Irene Lagan Chambers

MS, LPC, CSAT Candidate

Core Counseling was founded in Charleston, SC, by licensed professional counselor Irene Lagan Chambers. While she holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, Lagan’s true education has come from the memorable connections that she’s made with people from all walks of life through her world travels, mission work, writing opportunities and years as a therapist. Every interaction has helped shape Lagan’s core beliefs and values, and Core Counseling clients benefit from her unique perspective.

Irene comes to clinical psychology by way of a biology and philosophy background. She earned her Masters degree from the Institute for Psychological Sciences (now Divine Mercy University) in Virginia, and completed a post-masters program in Health Coaching from Maryland University for Integrative Health. Irene has also earned a degree in philosophy, and a degree in religious and cultural studies in Rome, Italy, where she worked as a broadcast and print reporter. She is a member of the South Carolina Psychology Association and the South Carolina Association for Licensed Professional Counselors.

Irene loves learning and has always been passionate about the role of culture and belief systems in shaping behavior. She also advocates for promoting health habits that support mental and physical health.

On a more personal note, Irene enjoys a vibrant family life. Her passion for faith and family, learning and serving others continue to inform her practice and are invaluable assets in building strong therapeutic relationships.

Debra A Dinolfo

MA, LPC, LPC/S, Certificate in Spiritual Direction

Debra has been a Licensed Professional Counselor since 2000 and a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor since 2020. Her master’s degree from New York University is in individualized study with a focus on writing and psychology. In her master’s thesis, she researched the role of prayer in establishing a closer bond between spouses in their marital relationship. She worked as a mental health counselor and supervisor in Greenville and then in Charleston with the South Carolina Mental Health Department for 16 years. Also, her work as a Military Family Life Counselor enhances her skills in grief work and in navigating the challenges of various transitions and adjustments to unexpected situations. Although she counsels people of all ages, most of her experience is with couples, children and adolescents.

Debra completed the two-year Spiritual Direction Certificate program at Divine Mercy University in Virginia. Although she does not serve in this capacity in this setting, her work as a counselor is inspired and informed by her training in spiritual direction, with its emphasis on discernment in making important life decisions and identifying one’s purpose. When a client is ready for this guidance, Debra refers clients to spiritual directors in the area.

Debra’s work as a counselor has a special focus on healing through relationships and fully living one’s vocation. Through her experience of cancer, she has developed a greater understanding of the transformative role of suffering. She and her husband have been married since 1991. Their faith and prayer are a major influence on their marital bond.

Joshua Shane

MA, LPCA

Joshua’s background in helping and counseling others began with his career in religious education and ministry. After serving in the United States Army and partaking in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he attended Michigan State University and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies in 2006. Soon after, he began his studies at Franciscan University of Steubenville and studied under well-known theologians and scholars, such as Dr. Scott Hahn and Dr. James Bergsma. Spending a semester in Rome, he studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome and was awarded a Master of Arts degree in theology and Christian ministry in 2012. Since graduating, Joshua worked in nearly every position available in the Catholic Church that is open for employment by a lay person. This included serving as a youth minister, a director of religious education, a high school religious teacher, and lastly, as the head of campus Catholic ministry at the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. Serving as its director from 2016 to 2021, Joshua helped established the very foundations of this department, and with the help of the Diocese of Charleston and its clergy, the ministry today enjoys a reputation as a refuge for the corps of cadets and helping them in all their personal and spiritual needs.

After a long and prosperous career of serving in the Catholic Church, Joshua then hoped to further his effort of helping others by returning to his alma mater and enrolling the clinical mental health program at Franciscan University. While attending classes, he gained valuable experience in the field by helping those struggling with alcohol and substance abuse issues. While working in the student counseling center at the university, he became well versed in utilizing the tools of psychotherapy and combining them with those he had previously acquired through his past education and ministry experience. Completing the program and graduating in May of 2024, Joshua has since returned to the Charleston area, where he enjoys its many historic sites and its southern hospitality.

Having served in a combat theatre and now working as a disabled veteran, Joshua certainly understands the implications of life’s many challenges and how these can negatively impact our emotional and mental health. His approach is best described as holistic, considering the entirely of the person when hoping to assist them in their psychological needs. When not assisting clients in session, Joshua enjoys boating, hiking, and taking long walks with his service dog, Echo.