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Staff

Amy Wells, LCSW

Amy received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1996 and went on to obtain her Master of Social Work degree in 1998, both from Valdosta State University.   She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2001.  Amy began her career helping people suffering from serious and persistent mental illness, working in day treatment, outpatient and inpatient psychiatric settings.  She has also worked with the geriatric population in a variety of environments including nursing homes.  She has extensive experience helping children and teenagers of divorced families and teaches co-parenting skills.  She has been appointed by the Courts in both Georgia and Florida as a Parent Coordinator to assist families during high conflict divorces.  Amy treats clients with perfectionism, grief, generalized anxiety, sports and academic performance anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, family and relationship issues, and stress management. Additionally, she has helped many cope with trauma suffered from automobile collisions.  Amy has been in private practice for over 21 years.  She is recognized as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and is a member of the International Association of Trauma Professionals.  She is a trained Brainspotting Practitioner, a modality of treatment for anxiety, trauma and athletic performance blocks. Amy is a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP) and is also a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). She enjoys providing supervision to other therapists seeking licensure.  She offers individual, family and marriage counseling to all ages.  Amy is an owner of Oakwood Counseling Center, LLC.  

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Christa Crawford, LCSW

With 20+ years of experience providing clinical services and contributing to the development of community resources, Christa enjoys providing individual and family therapy for children, teenagers, and adults. In efforts to develop expertise in “service gap” areas, she discovered a love of working with two different populations- military issues and autism spectrum. Christa specializes in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Insomnia, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. She has a current clinical trauma professional (CCTP) certification. Christa is on the STAR provider registry after receiving 65+ hours of specialized training with the Center of Deployment Psychology for military stressors with particular focus on combat-related PTSD, Insomnia, Depression, and TBI. She is experienced in treating Oppositional Defiant Disorders, Anxiety (including Separation Anxiety Disorder,) and teaching parenting skills. Christa attended Valdosta State University and obtained Social Work licensure in 2001. She has studied the impact of culture shock and culture adjustment, in addition to participating in a social work program in Veracruz, Mexico. Christa was contracted at Moody AFB to start Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy services in 2008. She enjoys providing clinical supervision for licensure and consultation to other therapists. Christa is an owner of Oakwood Counseling Center, LLC. She seeks opportunities to use her education, experience, and idealism to promote health and happiness in the lives of others, while continuously learning from everyone she meets. 

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Blakely Harper, LCSW

Blakely is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly 20 years of experience and has provided clinical services to children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of mental health and medical settings. She graduated with her Bachelor of Social Work from University of Georgia in 2001, earned her Master of Social Work in 2003 from Valdosta State University, and became licensed in 2004. Blakely has been a part-time instructor through Valdosta State University's Master of Social Work Program. She specializes in treating depression, anxiety, and has a  special focus in treating trauma in teens and adults. Blakely is a member of the Southeast Brainspotting Institute and is trained and experienced in BSP/Brainspotting, a trauma reprocessing modality designed to more effectively resolve symptoms in individuals impacted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She also provides counseling related to the management of stress and relationship issues and works with clients to foster more mindfulness, coping skills, and increased insight.  Her hope is to help her clients connect and correct the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that could be acting as barriers to the life they want to lead. Blakely has Connected Child training and can positively enhance parenting by helping parents identify and incentivize behaviors they want to see continue within themselves and their children. She also has extensive experience assisting those who are adapting to a physical illness as well as moving through grief/loss, along with other life transitions. Blakely offers individual, family, and couples' therapy. Blakely is an owner of Oakwood Counseling Center, LLC.

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Mark Webb, LMFT

Mark has been helping individuals and couples since 1986. He worked for 19 years in a psychiatric hospital where he specialized in treating adults who struggled with depression and anxiety, anger and conflict type issues. He has been in private practice since 1996 in which he works with adults, individually and with couples. His approach is solutions oriented and directive. Mark prides himself in teaching individuals and couples how to get the results they are looking for. He enjoys seeing his clients get their lives back on track and teaching them how to keep their lives on track.

Mark is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He is a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and has been since 1995. His Bachelor’s degree is in Psychology and his Master’s degree is in Family Sociology. He has a great understanding of the dynamics of both individual and couples therapy. He completed his Post-Graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1995.

