Meet Our Therapists
Powers Ferry Psychological Associates is a private
practice with 19 independent psychologists in Buckhead, Marietta,
and Canton Georgia, specializing in
anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression,
ADD/ADHD, child and adolescent
psychology, aPowers Ferry Psychological Associates is a private
practice with 19 independent psychologists in Buckhead, Marietta,
and Canton Georgia, specializing in
anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression,
ADD/ADHD, child and adolescent
psychology, and couples and family counseling.
Dr. Adelstein works with adults seeking to make their lives more
personally fulfilling, including individuals struggling with
depression, anxiety, grief and loss, difficult life transitions,
interpersonal difficulties, and issues related to sexual
orientation or gender expression. In her work with clients, she
strives to understand and respect each individual’s experience, to
help them draw their own meaning and strength from it, and to help
guide them in using their discoveries to make positive changes in
their lives.
Dr. Adelstein
has specialized training and experience working with children and
teenagers, as well as their families. She appreciates the
challenges facing families attempting to raise emotionally strong,
self-aware kids who feel good about themselves and experience
success. At PFPA,
Dr. Adelstein is known for her warm, down-to-earth style, as well
as her effectiveness in facilitating positive changes for the
children with whom she works. With young children,
Dr. Adelstein often incorporates play therapy into her work. She
agrees that “play is the language of childhood”—that children are
better able to express more of their thoughts, feelings,
motivations, and struggles through play than they are able of
expressing through talk.
At times when it
is not clear why a child is struggling, a psychological assessment
can be very helpful. Dr. Adelstein conducts assessments that help
identify the specific strengths of the child, as well as his/her
specific challenges. Assessments can include an evaluation of a
child’s emotional, social, behavioral, intellectual, and academic
functioning. They can also be tailored to help identify strengths
and weaknesses in the areas of language, attention, learning and
memory, sensory perception, and motor functioning. Dr. Adelstein
has training in identifying specific disorders having, or
suspected to have, a neurological basis, and first seen in
childhood (e.g., Autism; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder;
Tourette Syndrome).
Dr. Adelstein
received her doctoral training from the University of Waterloo
(Canada). She sees clients at the Marietta office.
Dr. Cecilia
Phillips-Binder works with adults in individual and couples therapy.
She addresses problems commonly faced in today’s hectic and
stress-ridden modern world, including relationship issues,
self-image and body image concerns, women’s issues, life
transitions, and personal growth. She also works with the common
conditions of depression, anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, and
stress management. Dr. Phillips-Binder has a special interest in
helping women as they develop a career and manage romantic, marital,
and parenting aspirations.
Dr. Phillips-Binder has extensive experience working with people who
have chronic and serious physical illnesses, such as cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary disease. She has a special
interest in helping people manage the psychological difficulties of
terminal illness.
Dr. Phillips-Binder believes that mood, thinking, and behavior are
all affected by a sense of belonging and closeness in important
relationships. “Very early in our lives we develop patterns in the
ways we relate to people close to us. These patterns persist into
adulthood and affect the quality of our relationships. We also
construct a self-image based on interactions in our important early
relationships, which affects how we feel, think, and behave in
relationship to our self…how we take care of ourselves.” Coming from
this perspective, Dr. Phillips Binder emphasizes that the primary
goals of psychotherapy include identifying and changing problematic
relationship patterns and improving self-image. “My experience
suggests that as clients develop greater awareness of themselves and
how they relate to others and greater acceptance of themselves,
their symptoms tends to diminish and they tend to experience
decreased stress and increased capacity for creativity, joy, and
fulfillment in their lives.”
Dr. Phillips-Binder’s believes that psychotherapy is a collaborative
process. Further, providing safety, acceptance, and honesty is an
important part of the therapy since, “Clients can only explore the
difficult and very personal issues that are important to their lives
within a safe, collaborative environment.”
Dr. Phillips-Binder was inspired to become a psychotherapist while
working as a research assistant on one of the major psychotherapy
research projects conducted during the 1980’s. As a single mother of
two teenagers, she received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from
Vanderbilt University in 1995. Dr. Phillips-Binder recently moved to
Atlanta from Nashville, Tennessee, where she was in clinical
practice for twelve years. For the past ten years, in her private
practice she specialized in working with professionals in business,
health care, entertainment, and academics, as well as their family
members. She joined PFPA in the Spring, 2007 and has immediate
openings for people seeking individual or couples therapy in the
Buckhead and Marietta offices.
