Faculty Bios
Dr. Erin Kincaid, PhD, is a board-certified Biblical counselor, educator, and founder of Higher Hopes Institute, where she serves as co-Dean and lead faculty. With more than two decades of experience in counseling, education, and community-based care, she is widely recognized for her work in integrating Biblical truth with psychological and behavioral science to create accessible, transformative models of care for both clinical and ministry settings.
Dr. Kincaid holds a PhD in Clinical Christian Counseling and brings a uniquely interdisciplinary academic background, including graduate training in Theological and Cultural Anthropology, along with advanced certification in Biblical counseling. Her work reflects a deep commitment to developing counselors and ministry leaders who are both theologically grounded and practically equipped to meet the complex emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of those they serve.
As the founder of Higher Hopes Counseling and Rockwall Heath Counseling, Dr. Kincaid has led the development of integrated care models that serve individuals, families, clergy, missionaries, athletes, and high-performance populations. Her clinical and educational focus includes trauma recovery, family violence intervention, coercive control, emotional regulation, and the intersection of mental health and spiritual formation.
Dr. Kincaid’s professional background includes extensive leadership in the nonprofit sector, where she served for over a decade in domestic violence and sexual assault agencies as a Senior Director of Education and Prevention. She has spent more than twenty years working in violence prevention, advocacy, and intervention programming, including the development and leadership of Batterer Intervention and Prevention Programs (BIPP) across multiple Texas counties.
In addition to her clinical and leadership work, Dr. Kincaid has a strong global perspective shaped by years of service on the foreign mission field in Germany, where she continues to support ministry initiatives. This cross-cultural experience informs her approach to counseling, education, and program development, particularly in equipping faith-based leaders to serve diverse communities with both cultural awareness and Biblical integrity.
As an educator and communicator, Dr. Kincaid is passionate about raising the standard of Biblical counseling through academically grounded, clinically informed, and spiritually faithful training. Her work through Higher Hopes Institute reflects a central conviction that effective care does not require choosing between sound psychology and Biblical truth, but rather faithfully integrating both in a way that restores individuals, strengthens families, and equips leaders for lasting impact.
At Higher Hopes Institute, Dr. Kincaid leads curriculum development, faculty collaboration, and continuing education initiatives designed to serve Christian counselors, clergy, and faith-based professionals working in churches, schools, and care environments around the world.
Hope Harris, BA, FLE, is a Social Worker, Family Life Educator, facilitator, and faculty member at Higher Hopes Institute, where she serves in the development and delivery of practical, skills-based training for Biblical counselors, ministry leaders, and community care providers. Her work is centered on equipping individuals with the foundational tools needed to navigate relationships, emotional regulation, and life challenges with clarity, responsibility, and growth.
With a background in family life education and group facilitation, Hope specializes in teaching applied life skills that address real-world struggles, including anger management, conflict resolution, communication breakdown, and patterns of control within relationships. She is particularly experienced in working with individuals navigating high-conflict dynamics, offering structured, accessible guidance that promotes accountability, emotional awareness, and behavioral change. In addition, Hope is a specialist and expert on gender and identity confusion from a Biblical focus.
Hope serves as a lead facilitator in educational and intervention-based programming, where she is known for her direct, steady, and engaging approach. She creates environments where participants are both supported and challenged, helping them move beyond surface-level understanding into meaningful personal responsibility and growth. Her work often intersects with individuals involved in court-referred or structured programs, giving her a unique perspective on the practical application of behavioral change models in everyday life.
At Higher Hopes Institute, Hope brings a vital emphasis on implementation—helping students and participants translate concepts into action. Her teaching focuses on developing repeatable skills that can be used in both ministry and community settings, particularly for those working with individuals who may not require clinical intervention but need clear, structured support.
Her approach reflects a strong belief that sustainable change is built through consistency, accountability, and the development of practical tools that can be applied in real time. Through her work, Hope equips leaders to engage difficult relational dynamics with confidence, wisdom, and a commitment to growth that impacts not only individuals, but families and communities as a whole.
Jenna Meister, MS, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, educator, and faculty leader at Higher Hopes Institute, where she contributes to the development and delivery of continuing education for Christian counselors, clergy, and ministry leaders. With a strong foundation in both clinical mental health and Biblical training, she brings a thoughtful and integrative approach to care that addresses emotional, relational, and spiritual needs with clarity and compassion.
Jenna holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas A&M University–Commerce, along with undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Early Learning and Development. She has also completed advanced Biblical studies and youth ministry training, equipping her to work across both clinical and ministry contexts with depth and versatility.
In her clinical work, Jenna specializes in couples counseling, relational dynamics, grief and loss, and the treatment of emotional and interpersonal challenges such as anxiety, depression, communication breakdown, trauma, and co-dependency. She works with adolescents, adults, and couples, offering care that is both clinically informed and grounded in faith. Her areas of focus also include intimacy issues, parenting support, emotional and verbal abuse recovery, and premarital counseling, allowing her to support individuals and families across a wide spectrum of life experiences.
