University in Ohio, and a Masters Degree in Community Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern University in Massachusetts. Mrs. Sanford is married to a local minister and has three young adult children.  Now and over the last ten years, she has been a church volunteer, with the children and youth, in various functions.

Clinically, she enjoys counseling adults, adolescents, and children, through therapies including individual, family, and couples, and play-therapy with children. Her areas of expertise include: Bereavement, parenting, and co-parenting matters, children of divorce and/or remarriage, injured workers, victims and survivors of abuse, and spirituality issues. In addition, Mrs. Sanford works with clients dealing with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, and Bipolar disorders. She has many years of experience working on a multi disciplinary treatment team. She is, and has been, an active member of Catawba Valley Area Counselors and Therapists (CVACT) since 1990.  Currently, she is on the CVACT Board of Directors, as the Program Chairperson. In addition, Mrs. Sanford has been certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors since 1991.

Disorders, Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disorders, Psychiatric Illness, chronic kidney disease, and Traumatic Brain Injury.  He is particularly interested in the areas of recovery after Traumatic Brain Injury, coping with chronic illness, and complex learning disorders. 

Dr. Icard received his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  While at UNC, he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology and developmental disabilities at the Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning.  As both a clinician and researcher, Dr. Icard has written peer-reviewed journal articles and a book chapter focusing on pediatric chronic illness.  He has participated in research examining the neurological impact of pediatric chronic kidney disease and substance-use on brain development.  He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the North Carolina Psychological Association, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology.  A lifelong North Carolinian, Dr. Icard graduated from Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville, North Carolina.

diverse group of people of all ages.  She has worked in the acute care hospital setting, geriatric partial hospitalization, outpatient offices, HIV clinics and Catawba Valley Medical Centers gastric bypass support group. In these settings Mrs. Engelmann has worked with patients with a wide range of diagnoses and has provided counseling to people dealing with simple and complicated depression and anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety, complicated grief and loss, post traumatic stress disorder, life transition issues, work/relationship issues, weight difficulties and parenting issues. She has also worked very successfully with clients with anger difficulties, legal issues and difficulties parenting teenage children.

Besides practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Debra has also received specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which can be helpful in a broad range of diagnoses. She also has training in mediation and has worked with clients in the court system.  She is both a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and a local member of Catawba Valley Counselors and Therapists. In addition she has
served on the ethics committee at Catawba Valley Medical Center since 1996.

One of Mrs. Engelmann’s strengths is to connect with people and provide a safe environment to express feelings and improve the quality of both personal and professional areas of her clients’ lives.  Debra lives in Hickory with her husband Dr. Richard Engelmann and their two children David and Rachel.