There may come a time in life when family therapy is needed. Are you thinking of exploring family therapy? Or have you been struggling to find a family therapist that meets your needs?
After all, therapy is an individualized experience. And finding a family therapist who specializes in working with individuals, while understanding the needs and dynamics of the family unit, is important. Finding the right family therapist can be much like dating. You may be looking for a therapist that has a particular set of characteristics, values or theoretical approaches.
Fortunately, here at Behaved Brain Wellness Center, there are several family therapists who have worked with diverse populations and have acquired a variety of expertise in helping individuals and families reach their goals. Behaved Brains offers a wide range of family therapy services that include, but are not limited to individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy and marriage counseling, psycho-educational testing, and school observations.
Behaved Brain is a family therapy practice that is always expanding and adding new therapists as the need for our services continues to grow. Below you will find a brief description of each of our family therapists at Behaved Brain – both old and new – who have become an essential part of Behaved Brain’s effectiveness and success.
Founder: Katie Gately, LPC/BCBA
Katie’s mantra is: Wellness, structure, awareness and a healthy brain equals a happy child. Influenced by her neuroscience background and experience working at some of the nation’s most highly-regarded agencies and schools, Katie is driven to help children and families reach their potential and create healthier kids and happier parents. Through encouraging parents and children to look into stress in their environment, Katie is able to help families facilitate change. Katie utilizes an integrative, holistic, mental health approach that incorporates the brain’s biological structures and processes, while making environmental changes to create a calmer, engaged, and more expressive child.
Heather is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor with a passion for helping children and their families succeed in all areas of life. Heather places strong emphasis on developing a warm and nurturing relationship with her clients and families. She utilizes a family therapy systems approach, concentrating on a healthy family dynamic as an important part of the overall success of a child’s health and well-being. Heather looks at all areas of a child’s development, including but not limited to social, emotional, behavioral, environmental, and educational factors, in order to understand and support the child as a whole. She practices with empathy, patience, and understanding, while providing evidence-based family therapy treatment, coping skills, and practical strategies to assist in managing these challenges.
Meaghan provides a warm, caring and supportive family therapy environment to assist clients in meeting their goals. Meaghan has several years of experience working with children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, depression, and difficulty with focus, attention, and impulse control. Meaghan has previous experience with providing crisis intervention and stabilization services to at-risk children and their families. Additionally, Meaghan has attended advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, School Presence, and the Nurtured Heart Approach. Meaghan believes in the importance of implementing evidence-based interventions with her clients and frequently attends continuing education training to further advance her skill set.
Dr. Jen specializes in working with children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional challenges. She also works with adults and couples who are in need of support. Dr. Jen believes that it is important to gain insight on all aspects of the individual’s family environment in order to gain full understanding of the whole person. Dr. Jen has experience conducting psycho-educational evaluations that help identify one’s strengths and weaknesses to provide the best support in the academic setting. As a successful psychologist, Dr. Jen first builds a rapport with her clients and their families to truly gain their acceptance, trust, and respect. Dr. Jen utilizes an individualized approach to meet the needs of the individual that she is working with.
Giselle is a bilingual (English/Spanish) school psychologist with several years of experience working with children, adolescents and families. She has provided in-home and outpatient-based family counseling, using evidenced based treatments to address mood disorders, anxiety, and executive functioning. Giselle also has experience conducting psychiatric emergency screenings and crisis intervention for at-risk individuals of all ages. Currently, Giselle is a school psychologist, where she has gained experience in the field of special education, and is part of a multidisciplinary Child Study Team. Her role as a school psychologist provides additional insight into today’s child development, academic achievement/resource and psycho-educational assessments.
Jana believes in utilizing a family system approach and strengths perspective focusing on family dynamics and the strengths of both the family and child. With these approaches in mind, Jana provides a warm, supportive environment to assist individuals in meeting their goals. Jana has experience working with children and families across multiple settings, both in the school system and community. Specifically, children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), and other impulse control difficulties. She also has experience with crisis intervention and school refusal with at-risk children. Jana is also a School Social Worker providing services as a case manager at the elementary and middle school level. Jana is familiar with the special education process, the school system, and additional resources available within the community.
Dr. Rachel’s approach to therapy is to first build a rapport with her clients and their families to fully understand their concerns and establish openness, trust and respect. Dr. Rachel has worked as a dedicated school psychologist in the public school system for 10 years. She is trained in assessment, data collection and analysis as well as academic, mental health and behavioral interventions. She has expertise in mental health, learning and behavior to help children and adolescents succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. She is highly effective at building partnerships with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between the individual’s home, school and community.
Over the past 7 years, Lauren has cultivated a passion towards working with teens, adults and families. She has experience working with these families through individual sessions, couples and family therapy, as well as group therapy. Lauren believes in taking an integrative approach to your wellbeing, focusing on your emotional, cognitive, and behavioral health as parts of the whole self. Focusing on teaching clients how to connect their thoughts, emotions and behaviors, Lauren creates an atmosphere that promotes an understanding around why things are happening around them, and the way that they are. Through psycho-education, cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy she helps build a foundation for her clients to utilize health coping skills and positively communicate their thoughts and feelings effectively.
Recognizing the unique set of challenges and social-emotional struggles children and adolescents face, Natalie is dedicated to addressing these issues holistically through evidence-based practices. She employs a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and a strengths-based approach to tackle the distinctive obstacles of each individual, while working with families to establish and achieve desired goals. Natalie fosters therapeutic relationships based on mutual trust and respect, emphasizing the importance of relationship building and creating a non-judgmental environment where clients feel safe to express their struggles and parents can voice their concerns. She works collaboratively with clients and their families to provide the necessary tools and skills for developing healthy relationships and navigating challenges specific to individual goals and real-life situations.
Julia’s academic background and professional experience demonstrate her expertise in psychology, counseling, and family therapy. The concentration in School Psychology further suggests her focus on understanding child development, academic achievement, psycho-educational assessments, and addressing psychological issues within educational settings, indicating a holistic approach to mental health support for children and adolescents providing her with valuable insights into supporting children and adolescents in educational settings. Her bilingual proficiency in English and Korean further enhances her ability to connect with a diverse range of clients and provide culturally sensitive counseling services. Julia’s commitment to evidence-based treatments underscores her dedication to providing effective interventions tailored to her clients’ needs. Her experience in conducting psychiatric emergency screenings and crisis intervention reflects her readiness to assist individuals facing acute mental health challenges. Overall, Julia’s integrative approach to mental health and well-being, combined with her wealth of experience and expertise, positions her as a compassionate and effective practitioner dedicated to helping individuals and families thrive.
Nicole Bushta, LAC
Nicole has always had a passion for helping others. She began her career in the corporate world, where she had incredible experiences and developed skills. Through her work in the non-profit sector, mentoring students to discover their unique gifts and navigate their career paths, she discovered her passion for counseling. She provides parental support through psychoeducation and supplying effective behavior strategies. She utilizes the Cognitive Behavioral and Humanistic approach, which incorporates building a strong rapport and developing appropriate goals in a safe and trusting environment. She integrates a variety of techniques to best suit the needs of her clients to develop effective coping and communication skills and to guide them through the many challenges of adolescence and young adult life. Her goal is to help you and your child make positive changes so they can feel confident, happier, and empowered to reach their fullest potential.
You can find further information about each of our family therapists at our website. To book a consultation or learn more about our family therapy services at Behaved Brain, you can call our office at 201-857-5380, or email us at Wellness@BehavedBrain.com.
