Center for Change

Design

"The EAP clinicians demonstrate a unique blend of professionalism and personal touch. They give honest direction, delivered with respect, compassion and understanding."
Client Testimonial

The founders and owners of the Center are Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC’s), Certified Employee Assistance Professionals (CEAP’s) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Substance Abuse Professional (SAP’s) who have worked in the mental health and substance abuse fields for over 35 years, providing EAP, Outpatient and Managed Care services to clients and companies throughout Florida.

Prior to co-founding the Center, Lonne Sterling was Director of an EAP and Outpatient Mental Health facility for a major behavioral health corporation in Florida. She successfully managed EAP and Managed Care product lines for 19 major firms and 20 national affiliates representing over 30,000 covered lives, and supervised over 35 clinical (including psychiatrists) and administrative staff in two facilities. Under her leadership, the EAP continually exceeded all contractual performance indicators and consistently maintained a 98% overall client satisfaction rate. As a clinician, Ms. Sterling is well respected for her skills in working with individuals, couples, older adolescents and families on a wide variety of emotional and behavioral disorders. As a Cognitive Behavioral therapist, she utilizes a brief therapy model, has supervised clinicians for licensure and has training in EMDR and Eating Disorders.

As a Certified Relapse Prevention Specialist, Christine Michaels, co-founder of the Center, has extensive experience in working in the field of addictions. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in substance abuse assessment, early intervention and prevention. She has successfully conceptualized and initiated substance abuse after care programs for EAP contracts resulting in increased client success rates and reduced recidivism. Clinically, Ms. Michaels is highly skilled in utilizing a short term, solution focused approach. She primarily works with adults and couples with diverse emotional and behavioral issues. She favors a Cognitive Behavioral orientation and has training in EMDR. Her experience as an attorney has proved invaluable in the operations and administration of the Center’s EAP.

Together the co-founders have established the Center as a professional and dynamic organization offering a variety of services and specialties to meet the diverse needs of the community. They are caring and compassionate professionals, skilled in providing assessment, short-term counseling, referral services and SAP assessments. They have designed and implemented workplace trainings for management and have performed numerous critical incident debriefings. Additionally, they have customized workshops and wellness programs and conducted focus groups to accommodate specific customer requests.

Nikita, CPTD (Certified Pet Therapy Dog), is a beautiful, female Maltese who has been with the Center since its’ inception. Nikita has proven to be highly skilled at her duties which include: barking to alert staff of a client’s arrival; tail wagging and toe licking to greet and familiarize herself with new clients; and bringing her favorite toy into the waiting room to play with returning clients. In the session, Nikita’s presence provides a warm and loving atmosphere to put clients at ease. We sometimes think that our clients come to the Center more for “Nikita Therapy” than ours. The only payment she requires is unlimited kisses and treats.