Let our experience guide you.

Phil Herndon, LPC-MHSP

Executive Director

Phil has been the Clinical Director of The Center for Professional Excellence for almost a decade. Phil was a leader and a pastor at North Ft. Worth Baptist Church for 12 years, has served in leadership in several churches, and currently serves as an elder in his church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He brings over 23 years of experience to his work with CPE.

Kerri Guadagni

Clinical Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellow

Dr. Guadagni joined the team in August 2020 as JourneyPure’s Clinical Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellow. She obtained her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Florida Institute of Technology. She oversees the Integrative Assessment Program and provides psychological assessments for professionals within the CPE program. Additionally, she co-facilitates groups, provides individual therapy, and offers lectures on her areas of therapeutic interest. With specialized training in eating disorders, trauma-related disorders, sexual health, and addiction, Dr. Guadagni is enthusiastic about the recovery journey and passionate about helping individuals heal to reach their optimal level of well-being.

Karen Carnes

Executive Administrator

Karen has dedicated her giftedness, passion, and time to coordinating help for the professionals in need and their families that come to CPE. She’s the voice you hear when you call our number and she’s the face that greets you at our office. With years of experience working closely with people to help reach their goals, Karen brings her heart to helping others recover from addiction. She has worked in marketing and various administrative roles.

Cynthia Henderson, JD

Professionals Program Liaison

Cynthia is the Professionals Program Liaison at JourneyPure. She is a licensed attorney in the State of Tennessee receiving her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Nashville School of Law and her BS from Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee. She joined JourneyPure Center for Professional Excellence in October, 2016 and her personal recovery gives her a great perspective for professionals struggling with addiction as well as how this disease impacts the family as a whole.

Dr. Stephen Loyd, MD

Medical Director

Julie Whitaker, LMSW, OTA

Director of Women’s Professional Program

Julie has been a therapist with JourneyPure since May 2019 and recently joined the Center of Professional Excellence team in June 2020. Obtaining her Master’s degree in Social Work from University of Tennessee, she also completed the Trauma Treatment Graduate Certificate Program in 2015. She has worked in the field of addiction for 5 years as a trauma-informed therapist. Julie provides individual, group, and family therapy and oversees the daily operations of the Women’s Program. She shares that her passion for helping others with addiction began as a result of her own personal journey in recovery. She also has 17 years of experience working in Occupational Therapy which has given her a unique perspective in holistic approaches to care.