Mission
Vision
We work to serve individuals, couples, and families through counseling; and churches through consultation, seminars and speaking.
Cedar Cove counselors are women and men made in Gods image, growing in their own faith, both corporately and individually. We learn from each other, acknowledge our own strengths and weaknesses, and aim towards a culture of grace and gentleness within our organization and in our counsel (Hebrews 5:2-3).
Barb Waldemar
Executive Director
ABOUT
Barb has been studying biblical counseling for the past seven years. She started counseling at Cedar Cove in 2018. Previously she served as the dean of women in higher education.
Barb has been married for 30 years, has two adult children, a high schooler, and five grandchildren. She enjoys academics, baking cookies, gardening, and being outside – especially on or near the water.
EDUCATION
Certificate in Commercial Art
Completed CCEF Certificates
MA, Counseling (in progress)
AREAS of INTEREST
adult women, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, marriage
Julia Crickenberger
Counselor
ABOUT
Julia has been counseling with Cedar Cove since 2018, and previously counseled college women in a lay capacity. She is a part-time counselor and full-time mom of 3 young kids. Julia enjoys cooking tasty, healthy meals, watching good movies and anything beach-related.
EDUCATION
B.S. in Psychology and Bible
Completed CCEF Certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Adults young and not-so-young, abuse, anxiety, OCD, same-sex attraction, women’s sexual sin and emotional regulation
Brendan Lebsack
Counselor
ABOUT
Brendan has been counseling with Cedar Cove since 2017. His previous ministry experience includes youth ministry, campus ministry, teaching, small group ministry and urban youth outreach.
Brendan is married to Anna and they have three young children. He enjoys music, exercise, sports and sharing family adventures in the Twin Cities and beyond.
EDUCATION
BS, Exercise Science, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Completed CCEF Certificates
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
AREAS of INTEREST
Individual, family, marriage, youth, anxiety, depression, grief, singleness
Sara Jacobson
Counselor
ABOUT
Sara has been counseling with Cedar Cove since 2019. Prior to living in Minnesota, she counseled at her previous church in Kentucky and served on staff with a campus ministry in Indiana.
Sara is married to Tim, and in her free time she loves playing tennis with her husband, visiting her friends all over the world, cooking, reading, and mastering sudoku.
EDUCATION
BS, Elementary Education and Mathematics, Indiana University
MA, Biblical Counseling, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
MA, Leadership, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Completed CCEF Certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Anxiety, deep grief and depression, sexual struggles, family and relational trauma
Jon Hansel
Counselor
ABOUT
Jon has nearly 15 years of biblical counseling experience. He has served in pastoral ministry for over a decade and is also a small business owner.
Jon and his wife Tonya have been married for over twenty years and make their home in Burnsville, Minnesota. They have four children and two exuberant dogs. Jon enjoys reading, writing, camping with the family, and zipping around the Twin Cities on a motorcycle or in a classic automobile.
EDUCATION
BA, Psychology, Capella University
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
DMinn (Cand.), Organizational Leadership, Bethel University
AREAS of INTEREST
Individual, Marriage, Family, Parenting, Addictions, Abuse, Anxiety, Trauma Care and Recovery, Leadership Coaching
Gaby Morris
Counselor
ABOUT
Prior to joining the Cedar Cove team in 2020, Gaby served in the counseling ministry at her local church, as well as previously serving in prayer and chaplain ministries, and on a Domestic Abuse Response team.
Gaby and her husband Nate have been blessed with three grown children and four grandchildren. She enjoys doing just about anything active, especially if it includes family, friends, and chasing a ball. She also loves audio books, design, other cultures, and hearing others stories.
EDUCATION
BS, Psychology, University of Northwestern, St. Paul
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Completed CCEF Certificates
Certificate of Completion, Global Trauma Recovery Institute
AREAS of INTEREST
Working with women from all walks of life experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, destructive relationships, or eating disorders – helping them find hope in the midst of heartache.
Cara Herzberg
Counselor
ABOUT
Cara has been counseling with Cedar Cove since 2018. She is married and has five children. Cara and her husband moved to Senegal in 2008, where they work in agriculture and community development.
