I received my Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Appalachian State University in August 2007 and my Bachelors of Science in Psychology at Appalachian State University in 1997. I am member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the North Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (NCAMFT).
I have been working in the field of mental health since 1997 serving a diverse clientele from most ages and socio-economic groups. I was the director of a homeless outreach program for children in Colorado, supervised residential treatment facilities for high risk adolescents, and provided family advocacy and family mental health work. I have been practicing in Hickory and Boone since 2009 and have been very successful in supporting marriages, families, and individuals in the Western Carolina community.
Since 2007, I have provided individual, family, and couples therapy, where I am comfortable in blended roles of advocate, coach, parent, therapist, and support person. Trained in Love and Logic Parenting, I have been teaching this highly regarded program since 2003 and also use this parenting method in my own family. My years of training and experience help me treat a range of relationship and individual concerns. These include marriages in distress and on the verge of separation or divorce, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm, eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem, oppositional defiance, troubled teens, divorce and separation (reducing negative impact on families), blended families, domestic violence, compulsive behavior, over-sexualized behavior, and employment and educational challenges.
I help children and adults using play and expressive arts therapy, accessing community resources, assisting special needs children and their parents, reducing effects of reactive attachment disorder on parents, coaching parents through the therapeutic process, and in managing challenging children, working with the foster care system, DSS, school system, and legal systems. I have a background in substance abuse counseling and worked for the North Carolina Methamphetamine Initiative in Boone, NC. I am one of two providers in Western North Carolina chosen by the Physician Health Program to provide family mental health support to medical professionals struggling with addiction in their own lives.
I am happy to be a part of Blue Mountain Center for one day each week. In addition, I have a private practice in Hickory, NC with my wife, Leigh Kadans, LCSW, and spend a day each week in Asheville, also in private practice. My Weekends are for enjoying personal time with my children, animals, and friends. Please also visit the website for my private practice for more information.
