ERICA ANDREWS, LCSWA
Erica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate who primarily sees children, preteens, adolescents and young adults. She has a passion for empowerment and wellness while working from an integrative and strengths-based approach. She provides therapy for an array of concerns and challenges such as, but not limited to, depression, life transitions, anxiety, grief/loss, trauma, family challenges, self-esteem, emotional regulation, etc. Erica utilizes a variety of therapy techniques such as play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), solution focused therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), and other modalities that meet the individual's need(s). She also offers faith-based counseling for those who desire it. Erica values working as a team with her clients to achieve goals and create treatment plans.
KALA ANNAMBHOTLA, Ph.D.
Kala sees adults, couples, and older adolescents. She is a Clinical Psychologist who provides individual therapy for mood and bipolar disorders, trauma, anxiety, stress, grief/loss, ADHD, and relationship concerns. She also offers couples counseling. Kala is of Asian Indian origin, so she has a special interest in addressing cultural concerns and conflicts. She has had extensive experience in working with college students.
ELIZABETH BROWN, MA, MS, LCMHC-A
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” (quote by Vivian Green)
I am Elizabeth Brown, and I am passionate about guiding others on managing life’s storms. I offer a holistic, mindful, educational approach to anxiety management which includes body awareness and effective self-regulation skills. I see clients ages six and above.
My background is diverse and includes over 25 years in school and clinical settings. I am thrilled to have landed here at Carolina Psychological after retiring as a school counselor in 2022.
In addition to anxiety, my other areas of interest and expertise include helping clients manage depression, ADHD, body image and acceptance, and autism. I especially enjoy
working with adolescents with low self-esteem; young moms balancing life and family demands; and older moms navigating retirement, empty nests, and menopause.
I utilize the approaches of child centered therapeutic play and individual therapy; motivational interviewing, CBT (cognitive behavior therapy); and SFBT (solution focused brief therapy) to help clients reach their therapeutic goals. I am also a LGBTQ+ affirming counselor. Contact me if you are ready to begin your journey of health and healing.
SOPHIE BURNS, LSCW-A
Sophie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate that is passionate about making a difference in her client's lives. Sophie sees the value in providing a warm environment in her office while empowering her clients so they can ignite their spark and find their own strengths. Sophie promotes this by using evidence-based practices such as strengths-based approach, dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness. Sophie has experience in working with a wide array of diagnoses and problems including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, life changes, and behavioral challenges. Sophie offers her services to all ages including children, adolescents, and adults through individual and family therapy.
CARSON CHRISTOPHER, MSW, LCSW
Carson Christopher is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who primarily sees children (10 years old and up), adolescents, teens, and young adults for individual and/or group therapy. Carson also has experience working with older adults, couples, and younger children. She provides therapy for a variety of concerns such as, stress management, anxiety, depression, communication issues, and life changes. Additionally, Carson has experience working with grief/loss, college-life challenges, self-esteem, work-life balance, and health-wellness maintenance. Carson uses a variety of techniques and evidence-based practices in treatment such as, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, and both art and play therapy. She is passionate about making clients feel comfortable and validated and works collaboratively to help clients reach their individual goals.
TAMARA DAVISON, M.Ed., LCMHC, NCC
Tamara is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She works with adults and older adolescents, offering individual counseling. She has experience with treating depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, grief and loss, life transitions and trauma. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques and is trained in the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to treat recent and past traumas.
SARAH E. GATES, MA, LPA
Sarah is a Licensed Psychological Associate who provides therapy to children and adolescents and who specializes in psychological evaluations for individuals across the
lifespan. She conducts thorough evaluations to help clients uncover insights into their cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social functioning. Through a tailored approach,
Sarah offers comprehensive evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults, empowering clients (and their families) with valuable insights to navigate challenges,
make informed decisions, and foster personal growth. She has experience in the areas of specific learning disorders (for example, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia),
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, oppositional defiant behaviors, intellectual developmental disabilities, Kindergarten readiness evaluations, and giftedness. Sarah also enjoys working alongside psychological technicians who assist with the evaluations and providing clinical supervision to them. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her family (including their two Great Danes!), being outdoors, and traveling.
ELBERT "JAY" HAWKINS, III, Ph.D., LCMHC-A, NCC
Jay is a highly motivated professional counselor and mental health educator with over 20+ years of experience counseling school-aged children and young adults. His practice focuses on solution-focused and brief therapy, mindfulness, transcendence therapy, culturally relevant and sustaining counseling, and child-centered play therapy. In addition, Jay's knowledge of therapeutic processes and techniques in cognitive behavior therapy is a skill set he possesses, resulting in effective and sustainable outcomes. Jay is also interested in building solid relationships, facilitating small groups, and creating safe spaces with energy and understanding for all clients to reach their mental health goals.
DORTCH L. MANN, LCMHC
With a focus on resilience and effectiveness, Dortch is dedicated to empowering adult individuals and couples as they navigate change and stress. Through evidence-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, he guides clients in honing their coping strategies. Complimenting his therapeutic methods, he incorporates philosophical and poetic perspectives to deepen the exploration of life's challenges and the pursuit of meaning.
HEATHER F. McCAIN, Psy.D.