Cara enjoys anything you can do in the mountains or ocean and also making pizza for the people she loves.
EDUCATION
BA, Journalism, Point Loma Nazarene University
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Completed CCEF Certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Global Workers, Ministry Workers, Third Culture Kids (TCK’s), Adult TCK’s
Emily Thiel
Counselor
ABOUT
Emily began counseling at Cedar Cove in 2020. Her previous ministry experience includes serving with a campus ministry, small group ministry, being part of a church planting team, and being a pastor’s wife. Emily loves going for walks year-round, having good conversations, listening to audiobooks, and giving her kids tight squeezes.
EDUCATION
BS, Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary (May 2022)
Completed CCEF Certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Working with children as well as adults, grief, loss, shame
Elizabeth Chen
Counselor
ABOUT
Elizabeth has been counseling with Cedar Cove since 2021, and was previously doing counseling care at her church. Prior to that, she worked as an RN in the Emergency Room. She is married to a wonderful man named Jan, and they have 4 children and a retriever named Moose. She enjoys hiking, camping, friends around the dinner table, and a really good cup of tea.
EDUCATION
Completed CCEF Certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Adults, Women in crisis, Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Illness, Singleness, Third Culture Kids (TCKs), Ministry/Missionary Care
Cathleen Gosselin
Counselor
ABOUT
Cathleen has been counseling at Cedar Cove since 2021. Prior to that she taught high school math for 18 years in Minneapolis and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Cathleen also has a ministry guiding in the Boundary Waters, bringing the Word into the wilderness on week-long canoe trips. She enjoys being outside, being unplugged, teaching the Bible, and eating ethnic foods.
EDUCATION
BA, Math, German, and Education, St.Olaf College
MS, International Education (emphasis in Bible), Philadelphia Biblical University
Completed CCEF certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Teens and young adults, international communities, sexual struggles, family of origin, the effects of stress on the body, trauma and healing.
Christine Chow
Counselor
ABOUT
Christine has a heart for the nations and has discipled children and adults from multi-ethnic backgrounds for over 25 years. Through her local church, she has also been involved in counseling, leading ministry teams, as well as mentoring and equipping others in cross-cultural ministry.
Christine is originally from Malaysia but met her husband, Spencer in the United States. They have one adult son, Lucas, and many other host children from all over the world. As a family, they love exploring new places and meeting new people. Christine loves to sing, make fusion cuisine and host gatherings for friends and family. She also loves nature, the arts, and quiet moments with coffee and a good book.
EDUCATION
BA, English and Economics, Luther College
BS, Computer Science, Metropolitan State University
Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate (TEFL), Hamline University
Completed CCEF Certificates
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary (in progress)
AREAS of INTEREST
Becca Blomker
Counselor
ABOUT
As a former English teacher in both public and private settings, a homeschool mom with her boys now in public high school, and years of living and ministering in a low-income neighborhood, Becca brings a wide variety of experiences into the counseling setting. She received training in domestic violence at a local shelter and has worked for over ten years in both lay and formal counseling settings.
Becca and her husband, Jon, have been married 22 years and have four kids-three teenage boys and a tween girl-and spends most of her free time watching her kids run and play football. When not on a sporting field somewhere, she loves a good cup of coffee and conversation with her husband.
EDUCATION
BS, English Education, University of Northwestern, St. Paul
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Completed CCEF Certificates
AREAS of INTEREST
Dan Sietman
Counselor
ABOUT
A Dan began the Cedar Cove counseling team in 2022. Prior to that, he served in the US Air Force for 22 1/2 years and as an associate pastor for administration and counseling for 18 years. Dan’s counseling experience spans many years, focused primarily on pastoral marriage and pre-marriage counseling. He began his formal biblical counseling studies with CCEF in 2013.
Dan and his wife Bernie have been married since 1976 and have two adult sons and seven grandchildren. He enjoys time with his grandchildren, reading, learning, and traveling especially in their camping trailer.
EDUCATION
BS, Engineering Technology, State University Of New York
MS, Program Management, Air Force Institute of Technology
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Completed CCEF Certificates