MEET THE THERAPISTS
Katie Walker is the SCR Counseling Care Director and one of the therapists at Shepherd’s CanyonRetreat. Katie has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri and a National Certified Counselor since 1997. She received her Master's Degree from Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA, in 1994.
After a 6 1/2 year stint as a stay-at-home mom, she worked for 13 years serving clients with chronic and persistent mental illness, first in a mental health Clubhouse setting and then as a therapist at an Intensive Outpatient program.
Katie started her private practice in 2011 and currently serves adults struggling with ADHD, ministry burnout, and emotionally destructive relationships."
​She and her husband, Kerry, have two grown children.
Katie has been with Shepherds Canyon Retreat since 2016.​
​Katie Walker, MA, LPC, NCC​
Washington, MO
Phil has been a Lutheran pastor since 1981, and a Licensed Marriage and FamilyTherapist since 1999 (CA and WA). He received his B.A. from Seattle Pacific University(1977), his M.Div. from Wartburg Theological Seminary (1981) and his M.A. from Universityof San Francisco (1993), and has completed several years of doctoral studies in BiblicalCounseling. Phil has served on short-term missions in Albania, Kenya, Mexico, Poland,Russia, and Ukraine, and facilitated numerous workshops, conferences, and retreats, in the U.S.as well as Kenya and Ukraine. Phil is on the Clergy Rosters of the North America LutheranChurch. Phil is a husband (Carolyn), father, and grandfather.
Phil Lee
Seattle, WA
Rick Huls has been a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner in Nebraska since 2009 and has been a licensed therapist in Nebraska since 1997. Rick received his B.A. in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1979 and was a sportswriter/news editor before earning his M.S. in community counseling from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 1995. Rick has been in private practice for 15 years, facilitated domestic violence batterer's groups for more than 10 years and led men's ministry at his church for 10 years. He and his wife Barb have children and grandchildren living in California and Maine.
Rick Huls, LIMHP
Grand Island, NE
Kathy Riesmeyer
St. Louis, MO
Kathy is a second career Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri, graduating with honors in 2000 from Covenant Theological Seminary with a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Her counseling ministry began in 1999 during her internship at the Counseling and Resource Center at Concordia Seminary-St. Louis. She continued as a counselor after graduation, developed the Life Transitions Office in 2002 and served as Associate Director of the Counseling Center until its closing in 2009. Kathy opened her private practice in 2009 and served the St. Louis community until retiring in 2022. She brings deep respect, love and compassion to her work with Pastors, church workers and their spouses. Her family includes five generations of LCMS Pastors, teachers and church workers.
Kathy volunteers at her church and at a local retirement community. She and her husband, Matt, are blessed to be Aunt and Uncle to their siblings’ expanding families. Their joy is family which includes Gracie, who wiggled and barked her way into their hearts. Kathy is a voracious reader, loves hiking vacations, visiting historic sites and gardening. She also is a practitioner of silent, contemplative retreats, finding restoration, strength and comfort In Jesus through Scripture and prayer.
Daniel W. Puls is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been in practice for over 20 years. He prepared for church work in Christian education at Christ College Irvine (now Concordia University). He served in a Lutheran School in Japan for 3 years, then returned to California and taught 4 more years in a Lutheran elementary school before beginning doctoral studies in psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology (Biola University). His emphasis was in marriage and family systems and he has a broad range of training. He brings a strong understanding of church workers and systemic dynamics in churches and families as his father and two brothers are ordained pastors. He continues to be rostered in the LCMS as a Director of Family Life Ministry. Daniel and his wife continue to reside in Whittier, CA and have a daughter attending University in Oregon.
Dr. Daniel Puls, PsyD
Whittier, CA
Judyann Gallego-Leonard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who brings a wealth of experience to the Shepherd's Canyon Retreat team. Besides her work as a therapist in private practice, she worked for several years on military bases as a counselor with the Department of Defense. She taught for years at a Christian university, worked in adoptions, foster care and in a psychiatric hospital. She's created and facilitated several marriage retreats and has been active as a Christian women's speaker. At the present time she is working as a critical incident specialist in Northern CA. Judyann is passionate about her volunteer work counseling missionaries around the world with both Thrive and Azmera Haven Retreats. She and her husband Mark also work internationally with pastors/missionaries through Life Impact Ministry and they are associates with a ministry organization called Paraclete. Judyann's "call", at this chapter of her life, is to compassionately come along side pastors, their spouses and ministry leaders, giving them hope and a safe place to work on their woundedness and marital issues. It's been said that Judyann has a great "play ethic" which she joyfully shares with her husband, four married children and ten grandchildren.
Judyann Gallego-Leonard, LCSW
Sacramento, CA
LCSW Jill Dodge is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been a therapist for over 40 years. Throughout her career she has worked in a variety of settings, including a Mental Health clinic and Psychiatric Hospital. Currently she has a private practice in San Diego. Jill also serves on the Counseling Staff at Shepherds Canyon Retreat. Jill has a heart for missionaries and church professionals, having led multiple retreats and trainings both nationally and internationally on various topics such as Forgiveness, Burnout, Anxiety, Boundaries, Prayer Therapy and Personality Disorders. Over the years, Jill has written several articles for the LWML magazine and served on Lutheran Family Life and Caring Ministry Committees at the local and national level. Jill has a particular interest in the topic of Burnout and is excited to share with you ways to prevent and treat Burnout. Jill and her husband, Glenn attend Christ Lutheran Church in La Mesa. They have 3 grown children and 3 teenage grandsons.
Jill Dodge, LCSW
San Diego, CA
Mark Odland (MA, LMFT, MDIV) is an ordained Lutheran minister (LCMC), a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and a Certified EMDR Therapist from Duluth, MN. Mark earned his B.A. in art and religion from Augustana University, his M.Div from Luther Seminary, and his M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University. Back in 2011 Mark founded North Woods Christian Counseling to provide Biblically-based, compassionate care to the Twin Cities metro. Since then, his practice has grown to over a dozen therapists. In addition to his duties as clinical director for North Woods, he also provides therapy through his telehealth private practice, Lion Counseling. Through Lion, Mark helps Christian business owners heal from trauma, burnout, anger, addiction, and broken relationships. As a Certified EMDR therapist who trains other therapists worldwide, he understands that present stressors are compounded by unhealed trauma. A few years ago, Shepherd’s Canyon helped Mark and his wife heal from burnout, compassion fatigue, and grief over the impending death of his father. Today, Mark feels called to help others in ministry experience the same healing that he did. In his spare time, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 kids, surfing on Lake Superior, and practicing jiu jitsu.