Dr. Drose has
been in practice in Atlanta since 1989. He started PFPA with his
wife, Dr. Dina Zeckhausen. His favorite part of clinical practice is
watching people learn to live more complete lives in their family
and at work. He works with adolescents and adults helping them with
relationship problems personal
relationships. “One of the worst things about psychological
problems,” he says, “is that they rob us of our creativity and
ability to provide love to the most important people in our lives.
Good psychotherapy, whether focused on reducing depression, anxiety,
or other symptoms, unlocks natural creativity, allowing clients to
let go of the heaviness of life and begin to truly enjoy
experienDr. Drose is also
interested in creative expression at work and in personal
relationships. “One of the worst things about psychological
problems,” he says, “is that they rob us of our creativity and
ability to provide love to the most important people in our lives.
Good psychotherapy, whether focused on reducing depression, anxiety,
or other symptoms, unlocks natural creativity, allowing clients to
let go of the heaviness of life and begin to truly enjoy
experiences.”
Dr. Drose received his doctoral training
at the University of South Carolina in Clinical Psychology. He
sees clients at the Marietta and Buckhead offices.
Dr. Eassa has been
a practicing psychologist for over twenty years. She worked in private practice in Texas until
moving to Atlanta in 1998 to be closer to her extended family.
Dr. Eassa works
with older children, adolescents, and adults helping them resolve
symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. She helps clients improve
their relationship through individual, couples and family therapy.
She has a particular interest in working with women’sDr. Eassa has been
a practicing psychologist for over twenty years. She worked in private practice in Texas until
moving to Atlanta in 1998 to be closer to her extended family.
Dr. Eassa works
with older children, adolescents, and adults helping them resolve
symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. She helps clients improve
their relationship through individual, couples and family therapy.
She has a particular interest in working with women’s issues
especially as they relate to the transitions in a woman’s life. She
also works with individuals and couples experiencing issues related
to infertility.
Dr. Eassa describes
her approach to therapy as being “influenced by many theoretical
orientations therapy,” while centered on developing “a safe,
supportive environment to allow my clients to begin to better
understand their patterns of thinking and feeling.” She strives to
help her clients “find new ways of perceiving and relating in
important situations and ultimately become more psychologically and
physically healthy.”
Dr. Eassa
completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of
Southern Mississippi in 1983. She sees
clients at the
Marietta and Canton offices.
Dr. Fleet moved to Georgia and has
been practicing here since 1986. He conducts Individual Psychotherapy
for Anxiety Disorders, including Panic Disorder, Phobias,
PTSD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Dr. Fleet has worked for
several years with “Power Over Panic,” assisting group members
achieve freedom from debilitating Anxiety. He helps his clients
learn to manage stress more effectively. He uses
Cognitive-Behavioral therapy to help clients struggling with Anxiety
and Depression find relief from self-defeating thoughts and
behaviors.
“My primary goal
with clients” Dr. Fleet says, “is to provide a safe, collaborative
relationship within which they can learn to develop and achieve
obtainable therapy goals. I help clients learn the skills to help
athem cope more effectively with the difficulties of life and to
build a sense of Self that is strong, resilient and ultimately more
effective in the world.”
Dr. Fleet has been
an athlete throughout his life and has developed a specialty in
Sports and Performance Psychology. He has been a “My primary goal
with clients” Dr. Fleet says, “is to provide a safe, collaborative
relationship within which they can learn to develop and achieve
obtainable therapy goals. I help clients learn the skills to help
athem cope more effectively with the difficulties of life and to
build a sense of Self that is strong, resilient and ultimately more
effective in the world.”
Dr. Fleet has been
an athlete throughout his life and has developed a specialty in
Sports and Performance Psychology. He has been a tennis pro and
works with athletes in many sports to use psychological principles
to improve their performance.
Dr. Fleet
received his Doctoral training in Clinical Psychology from Florida
State University. He sees clients at the Marietta and Canton offices.
Michael has worked for the last seven years in
treatment communities with children, adolescents, and families. He
has gained valuable experience in working with various cultures;
especially minority children and families in the public school
system, outpatient services, and residential care. The kids commonly
refer to him as “Mr. Mike” and he has an uncanny ability to
establish therapeutic relationships with kids who are initially
resistant to therapy.
Michael conducts therapy
with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. He has extensive
experience with helping children & adolescents with oppositional
behaviors, self-esteem, anger management, ADD/ADHD, working with
survivors of abuse, and communication within their families. His
creative approach to family therapy helps families see past the
immediate behaviors of the client and work together toward reaching
family goals.
