Kevin Oliver, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
 

Kevin founded Phoenix Counseling in 2003 and serves the agency as Chief Executive Officer. Phoenix Counseling is a non-profit agency, providing a wide-array of behavioral health crisis, residential, and outpatient services throughout Gaston, Cleveland, and Lincoln Counties. He is a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist with over 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field and throughout the years he has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including residential/detoxification treatment, opiate maintenance services, and outpatient treatment services.

Kevin received his Master of Arts in Counseling from Gardner-Webb University and a Master in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Kevin currently serves as a member of the North Carolina Mental Health Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Commission and is the Chair of the Rules Committee.

Celine Villax, Chief Financial Officer
 

Celine serves the agency as the Chief Financial Officer and has been with Phoenix since 2017. She is responsible for overseeing the agency’s financial resources and supporting managers achieve their revenue and budget goals. Celine manages the agency’s financial risks and is focused on building and maintaining strong internal controls. She also prepares all financial statements and helps the Board of Directors and Leadership Team make sound financial decisions aligning with the agency’s strategic goals.

Celine has been working in the behavioral health field since 2002 and has extensive experience working with private providers, managed care organizations (MCOs), and non-profit agencies.
Celine graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science in International Business and a Master’s degree in Project Management. She also has an Associate’s degree in accounting.

Kristen Litvak, Chief Clinical Officer

Kristen serves the agency as the Chief Clinical Officer and has been with Phoenix since 2012. She is a Certified Clinical Traumatologist, Clinical Field Traumatologist and NC IVC First Examiner. Kristen has also been certified as a Crisis Negotiator and serves on the Gastonia Police Department Crisis Negotiations Team. Kristen is trained in EMDR (Level II), Neurofeedback, and Somatic Experiencing (Intermediate III). She is licensed to provide supervision for NCBLCMHC and NCASPPB licensure/certifications and enjoys contributing to growth of new clinicians.

Kristen has been deeply involved in the field of trauma since 1998. She has presented on trauma at many public forums including the 2019 NCSCA District 6 Drive-In Workshop and the 2018 ACA Preconference Learning Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. Kristen is a passionate advocate for those impacted by trauma, and by extension those impacted by substance use disorders. In practice, she focuses on the neurobiological aspects of trauma and the perspective that pathological behaviors are survival strategies that served a purpose at the time of a trauma but have transitioned from adaptive to maladaptive behavior based on circumstances.

Kristen graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and earned her Master’s in Community Counseling from John Carroll University.