Bonnie Stephens, LPC, NCC 

Bonnie  D.  Stephens,  M.Ed.,  MS., LPC, became affiliated  with Pathways  Forensic & Mental  Health  Services,  PLLC  in  April  of 2024.   Ms.  Stephens served in the US Army from  1980  to  1982,  followed  by two years in the US Army Reserve.   She attended  Lamar University,  later earning  a Bachelor  of Science  in criminology,  followed  double  Masters first in Criminology  then Education.  Stephens has held licensure as a counselor for 16 years. Her experience  in the mental health and case management  field is extensive, the most recent of which found her serving as an independent contractor with Connel Associates where she provided  counseling  for individuals,  couples,  families, and groups on matters pertaining to family dynamics,  parent-child  interaction, couples communication,  stress reduction, PTSD, medication   management,   and   adjustment   to  military   lifestyles.   She  also   provided reintegration    training   and   family   support   for   active-duty   personnel   returning   from deployment.   Prior to independent  contracting,  Ms.  Stephens  worked  in the mental  health department of the Criminal  Investigation Division providing daily mental health consults to assist  investigators  to  manage  overall  mental/cognitive  health.  She  has  also  served  as a military  and family  life  counselor  in  Fort Polk,  LA while  embedded  with 31-0  Mountain Brigade  Division,  where  she worked  with  over  800 deployed  and on-post  active  service members  providing  mental  health  services.  Ms.  Stephens  is  no stranger to the East Texas area.   Originally from the Woodville, TX area, she began her counseling  career and worked 10 years in private practice serving 80 individual clients through 7 counties in the Deep East Texas catchment  area.  She has practical  experience  with collaborate  care involving  clients in need of medication, providing  assessments,  and in the diagnosis  and treatment  of mental health clients with co-occurring  disorders.  Ms.  Stephens is full-time  with Pathways  FMHS and  is available  for  evening  appointments.  She has  specialized  training  in Ethics,  Law, Communication,  Treatment   of Depression,  PTSD,   Human  Trafficking,   Military   Life, Anxiety,  Child abuse and Family Dynamics  Command   and Troop Education  Community Awareness Conflict Resolution, Couples Communication  Skills, Stress Management, Prevention   Programs   and   Services   New   Parent   Support   Program   Parent   Education, Domestic Violence Prevention Victim Advocate Program Relationship  Support, Safety Education,   Emergency    Placement   Care   Program,   Reporting   Procedures,    Debriefing Techniques  for Critical Incidents (US Army CID) Case Management  for Law Enforcement (US Army CID), Identification  and Treatment  Techniques  for PTSD,  Suicide  Prevention, and Drug Abuse, and Critical  Case Management  Quantico, Virginia, US Army, 2018.