Meet our staff

Owner, SUD Counselor

Kenneth Taylor is the owner and executive director of Cognitive Restructuring. Kenneth Taylor is a Disabled Veteran and Person in Long Term Recovery from multiple addictions. He has received Five Pardons from the Idaho Pardons and Parole Commission and the Governor of the State of Idaho and has had all rights restored. Kenneth and his Professional Staff understand the change process and how to redefine your life regardless of your past. For us at Cognitive Restructuring it does not matter where you have been or what you have done in the past, it only matters where you are now and where you want to go. It would be an honor to service you and your families.  

Clinical Director, Mental Health Counselor

Shellie joined our team in February of 2020 and is now the Clinical Director of Cognitive Restructuring. Shellie has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Utah State University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Utah. Shellie has her LCSW and got her license over 20 years ago. 

Shellie started her social work career in a research facility using her Masters degree to research medication benefits and then moved to mental health counseling a few years later.

With 21 licensed years under her belt, Shellie has worked with an extensive client load and different communities to better the mental health of her clients. Working with different communities has given Shellie a wide range of experience to help those in need of care work towards bettering their mental health. 

Outside of work, Shellie has three children, two of which who attend Idaho State University and one that is a dog. Shellie enjoys reading, crocheting, cross-stitching, and watching the most recent episodes of the Great British Baking show. While she battles her own health issues, Shellie especially loves spending time with her family and working towards improving the quality of life for her clients.

SUD Administrator, SUD and Mental Health Counselor

Kari joined Cognitive Restructuring in February of 2020 after working at another agency for 10 years as a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADC). She is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor treating both mental health and addiction. Kari is also our SUD Administrator.  She has been certified  to perform GAIN assessments and facilitate MRT groups. Kari has spent  years working with many different community populations at local, state and federal levels.
Kari completed her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in December 2020. Since then she has expanded her client population to include mental health counseling along with her SUD clients.  Kari also works with domestic violence victims and perpetrators. Kari completed EMDR training May of 2022 and can no offer this specified trauma counseling at our site.
Kari is a mother of three kids ranging from 21 to 7 years old. She enjoys her family, camping, travelling and lazy days reading and watching documentaries.
Kari's ultimate goal professionally is to help clients see their own value . On a personal level Kari looks forward to more travelling, new  adventures, true friendships, and one day (not anytime soon please!) being a grandma. 

SUD and Mental Health Counselor

Tamara initially worked with us as a MSW Intern through Idaho State University, in order to complete her clinical internship, and officially joined our team as a Clinician in late 2020.  She graduated with a Master of Social Work from Idaho State University in August of 2020 and is now working full time as a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor.  

Prior to working at Cognitive Restructuring, Tamara worked as a medication coordinator at a mental health crisis center in Portland Oregon.  She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Portland State University in 2015, and an Associate of Applied Science degree from Mt. Hood Community College in Mental Health and Human Service in 2013.  In addition, she worked with youth at risk in the East County school system, in Portland implementing life skills curriculum through the Boys and Girls Club of America.

Tamara is passionate about health, anything to do with the outdoors, helping others, and working with adolescents.  She loves exploring new ideas for crafts and home improvements ideas with others.

Tamara has additional training in EMDR Therapy. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy and treatment modality that enables individuals to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress associated with traumatic memories.  (For more information, please contact our office).

Mental Health Counselor

With a Master of Arts (MA) in Anthropology and a Master’s Degree (MSW) in Clinical Social Work, Nicholas has been engaged professionally in the social sciences since 2005. Upon receiving his master’s degree in social work and subsequent licensure as an LMSW in 2020, he has been engaged as a full-time clinician at Cognitive Restructuring; providing family and couples counseling, youth counseling, crisis management, and individual counseling services.

 Nicholas’s professional work experience in the field of mental health includes a one-year practicum internship with Heritage Home Health and Hospice from August 2018 – May 2019. During this time, he provided in-home respite care for families and primary caregivers of terminally ill patients, individual counseling for patients with terminal diagnoses, bereavement counseling, and group therapy. 

