Melissa L. Collins, Ed.S, LPC, MHSP
Personal Statement
Being a member of the “baby boomer” generation, I have seen how people struggled with a number of mental health and addictions issues. Such problems were not
only unfairly stigmatized, but help was simply not available. Their lives, as well as my own, could have been changed for the better if mental health had been acceptable and available. Fortunately, that help—through education and effective therapies—is here at Personal Growth and Learning Center.
As a mother of three, I chose teaching as a career and earned my Bachelors, Masters, and Education Specialist degrees from Tennessee Tech right here in Cookeville. I have been a public school teacher for nearly 25 years. Teaching mostly in the middle school grades, I currently serve as a Guidance Counselor for students in grades four through eight. Teaching is
not a “job” but a “calling”. Children and the classroom were my passion. Yet, I always had the desire to teach both children and adults the skills they need to cope with sometimes difficult circumstances. I finally responded to another “calling” and in 2008, I began a Masters program in Mental Health Counseling at Argosy University in Nashville. I graduated in 2012 and am currently working with PGLC’s director, Dr. Carole Lovell, toward state licensure as a Professional Counselor.
I have experience with children 3 years old and older, adolescents, and adults. Assisting Dr. Lovell in a Trauma and Abuse Recovery Group and helping clients who are coping with changes in life are examples of my professional practice strengths. I also enjoy helping clients discover their own strengths and joys in life. I work with individuals, couples, and families. Among my treatment modalities are Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Recovery (EMDR).
Qualifications/ Credentials:
- Master of Arts in Professional Counseling
- EMDR Trained
Insurance Accepted:
- Americhoice/Amerigroup;
- TN Care Select;
- Cover Kids;
- Blue Care
Client Focus (Age):
- Children age 3 years old
- adolescents and adults
Treatment Approaches:
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Recovery (EMDR)
- Psycho-educational
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Behavioral Therapy
- Couples Therapy
Modality:
- Individual
- Couples/ Marital
- Family
- Group therapy