Support Staff: 
Lillian and Samantha samantha@fbhsllc.com
Administrative Assistants
They are the first voices you hear on the telephone, when you call our office. They will set up appointments for you, check you in at the window and help answer any questions you may have.
Jennifer Morris jmorris@fbhsllc.com 440-460-0140 ext. 22
Business Manager
Community Relations/Marketing
William T. Elwood, L.P.C.C-S, MAC, CCMHC, SAP
Clinical Director
belwood@fbhsllc.com
Bill Elwood is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in psychology from Ursuline college, and Masters Degree in counseling from John Carroll University and is a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. He has extensive experience with adolescent behavior problems as well as marriage and family related issues. He is Certified Master Addictions Counselor and is a Substance Abuse Professional. He also has specialized training in co-dependency treatment approaches. Mr. Elwood has an interest in the function of faith and spirituality in the healing process. He is an Ordained Permanent Deacon for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and Adjunct Faculty member at St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology.
Linda L. Elwood, MA, L.P.C.C.
lelwood@fbhsllc.com
Linda Elwood is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Ursuline college and her Masters Degree in counseling at John Carroll University. Ms. Elwood takes a family systems approach to treating relationship problems; family and parenting issues, depression and women’s issues. She also has had extensive experience with adolescent behavior problems, and adolescent community out-reach and intervention programs. She is also a former youth minister for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and a recipient of the 1992 James P. O’Donnell Award for outstanding youth work.
Elizabeth A. Armstrong, CT
elizabeth@fbhsllc.com
Elizabeth A. Armstrong is a Counselor Trainee in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is supervised by William T. Elwood, LPCC-S. She will receive her Masters degree in Community Counseling from John Carroll University and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Baldwin Wallace University. She has had a variety of experiences working with children, adolescents, and young adults. She uses a holistic and family systems approach to help individuals and families coping with daily stress, behavior problems, depression and anxiety, bullying, adjustment issues, struggles with self-confidence, career concerns, and relationship difficulties. As a co-facilitator of our Juvenile Diversion Program, she has experience with working with teens and their families to improve communication and increase their knowledge base of alternatives to unsafe behaviors. Elizabeth has also worked in a intensive out-patient drug and alcohol program in Cuyahoga county for individuals who have been charged with operating a vehicle impaired.
Kathleen C. Toohig, MA, L.P.C.C.
Kathleen Toohig earned her Masters Degree at John Carroll University, her Bachelors of Arts Degree in psychology from Ursuline College, and a diploma of Nursing from St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. She has vast experience as a health care professional with over twenty-five years as a Registered Nurse. She is also a certified grief counselor, specializing in prenatal grief (infant/child loss, miscarriage, etopic). Ms. Toohig also specializes in working with family problems, post-partum depression, and promoting parent education.
Susan L. Marder, MA, L.P.C.C.
smarder@fbhsllc.com
Susan Marder is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in sociology at Brooklyn College and her Masters Degree at John Carroll University. Ms. Marder’s diverse experience includes parent education, child behavior management, effective discipline techniques, and family issues. As coordinator of the Lake County Early Intervention Program through the Lake County General Health District she worked with parents of children who are medically fragile and/or developmentally delayed. For nearly ten years, Ms. Marder has worked as a family therapist with Bellefaire JCB where she provided in-home intensive counseling services to young children, adolescents and families.
Susan W. Kahan, MA, L.P.C.C.
skahan@fbhsllc.com
Susan W. Kahan is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Combining a holistic approach with classic counseling techniques and tools, Susan works with her clients to treat their minds, bodies and spirits as she leads them on a journey of positive change and self-development. Susan’s early work included working with women to help them overcome and manage the stressful internal and external factors in their lives. Building on this earlier work, Susan has progressed to counseling individuals and couples in the areas of grief, stress management, wellness, depression, anxiety and self-esteem. Additionally, Susan is a certified sports counselor registered with the National Institute of Sports Counseling. She works with athletes and their parents, as well as coaches, on motivation, goal setting and relaxation. Implementing her unique tripartite approach for treating the mind, body and spirit, Susan helps athletes to realize their true potential by educating them on the mental skills needed in training and competition. Susan earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Cleveland State University in 1998 and her Masters Degree Community Counseling at John Carroll University.
