CEO, Owner and Company Founder

Alison Pidgeon, MA, LPC

I started Move Forward Counseling in 2015 as a solo private practice in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. What began with a handful of clients and a conviction that the mental health field could do better has grown into one of Pennsylvania’s largest independently owned behavioral health group practices — averaging 60-65 therapists licensed clinicians at any time, six in-person therapy offices across Pennsylvania, and a team of licensed therapists serving clients statewide through teletherapy.

That growth didn’t happen by accident. It happened because of a clear, deliberate philosophy about what a mental health practice should be — for clients, for clinicians, and for the communities we serve.  Move Forward Counseling is a safe space, and we welcome everyone.

My Background & Experience

Before founding MFC, I spent years working in community mental health in Pennsylvania, eventually becoming a director of an outpatient clinic within a large health system. I hold a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Immaculata University and earned my Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential in 2009.

My experience in the mental health field started in 2009 as a clinician – I then moved onto clinical supervisor, a program director, and now as CEO of a multidisciplinary leadership team that includes a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Compliance and Education Officer, Clinical & Program Directors, and clinical supervisors embedded at each of our Pennsylvania locations.

Move Forward Counseling is 100% Independently Owned and Operated

At a time when many group practices across Pennsylvania and the country are being acquired by private equity or venture capital firms, we are not, and we never will be. That means clinical decisions stay clinical — no pressure to inflate session volume, cut supervision hours, or optimize for metrics that serve investors rather than people.

When you work with Move Forward Counseling, you work with a practice whose leadership is accountable to its clients and clinicians, not to a board of outside investors. We hand-pick our clinicians, verifying their experience, expertise, and training – holding ourselves accountable for the quality of the counseling services we offer and not a group of investors looking to profit from building an online platform to access services.

In 2021 and 2025, Move Forward Counseling earned B Corp Certifications, a rigorous third-party standard recognizing our commitment to accountability, transparency, and measurable social and environmental impact — not just profit.

For Licensed Therapists Exploring Jobs in Pennsylvania

Move Forward Counseling has been recognized as a Best Workplace by LNP Lancaster Online five times — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. That’s not a coincidence. I built MFC to be the kind of practice I wished had existed when I was a therapist. I still remember what it felt like to feel undervalued in a system that treated clinicians as replaceable. I intentionally built MFC so that no one on our team has to feel that way.

What that looks like in practice:

• fair W-2 compensation
• a flexible schedule you actually control
• a caseload that doesn’t burn you out
• beautiful therapy offices designed with clinicians in mind
• ongoing clinical supervision
• and a leadership team that treats your professional judgment with respect.

We handle the billing, scheduling, marketing, community relations, and administrative work so you can focus on what you trained to do.

If you’re a licensed therapist — LPC, LCSW, or psychologist — looking for a group practice in Pennsylvania that is stable, values-driven, and independently owned and operated, I’d welcome a conversation.

For Healthcare, Employer and Community Partners

Move Forward Counseling is a stable, accountable, clinician-led behavioral health organization with the infrastructure to support meaningful partnerships — including compliance, in-house billing, scheduling, and clinical oversight at every location. We are not a therapist directory or a technology platform acting as a middleman. We are a group practice with deep roots across Pennsylvania, the clinical breadth to accept warm referrals across most presenting concerns, and the geographic reach to serve patients in Lancaster, Hershey, York, Lebanon, Pittsburgh, State College, and anywhere in Pennsylvania via teletherapy.  We accept most major PA insurance plans and welcome clients, EAP clients, and referrals for individuals aged six and older in PA.

Let’s Start a Conversation

Whether you’re seeking counseling for yourself or your family, exploring a career as a licensed therapist, or looking for a trusted behavioral health partner for your organization, my commitment remains the same as it was when I opened Move Forward Counseling in 2015: to build a practice where people come first. That means investing in exceptional clinicians, providing evidence-based, compassionate care, supporting our communities, and remaining independently owned so our decisions are guided by what is best for the people we serve—not outside investors. I am incredibly proud of what our team has built together, and I look forward to continuing to expand access to high-quality mental health care across Pennsylvania for many years to come. 

I’d love to hear from you. Reach out to our team directly to request to be connected — I’m always glad to talk.

PA License #PC005216