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, and couples and family counseling.
Dr. Berel works with adults and adolescents and provides individual,
couples, and family counseling. She specializes in
women’s issues and eating disorders and has extensive training treating individuals struggling with anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating, and body image concerns. While almost half of her clinical practice is comprised of adults and adolescents struggling with these issues, the majority of her clients are men, women, and couples facing other difficulties including
anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. Dr. Berel sees both heterosexual as well as same-sex couples. She also enjoys working with
adolescents with anxiety and mood issues.
Dr. Berel’s approach in working with clients is one that tends to de-emphasize psychological problems as illnesses. She views eating problems, for example, as generated in part, from our culture’s emphasis on appearance, and has published articles based on this perspective. Although recognizing that certain psychological problems have a biological basis, she assumes that people develop various ways of being in the world based on the context in which they live. Several schools of thought influence her approach to psychotherapy. Where appropriate, Dr. Berel focuses on family and interpersonal influences. With other clients, she emphasizes the development of life skills and solutions to problems. She often uses a combination of these approaches and/or adjusts her therapeutic approach with clients depending on their needs.
Dr. Berel received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Washington State University and completed a predoctoral clinical internship at the University of Chicago Medical Center. She completed a postdoctoral position at Northside Hospital (through the Women's Center) as well as at the Atlanta VA. She sees clients at the Buckhead
and Marietta offices. Dr. Berel is an online clinical psychologist on the Counseling Resource Website (http://counsellingresource.com/ask-the-psychologist/author/drsusan/).
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. He has done research and published
articles in professional journals on sexual therapy and has
extensive training and experience in couples therapy. He uses
experiential methods, including hypnosis and gestalt techniques, to help clients reduce
anxiety and stress.
Dr. 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.
Keith has worked in multiple mental health systems for over 20 years including: public & therapeutic schools, wilderness therapy programs, group homes, in-patient psychiatry, partial hospitalization, adventure-teams courses, out-patient community mental health, and residential treatment facilities, which have given him keen insight to the treatment and services most appropriate for each individual. Keith has been a practicing social worker for 8 years. Keith has success in working with individuals and families that have struggled to connect in traditional therapy settings and who may have had challenging or problematic experiences with therapy in the past. Keith has a, “How can we do it different this time?” approach. He believes it is important to support clients in driving their own treatment through self-determination.
Keith works well with troubled, at-risk, substance abusing and delinquent youth and successfully helping youth struggling with ADD/ADHD, oppositional defiant, conduct, disruptive behavior, intermittent explosive, and reactive attachmentdisorders, including youth with borderline intellectual functioning. Keith has also helped Jr. High youth work through issues with separation anxiety, school refusal, anger management, asset building, and self-esteem.
Keith does therapy with Jr. High aged children, adolescents, adults & families. He has a strong background working with family conflict, divorce and the family, sibling relational problems, active father issues,co-parenting, depression, anxiety, risk assessments,self-injurious behaviors “cutting”, creative substance abuse recovery, substance abuse in the family of origin, eating disorders, grief & loss and PTSD related to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
Keith often uses cognitive behavioral (CBT), solution focused, reality, and experiential approaches to therapy. He looks at each person from a “strengths perspective.” Keith believes that, “People are not resistant to change, but that they often need help becoming ready to change or learn a better understanding of why change would benefit them.” Looking at how an individual relates to the environment around and how they interact within their family system are also important areas of focus.
Keith graduated from Loyola University of Chicago in 2003 with a MS in Social Work. He graduated from Beloit College in 1989 with a BA in English Composition & Elementary Education. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Georgia.
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.
Allyn St. Lifer joined Powers Ferry Psychological Associates in July 2008 after moving from Boston where she had a successful private practice for 29 years. Utilizing a positive, collaborative approach while providing a safe, nurturing environment, she helps individuals and couples to 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 they received. Furthermore, she teaches people new ways of coping with past traumas and daily stresses of everyday life. As a result, clients not only develop a stronger sense of self, but they also feel more empowered to take charge of their lives and make healthy, thoughtful decisions enabling them to reach their full potential.
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.
While in Boston, Allyn developed, owned, and directed Slimworks, a comprehensive weight management program from a non-diet approach for nearly 30 years. Now in Atlanta she offers her knowledge, expertise, and support to individuals and groups by helping them to address and resolve the underlying emotional reasons for their overeating, improve their self esteem and body image, and develop healthy eating, exercise, and life plans to fit their lifestyles. New techniques and strategies for effectively dealing with life stresses are also taught. Using this multi-faceted approach, people learn to successfully lose weight, maintain it, and break free from the diet-deprivation-binge cycle.