Jenna is known for her relational and steady presence in the counseling space. Her approach emphasizes empathy, attunement, and practical guidance, creating an environment where individuals feel safe to process, grow, and move forward. She is particularly skilled in helping clients navigate both everyday stressors and more complex life disruptions, offering both immediate support and deeper therapeutic work when needed.
As a faculty member at Higher Hopes Institute, Jenna brings this same grounded and accessible approach to her teaching. She is passionate about equipping Christian counselors and ministry leaders with tools that are both clinically sound and Biblically aligned, helping them confidently care for individuals, couples, and families within their communities.
Jenna’s work reflects a core belief that healing occurs in relationship—with God, with others, and within the self—and that with the right support, individuals can move toward greater emotional health, relational strength, and spiritual wholeness.
Brandy Smith, MS, LPC-S, is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, educator, and faculty member at Higher Hopes Institute, where she contributes to the training and development of Christian counselors, clergy, and ministry leaders. With more than seventeen years of experience serving survivors of domestic violence, she brings deep clinical expertise, seasoned leadership, and a profound commitment to restoration and safety within both therapeutic and ministry contexts.
Brandy previously served as the Director of Counseling at Brighter Tomorrows, a leading organization supporting victims of domestic violence. In this role, she oversaw counseling services, clinical programming, and staff development, while working directly with individuals and families navigating the complex realities of abuse, trauma, and recovery. Her work in this setting reflects extensive experience in crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and long-term healing support for those impacted by domestic violence.
Clinically, Brandy specializes in trauma recovery, intimate partner violence, emotional abuse, coercive control, and the relational patterns that often accompany these experiences. She is highly skilled in helping clients rebuild a sense of safety, identity, and stability, while also equipping them with practical tools for emotional regulation, boundary setting, and relational clarity. Her approach is both clinically grounded and deeply compassionate, allowing her to meet individuals where they are while guiding them toward meaningful change.
As a supervisor, Brandy is passionate about developing counselors who are not only competent, but discerning and steady in their care. She brings a strong emphasis on ethical practice, clinical integrity, and the importance of understanding power dynamics within relationships, particularly in cases involving abuse and control. Her leadership reflects a commitment to preparing professionals who can confidently navigate complex and high-risk situations with both wisdom and care.
At Higher Hopes Institute, Brandy integrates her extensive clinical background with Biblical principles, equipping students to engage trauma and relational brokenness through a lens that honors both sound clinical practice and the redemptive work of Christ. Her teaching emphasizes safety, truth, and restoration, preparing counselors and ministry leaders to step into some of the most difficult spaces with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
Brandy’s work is rooted in the belief that even in the aftermath of deep harm, healing is possible, dignity can be restored, and lives can be rebuilt with strength, wisdom, and hope.
Dr. Michelle Bengtson, PhD, is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, international speaker, award-winning author, and podcast host who brings a powerful integration of Biblical truth and brain science to her work. With more than three decades of clinical experience, she equips individuals and professionals alike to better understand how the mind functions, why emotional and psychological struggles occur, and how meaningful, lasting change remains possible even in the midst of pain.
Dr. Bengtson is widely recognized for her ability to translate complex neuroscience into clear, practical, and deeply relatable insights. Her teaching provides research-grounded tools that can be applied immediately in addressing anxiety, trauma, depression, intrusive thoughts, stress, and burnout. Each message is thoughtfully anchored in a Christ-centered perspective, restoring both hope and purpose while honoring the complexity of the human experience.
Clinically, Dr. Bengtson specializes in the assessment and treatment of complex conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, dementia, developmental disorders, and mood disorders. Her work reflects a rare combination of academic rigor, clinical excellence, and lived compassion, allowing her to connect authentically with a wide range of audiences, including Christian counselors, church leaders, mental health professionals, and caregivers.
As a communicator and educator, Dr. Bengtson is known for creating environments where individuals feel both understood and empowered. Whether teaching in continuing education settings, speaking at conferences, or leading retreat experiences, she fosters spaces where growth is accessible and transformation feels attainable.
Dr. Bengtson is also the host of the long-running podcast Your Hope Filled Perspective, where she offers Biblically grounded encouragement for navigating the challenges of everyday life. Her award-winning writing has reached readers around the world, with many describing her work as deeply personal and profoundly resonant. Her publications include Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression, the Hope Prevails Bible Study, Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises, Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right, and The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out to God When Pain Overwhelms. Her most recent release, Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past is Not Wasted, continues her commitment to helping individuals see redemption and purpose within their stories.
At Higher Hopes Institute, Dr. Bengtson serves as faculty for continuing education, equipping Christian counselors, clergy, and ministry leaders with integrated, Biblically grounded, and clinically informed training designed to support meaningful care across both professional and ministry contexts.
Find out more about Dr. Bengtson and avail yourself of her many resources at http://DrMichelleBengtson.com
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