counselors
Most of the time when we are upset or overwhelmed we can lean on a friend or family member but sometimes our problems become more complicated and we need the help of a professional. It is our prayer that one of our competent and caring Christian counselors will help you find your way back to hope, healing and joy.
Melody Fifer
Melody Fifer is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Florida. She has a master’s degree in Psychology from the University of West Florida. With an undergraduate degree in Visual Arts from Florida State University, she becomes a Florida Seminole come football season.
Melody’s specialties are in the areas of marriage and relationship counseling, counseling children and teens, self-esteem issues, depression and anxiety. Prior to opening the Christian Counseling Center at Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, Melody counseled both at the University of West Florida’s Counseling Center and in private practive. While at the University of West Florida she gained a good understanding of the developmental stages of Identity and Intimacy; a struggle for so many young people. Her private practice focused more on the later developmental challenges of marriage and parenting. Both life stages are intertwined; unfinished Identity and Intimacy issues can definitely show up and cause problems later in life.
Melody enjoys personal growth and development. She believes that people are capable of changing and growing no matter their age or life situation and that, as Christians, we have "divine support" in that change.
Melody and her husband, Steve, are members of Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church. They have three grown children, two sons-in-law and one precious granddaughter. Melody loves reading, drinking coffee, container gardening, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.
Kathy Doman
Kathy Doman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a master’s degree in Psychology. Kathy did her undergraduate work at the University of Alabama, and received her master’s from the University of West Florida.
Her specialties are in the areas of marriage and relationship counseling, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. She is certified in intervention, and her counseling experience includes coordination of the outpatient program for substance abuse at The Friary in Gulf Breeze. Before coming to the GBUMC Counseling Center, Kathy was an associate at Cordova Counseling Center in Pensacola where she counseled individuals and couples. She is also a Certified Personal Trainer, and believes in the interconnectedness of mental and physical health.
Kathy is a member of Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church and lives in Gulf Breeze with her husband, Pat, and their son, Everett. Kathy enjoys singing in the choir at church, kickboxing, and spending time outdoors.
Barbara Donnadieu
Barbara Donnadieu received her Master’s Degree and PhD in Psychology at the University for Humanistic Studies in San Diego, California. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. She was a licensed Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor (MFCC) in her private practice in San Diego. Since moving to Florida, she has provided counseling services for the Gulf Breeze Methodist Church.
Barbara’s experience includes counseling with adults, couples, adolescents, and children in private practice and community service agencies, including the YWCA Battered Women’s Services and the Hanbleceya Therapeutic Community for adults suffering from serious psychological disorders. Her specializations include assisting with: relationship healing and enhancing; parenting/step-parenting issues; strengthening coping skills and self-esteem; as well as depression, anxiety, and grief issues. She believes that individuals and couples often lose touch with the God-given strength and wisdom within themselves, and that counseling can help them re-establish that connection. Barbara has great respect for the human spirit, and yearns for each of us to grow personally and to reach our full potential.
Barbara grew up as a nomadic military “brat”, which triggered her fascination with travel and other cultures. She and her husband, Don, are members of Gulf Breeze Methodist Church. They have four grown children and five grandchildren. Somewhere along the line, the boundaries between their biological children and their stepchildren blurred such that they are one cohesive family, embracing and loving all equally