By Susan Van Schaik, Psy.D, LPC / Mental Health Counselor
There is a connection between faith and mental health. As people of faith, we have an interconnectedness with God that is reflected in our meaning, purpose, and acts as human beings. Mental health refers to our emotional, social, and psychological well-being. It is our mental health that affects how we think, feel, and behave. The intersection between faith and mental health has a significant and positive impact on our ability to function optimally.
Mental health professionals are increasingly recognizing the importance of faith in strengthening one’s mental well-being. Faith can be incorporated into treatment through meditation, prayer, mindfulness, therapy approaches, or treatment plans. Therapist and patient draw upon the patient’s faith to help the patient find meaning and purpose, build resilience, develop emotional regulation, connect with others, promote forgiveness and gratitude, or cope with grief and loss.
Catholic Charities mental health counselors embrace the positive aspects of faith in mental health counseling. They are guided by ethical standards that adhere to the principles of the Catholic faith and fundamental values. They recognize that faith-based treatment is a personal and individual experience that may enhance the effect of treatment for those patients who are open to the experience. Our counselors support the incorporation of faith in therapy for patients who choose this approach.
Meet the Catholic Charities counselors:
Susan Van Schaik, Psy.D, LPC
Susan is a licensed therapist in Wisconsin. Susan works with adults and couples using a person-centered approach. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) approaches. She values the worth of all individuals seeking help. It is her goal to help others by fostering the therapeutic relationship and focusing on the individual’s strengths as the means to achieve treatment goals.
Susan believes in developing mindfulness, building distress tolerance, and emotional regulation through interpersonal effectiveness skills. Susan tries to help bring couples closer through therapeutic work and tries to help to have fulfilling relationships.
Susan sees clients virtually and in person at our Green Bay office
Erin Nelson
Erin is a mental health counselor in training and has earned a bachelor’s degree in social work, with a minor in human development and an emphasis in child welfare, from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay in May 2020. She recently completed her master’s in social work with a focus on Mental Health from the same university in May 2026. Erin currently practices under supervision as she works towards her Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credential.
In practice, Erin takes an integrative, client-centered approach to mental health counseling. She incorporates evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to support clients in achieving their goals and improving overall well-being.
Erin sees clients virtually and in person at our Green Bay and Menasha offices.
Maria Lundin, LPC-IT
Maria enjoys counseling children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. She utilizes an Attachment Theory lens, helping individuals heal through emotionally corrective experiences with self and others. Maria offers Christian counseling and a variety of approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Brain spotting, Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Couples Counseling, and Career Counseling.
Maria emphasizes reality testing and empowerment; helping clients bring to light what is behind their struggles and identify solutions. Maria also helps her clients remove relationship barriers to discover the joy that comes from authentic connection.
Maria sees clients virtually and in person at our Green Bay office.
Ann Gaylord, LMFT
Ann is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over thirty years of experience providing therapy to children, adolescents, individuals and families. Prior to joining Catholic Charities, Ann worked in a variety of settings, including as a forensic interviewer for abused children on a pediatric ecology hospital unit, as an in-home therapist for severely emotionally disturbed children and their families, as a group leader treating anxiety and depression and as a parent educator. She also has provided short term therapy in an EAP setting.
Ann uses a client centered collaborative approach and meets clients where they are at. Her training includes family systems, Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and play therapy modalities. Ann is also Gottman trained as a marital therapist.
Ann works in the Menasha and Green Bay offices.