Our Team
Professional Care. Clinical Accountability. Respect for the Whole Person.
DelMar is building a multidisciplinary team capable of responding to mental-health, relationship, substance-use and recovery needs. Every professional provides services within the scope of applicable education, credentials, licensure, supervision and authorization.
Januarius J. Asongu, PhD, LGPC, LACMH
Professional Counselor | Founder, DelMar Behavioral Health & Recovery
Dr. Januarius J. Asongu is a professional counselor, psychologist by academic training, author and scholar whose work brings together psychology, philosophy, human development, relationships, recovery and questions of meaning and human flourishing.
His clinical interests include anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, behavioral concerns, ADHD and neurodivergence, relationships, couples and family concerns, substance use and recovery, LGBTQ+ concerns, chronic illness, traumatic brain injury adjustment, stress, identity, spirituality and major life transitions.
A Whole-Person Approach
Dr. Asongu approaches counseling from an integrative, evidence-informed, culturally responsive and whole-person perspective. Rather than understanding people only through diagnostic categories, he considers the interaction among thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, personal history, culture, health, circumstances, identity, values, meaning and—when important to the client—spirituality.
Treatment Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Person-Centered Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy-informed interventions, as appropriate
- Trauma-informed and trauma-focused approaches
- Family and relationship-focused interventions
- Psychoeducation
- Mindfulness-based strategies
- Recovery-oriented care
- Culturally responsive and strengths-based counseling
Critical Synthetic Counseling (CSC)
Dr. Asongu is developing Critical Synthetic Counseling (CSC), an emerging integrative framework informed by his broader philosophy of Critical Synthetic Realism (CSR). CSC begins from the insight that human problems rarely exist in isolation. Psychological distress may involve interacting dimensions of thought, emotion, behavior, relationships, personal history, culture, social circumstances, embodiment, values, identity, meaning and spirituality.
CSC seeks to bring these dimensions into a coherent therapeutic understanding while preserving client autonomy, clinical humility, evidence-informed practice and openness to correction. At DelMar, CSC does not replace established clinical standards or evidence-informed therapeutic approaches; it serves as a developing conceptual framework for understanding the whole person.
Psychology & Related Books
Holistic Resilience — Explores resilience as more than enduring adversity and examines how psychological, relational, social, cultural, spiritual and other dimensions interact as people adapt, recover and grow.
Hidden Selves: Triple Masking — Explores identity, authenticity, adaptation, self-presentation and the ways people may conceal or negotiate different dimensions of themselves in response to relationships and social pressures.
Unpacking the Mind — Contributes to Dr. Asongu’s broader exploration of psychological life, human behavior, development and the complex factors involved in understanding the person as a whole.
Educational Psychology: Integrating Global Learning Sciences with African Educational Realities — Examines human learning and development across cultural contexts and reflects an interest in culturally responsive psychology and education.
The Splendor of Truth: A Critical Philosophy of Knowledge and Global Agency — Develops philosophical foundations of Critical Synthetic Realism, including truth, knowledge, agency, intellectual responsibility and human flourishing; these themes help inform the conceptual background of CSC.
Critical Synthetic Realism: A Systematic Philosophy of Truth, Personhood, and Human Flourishing — Develops the broader philosophical architecture of CSR and its understanding of the human person, knowledge, reality, moral agency and flourishing.
Encountering Witchcraft: Causality, Fear, and Violence in the Modern World — Examines belief, causality, fear, culture, social interpretation and violence, with relevance to culturally responsive psychological understanding and the influence of explanatory frameworks on behavior and distress.
Education & Credentials
- PhD, Counseling Psychology
- Maryland: Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC), LGP18196
- Delaware: Licensed Associate Counselor of Mental Health (LACMH), AC-0010529
- New Jersey: Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) application pending
- NPI: 1689589533
- Clinical Supervisor: Eric Lavalle, MSEd, LPC, NCC
Eric Lavalle, MSEd, LPC, NCC
Clinical Supervisor
Eric Lavalle is a licensed professional counselor, National Certified Counselor and approved clinical supervisor with more than a decade of behavioral-health experience across community mental health, inpatient and outpatient settings. He is the founder and clinical director of TrailMarker Clinical Group and also teaches psychology at the university level.
His clinical experience includes substance use and addiction recovery, trauma/PTSD, anxiety, relationship concerns, acute psychiatric care, dual-diagnosis treatment and crisis intervention. His therapeutic approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and strengths-based person-centered care.
