About Me

I’m not your typical therapist, this is my third career.  Previously, I was a DUI Defense Attorney but realized that I enjoyed counseling clients into treatment more than taking their money to help get them out of trouble. My first career was 15 years in the tech field.   I’ve been using the internet daily for over twenty years now.  I’ve watched it change the world for the better, but I’ve also watched individuals go down in flames due to ensnarement/enslavement in the medium.  Addiction to gaming, porn addiction, and compulsive social networking can truly be overwhelming for some, and getting ensnared in these problems can be very similar to substance abuse, sexual addiction/compulsivity, and pathological gambling.

My unique background offers my clients multiple benefits.  For example, a client once told me, “I’ve worked with other therapists before, but I like working with you because you seem to see things differently.” I "travel between worlds" very well.  For example, due to my legal and business background, I’m comfortable working in a formal and professional environment, and I interact well with doctors, lawyers, professors, businessmen, and other professionals.

Alternately, my long and extensive tech background allows me to understand and work with the “digital natives” (millennial generation) who grew up with technology embedded in their lives.  

Additionally, my naturally casual and informal style helps me to understand and work with everyone in-between.  I did my counseling internship at the county mental health and substance abuse clinic, and successfully worked with, among others, homeless and other people who lost everything due to their addictive behaviors and problems. See my full bio here.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE
Licensed Attorney – (2006 - present)
State of Georgia license # 465126
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) – (2015 - present)
State of Georgia License # LPC008258

PROFESSIONAL/CLINICAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) - (expired)
American Bar Association (ABA)– (expired)
American Counseling Association (ACA) – (expired)
Division: International Association of Addictions & Offender Counseling - (expired)
American Professional Association of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) - (current)
American Psychological Association (APA) – (expired)
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) - (expired)
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) - (current)
Georgia Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (GATSA) - (current)
Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCA) – (current)
Member: Board of Directors, Chair of Ethics Committee - (2017-2019)
Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) – (current)
Member: Board of Directors - (2015-2017)
Awards: SASH Merit Award (2018)
Southeast Brainspotting Institute (SEBI) - (current)
State Bar of Georgia – (current)
Sections:  Health Law - (current)
Sections: Intellectual Property (expired)

CERTIFICATIONS
Board Certified Coach (BCC)
      Issued by the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE/NBCC) 
Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT)
       Issued by the International Institute of Trauma Addiction Professionals
Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC)
      Issued by the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE/NBCC) 
Psychology of the Web (certificate program)
      Issued by the Zur Institute
Specialist in Problematic Sexual Behavior (S-PSB) (certificate program)
      Issued by the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health
 

OTHER SPECIALIZED TRAINING
EMDR Level I
      EMDRIA approved training offered by EMDR Consulting LLC.
Brainspotting Phases I, II, & III
      Training provided by the Southeast Brainspotting Institute

EDUCATION

Doctor of Psychology, California Southern University, Irvine, Ca. Sept, 2014, Summa Cum Laude (4.0)

Specialty Areas: Addictive Behaviors, Adult ADHD
Doctoral Project: An Investigation into the Potential for the Inclusion of Internet Addiction with Subtypes as a Behavioral Addiction in the Revised DSM-5.
Practicum & Internship: Advantage Behavioral Health Systems (ABHS), Athens, GA 2014-2015

Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Mercer University, Atl, Ga. 2011 - 2013 (no degree awarded)

Pre-doctoral coursework taken in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Masters program
Awards: Chi Sigma Iota (Counseling Honor Society); Phi Kappa Phi (Academic Honor Society)

Juris Doctor, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia Feb, 2006

Concentrations: Health Law and Intellectual Property

Master of Business Administration, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia Mar, 1998

Focus: Information Systems and International Business

Bachelor of Arts, Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina May, 1994

Majors: Sociology and History. Undeclared Minors: Psychology and Philosophy
Awards: Psy Chi (Psychology Honor Society), Blue Key (Academic Honor Society), Sociology Dept. Student of the Year (1994)
Internship: Fulton County Department of Family & Children’s Services