Life can be hard! Sometimes life deals us a set of circumstances that we aren’t sure how to navigate. Sometimes life is just confusing, and it can be hard to make sense of it all. You may find yourself asking questions like “how did I get here” and “how do I move forward”. There is where counseling could come in as a tool-- one of the biggest benefits of therapy is having a safe place to share how you are really doing and feeling.
I value creating a safe place space to understand your true identity and thrive in your current situation. I believe that my clients are experts on themselves and collaborate with you in our work together.
You don’t have to walk alone! It is my desire that clients can learn to be present in their daily lives and persevere with hope for the future. I consider it a honor to help clients hold even that mustard seed of hope and watch it grow. I have specialized training in trauma, EMDR, life transitions, grief and loss, and anxiety work.

I have been supporting parents in every job or role I’ve had in adulthood whether I knew it at the time or not. My clinical work began working with teenagers in the inpatient setting. I noticed that there would be times where patients would become stable while in the hospital and then we would discharge them, only for them to return a short time later. I realized we needed to be working with the family as a whole. Then I began working with younger children, thinking if I intercepted my clients at a younger age, I could potentially prevent the struggles I saw on the inpatient unit. I slowly worked my way down in age, working in the infant and early childhood realm in mental health care. One day, I had a lightbulb moment. I noticed a trend in all of these settings: the most important and impactful work is done with parents. Most mental health difficulties in children (and even many adults!) can be traced back to early childhood. Those experiences either tend to help or hinder our roles as parents.

My approach to therapy revolves around putting my clients at the center of the process. This means tailoring treatment to suit your specific needs and preferences. It could involve processing through deep-rooted issues, equipping you with coping mechanisms and practical skills, or even collaboration to problem solve. For me, being a therapist is a profound privilege to walk alongside my clients on their journey towards self-discovery and growth. I see each client as an individual with unique experiences, challenges, and aspirations. My role is to support you in realizing your vision for yourself and help navigate through whatever obstacles you may encounter along the way.

My passion is working with the LGBTQ community and with couples. I have worked in many settings and in my own LCSW counseling and consulting practice since 1987. I am originally from the East Coast and came to California, originally the Bay Area for 30 years and San Diego for the past 9, and have worked in medical, acute rehabilitation and outpatient psychiatry for the majority of my career.
I am trained in the Gottman model of couple's therapy, in DBT, CBT, ACT, Trauma resiliency, Prolonged Exposure therapy and CPT.
My most extensive training in the last 7 years has been with gender affirming care.

Sheri is an Licensed Professional Counselor who has focused on working primarily with individual adults, who are seeking help with relationships, self-esteem, trauma, chronic illness, anxiety or depression. She also works with spouses experiencing the demands of intense executive life styles and also C Suite women. Sheri completed a Masters in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate School in Atlanta, with specialized course work in the application of Christian Spirituality in Counseling.

Sheri’s approach in counseling is to partner with the client in a collaborative way to help them grow in self-leadership of mind, body, and spirit. She works with common obstacles which prevent us from growing into wholeness, some examples are traumas of the past, boundary conflicts, negative self-talk, emotional burdens, health issues, and difficult in patterns of relationship. Deep listening and empathy, together with sound clinical knowledge are the tools Sheri uses to provide a safe haven to explore issues interfering with the client’s goals and desires for life.

Believing that each client is a unique individual, Sheri collaborates with them to determine what specific plan and techniques are best suited for them. She pulls from mindfulness techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, and emotional regulation practices. Attachment and family systems theories are foundational to her work since identities and experiences largely result from our early influences. At the request of the client, Sheri integrates prayer and Biblical principles in the therapy room.

Sheri has been trained and certified with Christian Healing Ministries, has interned with the Amen Clinic, and has assisted at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She also serves as a facilitator with the CEO Forum's Spiritual Leadership Institute for CEO women.

Dustin Ellis was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Lipscomb University and his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Trevecca Nazarene University.

Prior to working with GROW, Dustin spent the last fourteen years using behavioral interventions like ABA with children and families on the autism spectrum. He has made the transition into the field of counseling because he has seen the unique needs that families with children on the spectrum face.

Dustin has specialized in providing resources and meeting the specific needs of the parents/families/siblings/caregivers who have children on the spectrum. His goal is to provide a holistic approach for supporting these families to thrive in the future.

Dustin has training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples to better serve this population. He is a member of the Georgia Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Clients describe Dustin as warm and authentic while offering hope that change is possible. His approach centers around using awareness, practicing compassion, and acceptance of deeper emotions to create connection and change.

Dustin embraces the words of Brene’ Brown, “We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.”

Supervisor: Dr. Wendy Dickinson

Barbara Carlin is founder of Horizon Counseling & Consulting, LLC. Located in Atlanta. As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Nation Board Certified Counselor, she takes great satisfaction working with individuals, groups and conducting workshops. She often is invited to speak on a multitude of topics related to mental health and personal well-being.

Caroline received her BA in psychology from Cornell University and her MA with academic distinction in clinical mental health counseling from Northwestern University. She is currently a registered mental health counseling intern with the state of Florida, working under the supervision of Sarah Watt, LMHC. Prior to pursuing the counseling field, she spent ten years in the northeast building experience in the culinary, nonprofit, and business worlds. This gave her invaluable perspective that she could not have gotten had she entered the counseling field right away. At the end of 2019, she felt called back to the area of mental health and to her hometown of Ocala, FL where she lives with her daughter. She has experienced the positive impact of quality counseling in her own life, and strives to provide this for each of her clients. She is passionate about the power of the therapeutic relationship and the growth that can occur when we nurture our minds.