He worked closely with the inter-disciplinary staff at Heritage to create client-centered treatment plans, assess patient/family needs, and coordinate with other medical and assisted living care providers. From August 2019- May 2020, Nicholas was the primary counselor in attendance at the Pocatello Free Clinic (PFC). During this time, he worked closely with the PFC to better serve the mental health needs of its patients and create a niche for future social work through administrative, educational, individual counseling, and human resource services.

Tami joined Cognitive Restructuring in February of 2023 after working at another

agency for over 20 years as a certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, Family

Therapy and Program Director of an Adolescent inpatient treatment program in

New York.

She completed her undergrad with an Associate’s Degree in Chemical

Dependency, a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and earned her Master Degree in

Marriage and Family therapy in 2014. She continues to work with families,

couples, adolescent and adults in addiction and mental health.

Outside of work, Tami and her husband of 41 years have 2 adult children, six

grandchildren and two dogs. Tami enjoys reading, painting and a variety of crafts.

She loves spending time with her family and exploring Idaho.

Recovery Coach and Billing Liaison

Donna joined our team in February of 2020. She has her Recovery Coaching License and as of February 2023 Donna will be certified in Peer Support. Donna works as our billing liaison and does contracting and credentialing for Cognitive Restructuring.
Donna was born and raised in Southern California. She comes from a family of alcoholics and addicts and moved around many times in her life. Donna has seen first-hand the destruction that drugs and alcohol can cause in the lives of many, including her own. In 2013 Donna moved to Idaho to have family nearby and give her children a better life. She is happily married and she and her husband purchased their first home in 2015. Donna is a proud mother of three children. She loves watching her children grow and learn new things. Family time is her favorite and they make a point to have time together as much as possible. Donna enjoys cooking, reading, being outside, and helping others. Donna took the Recovery Coaching course in 2015, hoping she would be able to help others in recovery as she continued to strengthen her own. She joined Road to Recovery in 2017 as a residential technician to help others who struggle with alcoholism and addiction. Recovery is a lifestyle change and one that she is grateful to have. In the future she plans to further her career in addiction recovery work by returning to school to become a certified alcohol and drug counselor. Donna truly loves her job! Seeing the ‘lights come on’ and the process of recovery becoming a reality for those who are working to change their lives for the better is very rewarding.

Recovery Coach

Stephanie joined our team in August of 2022 and works as a Recovery Coach at Cognitive Restructuring. Stephanie received her Recovery Coach credentialing in November and has been steadily building her client load since.

Stephanie grew up in Marsh Valley, ID, and attended Idaho State University and Boise State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's in Science of Nursing. 

Following her schooling, Stephanie raised three children, two boys, and one girl. While pursuing her dream of being a Mom, Stephanie explored her cake-decorating abilities with Cake Baby for the past eight years. 

In her downtime, Stephanie enjoys being a Grandma, shooting guns, camping, motorcycles, and traveling.

Stephanie looks forward to helping others on their path to recovery and being part of your team on the way to a better life. 

Case Manager

Faith joined our team in November of 2022 and works as our case manager at Cognitive Restructuring. Faith is excited to work with members of the community and help them towards a brighter future. 

Faith graduated from Idaho State University in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology. Faith is looking forward to continuing her education at ISU in the Fall of 2023.

Faith enjoys hiking, camping, spending time with her family, and exploring new places. 

Front Desk Receptionist

Lori joined our team back in December of 2020 and has worked with us on and off since. She recently graduated from Highland High School with highest honors and a STEM diploma. She is currently working as a full-time receptionist at Cognitive Restructuring. For fun Lori enjoys reading, watching TV, playing with animals, and spending time with friends and family. 

Lori plans to attend Idaho State University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In the meantime, Lori is taking care of her Mom and dog as she continues working at Cognitive.