Michael has conducted several state wide seminars for many social service agencies. He has also been recognized as the “2004 GAHSC Children Social Service Worker of the Year.”
Michael earnestly believes that each individual has the power to
identify the life that they want and take definitive steps in
achieving their goals. He describes himself as “solution-focused”
and is most influenced by cognitive behavioral, person-centered, and
family systems theorists. He approaches each individual by
considering them holistically and meeting them at the point of their
need, and helping to empower them with a more enhanced life.
Michael’s interventions help individuals to enhance their lives
based on his 4cusED™ Principles: Decide, Imagine, Think, and Act.
Albert Einstein said it best, “I’m enough of an artist to draw
freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than
knowledge. Knowledge is limited.”
Michael obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood
Education from Clark Atlanta University. When he realized that many
of the students that he encountered endured struggles with issues
that went beyond the classroom he obtained his Master’s Degree in
Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of Miami. He sees
clients in the Marietta office.
Dr. Friedman works with children, ages 3 and older,
adolescents, and adults. She has a special interest in helping
children, adolescents, and adults adjust to divorce and other
experiences of loss. She helps clients process and negotiate to the
normal difficulties that occur with loss, as well as other
developmental changes that are difficult to adjust to, such as
beginning school, becoming a teenager, starting to date, beginning
young adulthood, etc. She strongly believes that, regardless of age,
each person must develop an understanding of their own identity in
order to manage the challenges of everyday life. To accomplish this
she conducts Individual, Family, and Couples Therapy.
Dr. Friedman has
extensive training in family systems therapy and child development
and believes that the family in which the client lives or grew up
greatly influences his or her psychological makeup. She borrows from
a variety of theoretical models of psychotherapy including
Psychodynamic and Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy to help clients
achieve their goals. “With all my clients,” she says, “I begin
therapy with an assessment of the client’s family system since our
family is the “blueprint” for our relationships. I provide a safe
and open environment to help clients understand themselves better
and change in ways that enhance their lives.”
Dr. Friedman
got her Doctoral training in Clinical Psychology at DePaul
University in Chicago, Illinois. She sees
clients at the
Marietta office.
Jennifer Gale, Psy.D.
770-953-4744 ext. 29
Dr. Gale specializes in providing psychological and neuropsychological assessment for
infants, children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of presenting problems, including
Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties, communication problems,
depression, anxiety, dementia, and behavioral
disorders. She also specializes in working with families who are seeking a deeming waiver (DM-6A or Katie Beckett) and provides comprehensive psychological evaluations for these children with disabilities. Dr. Gale’s comprehensive evaluations are extremely helpful in that each report includes specific, client-tailored recommendations for improvement in their area of difficulty.
Dr. Gale sees children and adolescents for individual and family therapy as well as social skills training. Her perspective includes Positive Youth Development approach, which views
individuals as “assets to be developed, not problems to be managed.” She believes that by increasing the protective factors and decreasing risk factors, they are equipped to live as thriving adults. Additionally, she provides interpersonal solution-focused therapy, specifically parent training, and pre-marital counseling. Many clients find her additional training in the integration of theology and psychology helpful when they are seeking a spiritual perspective on their issues.
Dr. Gale completed her PsyD in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary Graduate School of Psychology (APA-approved). She is available to see clients at the
Marietta office.
Elizabeth Mehling is an intern in the Masters program in Professional Counseling at Georgia State University. She enjoys working with
teens and young adults coping with self-esteem issues, eating disorders, ADHD and other stressful life transitions.
She has worked with the Eating Disorders Information Network to help develop an eating disorder prevention program for gymnastics and ballet studios. In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, Elizabeth has been involved in research studying methamphetamine abuse in order to develop effective intervention techniques.
Elizabeth sees clients on a sliding scale at PFPA’s Marietta office and is supervised by a Licensed Psychologist. Clients without insurance or those needing
reduced fees can
Elizabeth.
Dr. Perlow was in private practice in the
Chicago area for seven years before moving to Atlanta. He became a
partner at PFPA in 1992 providing specialized Assessment and
Psychotherapy services for Children & Adolescents, and Adults.
He works with children from age 5 and older providing assessment and
treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD),learning problems, oppositional
behavior, and problems relating to peers.
