Meet Our Team at HandinHand Counseling Services

Tess Kenney is a licensed professional counselor with over 15 years of experience working in the helping profession. Tess has been the co-owner and founder of HandinHand Counseling Services since 2013. Tess is passionate about helping others find their voice and helping them be the best version of themselves. She works with individuals, couples, and families that are struggling to strike balance in their lives. She assists them in identifying and managing hurdles so that they can find fulfillment in their day-to-day lives. Tess also supervises clinicians interested in obtaining licensure in group settings. In 2008, Tess received her master’s degree in professional counseling from Carlow University and since has been licensed to practice in Pennsylvania. Tess has appeared in local magazines, publications, and television shows. When away from the office, Tess enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

Providing a more intimate, individualized therapeutic experience with Dialectical Behavioral Skills Therapy. This therapy is also a phenomenal collaborator with other treatment modalities such as CBT, CPT, IPSTR, IFS, DNMS, EMDR, etc.

Clients: Adults

Insurance: Accepts Highmark, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Medicaid (CCBH, UPMC for You), UPMC, PA Medicare, UPMC for Life, United, and Self-Pay

Dana D. Warren is a licensed clinical social worker for HandinHand Counseling Services. She received her Master of Social Work degree in 2005 from the University of Pittsburgh and has over 25 years of experience in the field of mental health. Dana has spent the last 18 years empowering and teaching individuals struggling with mental health difficulties to build the lives that they only once dreamed about through individual and group therapy. Dana’s passion is to lead individuals on a journey that will empower them with a specific skill set to apply for a lifetime. These skills will help them with breaking free from the imprisonment of their past through tolerating distress while focusing on their present to let go of worries about their future, providing a gateway to finding freedom from suffering. These skills will also teach them to be more effective communicators, learn how to regulate intense emotions that lead to impulsive actions, challenge cognitive distortions, and begin to plant and nourish healthier thought patterns.

Due to this being a time-limited specialized treatment, spaces for this therapeutic experience are limited. If you are interested, have your therapist complete the referral form at the link below as soon as possible.

Referral Form for Clinicians

Clients: Depression, Anxiety, Trauma

Insurance Accepted: Medicaid (CCBH, UPMC for You), Highmark, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United, UPMC, Self-Pay

Christine Jones is a licensed clinical social worker who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with her master’s degree in social work and a certificate in mental health in 2019. Christine has experience providing individual and group therapy with children and adolescents in school and community-based settings. Christine also has experience providing therapy to adults in both individual and family formats. Christine utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including Trauma Focused (TF-CBT) and Alternatives for Families (AF-CBT), Structural Family Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing in her therapeutic practice. Christine believes that healing must be centered around a person in their entirety. Therefore, she combines therapy practices such as those listed above with holistic and culturally relevant approaches in order to empower the individuals and families she works with, manage life stressors in healthy ways, address and heal from traumatic experiences, and thrive in their lives. 

Clients: Children, Teens, Young Adults, and Adults 

Insurance: Accepts Highmark, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United, UPMC, Medicaid (CCBH/UPMC for You/Highmark Wholecare), and Self-Pay

Johnnie received his master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, along with a certificate in children, youth & families, in 2013. He is a gifted licensed social worker. His work ranges from outpatient services to therapeutic classroom model programs by providing individual and group sessions. Johnnie’s personality and passion for helping others make him go above and beyond to help the clients under his care. He provides psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral therapy, art therapy, play therapy, role-playing, and other modalities to meet clients where they are. Johnnie takes a stand to help others outside of his work environment by participating in different speaking engagements and through his work of “JG Mental Health Fridays,” which are video segments that he does on YouTube, discussing topics that affect everyone and providing coping exercises for individuals to practice in their own time.

Johnnie is a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. With his fraternity, he holds different leadership positions and engages with the community. He has received numerous honors for his work in the profession as well as with his fraternity. Johnnie has written articles that were published in Helpful Living Magazine and other outlets to increase mental health awareness. He finds a way to stay in touch and involved with the community in every way possible.

Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Trauma, & Domestic Violence.

Clients: Teens, Young Adults, Older Adults, & Elders 

Insurance: Accepts Highmark and Self-Pay.

Kelli Freeman is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) that graduated with her masters in clinical mental health counseling from Colorado Christian University in 2021 which is a CACREP accredited university. Kelli has a certification in Grief Counseling and Treatment. A certificate in Mental Health First Aide. A certificate in Suicide Assessment. Currently working on her certification to further advance her knowledge in anxiety (Brain-Based Strategies for Panic, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety, GAD, OCD & PTSD). 

Kelli has a strong foundation in the mental health field totaling 10 years in different areas of the field. Kelli has a passion for helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with compassion and evidence based care. Skilled in supporting clients experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, grief, domestic violence, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. Kelli ran a mentoring group at Job Corp called “Kellz Korner” which helped support teens to young adults trying to navigate their lives all while trying to obtain a career. Committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental therapeutic environment where clients feel empowered to build resilience, develop healthy coping strategies, and achieve personal growth. Dedicated to ongoing professional development and collaborative care while working under clinical supervision to provide ethical and client-centered counseling services.

Brittany Daye is the office manager at HandinHand. She is dedicated to working with our clients to ensure that your encounter at HandinHand is a pleasant experience. Brittany enjoys helping clients navigate the world of mental health to help clients with their needs, whether it is to assist with finding a therapist or to help with billing. Brittany's dedication to working with the general public goes far beyond the office of HandinHand and also into the school system, where she has worked with elementary students with special needs for over 10 years!

Brittany enjoys spending her free time with her three beautiful children, whom she adores. If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians, reach out to Brittany.