Lizzy is currently a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate after completing her M.A. in Counseling from Townsend Institute of Concordia University Irvine. She attended Meredith College for her undergraduate degree in Child Development with a minor in Psychology and a Birth-Kindergarten teaching licensure. Lizzy has worked in a variety of school settings with children and families over the past 15 years which sparked a specific interest in social and emotional wellbeing and development. Most recently, Lizzy has been a curriculum developer and parent facilitator of Learning and Empowerment for Adoptive Families (LEAF) through Center for Child and Family Health. She has also served as a facilitator for Circle of Security Parenting® groups and as a Child and Family Advocate with SAFEChild.

Lizzy values emotional safety and longs for others to have a safe space to grieve and celebrate the complexities of the human experience. She loves partnering with clients to support healing, growth, and flourishing. Lizzy has experience working with children, teenagers, and adults. When working with children, she incorporates play based and creative elements. She values authentic human connection and has experienced the transformative power of empathic presence in her personal healing. Lizzy specializes in unique parenting circumstances, trauma, adoption, disability, depression and anxiety, disenfranchised grief, life transitions, spirituality, self-compassion, and boundary work. When she is not parenting her two children or working, Lizzy loves paddle boarding, NC day trips, doing yoga, being with friends, live music, and reading.

Lizzy is currently a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate after completing her M.A... Read More

Claudio Barrientos, LCSWA, is a bilingual therapist, fluent in both English and Spanish. I work with adolescents and adults. I have expertise in treating stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and OCD. I also treat grief, acculturation, gender identity, chronic pain, relationship and career issues. My path as a therapist has led to work with diverse groups and clinical settings. This includes migrant children that were under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

My journey in the helping profession began over a decade ago. At that time, I left the Los Angeles film industry to study mindfulness meditation in New Mexico. Meditation has become a personal practice that has fostered growth and openness. I now incorporate it into my clinical work as well when appropriate. Mindfulness is also a central element in several of the approaches I use. These include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Education is a lifelong pursuit for me. I graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Philosophy & Theology. I got my master’s in clinical social work from the University of Texas San Antonio. I currently have a scholarship to attend Brown University’s Mindfulness Teacher-Training program. I’m training to become certified as a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. When I complete my training I will bring MBSR to minority populations who may not have access to this wonderful tool.

Claudio Barrientos, LCSWA, is a bilingual therapist, fluent in both English and Spanish. I work w... Read More

Jenn has been providing therapy services to children, adolescents, and families in the greater Raleigh area since 2008. With over 17 years of counseling experience, Jenn is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, and National Certified Counselor. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Religion from Meredith College (2004) and Master’s and Educational Specialist Degrees from the University of Alabama (2006 and 2007).

Prior to private practice, she worked with women, adolescents, and children in a women’s counseling center, as well as with severely physically and sexually abused children in a children’s advocacy center.

Jenn works from a Child-Centered counseling theory, but uses a multitude of techniques including Jungian, Rogerian, CBT, and Psychodynamic approaches in order to best assess and meet specific counseling goals with clients. She enjoys working with parents of neurodivergent children, having several of those herself, and collaborating with schools to best set individuals up for success. She focuses her efforts on all aged clients, from toddlers to parents, as anxiety, depression, and daily life challenges have felt exacerbated as of late.

Currently, Jenn juggles her time between four children (ages 14, 13, 9, and 6), supervising new child therapist licensees, and offering parent consultations to help parents navigate the joys (and trials) of parenting. If she is not in the office, she is hoping to be at the beach with a good book in hand.

Jenn has been providing therapy services to children, adolescents, and families in the greater Ra... Read More

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Laura is joining us as a Circle of Security Parenting® Coordinator. As a graduate of Rhodes College and after receiving Masters of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University, Laura continued her career to include helping parents and families for over 30 years. She has served as a facilitator for Circle of Security Parenting® groups with SAFEChild since 2019, organizing and teaching over 30 parenting groups in the Raleigh area.

As a mother of four young adults, Laura is looking forward to her continued work with the Circle of Security program, both in parenting classes as well as within the local preschools.

