification by the American Holistic Medicine Association (AHMA).

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