Heather is a licensed psychologist who provides individual counseling to adults and older adults. She enjoys working with clients on a variety of issues including, anxiety, LGBTQ+ and gender affirming surgery preparation (including physician required letters), family of origin challenges/trauma, romantic partner relationships and struggles with communication, safety, attachment, and/or intimacy, working through stage of life transitions, parenting challenges and general women’s issues to name a few. She also provides grief counseling and works with older adults transitioning into retirement as they leave a career identity behind and find ways to pursue meaning, purpose and value in this next stage of their lives. She enjoys providing a safe space for those identifying as agnostic/atheist to participate in therapy and also welcomes those in nontraditional relationships; she is kink and poly-aware. She readily uses humor and sarcasm when appropriate as a method of building relationships with clients, creating an environment of safety and helping to ease the difficulty when it comes to sharing uncomfortable topics. She works from a relational perspective, that the therapeutic relationship is one of healing and the foundation of safety/trust required to explore and challenge ourselves more deeply. CBT skills are often intertwined throughout discussions as well. She supportively challenges clients as they gain a greater understanding of themselves and work to develop healthier and more adaptive coping skills. She also facilitates the ongoing Women’s Group: Navigating Toxic Relationships with Our Mothers and plans to co-facilitate a Grief Therapy Group with our Intern, Erin McCarthy, expected to begin in June 2024. In her free time, she is usually spending it with her husband, children (3 sons, including twins, and daughter) and the family favorite; German Shepherd, Deacon. She enjoys trips to the mountains, traveling, reading, anything related to water/swimming, and staying cool in the summer. If she’s super lucky, she may even sneak a nap!
ERIN McCARTHY, Counseling Intern
Erin is a counseling intern joining us for the 2024 year. She is currently in the final year of her graduate program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from McDaniel College in Westminster,
Maryland. She will be seeing clients for a minimal self-pay rate to gain experience and will receive weekly supervision from Heather McCain, PsyD, throughout her time with us. Her long-term career goal is to work in Gerontological Counseling. She will be seeing all adults 18+ years of age.
REBECCA McLEAN, MSW, LCSW
Sees children, adolescents, and adults. Rebecca is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who provides therapy to individuals and families. She works from a client-centered approach to provide services for individuals and families dealing with anxiety, depression, stress management, grief and loss, family and relationship difficulty, emotional concerns, attention and focus difficulty, and behavioral concerns. She utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Play Therapy to help clients meet their therapeutic goals.
MADALINA OCHENATU, MD, MS, CRC, LCMHC
Madalina provides counseling to adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups as well as vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with physical and/or psychiatric disabilities. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She specializes in counseling for: mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, grief, emotional trauma, PTSD, eating disorders, behavioral challenges), chronic physical illness causing mental health issues (e.g., chronic pain, cancer, heart disease, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, diabetes, morbid obesity), and commonly encountered issues (e.g., stress, emotional burnout, life-work balance, relationships, career, health and wellness). She earned a MD degree in Romania and she graduated with a MS in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, Psychiatric Disability specialization from UNC Chapel Hill.
SUSAN PEEK, LCSW
Susan sees children ages four and up, adolescents, and young adults to age 25. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience providing counseling in school-based and clinical settings to young people with trauma histories, ADHD, or who are experiencing depression, anxiety, grief and loss and other emotional and behavioral challenges. She uses interventions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, therapeutic art, and therapeutic play to help individuals and families address challenges with emotional and behavioral concerns. She provides affirming therapy to the LGBTQ+ community.
ALLISON SANDERS, MA, LCMHC
Allison is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC). She works with preteens, adolescents, young adults, and adults. She provides therapy for those who are seeking help with concerns related to anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationships, communication strategies, and life transitions. Allison helps clients navigate life while empowering them to develop coping skills from their strengths within. Working from a holistic, integrative perspective, Allison pulls from person-centered and strength-based approaches as well as techniques from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). She meets clients where they are in the process and helps them challenge themselves to get out of their comfort zones for optimal growth. Allison provides a safe space for clients to work on the hard things all while being supported in a non-judgmental way. She wants sessions to be collaborative and for clients to feel heard and validated.
JENNIFER SOMMER, Ph.D.
Sees children, adolescents, and adults. Jennifer is a clinical psychologist who specializes in comprehensive assessments and treatments for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Other areas of interest include family and parenting issues, children’s behavioral concerns, learning disorders and giftedness, anxiety, and adjustment issues. Prior to joining Carolina Psychological Associates, Jennifer worked at a clinic specializing in ADHD. She has experience directing treatment and research programs for children with ADHD and other social, emotional behavioral and learning difficulties.
ATHENA TATUM, LCSW
Is a licensed clinical social worker and has experience seeing children ages 2-14 and their caregivers. She has previously worked in Florida at a domestic violence shelter, child protection, case management and child therapist. She has worked with children in the home, in school and outpatient therapy. She has experience in the areas of anxiety, ADHD, focus, life stressors, communication issues and parenting. This includes working through trauma, life changes, adoption and dealing with behavioral issues. Her focus is on how to improve the family function overall. She is passionate about creating an environment where everyone is on the same team working towards the same goals.
