Hey! I'm Jill!
In addition to being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, business owner, wife and mother, board game geek, hiker, and music obsessed taco enthusiast ...
I am also a recovering perfectionist and a chronic overachiever. I have personally experienced (and conquered!) crippling insomnia. I've spent weeks agonizing over which pillows to buy for the new sofa. I've written down things that I've already done on my "to-do" list just so I can immediately cross them off and feel that rush of accomplishment. I've said "yes" many (oh so many!) times because I didn't want to let anyone, especially myself, down. Sometimes it felt like my life was just one big overwhelming, relentless ride on a stress driven hamster wheel.
Over the years, through experiences both in my personal life and training in the therapy realm, I have learned quite a bit about myself and the people that we share this big ol' rotating rock with. Instead of being wrapped up in a never ending loop of "shoulds," I have learned to embrace the reality that there are lots of "okay" ways to do things. I have learned to face uncertainty without dread. I have learned to keep things in perspective instead of viewing every little hiccup as an apocalyptic disaster.
With the combination of my therapeutic know-how and your desire for change, we can work together to create real and lasting change so you can live the life you really want.
Welcome to therapy, my friend!
Hey, Jill! Why don't you have any client testimonials on your website?
Great question!
Therapy is a deeply personal and meaningful experience. I want to protect the privacy of my clients and honor the importance of our work together.
I will never put you on the spot for a testimonial and I won't capitalize on your hard work and growth for my own advertising, because that just feels yucky.
I do frequently receive referrals from previous clients, current and former colleagues, local physicians, teachers and school personnel, and other professionals in my field ...
which I believe is a testament to the trust that they have in me and my practice.
"The Important Stuff"
Education and Licensure
* Master of Social Work,
Western Carolina University, 2009
* BA Psychology & Criminal Justice,
Wilmington College, 2000
* Rostered with the NC Child Treatment Program to provide Trauma-Focused CBT
* 45 hours of substance abuse specific masters level coursework
* 300+ additional post-graduate training hours related to mental health and counseling
Employment Experience
* Foster parent, providing care for 80+ children with a wide variety of mental health and behavioral issues at Black Mountain Home from 2002-2010
* Inpatient Psychiatric Clinician at Copestone (Mission Hospital) from 2009-2013
* Clinical Supervisor, Adult Outpatient Therapist, Intensive In-Home Lead Clinician at Family Preservation Services from 2010-2015
* Intake Psychiatric Clinician and Intensive Outpatient Clinician at Mission from 2015-2017
* Opened Flourish Counseling & Wellness in 2014
Areas of Expertise
* Anxiety disorders of all types
* Postpartum depression and anxiety
* Support during a time of a stressful life transition (divorce, becoming a parent, starting or graduating from college, moving, job change, etc)
* Trauma-related disorders stemming from adverse childhood experiences
* Acute trauma-related stress due to single incident traumatic events (automobile accidents, being victimized by a violent crime, etc)
* Vicarious trauma due to job related stress (ie, RNs, First Responders, other Social Workers, etc)
Treatment Approaches
I am here to support you as we learn together what works best for you based on your history, your personality, your needs, and your goals.
I use well researched, effective treatment modalities that I have training and experience with. Here are some examples of the treatments approaches I commonly utilize: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (including TF-CBT and CPT), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solutions Focused Brief Therapy, Behavioral Activation Therapy, Critical Incident Stress Management, Motivational Interviewing, and many others.