Laura is joining us as a Circle of Security Parenting® Coordinator. As a graduate of Rhodes Colle... Read More

Katheryn is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She received her undergraduate degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Carolina University.  Katheryn’s graduate counseling experience includes working as a school-based therapy intern and as an outpatient intern working with children with disabilities. She is passionate about working with children and their families, and she aims to become a safe place and sense of support for children and their families as they navigate the variety of challenges and changes they face in life. Katheryn aims to help every client feel confident in who they are and validated in their experiences. She utilizes a person-centered approach to collaborate with her clients and help them realize their full potential. Katheryn will also incorporate a variety of play therapy techniques when working with children, as well as Rogerian and solution-focused techniques as she sees appropriate. When she is not working, Katheryn spends her free time exploring Raleigh, spending time with friends, and reading.

Katheryn is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) and a National Certifi... Read More

Alyson is a Raleigh native who graduated from Western Carolina University, majoring in psychology with a minor in communication. She is enrolled with the Townsend Institute at Concordia University, studying to receive her master’s in counseling with a certification in organizational leadership. Alyson will be completing her internship with Birch Therapy and plans to graduate in December 2024. She has also been a part of a Raleigh-based start-up company for the past 10+ years, leading their Human Resource function.

Alyson is passionate about working with individuals who are going through life transitions. She believes in a person-centered approach that provides a safe environment for clients to explore their experiences and stories through healing. Her areas of specialty are career counseling, attachment work, trauma, boundary work, grief, loss, anxiety, and depression. She incorporates attachment theory, internal family systems, and mindfulness with her clients. Alyson received her Yoga Teacher Training certification in 2021 and utilizes meditation and yoga practices for group work.

Alyson enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and golden retriever Chili on the weekends. You can find her at the beach most weekends in the summer for play and rest! She also enjoys yoga, live music, and finding the best coffee shops in Raleigh!

CERTIFICATIONS Leading Crucial Conversations, Certified through VitalSmarts Yoga Instructor Certification Mindfulness

Alyson is a Raleigh native who graduated from Western Carolina University, majoring in psychology... Read More

Ginger joins us as Operations and Outreach Director. Ginger is a seasoned clinician with 30 years unique experience in Micro and Macro Social Work. She received a Masters of Social Work from the University of SC and a BA in Psychology from Wake Forest University. She has been a passionate and dedicated advocate for children and families, working in the field of child abuse prevention for most of her career. Ginger brings skills for innovating efficient solutions to simplify procedures and concepts and decrease duplication within systems of care. She is a persuasive and engaging speaker, trainer and writer and is dedicated to helping caregivers access support and resources to strengthen their family. Ginger and husband Byron are the parents of Patrick ( 26), Natalie (22) and golden retriever Bodie. Patrick was diagnosed with autism at age 2, and since that time Ginger has been a strong advocate for individuals with autism and their caregivers receiving the services necessary to navigate this world. The Espino family enjoys trips to the mountains, walking the trails, tennis and music. Ginger serves on the Board of Directors for Hands of Protection To Prevent Child Abuse and HopeNC.

CERTIFICATIONS Circle of Security Parenting® Facilitator Strengthening Families Five Protective Factors Framework Trainer Florida State Trauma and Resilience Certification, Level 1 Triple P, Seminar and Level 2

Ginger joins us as Operations and Outreach Director. Ginger is a seasoned clinician with 30 years... Read More

Erin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who specializes in supporting children, adolescents, and families as they work together to build positive relationships and enhance family dynamics. She is a North Carolina native who earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work from Appalachian State University, with a minor in Sociology. Erin then earned her Master’s in Social Work from East Carolina University, with a focus on children and families.

As a seasoned professional for over 25 years, Erin has both family and community-based experiences, including the implementation of crisis intervention and trauma-focused strategies, delivery of early intervention and home-based services, as well as the supervision of undergraduate and graduate students. For the last 15 years, Erin has primarily focused on youth and young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

My Style

Erin works from a family-centered approach, based upon the belief that the most effective way to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being is to provide services that engage, involve, strengthen, and support families as a whole. She enjoys using a variety of modalities to best meet the preferences of her clients, including mindfulness, motivational interviewing, DBT, CBT, as well as TF-CBT. Erin has also found great value in the use of therapeutic enhancements such as play, art, and sand tray, which can be both effective and enjoyable ways to connect with youth.

