Hello!
I'm Max and I am here to help! I enjoy working with people from all walks of life and helping them along their life's journey. I work with most age groups including couples and parents. The concerns I have experience working with include anxiety, depression, ADHD, high functioning Autism, grief, self-harm, suicide, communication and interpersonal skills, anger management, addictions, self-esteem, bullying, and career counseling. I am also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and will be offering DBT skills groups for both teens and adults in 2023. If you or someone you know is struggling in any of the areas I've mentioned please don't hesitate to contact me. Take care!

Hi, thanks for reading my Bio! I've been a psychologist now for 30 years. Over that time, I've helped more than 10,000 people. This is my 3rd career - I started as a Domino's Pizza manager, then a computer programmer for IBM. I became a psychologist after seeing my own psychologist during a difficult divorce. I learned so much from that experience that I knew it was right for me - so I went back to school. I've also completed 90% of a post doctoral certificate in neuropsychology.

I find that most people I work with are interested in one of two kinds of therapy. First, some people are interested in problem solving / solution focused therapy - finding solutions to life's many problems. I use brain science and the design of human beings to develop creative shortcuts to these problems. I've created my own names for them, such as the 'what else' technique, or reverse psychologizing yourself, or the 3 P's of grieving, or the 'outside the box' technique.

Other people want to understand themselves at a deep level. Perhaps they find themselves making the same mistakes in life. Or they wonder 'how did I get here?' The want to understand their personality structure and to make deep, long lasting changes - to become, not necessarily happier, but more successful and satisfied with life. During this process, I describe what I consider to be 'the ultimate in mental health.'

And now you know ... The rest of the story!

Cecilia is a National Certified Counselor, a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor-Associate, a Certified Supervisor Intern, and a Gottman Level 1 couples’ therapist. She has over 8 years of experience in addiction and behavioral health and a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from North Carolina State University. Additional education includes a graduate certificate in counseling education from N. C. State as well as a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Wake Forest University and a bachelor’s in business administration from Catawba College. Cecilia has sought additional training in trauma, dialectical behavioral therapy, victim advocacy for survivors of gender based violence, emotionally focused therapy, and providing affirming and responsive treatment to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and Autistic and Neurodiverse individuals.

My passion is working with the LGBTQ community and with couples. I have worked in many settings and in my own LCSW counseling and consulting practice since 1987. I am originally from the East Coast and came to California, originally the Bay Area for 30 years and San Diego for the past 9, and have worked in medical, acute rehabilitation and outpatient psychiatry for the majority of my career.
I am trained in the Gottman model of couple's therapy, in DBT, CBT, ACT, Trauma resiliency, Prolonged Exposure therapy and CPT.
My most extensive training in the last 7 years has been with gender affirming care.

Salima received her Bachelors degree from Georgia State University in Early Childhood Education. While teaching, she recognized the importance of mental health for both the child and the family. She wanted to transition to a career where she would have the opportunity to focus on the mental health of others. She obtained her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University. During her program, Salima spent time at Manna Treatment, where she gained experience working with eating disorders in the PHP and IOP programs. She also had the opportunity to work with children, teens, and adults for various issues such as divorce, depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health concerns.

In addition to her internship experience, Salima also worked for Kate’s Club, where she lead grief groups for school-aged children who recently lost a family member or loved one. Salima enjoys seeing her clients progress and meet their personal goals and works with them to help foster mentally and emotionally healthy lives.

Anna is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Georgia. In 2018, she opened a private practice, Elevate Counseling + Coaching providing individual therapy and supervision. She is a generalist, but has a lot of experience working with with anxiety, depression, life transitions, and eating disorders. Prior to Elevate, she spent eight years as the Director of Upper School Counseling for a small private school.

She has a passion for working with people. In therapy, Anna’s approach is generally cognitive behavioral therapy mixed with solution-focused techniques. The goal is to challenge you, but for you to leave feeling empowered and capable of controlling your own life. In addition to traditional therapy, she has a lot of experience with leadership development, personal development, and health and wellness and she often weaves those into individual therapy sessions.

Molly Halbrooks holds a Master of Family Therapy from Mercer University and has been licensed since 2014. Her extensive training and clinical experience have equipped her to work with adults of all ages with varying presenting issues through in person and virtual therapy. She currently is accepting clients from Georgia and North Carolina for virtual sessions, and in-person sessions for those in the Charlotte area.

In sessions, Molly creates a comfortable, safe, and accepting atmosphere where her clients can explore the challenges they face. Her clients have described her as down to earth, easy to talk to, and direct. The clients who find her to be the best fit include those facing life transitions such as divorce, new parenting, and career changes; individuals struggling with anxiety; grieving individuals; those facing relational struggles; and those who are wanting to make sense of and heal from past traumatic experiences. She uses a combination of techniques, drawing from Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and client-centered, strength-based techniques to meet clients where they are and walk with them through the process of creating positive change. She has been trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) and utilizes this to address a variety of presenting concerns, including trauma, mood disorders, and phobias.

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Molly grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has lived in the southeast for the past 14 years. She currently lives in the Charlotte area with her husband and children, and when she is not seeing clients she enjoys cooking, practicing yoga, spending time outdoors, and traveling.

Life can be hard! Sometimes life deals us a set of circumstances that we aren’t sure how to navigate. Sometimes life is just confusing, and it can be hard to make sense of it all. You may find yourself asking questions like “how did I get here” and “how do I move forward”. There is where counseling could come in as a tool-- one of the biggest benefits of therapy is having a safe place to share how you are really doing and feeling.
I value creating a safe place space to understand your true identity and thrive in your current situation. I believe that my clients are experts on themselves and collaborate with you in our work together.
You don’t have to walk alone! It is my desire that clients can learn to be present in their daily lives and persevere with hope for the future. I consider it a honor to help clients hold even that mustard seed of hope and watch it grow. I have specialized training in trauma, EMDR, life transitions, grief and loss, and anxiety work.