Taking her experience and expertise from Slimworks. Allyn also sees patients who have had or are contemplating bariatric surgery. With her guidance patients examine and learn to manage the complexity of issues that they will be or are currently coping with post surgery including relationships, body and self image, emotions, stress and the many other changes they are facing. Patients are seen individually or in small groups.
Allyn has her Bachelors degree from Boston University in Psychology and English Literature. She received 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. 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.
Dr. Santiago provides assessment and therapy for children, adolescents and adults. She provides couples therapy, also. Dr. Santiago describes her approach as a Cognitive-Behavioral; the goal of her therapeutic work is to help the clients in a constant and healthy improvement of their quality of life.
(La Dra. Santiago ofrece terapias a menores, adolescentes y adultos; y trabaja en terapias individuales, grupales y de parejas. La Dra. Santiago describe su acercamiento como Cognitivo-Conductual. La meta de su trabajo terapéutico es ayudar al cliente en una constante y saludable búsqueda de mejorar su calidad de vida).
Dr. Santiago’s areas of interest include Depression, Anxiety, Grief and Loss, Elderly Issues, and Racial/Ethnic/Cultural Diversity Issues. She is aware that the Latin population in this country is growing fast, which encourages her to have an interest in multicultural issues, especially in Spanish speaking people.
(Las áreas de interés de la Dra. Santiago incluyen Depresión, Ansiedad, procesos de Duelo y Pérdidas, Asuntos de la Vejez, y Asuntos relacionados a la Diversidad Racial/Étnica/Cultural. Ella entiende que el hecho de que la población Latina está en aumento en este país, es de suma importancia mantener un interés en asuntos multiculturales, especialmente en la población de habla hispana).
Dr. Santiago is a Clinical Psychologist, who received her doctoral degree from Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She’s a Licensed Psychologist in Puerto Rico, and is in the process of completing her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Powers Ferry Psychological Associates, LLC., in order to be licensed by the state of Georgia. She sees clients in the Marietta and Canton offices and is supervised by a Licensed Psychologist.
(La Dra. Santiago es una psicóloga clínica, y recibió su grado doctoral de la Escuela de Medicina de Ponce, en Puerto Rico. La Dra. Santiago posee licencia de psicóloga en Puerto Rico, no obstante, está en el proceso de completar su experiencia postdoctoral en Powers Ferry Psychological Associates, LLC, con el objetivo de obtener la licencia de Psicólogos del estado de Georgia. Ella atiende clientes en la oficinas de Marietta y and Canton y su trabajo es supervisado por Psicólogos Licenciados).
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.
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.
Dr. Schwartz enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults. He has extensive experience in the areas of assessment and treatment. Dr. Schwartz specializes in those areas which impact learning and performance. These areas include ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Executive Function Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), Concussion and Post-Concussion Syndrome, and Sports Neuropsychology. He utilizes a “consensus building” approach when working with individuals, families, professionals, teams and community resources. He is known for his practical recommendations and his easy accessibility.
Dr. Schwartz consults on local, national and international levels with school districts, state departments of education, provincial school boards, and many clinical settings. He does education and training for educators, administrations, and service providers to improve their effectiveness and abilities. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Kennesaw State University and currently serves as a professor for the School Neuropsychology Diplomate program.
Dr. Schwartz received a joint doctorate in Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He completed his predoctoral internship at the University of Kentucky Medical Center and Lexington Veterans Administration Hospitals. Dr. Schwartz completed his postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Braintree Hospital and the Harvard Teaching Hospitals, where he had the opportunity to study with outstanding leaders of the fields of Clinical Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology.
Dr. Schwartz is available to see clients in the Marietta and Canton offices and he does offer a sliding fee scale.
Dr. Higgins provides individual therapy for adults and adolescents. She specializes in anxiety disorders, women’s issues, depression, relationship issues, difficulties adjusting to major life transitions, cultural and/ or sexual identity development, and mother/ daughter relationships. She also works with those struggling with eating disorders and body image concerns.
Dr. Higgins uses an integrative approach, working from interpersonal and psychodynamic theories while applying a wide range of techniques including interpersonal, cognitive behavioral, family systems, and multicultural modalities. She tailors her approach to best fit with each client’s personality, presenting issue, and time frame. Dr. Higgins believes that a warm and trusting therapeutic relationship plays a key role in the success of therapy. She says, “I think it’s important to create a safe and nurturing environment where clients can feel more comfortable taking risks and doing the sometimes difficult work of therapy. I try to help clients achieve greater awareness of self, of their relationships with others, and of the particular culture and environment in which they live as these things relate to their particular concern. Awareness alone is not enough however. I work with clients to translate new awareness into new experiences.”
