About Us

Barb Waldemar

Barb Waldemar

Executive Director

ABOUT

Barb has been counseling at Cedar Cove since 2018. She previously served as the dean of women in higher education where she had the privilege of shepherding college women. After serving as Interim Director for six months, Barb was appointed Executive Director in December of 2023. She brings over 35 years of ministry experience with a deep desire to be a life-long learner. Barb has two married children, a high school senior, and six delightful grandchildren. She enjoys people, academics, gardening, travel, and being on or near the water.

EDUCATION

Certificate in Commercial Art, Minneapolis Community Technical College
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Certificate in Supervision
Certificate in Cognitive Processing Therapy

Julia Crickenberger

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. Julia lives and works in South Carolina.

EDUCATION

B.S. in Psychology and Bible
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)

Brendan Lebsack

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
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary

Sara Jacobson

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. Sara lives and works in Indiana.

EDUCATION

BS, Elementary Education and Mathematics, Indiana University
MA, Biblical Counseling, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
MA, Leadership, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)

Jon Hansel

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

Gaby Morris

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
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
Certificate of Completion, Global Trauma Recovery Institute

Cara Herzberg

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
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)

Elizabeth Chen

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
BA, Nursing Science, Queen’s University
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Cathleen Gosselin

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
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)

Christine Chow

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
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary

Becca Blomker

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. Becca lives and works in Kansas.

EDUCATION

BS, English Education, University of Northwestern, St. Paul
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)

Dan Sietman

Dan Sietman

Counselor

ABOUT

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. Dan lives and works in Ohio.

EDUCATION

BS, Engineering Technology, State University Of New York
MS, Program Management, Air Force Institute of Technology
MA, Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary
Certificates in Counseling, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)