Accreditation & Staff

		Copper Canyon Academy boarding school for girls has a college prep focused academic program, and is fully accredited by North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. All academic classes are taught by Arizona Certified Teachers. Copper Canyon Academy's academic program is designed to maximize a students learning potential, a joy of learning, and also utilizes a unique credit recovery program. Success is academics enables students to gain increased self-esteem, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-reliance and self-management
		Copper Canyon Academy is accredited by CITA (Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation).
		EGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) is an international professional organization, dedicated to the promotion of ethical practice in equine assisted psychotherapy. Linda Cathcart, M.A. our equine therapist is certified by EAGALA at the advanced level in utilyzing horses experientially for mental health treatment and human development.

Click here for a list of Staff email addresses and phone numbers

Paul Taylor, MS - Executive Director
Paul joined Copper Canyon Academy in June of 2001. Paul received a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Sociology degree from the University of Utah in 1994, a Special Education Teaching Certificate in 1995, and a Masters of Science Degree as a Comprehensive Behavior Specialist from the University of Utah in 2001. Paul began working in Residential Therapeutic Programs in October 1989. He worked for Utah Youth Corrections programs for 12 years as a Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Intake Coordinator, Youth Supervisor, and Group Therapy Facilitator. He also has specialty training in Positive Control Techniques, Behavior Management, Behavior Consultant, Assessments and Testing, Vocational Training, Female Offender Training, and Criminology and Corrections. Paul and his beautiful wife, Sara, are the proud parents are five amazing children.

Linda Cathcart, M.A. - Counselor
Linda has been in practice as a psychotherapist since 1984. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Arizona State University and a Masters degree in counseling from Northern Arizona University, Linda participated in a two year certification program at the Gestalt Therapy Institute in Phoenix. She received additional training in Rational Emotive Therapy, Reality Therapy, Art and Drama Therapy. Linda holds an Arizona State Community College teaching certificate, and holds advanced certification from EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association - an international professional organization that promotes ethics and professionalism in equine assisted Psychotherapy) Linda worked for nine years with the Department of Juvenile Corrections, during which time she was the recipient of the Governor‘s Award for Excellence in Government as a result of her work on the development and implementation of a Model Treatment Program. For the past thirteen years Linda has worked in the private sector at therapeutic boarding schools for emotionally troubled teens. She has worked as a teacher, a therapist and an administrator. Throughout her career, Linda has traveled nationally to provide training to staff, students, parents and families. During her time here at Copper Canyon Academy, Linda brought Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to our program and continues to provide Equine Assisted therapy to our girls in addition to her regular duties as a therapist.

Maryanne McKowen, MA - Counselor
Has been a licensed Marriage Family Child Therapist in California since 1993. She is currently in the process of obtaining her license in Arizona. She graduated with a Master's degree in Counseling from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1988. Maryanne worked in community mental health for 12 years actively counseling individuals with serious mental illness in addition to teaching therapists in training. She had a private practice specializing in sexual abuse and trauma using EMDR, cognitive restructuring and guided visualization. She is trained in wilderness rites of passage therapy and has facilitated vision quests in the Eastern Sierras of California. Maryanne brings to Copper Canyon Academy her enthusiasm and great love of adolescent girls. She has successfully raised her 4 children to adulthood and appreciates the challenges of parenting.

Sara Wasserman - Counselor
Sara has been a therapist at Copper Canyon Academy for over 3 years. She comes to us with a varied background and experience with families and adolescents in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Sara has been a therapist for 35 years and has worked in many different residential settings providing her with a solid foundation for her responsibilities at CCA. Her educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Special Education from the University of Cincinnati. Her Master's degree in Art Therapy from the University of Louisville, offers students another avenue of expression. Sara believes if you can create an idea in art you can create it in life. Use of images allows for the unfolding of information often difficult to put into words. Sara combines verbal and non-verbal therapies as avenues of expression. She has expertise in working with adoption, depression, grief and loss and the value of living in the present moment. Sara is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Certified Registered Art Therapist.

Susannah Fox, MA, LPC #10643 - Counselor
Susannah has specialized in working with court ordered and family referred adolescents as an in home family preservation counselor through a state contract administered by The Alternative Center and Catholic Social Service in Flagstaff, AZ. Individual and family counseling, as well as coordination with juvenile probation and other community resources was facilitate under this program. Susannah has also worked as an outpatient clinical counselor, with an emphasis on marriage counseling, addictions, and child expressive therapy. Susannah received her B.S. from the University of Michigan/State University of New York, and a Masters in Counseling from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. She is a National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC), and also has management background in Quality Assurance activities in psychiatric/chemical dependency hospitals.

Taylor Watts, MA, LMHC - Counselor
Is a licensed mental health therapist trained in psychotherapy, expressive therapies, substance abuse, mind-body, relaxation and cognitive restructuring with a specialization in child, adolescent and family therapy. She graduated from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Massachusetts. Recently she relocated to the beautiful state of Arizona and will obtain her AZ LPC license through reciprocity. Taylor has worked with children and their families in various settings including outpatient clinics, schools, public housing projects, hospitals, community centers and in private practice. She has worked in administration as a clinic director, coordinator for child/family, and educational services, but her heart and primary focus is in direct care and therapy with children and families. Her experience in counseling is augmented by an earlier, extensive career in the arts, which contributes to a unique foundation of skills and a commitment to a multidimensional approach that recognizes the importance of the adolescent, family, culture and community in providing the supports necessary for successful treatment.

George Davies - Family Therapist
George attended Arizona State University and received a Masters degree in counseling. He worked in a community mental health center in Phoenix, Arizona and then went into private practice in Tempe, Arizona. George was a coordinator of an outreach program in St. Joseph's Michigan working with families at risk that were referred by Child Protective Services. He worked as a consultant to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, with a major focus on economic development. A comprehensive evaluation was submitted to the Tribal Council with the intent that the evaluation be followed by a second phase involving active change to tribal systems. George returned to Arizona and developed a program providing treatment to at-risk families in the Verde Valley communities, referred by Child Protective Services.

George is a clinical member of The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Counseling Association. He is licensed by the Arizona Board of Behavior Health Examiners and the National Board of Certified Counselors. He is licensed by the Michigan Board of Marriage and Family Therapy and the Michigan Board of Counseling.

Rodney Adams, M.S. Counseling Psychology - Counselor
Rodney has experience working in the field of substance abuse, mental health residential programs and residential programs for adults experiencing developmental disabilities. Rodney has recently moved back to Verde Valley area from Anchorage Alaska. In Alaska he worked for a private substance abuse agency, providing treatment in both outpatient and intensive outpatient programs. Previous experience includes managing group homes for adults with developmental disabilities and adults that experience mental health disorders. Rodney received his B.S. in Psychology through Northern Arizona University and his M.S. in counseling psychology through Alaska Pacific University. He is currently seeking licensure in the state of Arizona. Rodney uses an eclectic approach to therapy understanding that each individual is unique requiring a unique approach. His main emphasis is to have the girls understand their self limiting thoughts and beliefs which often lead to behavior with undesirable consequences.