Dr. Perlow has published
articles and worked extensively helping couples improve their
communication as partners and parents. He conducts individual,
family, and couples therapy to help with relationship
problems, parenting of children and adolescents,
depression, anxiety, and adult ADHD. He has
extensive work experience with gay adolescents and adults.
Dr. Perlow says that he
“appoaches psychological problems by looking at the way a person’s
environment influences them emotionally.” He notes that he likes to
“include whoever is relevant to the problem in sessions when
possible and appropriate.” He describes himself as
“solution-oriented” and most influenced by family systems and
cognitive-behavioral theorists.
Dr. Perlow graduated from Depaul University in 1985
with a PhD in Clinical Psychology. He sees clients at the
Marietta office.
Allyn St. Lifer, LCSW
770-953-4744
Allyn St. Lifer was in private practice in the Boston area for 27 years before moving to Georgia in June 2007. She treats adults, primarily individuals and couples. Believing that individuals respond differently to different types of treatment, she utilizes a wide variety of modalities- cognitive behavioral methods, family systems theory, body/mind techniques as well as an ego state model known as the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy or DNMS (www.dmnsinstitute.com). Ego state models are helpful in addressing the different parts of the self that contribute to one’s inability to move forward in one’s life or “stuckness” and help an individual to break through old blocks and change patterns of thinking and behaving, thereby enabling one to live life fully. Allyn specializes in working with people who struggle with issues around relationship/intimacy, divorce, blended families, eating problems and related body image and self esteem difficulties, depression, anxiety, stress management, grief/loss and women’s issues, particularly transitioning into midlife.
Allyn creates a safe, nurturing environment in which her clients can heal old wounds and patterns which often stem from unresolved issues and/or traumas from childhood and can also result from the type of parenting one received. She works to help people to develop a stronger sense of self and learn new ways of coping with past traumas and daily stresses of everyday life. Furthermore, she takes a positive, collaborative approach in assisting people to take charge of their lives and make healthy, thoughtful decisions helping reach their full potential.
While in Boston, Allyn owned and directed Slimworks, a weight management program from a non-diet approach. She worked with individuals and ran groups helping people to successfully lose weight and maintain the weight loss while also improving their self esteem/body image. She helped individuals explore the underlying reasons for their overeating, and develop eating, exercise, and life plans to fit their lifestyles while teaching them new strategies for coping with life’s stressors.
Allyn has her Bachelors degree from Boston University in Psychology and English Literature. She also has a Masters in Education from The Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her Masters in Social Work from the Boston University School of Social Work. Allyn maintains dual clinical social work licenses in both Massachusetts and Georgia. She sees clients in the Marietta office.
Dr. Smiley
joined PFPA in September 2003. She has a broad base of clinical skills obtained
through her experiences in private practice, university counseling
centers, and community mental health settings. In addition, she has
obtained further training in multi-cultural counseling, group
therapy, career counseling, working with survivors of abuse, crisis
interventions, and outreach programming (e.g., stress management,
diversity training, and career development workshops).
Dr. Smiley provides
individual, couples, and family therapy to adults and adolescents.
Her areas of interest include
depression,
anxiety and stress management,
relationship difficulties,
divorce issues,
grief and loss,
and women’s issues.
Working from a cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal approach, the
goal of her therapeutic work is to help individuals identify and
change maladaptive life patterns, develop more balanced attitudes
towards themselves and others, develop more satisfying
relationships, and improve their ability to manage stress and
anxiety. In addition, Dr. Smiley also provides coaching for
individuals with struggling with issues such as ADHD,
career development,
college and graduate student growth and development, and obesity
and/or weight concerns.
Dr. Smiley also conducts psychological
evaluations
for ADHD
and learning disabilities,
as well as other mood or
anxiety disorders.
In addition to her
general practice, Dr. Smiley has created a group for children and
adolescents who are overweight. The goal of this group is to help
young people become more knowledgeable of weight and nutrition, more
physically active in their daily life, and better at managing the
emotions that may lead to unhealthy eating patterns. For more
information about this group, please refer to her brochure located
under the “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” tab located in the left
column of your web page.
As a native of southeast Georgia, Dr. Smiley obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology
from the University of Georgia. She obtained her Master and
Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology at the Georgia School of
Professional Psychology.
She sees
clients at the Marietta office.
Dr.
Spring provides Individual, couples, and family
therapy working with adolescents and adults. Dr. Spring affiliated
with PFPA in 2001. She has a master’s degree in Family and Marital
therapy, offering a unique perspective on problems facing
adolescents and young adults, as well as excellent training in
Marital therapy.
