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

Kate is passionate about supporting children and families. She is an experienced clinician and has provided outpatient therapy in community mental health and private practice settings for 15 years. Kate has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mary Washington College (2004) and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from East Carolina University (2008). She is licensed to practice psychology in North Carolina (NC LPA 3684).

Kate provides individual and family therapy to children ages 3 to 25 years old. Kate often works with children and teenagers with depression, anxiety, AD/HD, behavioral challenges, learning difficulties, and social skills deficits, as well as children and families adjusting to separation/divorce and other challenging life circumstances. Kate has extensive experience working with children, teens, and families who have been impacted by sexual abuse, both victims of sexual abuse and children and teens with problematic sexual behavior (PSB). Kate has experience working with families from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Kate is an ally of LGBTQ+ youth and families. Kate believes parents and caregivers are essential to the therapeutic process.

Kate also provides psychological testing and assessment for children ages 7-17 years old. Kate has received extensive training in evidence based, trauma informed interventions for children and teens including Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TCBT), Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT).

While therapy can be hard work, Kate believes that therapy should be fun. Kate builds warm and genuine relationships with children and teens, uses play based interventions, and finds that humor is very helpful when coping with challenges. Kate enjoys reading, being outside, trips to the beach, and spending time with her family and friends.

Kate is passionate about supporting children and families. She is an experienced clinician and ha... Read More

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

aura received her Masters Degree in Social Work at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and an undergraduate degree in English from UNC-Chapel Hill. Since 1997, Laura has worked with parents to create homes where children thrive and parents feel equipped to face the inevitable challenges -  small and big –  that come with raising children. After completing her clinical training in the Washington, DC, foster care system, Laura relocated to Raleigh where she has spent the last 20 years providing both group and individual service to adults and teens, with a special focus on attachment behaviors, interpersonal violence and anxiety management. Additionally she has supervised and mentored provisional clinicians at two local agencies.

aura received her Masters Degree in Social Work at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and an ... Read More

I earned my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Medical Family Therapy from East Carolina University. My professional journey has encompassed clinical and integrated healthcare settings, reinforcing my belief in a holistic approach to treatment. Additionally, I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), empowering clients to confront and overcome traumatic experiences. I am dedicated to guiding adolescents, adults, couples, and families toward transformative growth and resilient relationships through collaborative therapy. By integrating research-based strategies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR, I assist clients in achieving their counseling objectives. My therapeutic philosophy emphasizes mindfulness, yoga, movement, and play to foster lasting connections and well-being. Specializing in individual wellness, relationship counseling, and family dynamics, I assist clients in navigating challenges such as depression, anxiety, life transitions, academic hurdles, motivation issues, and trauma. I am committed to offering a customized therapeutic approach, recognizing the uniqueness of each client, and tailoring strategies to meet their specific needs. a dedicated Marriage and Family Therapist, my therapeutic journey is guided by a collaborative approach aimed at fostering resilient relationships. With a profound understanding of relational dynamics, I am committed to helping individuals, couples, and families navigate emotional wounds and destructive coping strategies. My mission is to guide clients towards self-discovery, living with integrity, finding balance, and fostering healthy attachments to those they love. I specialize in addressing a spectrum of challenges, including infidelity and trust issues, trauma, process addictions, and intimacy and sex related concerns.

I earned my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Medical Famil... Read More

Annie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA). She received her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Science from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and her master’s in social work from North Carolina State University. While in college, Annie’s work experience included adoption, rehabilitation, and child advocacy. Working in these contexts gave her a sense of the great responsibility and privilege of partnering with individuals and listening to their stories. In her graduate work, Annie interned with a nonprofit focused on equine assisted psychotherapy for adolescents and also served as an outpatient intern doing therapy with children and their parents. Annie’s deep love for children, their internal worlds, and the art of play have led her to this field and her particular focus. She is passionate about working with children and creating a safe space for them to grow and develop. She believes in the power of the therapeutic relationship in the life of children, as well as the importance of parental involvement in that process. Annie employs a psychodynamic, person-centered approach when working with her clients so as to help foster healing, growth, and connection. Even so, she knows there is no one-size-fits-all modality, and so she is eager to partner with clients to find the approach that is best for them. In her free time, Annie enjoys spending time with friends, drinking coffee, and reading.

Annie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA). She received her undergraduate degr... Read More

Laurel is a passionate therapist who has been providing services to children, adolescents, and families in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. since 2019. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from North Carolina State University and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Laurel has worked with children and families in a variety of settings, including an integrated care clinic, community agency, and in private practice. She specializes in supporting kiddos with a variety of mental health needs: ADHD, Anxiety disorders, Depression, Attachment injuries, Trauma, adjustment issues, social skill concerns, behavioral challenges, and complex illnesses and healthcare needs.

Laurel is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive space for children and their caregivers and is committed to helping families foster emotional resilience and stronger connections.

Laurel is a passionate therapist who has been providing services to children, adolescents, and fa... Read More