Greg Hoefler, MA, L.P.C.C.
ghoefler@fbhsllc.com
Greg Hoefler is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor-Supervisor. He was born in Denver, grew up in Buffalo, and earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in upstate New York and his Master of Counseling Degree from Arizona State University. He then moved to Ohio, so he knows something about life adjustment and coping with change. He brings more than 15 year’s experience working with families and parents of adolescents with behavior and mood problems, as well as with couples and adults breaking out of depression, anxiety and relationship barriers. In addition to his work with our practice, Greg supervises an intensive home-based treatment program helping high-risk youth and their families. He is an Ordained Permanent Deacon for the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and respects the importance of faith in living a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Peter G. Kontos, D.O.
pkontos@fbhsllc.com
Dr. Peter G. Kontos is a graduate of John Carroll University and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has practiced psychiatry in many different settings over the past 25 years including the Cleveland Clinic, Ravenwood Center of Geauga County and Coleman Professional Services of Summit County. Dr. Kontos brings a wealth of experience to our practice as well as the benefit of a warm and caring professional dedicated to the practice of quality psychiatry.
Ronald A. Colonna, L.P.C.C.-S, L.S.W., CCMHC, NCC
rcolonna@fbhsllc.com
Ron Colonna is a licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a Licensed Social Worker. He received his undergraduate degree from Geneva College and his Master’s degree from the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is nationally board certified as a Counselor and as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. His counseling experiences are in Mood, Personality, and Adjustment Disorders; Marriage/Family Issues, and the relevance of faith within individuals’ lives. His extensive undergraduate and graduate university teaching experiences have augmented his clinical mental health practice and research. Ron has done local and state workshops on Mood Disorders, Marriage and Other Relationships, Suicide and Family Survivors of Suicide. He has co-authored The Counselor Intern’s Handbook.
David Riccardi, L.P.C.C., L.I.C.D.C., NCC
driccardi@fbhsllc.com
David is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor. He earned his Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Ball State University, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ohio State University. He has worked for over 30 years aiding individuals, couples and families to improve the quality of their lives. While he has specialized training and experience in the addictions field, he has many years of experience with helping clients with a variety of life problems. David has worked with the City of Cleveland Health Department, Allen Memorial Hospital inpatient chemical dependency unit, Center for Families and Children, Glenbeigh Centers, Highland Counseling Center, as well as teaching at Cuyahoga Community College. David is a well-versed and highly experienced counselor who practices with a holistic-body, mind and spirit focus, and utilizes client-centered/cognitive behavioral approaches in treatment.
Ruth J. Twaddell, M.Ed., L.P.C.C.
Ruth Twaddell is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Clark University, and her Masters Degree in Counseling from Cleveland State University, and for the past 8 years, has worked as a family therapist at Applewood Centers, Inc. Mrs. Twaddell has extensive experience working with adults, adolescents and children experiencing a wide range of problems including: mood disorders, anxiety-related disorders, AD/HD, school behavior issues, parent/child relationship difficulties and anger management. As a professional counselor and former teacher, Mrs. Twaddell uses a collaborative approach involving the child, the parents, and when needed, school personnel. Her practice is based upon a solution-focused, strengths-based approach, empowering individuals to overcome problems by utilizing their unique talents, abilities and resources.
Steve Smith, L.I.C.D.C.
Steve is a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor who has worked in the field of addiction for more than fifteen years. He has worked in numerous clinical healthcare settings with alcoholics and addicts including dual diagnosis, detox, inpatient and intensive outpatient treatment and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our practice. Steve has educated the public on such topics as Motivational Interviewing, The Stages of Change, as well as the impact of addiction on families and children.
Mckenzie, Molly and Maggie
Therapy Dogs have been known to make it easier for clients to open-up and become more relaxed. Their unconditional love can help clients through the therapy process by adding additional support. Mutual interaction and affection such as petting or cuddling with our therapy dogs enhances the counseling experience here at Family Behavioral Health Services, LLC.