Currently, Erin resides in Southern Wake County with her husband and two teenage daughters (ages 15 and 18), as well as two dogs and a cat who keep life even more interesting. When she is not working, Erin enjoys practicing her own mindfulness through holistic cooking and exercise, as well as making time for hobbies that include knitting and music.

Erin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who specializes in supporting children, adolesce... Read More

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Pamela is pursuing her M.A. in Counseling from Townsend Institute of Concordia University Irvine. Her previous degrees and certifications include a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Union University in 2010 and Level 1 Certification in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Presently, she is continuing her formal counseling experience as Clinical Intern with Birch Therapy and is set to graduate in August of 2023.

Pamela works primarily with couples, adults, and young adults. She is passionate about creating space for clients to feel seen, heard, and valued. She offers a steady presence as clients process their experiences and emotions. Pamela firmly believes in the power of the counseling relationship in that it has the potential to serve as a catalyst for individual insight, progressive change and overall mental health wellness. She approaches counseling from a client-centered lens, while incorporating CBT, Gestalt, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing and Existential therapy. Pamela specializes in working with divorce, grief, loss, values, self-awareness, self-acceptance, relationships, and boundary work. She believes change, healing, and growth are always available to us and values each individual’s unique journey.

Pamela currently lives in Wilmington, NC where she spends her free time connecting with friends, going to the beach, doing yoga, sewing, reading, playing the bass, and snuggling with her orange tabby cat.

Pamela is pursuing her M.A. in Counseling from Townsend Institute of Concordia University Irvin... Read More

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Meagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) with a Masters in Social Work (MSW) from The Ohio State University and a North Carolina native. Her educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Teaching and a BS in Biology from UNC Chapel Hill, complemented by a Certificate of Major in Multimedia Art from UNC Asheville. Meagan values incorporating this diverse foundation into her therapeutic practice.

With an emphasis on empowering adolescents and emerging adults, Meagan’s sincerity and care for her clients enables genuine collaboration to address issues like anxiety, depression, grief, relationship complexities, holistic wellness, celebrating the strengths and working with the challenges of ADHD and autism, and exploration of important academic and career choices. To enrich her therapeutic approach, she blends empathy and her clinical social work training with a broad knowledge base from past roles encompassing nearly five years of teaching high school photography and three years in autism-focused classrooms to positions in publishing, design, and cytogenetics. This breadth of experiences grants her rare insight into different professional trajectories, which she uses to support clients in forging their own paths.

In therapy, Meagan draws from several frameworks and modalities, including strengths-based and client-centered approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), therapeutic art, mindfulness, holistic wellness, and attachment theory as she assists clients in exploring their core values and beliefs and building a toolkit for psychological flexibility and resilience. She is also committed to creating an environment of inclusivity and acceptance for her LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse clients. Recognizing the uniqueness of each individual’s journey, Meagan fosters exploration in a safe, nonjudgemental space, collaborating with clients in envisioning a fulfilling life and co-creating pathways toward their emotional and tangible goals.

Beyond her professional commitments, Meagan values holistic wellness and adventure. She finds fulfillment in spending time with friends and loved ones, checking out great hikes with her husband, domestic and international travel, hitting festivals and new coffee shops, reading, practicing yoga and meditation, engaging in photography and drawing, finding creative ways to incorporate physical activity and healthy nutrition into her days, keeping her party safe in Dungeons and Dragons, indulging in old-school video games, and nurturing her ever-growing collection of houseplants.

Credentials:

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA), North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board Master of Social Work (MSW), The Ohio State University Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), BS Biology, UNC Chapel Hill Certificate of Major in Multimedia Art, UNC Asheville North Carolina Educator License (K-12 Art, 9-12 Science)

Areas of Special Interest:

Adolescent and Emerging Adult Mental Health Anxiety, Depression, Grief and Loss Improving Relationships with Self and Others Career Counseling Therapeutic Art Neurodiversity, ADHD, Autism LGBTQIA+ Communities Strengths-Based and Client-Centered Approaches Trauma-Informed Care Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Attachment Theory, Mindfulness Practices, Holistic Wellness

Meagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) with a Masters in Social Work (MSW)... Read More

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