Dr. Higgins obtained a B.A. in Psychology at Wake Forest University, an M.A. in General/ Experimental Psychology at College of William & Mary, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Tennessee. In addition, she completed a pre-doctoral internship at the University of California, Berkeley and a post-doctoral fellowship at Boston College. She is available to see clients in the Marietta and Buckhead offices.
Dr. Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides individual, family, and couplestherapyservices to children, adolescents, and adults and assessment/testingservices to children and adolescents. He enjoys working with children and teens around the issues of depression, stress and anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), self-esteem issues, assertiveness, anger management, adjustment to parental divorce, social skills, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Dr. Smith also provides family therapy to address and improve parent relationship skills, communication and conflict reduction skills, and co-parenting after divorce. He also takes pleasure in working with college-age clients and adults to help with depression, stress/anxiety, OCD, relationship issues, family of origin issues, adjustment issues, assertiveness, and self-esteem issues. He also offers psychological evaluations, psycho-educational evaluations, and developmental evaluations to children and adolescents to assess a variety of presenting problems including Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, processing problems, communication problems, developmental delays, as well as social delays, depression, and anxiety.
Specialties
Dr. Smith has a passion for helping and supporting clients in the early stages of becoming a strong and supportive couple (i.e., dating, pre-marital/engaged, and married) and later making the transition to becoming successful parents of emotionally healthy and highly adaptable children. As such, he specializes in several areas: Working with couples young in their relationship to develop an understanding of their strengths and areas of growth and ways to strengthen their relationship through improved communication, problem solving, and conflict reduction skills (often through utilization of the Prepare-Enrich model);working with parents of children ages 4-12 to develop parenting skills to reduce oppositional/disruptive behavior and other behavior difficulties; and helping children and adolescents cope with and address trauma such as physical and sexual child abuse, rape or assault, exposure to domestic or community violence, serious accidents, natural or human disasters, violent crime, or deaths of loved ones through Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
Approach to therapy
Dr. Smith views psychotherapy not only as intervention, but also as prevention of future problems, as clients are better equipped to cope with the problems that come up in daily life. He believes that the interpersonal nature of therapy creates a great opportunity for clients to gain insight into themselves as individuals who are shaped in the context of relationships and to develop the ability to live life to the fullest outside of therapy. He finds great fulfillment in connecting with clients, walking alongside them, and aiding them in reaching their goals in therapy. Dr. Smith feels that it is a tremendous privilege to be allowed into the inner sanctum of clients’ lives and in turn, honors that trust with humility, respect, and a readiness to meet clients where they are as they begin therapy. He earnestly believes that psychotherapy can benefit everyone during different seasons of their lives, whether clients feel they are in the midst of great difficulty or merely want to improve upon certain areas of their lives. Clients often report that they find it easy to feel comfortable around Dr. Smith and enjoy his warm, thoughtful and caring nature, as well as his sense of humor.
Dr. Smith received his doctoral training from Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology (APA-approved) in Pasadena, California. He considers himself to be influenced by family systems, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, interpersonal, and attachment theorists. He sees clients at the Marietta and Canton offices, and currently has evening and Saturday availability. He is in the process of becoming a preferred provider with several insurance companies. Until then, Dr. Smith is also offering services as an out-of-network provider and at a reduced fee.
Jack believes there has never been a better time for assisting those seeking help, relief, guidance, and understanding with their pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. Research and therapeutic treatment of the mind-brain-body connection has made tremendous strides in the last decade. Each of us is a product of our own particular genetic makeup, individual and social experiences that are solely unique and specific to us. Since each one of us is so singularly unique, counseling may take various forms of talk therapy using different techniques to help us find our own solutions, happiness, growth, and fulfillment. First and foremost, there must be a trusting, objective, unbiased, and non-judgmental, relationship between the partners in therapy. Jack states, “I feel very grateful and privileged with those that have shared their lives with me. I am positive that there is always hope for a fulfilling, happy, rewarding, and productive life. Sometimes our worries and stresses can be addressed in as simple as 1 or 2 visits, sometimes more depending on how one feels the need to continue.”
Jack works with adolescents, individuals, and couples using cognitive behavioral, person-centered, Gestalt, and EMDR therapy, as well as applied psychophysiology and biofeedback therapy. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback is a non-invasive procedure used to strengthen the body’s immune system, maintain a healthier mind-body relationship, reduce stress, increase creativity, enhance performance and help with reducing the effects of anxiety, stress, medication, pain, migraines, depression, trauma, grief, anger, post-traumatic stress and other diagnosis.
