VP of Operations and Clinical Director 

Vernetta received her Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Western Carolina University, and she also holds a MA in History and a BA in Theatre Arts. She is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and uses ACT to help clients decrease their suffering and move in the direction of their values. She is passionate about the effectiveness of Experiential Therapy, and has witnessed clients accessing their under lying issues with the aid of creative approaches. She believes in the power and influence of the group process and its ability to propel clients into committed action through the solace of connection. Vernetta is also a HeathRhythms drumming facilitator and enjoys empowering clients to express themselves through rhythm.

Renee received her Masters of Social Work degree with a substance use specialty from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019. She earned her undergraduate degree in Special Education with a concentration in English from UNC-Greensboro in 2015, and holds a teacher licensure in the state of North Carolina. She founded a project in 2015 called Bears Share Care which raised awareness of interpersonal violence through social media and sent resources to survivors of abuse all around the world. In 2016, she worked as a therapy assistant at a substance use treatment center, Fellowship Hall, for two years. Renee spoke at a TEDx Guilford event in November 2016 on Stopping the Cycle of Abuse. She worked as a clinical social worker at Wake Baptist Hospital with an integrated healthcare treatment team in 2017, and as a clinical social worker at a substance use treatment center, Caring Services, in 2018. She is currently licensed as a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, Associate and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Associate. Renee is also a person in long-term recovery who values mindfulness, adventure, compassion, nature and human connection.

MS, LCMHC-A, ATR-P LCAS-I

Kristi integrates her knowledge of the whole-self gained from being a Licensed Massage Therapist and Natural Therapeutics Specialist with the therapeutic power of the creative process from being a lifelong artist and dancer. She utilizes her training in Art Therapy, Dance and Movement Therapy, Qi Gong, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems in her groups and individual sessions. She is currently finishing her Master’s degree in Counseling and will be certified as a Licensed Art Therapist this year. Kristi has been actively on a path of self-realization and healing for the past two decades. Her passion is to assist others in their journey

towards wellness and fulfillment. She is deeply inspired by her experiences in nature and her travels around the world.

Cea listens to, supports, and empowers the people with whom she has the honor to work in therapeutic settings. She has supported clients in resolving diverse challenges, including but not limited to racing thoughts, “not-enough” feelings, crippling self-doubt, blacking out in episodes of anger, unresolved trauma, chronic pain, and active or passive suicidal ideation. She has had the opportunity to serve in therapeutic roles in a variety of settings, which include inpatient treatment units at the VA Hospital, inpatient psychiatric treatment for adolescents, outpatient mental health therapy in urban and rural settings, at a rape crisis center, and at a school for children on the Autism Spectrum. These experiences underscore Cea’s understanding of each individual’s uniqueness existing simultaneously with their inextricable connection to all. Thus, she calls upon her professional trainings to ensure she is meeting the needs of each individual with whom she works.

Cea has a Master’s in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill; a B.A. in Theatre with a minor in Spanish from Davidson College; is a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist with a specialization in Trigger Point Therapy; and is a Registered Yoga Teacher (500 hour) with a focus on Yoga Therapy. 

Mackenzie Kozak received her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Asheville. She also holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a focus in poetry from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a B.A. in English from Wake Forest University. With a background in the written and spoken word, Mackenzie believes in the power of naming as central to healing. She seeks to provide therapeutic support to clients by honoring their stories, believing in their ability to grow through experiences, and empowering them to make choices that align with their values. Her modalities of choice include person-centered therapy, ACT, and narrative therapy. She deeply appreciates the mindfulness focus of Oasis Recovery and is honored to be part of such a meaningful community. 

Emily received a Masters of Arts in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling from Montreat College. Her passion is to help people heal from their past, as well as to identify root causes for behaviors and cognitions that have caused difficulty in their daily functioning. In sessions, she often utilizes solution-focused brief therapy, gestalt therapy, and CBT. She loves to problem solve, provide thought-provoking questions about cognition and behavior, and look at a client's nonverbal communication as a form of expression beyond what they are saying. She is currently getting her dog certified as a therapy dog, to bring to sessions for clients who respond well to animals. In her free time, she likes to play volleyball, pickle-ball, and disc golf, as well as go on hikes and travel. 

Dr. Gilpin graduated from the Eastern Virginia Medical School at Norfolk in 1981. He completed his residency at the United States Naval Medical Center. Dr. Gilpin works in Asheville, NC and two other locations and specializes in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine.    

Robert A. Fleury, M.D., DLFAPA, received his undergraduate degree from Springfield College in 1967. Following college, he became an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent one year in Vietnam. He was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, advanced to the rank of captain, and, in 1970, left the Marine Corps to embark on a career in medicine. Dr. Fleury received his medical training at Wake Forest University Medical School and then entered residency training in family medicine at the Eastern Maine Medical Center. Subsequently, he completed his training in psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School. While at Dartmouth, he was appointed to Instructor of Psychiatry during his final year. At that time, he also authored medical school curriculum in the area of addictionology through a grant with the KROC Foundation. He received certification in psychiatry and neurology in 1983. He was awarded the honor of Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association in 1992.

Stoney Bowman is a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. He has been working in the mental health field since 1996. His undergraduate training was at Carson-Newman College with a degree in psychology. He went on to get his nursing degree and practiced as a registered nurse at Central Regional Hospital for several years, working mostly with children and adolescents. He also has had experience in orthopedic medicine, having worked at Duke Regional. He discovered a primary interest in providing care for psychiatric patients and decided to return to school to receive his master’s degree in nursing which he completed at UNC Chapel Hill. He became employed at Carolina Behavioral Care in 2018.

In 2013, Cooper moved to Asheville to begin his journey toward recovery. Since then, he has dedicated his time to helping others on their paths to recovery. Helping others find peace has become his passion as well as his full-time job. Working at Oasis Recovery allows Cooper to guide others toward the most important transformation of their lives. Cooper is vital to our team at Oasis.

Trevor was born and raised in North Carolina and came to Asheville seeking recovery for himself. He enjoys spending time with his family, dancing, exploring, and traveling around the world with his church family helping others. Trevor believes Asheville’s strong recovery network and staying connected to others plays a huge role in him staying clean. Working one-on-one with clients is what keeps him passionate and excited about coming to Oasis every day. Trevor says, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”  

Michelle Wheeler - Family Support

Michelle hails from the close-knit community of Walkertown, NC. Her dharma has always been to help others. Addiction recovery is very near and dear to her heart. Having a child with a substance use disorder presented many challenges. Walking the path of recovery with her child, she found that a severe shortage of information and programs for families to learn to heal along with their loved ones. She started on a journey of her own to heal from the trauma of addiction. A common thread discovered in her journey were so few resources for the families of addicts. Michelle says, “The addict can heal; however, if the families do not share in the healing work, progress is slow. The family unit must heal at the same time to grow in a healthy way.”