Meet the Counselors

Faye Hall

Faye Hall

Faye is the birth mom of 3 children and an adoptive mom of a child with a history of trauma from abuse and neglect. (Read: The Voice of a Child, Allan, her son wrote) She received her BS in education from Towson State University and taught elementary school. Later, she earned her MA from Penn State University and received her clinical training from McDaniel College

Jeff Merkert

Jeff Merkert

Jeff received his degree in Bible and Family Ministry after his 24 years in retail management.  He earned his CAC from Penn State.  In 2000, Jeff began working with children with Reactive Attachment Disorder as a Therapeutic Support Staff within Pa’s mental health system.  He logged more than 3000 in-home hours working one on one with these children.  In 2003, he transferred to a family based model of short term but intense treatment.  In 2007, he was certified in Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy.

Healing

Due to the difficulty Faye had parenting her adoptive son, Jeff and she partnered in 2000 to research and develop materials that merge mental health and development to assist other professionals and parents who have children with early trauma and attachment disruptions.  They combed through every resources, attended conferences and trainings, and consulted with professionals to find effective approached to parenting emotionally disturbed children.  Both are trained in Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, EMDR, Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy.  Additionally, Faye completed training in EMDR.

After years as an outpatient therapist for children with early relational trauma and their families, Jeff and Faye helped develop Healing Hearts Family Based Services at Jewish Family Service in Harrisburg, Pa.  Their program began in 2010 with the goals to stabilize families and to promote healing for traumatized children and their families.

Together, they have trained foster and adoptive parents, educators, caseworkers, therapists, foster/adoptive workers, direct care staff, Head Start teachers, wraparound support staff, and family based therapists.  They have presented at national and local conferences such as Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN), NACACATTACh, Pa Resource Parents, and Colorado’s Children Conference, CWLA and PCCYF.

Additionally, Jeff and Faye are independent facilitators of Becoming a Love and Logic Parent and 9 Essential Skills for the Love and Logic Classroom.  They developed and teach a parenting program based on the Love and Logic principals for family based mental health programs.

Treatment modalities

  • Theraplay
  • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
  • EMDR
  • Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy
  • Internal Family System

Contact Us

Electronic Mail – [email protected]
Phone – +1 717.891.9010

We also welcome you to join the Support Group where we teach. References are available upon request. Consider us as a resource for your staff and families.