Jack received his MS in Counseling from the University of North Texas with honors and his BS in Criminology from Florida State University. He left the Navy as Lieutenant, Naval Aviator followed with a career flying for the airlines. During his tenure with the airlines, he assisted for 17 years with the Employee Assistance Program and the Critical Incident Stress Response Team dealing with grief, trauma, stress, and loss. He retired early to pursue his interest in psychotherapy. Jack was also an officer of the court representing and guiding juveniles before the court for adjudication and counseling with the Division of Youth Services in Jacksonville, Florida. Jack is a volunteer with the American Red Cross, Georgia Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and the Civilian Atlanta Police Department. He is also a member of the American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars, and Business Executives for National Security. “My desire is to continue to serve my community and my country.”
Jack is under direction and supervision while maintaining client confidentiality. This provides one with the best use of a skilled team. He sees clients in the Buckhead and Marietta offices.
Dr. Scheinfield is a nationally certified school psychologist who specializes in the treatment and assessment of children and adolescents. She provides individual and group therapy, consultative services, as well as comprehensive psychological evaluations to determine children’s learning strengths and weaknesses, memory and processing skills, visual-motor abilities, attention, executive functioning skills, academic achievement capacity, and social/emotional functioning.
Dr. Scheinfield has extensive experience working with a variety of children and adolescent needs including Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Cognitive Impairments, Developmental Delays, Down Syndrome, and Learning Disabilities. Additionally, she works with a multitude of social/emotional issues such as Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Substance Abuse. She also provides individual and group therapy for any learning or emotional challenges that may interfere with school functioning. Dr. Scheinfield works with children and adolescents to address issues related to school avoidance, social skill development, bullying, self-esteem, conflict management, and stress management. Through her approach, Dr. Scheinfield strives to help her clients build and maintain more effective coping strategies, problem solving skills, and self-advocacy skills, while learning to engage in self-monitoring and self-reflection. She also fosters emotional self-regulation, where she helps her clients learn to better manage their emotions and control their behavior. Dr. Scheinfield strongly believes in establishing a trusting therapeutic relationship with her clients, in which they feel accepted, safe, and supported.
On an academic level, Dr. Scheinfield assists her clients in developing more effective study strategies and organizational skills that are best suited to their learning style. Her clients serve as active participants in this process, and it is through their commitment and buy-in that these strategies are deemed appropriate. Dr. Scheinfield works with her clients to establish goals and continually refine strategies that will enable them to improve their work completion and overall academic success. She also assists parents with how to best support their child’s learning and/or emotional needs and how to implement behavior management strategies within the home setting.
Dr. Scheinfield conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations specifically tailored to each individual’s needs, assessing his/her intellectual functioning, memory and processing skills, visual-motor abilities, attention, executive functioning, academic achievement, social/emotional functioning, and adaptive skills. Additionally, she provides psychological assessments for college preparatory exams (e.g. ACT or SAT) and for adolescents transitioning from high school to their post-secondary education. She also offers consultative and advocacy services, where she works with parents and school personnel to help meet students’ needs. She can assist with developing specific academic and social/emotional goals and help create an intervention plan to improve students’ learning.
Prior to living in Atlanta, Dr. Scheinfield worked as a school psychologist at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. She served on numerous child study teams, where she helped develop and implement instructional and behavior management strategies for struggling students. She was a member of the schoolwide Response to Intervention (RtI) committee, in which she worked collaboratively to create interventions for general education students, while monitoring students’ progress and response to academic and behavioral supports.
Dr. Scheinfield has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with students who receive special education services or have Section 504 Plans, and she has participated extensively in the referral and evaluation process for special education eligibility. She is well-versed in special education law and helps consult about Individualized Education Plans (IEP), special education eligibility and services, and educational placement. In addition, she serves as a parent advocate in IEP meetings to ensure that appropriate educational programming, IEP goals, interventions, and accommodations are granted.
Dr. Scheinfield focuses on coordinating services for children and adolescents between their home and school environments. She works collaboratively with parents, classroom teachers, health professionals, and other service providers regarding children’s learning, behavioral, and social/emotional issues. Through her team-oriented approach, she aims to identify underlying factors that contribute to children’s learning and/or behavioral challenges, as well as orchestrate the services that are being provided. Dr. Scheinfield recognizes that a child or adolescent’s educational experience can be compounded by a multitude of factors, and she feels that it is crucial to understand the interplay between these various elements.
Dr. Scheinfield received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She obtained her Masters of Education in Educational Psychology and her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She later completed her postdoctoral fellowship while working at New Trier High School in Illinois. Dr. Scheinfield is certified as a school psychologist in Georgia and Illinois, and she is also a nationally certified school psychologist. She is currently seeking to apply for clinical licensure in the state of Georgia, and in the interim, she is supervised by a licensed psychologist.
Dr. Scheinfield is available to see clients in the Buckhead and Marietta offices.
Carla Santiago-Barbosa, PsyD