At DelMar, Mr. Lavalle provides professional clinical supervision, consultation and oversight consistent with applicable licensing requirements and professional standards. His supervisory role supports ethical practice, case conceptualization, treatment planning, risk management, documentation quality and continuing professional development.
John Fankmeni, ARNP, A-GNP
Interim Medical Director / Medical Provider
John Fankmeni, ARNP, A-GNP, is an experienced nurse practitioner whose career has focused extensively on caring for older adults and individuals with complex medical needs. His clinical expertise includes chronic disease management, medication management and safety, clinical case management, care coordination, and patient advocacy.
As Interim Medical Director and Medical Provider for DelMar Behavioral Health & Recovery, John provides medical leadership, evaluation, and clinical support within his professional scope of practice. He helps ensure that relevant medical considerations are incorporated into behavioral-health and substance-use care, with particular attention to medication management, medical conditions that may affect treatment, patient safety, and coordination with other healthcare providers.
John works collaboratively with DelMar’s behavioral-health professionals to support an integrated approach to care, recognizing that physical health, mental health, medications, substance use, and social circumstances can significantly influence one another.
His commitment to compassionate and dignified patient care was recognized with the Christiana Care Excellence Award in 2017. John combines advanced clinical experience with a strong commitment to advocacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and person-centered care.
Eveline Fondong, MSW
Director of Business Development & Community Outreach | Counselor
Eveline Fondong leads DelMar’s business development, community outreach, referral development, and relationship-building with healthcare providers, community organizations, recovery programs, and other partners. In addition to her leadership responsibilities, she participates in counseling, psychoeducation, and individual and group services consistent with her qualifications, supervision, and applicable scope-of-practice requirements.
Sharon Finley
Director of Operations & Quality Assurance | Counselor
Sharon Finley oversees day-to-day operations, quality assurance, workflow coordination, documentation standards, regulatory readiness, and continuous quality-improvement activities. She also participates in counseling, psychoeducation, and individual and group services consistent with her qualifications, supervision, and applicable scope-of-practice requirements.
George A. Gonzalez, PhD, LMFT-S
Clinical Supervisor / Behavioral Health Provider
George A. Gonzalez, PhD, LMFT-S, brings more than three decades of experience in psychotherapy, marriage and family therapy, addiction counseling, pastoral counseling, behavioral health, and clinical supervision to DelMar Behavioral Health & Recovery.
As a Clinical Supervisor, Dr. Gonzalez contributes his extensive clinical experience to supporting DelMar clinicians, promoting sound clinical practice, strengthening professional development, and helping maintain high standards of ethical and person-centered behavioral-health care.
Dr. Gonzalez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist-Supervisor (LMFT-S) in Texas, License No. 2630. He also holds multiple professional credentials in Maine:
- Clinical Professional Counselor — CC342
- Professional Counselor — PC466
- Marriage & Family Therapist — MF467
- Pastoral Counselor — LP269
In addition to clinical supervision, Dr. Gonzalez provides behavioral-health services within the scope of his applicable professional licenses and credentials. His approach recognizes the interconnected nature of mental health, substance use, relationships, family systems, personal values, and recovery.
His depth of clinical and supervisory experience strengthens DelMar’s commitment to professional excellence, ethical practice, whole-person care, and the continued development of a strong multi-state clinical team.
Christine Ngangsic, RN
Registered Nurse / Intake & Care Coordination Manager
Christine Ngangsic is a Registered Nurse with more than 20 years of nursing experience serving individuals with diverse medical, behavioral, and supportive-care needs. Over the course of her career, she has developed extensive experience in patient assessment, health education, care coordination, medication support, and the management of complex health needs.
Christine has also worked in group-home settings, where she provided support services to individuals requiring assistance with daily living, healthcare coordination, and access to community resources. This experience has given her a strong understanding of the challenges faced by individuals who require coordinated medical, behavioral-health, and social support services.
At DelMar Behavioral Health & Recovery, Christine serves as Registered Nurse / Intake & Care Coordination Manager. She supports clinical intake, nursing assessment, health screening, medication reconciliation, patient education, and coordination of medical and behavioral-health services. She works collaboratively with DelMar’s medical providers, therapists, counselors, and other members of the treatment team to identify client needs, facilitate appropriate referrals, support continuity of care, and promote recovery and overall wellbeing.
Drawing on more than two decades of nursing and community-based experience, Christine brings to DelMar a patient-centered and integrated approach to care, helping ensure that clients’ physical-health, behavioral-health, recovery, and supportive-service needs are addressed as part of a coordinated treatment process.