She also does
individual therapy with clients with women’s issues, childhood
trauma, eating disorders, and mood and anxietydisorders. She says
that she provides a supportive, interactive relationship where her
clients learn to “identify problematic patterns in their life and
access their strengths to bring about positive change, personal
growth and evolve into healthy relationships.”
Dr. Spring
completed her PhD in Counseling Psycholgy at Indiana State
University 1998. She sees clients
at the Marietta office.
Dr. Swales is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in providing
therapy and assessment services with
children, adolescents and adults. Common reasons for seeking an assessment include problems with
attention and concentration, learning difficulties and academic concerns,
delays in attaining developmental milestones, emotional and behavioral problems, and relationship difficulties. Dr. Swales provides comprehensive evaluations specifically tailored to address an individual’s concerns and utilizes information from collateral sources, such as teachers, parents, and significant others. She provides the client with an assessment report that includes specific recommendations for improvement, and these reports are appropriate for application in
academic, medical, and forensic settings.
In her therapy practice, Dr. Swales provides both individual and group services, as well as
family-based interventions. Common reasons for seeking therapy include
difficulty adjusting to life changes and transitions, coping with traumatic life experiences, and difficulty managing feelings, such as
depression, stress, anxiety and anger. Other common issues include
dissatisfaction in significant relationships, parenting challenges, and issues related to body image and unhealthy eating patterns. Dr. Swales focuses on increasing a client’s self-awareness and assists them in establishing new ways to cope with their difficulties that are consistent with the client’s personal values and beliefs. Dr. Swales also leads
social skills and parenting groups, as well as
workshops for individuals (children and adults) who have been diagnosed with attention problems.
Dr. Swales received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University. She has been in private practice in Texas since 2004, and recently relocated to the Atlanta area. Dr. Swales is in the process of becoming a preferred provider for several insurance companies. In the interim, she is willing to provide services on a
sliding-fee schedule, such that psychological services are more accessible and affordable for those seeking assistance. Dr. Swales is available to see clients in the
Marietta, Buckhead, and Canton offices.
Monique Terrell, PhD
770-953-4744
Dr. Terrell works with children, adolescents, and adults. She describes her approach to her clients as “person-centered and culturally informed.” Whether working with individuals, couples or families she taps into their own resources of strength, believing that “long-lasting and effective change comes from within.” Respectful of individual responses to psychotherapy, Dr. Terrell consistently evaluates ongoing treatment in order to provide the most efficient and effective therapy of her clients
Dr. Terrell has conducted research in the area of cultural /racial identity and the experiences of biracial persons. A native New Yorker, her ongoing passion for exacting change has led her to the Atlanta area. In addition to her work at PFPA, she continues to be involved in community projects which seek to empower at- risk and underserved persons. She currently acts as an Executive Director at a well- respected non- profit in one of the most impoverished areas in Atlanta.
Dr. Terrell received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University in New York. She is available to see clients in the Buckhead and Marietta offices. She does not take insurance but does offer a sliding fee scale.
Dr. Zeckhausen
began practicing in Atlanta and co-founded PFPA in 1990. She also founded the Eating Disorder
Information Network (EDIN) in 1996. She is currently EDIN’s
Co-Director leading that organization in providing the greater Atlanta
community with prevention and treatment services for Anorexia,
Bulimia, and Obesity. Dina began writing and presenting
treatment information on Eating Disorders when she was in graduate
school and has helped raise awareness of eating disorders throughout
the country. She has also written creatively to raise awareness of
eating disorders including a play, What’s Eating Katie?,
which has been performed by and for teens throughout Atlanta, and a
children’s book, Full Mouse, Empty Mouse,
which also has a curriculum that serves as part of a prevention
package for grade school children.
Dr. Zeckhausen
works with Adolescents and Adults, and specializes in Women’s
issues, Eating Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, and couples therapy.
“I enjoy helping clients to explore the issues from their early
family life that may be contributing to their current struggles,”
states Dr. Zeckhausen. “However, my goal is to help clients re-write
the very limited and limiting stories that they tell themselves
about themselves. I am passionate about helping people discover
their strengths and use those strengths to work through the internal
blocks which prevent them from living life to their full potential.
Through my work with EDIN, I am able to address the wider cultural
issues which contribute to eating disorders. It is tremendously
satisfying to empower people to resist pressures to be other than
their authentic selves!”
Dr. Zeckhausen
received her PhD in
Clinical Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1990.
She sees clients in Marietta and Buckhead offices.