Helping you help your child

Online Parenting Support
Through It Takes A Village, I offer online parenting support specifically surrounding changing behaviors in the home. If you want support in helping your child to change certain behaviors without shaming or yelling, this is a cost-effective and time-efficient way to get that information and support. Click here to read more. 

Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is offered for children and teens beginning at age 3, as well as for their parents. For children younger than age 3 I am happy to provide parent consultations or parent support sessions.

Family Counseling
There are some issues that are best addressed with family members present. That could be the entire family or just two or three members. Family counseling can mirror individual sessions or can have a structure all its own. We can work together to determine if your family needs family counseling.

Groups
From time to time I offer different groups for children or adults. For more about what is currently offered, click here. 

Parent Support Sessions
Parenting is hard, and even the best parents don’t know what to do at times. Some parents choose to schedule just a few appointments to get support surrounding a particular parenting issue. You may want recommendations on books for specific topics, encouragement on your current parenting techniques, brainstorming new parenting strategies, or just a reminder that you’re doing a great job. 
 
Consultations
Sometimes parents aren’t sure if their child’s behavior is normal or cause for concern. When that happens it’s hard to know if your child needs to see a counselor or not. I do parent consultations prior to working with children and adolescents in order to determine what the best need for your child will be. These appointments are covered under many insurance plans and will be billed accordingly. Often times the child’s behavior is well within the normal range for their age and I can help alleviate parental fear or anxiety about their child’s development. Sometimes that means that the child doesn’t even need to come in at all. 

Well Child Check-Ups
We take our children to the pediatrician regularly to ensure that they are healthy and growing appropriately, and to safeguard against harmful illnesses. Well child check-ups are available for mental health too. You can schedule an appointment to discuss the emotional health of your child and regular “check-in” appointments for your child to have someone to talk to about their day to day concerns. We can consult about warning signs for you to look for to ensure your child stays healthy emotionally as well as ways you can give your child boosters in between sessions. Some families choose to check in once a month or even two or three times a year. Just like with your pediatrician, you can always call if something comes up and you need to come in sooner. 

No Shows
When we schedule an appointment we are both committing to spend that time together. We all have emergencies from time to time, and if you or your child are sick I do not expect you to keep your appointment but I would like for you to let me know so that I can offer your time to someone else.  When you have other scheduling needs (baseball practice, family in town, big school project, etc.) please give at least 24 hours notice if you cannot keep your appointment. If you do not show up for your appointment or do not give 24 hours notice you will be charged for your appointment. If you are more than 15 minutes late for an appointment we will reschedule so that we can spend our full session together. Please note that insurance cannot be billed for appointments that you do not show up for and you will be responsible for the full fee. 

Supervision
I offer supervision for masters level social workers seeking licensure, or licensed clinicians seeking their play therapy certification. Supervision requests should be made by clicking the Make An Appointment button on the homepage. 

Court testimony
When appropriate, there are times that I provide court testimony as a fact witness or an expert witness. The charge for this is $1000 per day. Please note I am not a forensic interviewer and my role is not to collect evidence from your child. If you are a current or past client and are looking for court testimony, please speak with me about whether or not it is appropriate for me to testify in your case. If you are an attorney looking for an expert witness, please see the expert witness tab under "more" in the drop down menu, above.  

Speaking Engagements
I am available for speaking engagements to schools, agencies, churches, daycares, and other private groups. I have experience providing topical trainings to agency employees as well consulting about specific client cases. Professional groups may contact me via phone or email to discuss your needs. Organizations who have hosted me in the past include:
  • ACC Multidisciplinary Team
  • ACC Police Department 
  • Clarke County DFCS 
  • The Cottage Children's Advocacy Center
  • Oconee County Civitan Club 
  • Jackson County School Counselors and Social Workers 
  • Clarke County School Counselors
  • Uniting Hope for Children
  • reBlossom Parent Resource Center
  • Piedmont Rape Crisis Center 
  • Athens Academy

Writing
Click the links below to sample some of the articles I've written for publication. 
Features
I have also been featured in several articles written by others. Journalists looking for professional quotes for articles may submit a proposal through the Contact tab or through HARO. 


Guide. Reflect. Observe. Welcome. Teach. Heal.