Mark has written two books, How To Be A Great Partner and How To Argueproof Your Relationship. He has another book, How To Get Through The Tough Times In Your Relationship which is soon to be published. He is a featured columnist in the Valdosta Scene magazine and regularly offers seminars on related topics.

Mark and his wife, Dorraine, have been happily married for over 25 years with three grown children. They enjoy spending time with their family, their three dogs and traveling together. Mark is a Sixth Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and a 17 time World Champion in Taekwondo.

Mark specializes in working with adults, individuals and with couples in therapy. 

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Jason Griner, LCSW

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Jason is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who obtained his MSW from Valdosta State University. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of human services and has spent almost 16 years treating people suffering from complex trauma, anxiety, psychosis, personality disorders, severe dissociation, and addiction, at both the inpatient and outpatient levels of care. Jason has a strong passion for helping men, women and children who have suffered from trauma. He has been trained extensively and has much experience in working with PTSD, having spent the last 5 years working with women in an intensive inpatient trauma program. “Anxiety, trauma and PTSD do not have to be a life sentence of suffering. You can learn to live with your experiences and have a higher quality of life.” This is his belief. 

He is skilled in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), as well as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. He is a Certified Advanced Bilateral Assessment and Stimulation Treatment (BLAST) Practitioner and is Certified in Sports Performance Mind Coaching. In addition, Jason has a vast knowledge and understanding of addiction and recovery and the role the 12 Steps plays in this process. 

He has been a Field Instructor and Adjunct Faculty Member of the VSU School of Social work, having twice been recognized as Field Instructor of the Year. He is an avid outdoorsman, hiker, and coach. For almost 20 years, Jason has worked with student athletes at every age level, providing support and guidance to help them see their potential, capitalize on it, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals. Jason offers therapy to individuals of all ages and families, including athletes, Veterans and First Responders. 

Ellen Joiner-Woodard, LCSW

Ellen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of professional social work experience in the local community. She graduated from Valdosta State University with a Bachelor degree in Sociology in 1994 and later her Master of Social Work degree in 1998. She began her career with Department of Family and Children Services and later moving into clinical social work in health care settings. Ellen has worked in dialysis, home health, inpatient rehab, and most recently oncology and inpatient palliative care. She has initiated various support groups in our community to help address the needs of people with medical illness and in recent years coordinated community awareness events for breast cancer survivors. She has been an advocate for the needs of people with cancer and has been involved with The Pink Party at Pearlman Cancer Center as well as Partnership Cancer Fund. She has extensive experience with providing support to people grieving the loss of health and physical ability, helping them and their families move through the process adjusting to a limiting or life limiting illness. As a Clinical Social Worker in Palliative Care at South Georgia Medical Center, she provided grief counseling to patients and families as well as counseling regarding Advanced Directives and end of life decision making. Ellen treats clients with depression, anxiety, grief/loss, trauma, stress management, and has a passion for working with women who have been diagnosed with cancer. She believes it is important to find peace and joy in the midst of difficult life transitions. No issue is too small to seek support from a therapist. Ellen’s approach depends on the needs of the individual. She likes to incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as mindfulness-based interventions to help cope with depression and anxiety. Ellen also has completed the 200 hour yoga teacher training and has found this helpful to teach clients some of the benefits of yoga to support the therapeutic process. 

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Katherine Purvis, Office Coordinator

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Katie is a native of South Georgia, being born and raised in Cook County.  She is incredibly kind and patient, and is exceptional at making our clients feel welcome.  She has also proven to be a great problem solver, which is an asset when dealing with all things that intersect within our office.  Outside of her dedication at work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading mystery novels, volunteering in her community, and scrapbooking.  She also loves a great nature scene and anytime she can break away, she enjoys traveling to the beach or the mountains. 

Mikayla Amon, Receptionist

Born and raised right here in Valdosta, Mikayla brings that signature Southern charm to our team. Her educational journey includes graduating from Lowndes High School in 2021 and obtaining her associates from Georgia Military College in 2022. Currently, she's working towards a BA in psychology at Valdosta State University and has aspirations to become a nurse practitioner in psychology, blending her caring nature with her growing expertise. A bookworm at heart, she loves getting lost in a good story. When she's not turning pages, you'll find her crocheting and sewing, turning threads into beautiful creations. 

Beyond her personal interests, she's an active member of the VSU Wesley LEAD team, where she fosters long-lasting relationships and builds a sense of community among college students. Her love for animals shines through in her passion for rescuing and fostering baby kittens.

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