Professional counseling Hickory NC



Solutions of Hickory
Counseling Services
Psychological Evaluations
Neuropsychological Evaluation
Friendbuilders
Staff
Directions
Monthly Topics
Contact Us


 







 

 



 




 


 





Solutions of Hickory
Counseling Services
Psychological Evaluations
Neuropsychological Evaluation
Friendbuilders
Staff
Directions
Monthly Topics
Contact Us

 

 

 



 







 

Psychologists Hickory NC


The professional staff of Solutions has many years of specialized training and experience in child, adolescent and adult psychology. We specialize in the assessment and treatment of behavioral, emotional and learning disorders in children, adolescents and adults.
 

Dr. Elyse Freilich is a psychologist who has been specializing in the treatment of children for over 22 years. As a child psychologist she brings to Solutions of Hickory a myriad of training and expertise in the treatment and assessment of childhood disorders. She is most interested in the assessment of differential diagnoses among young children and adolescents. She has years of experience in working with Bipolar, Attention-


 



Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Aspergers Syndrome and Anxious and Depressed children and adolescents. Over the course of the past 22 years, Dr. Freilich has developed an array of techniques and strategies for working with children and families who have previously been identified as resistant to standard forms of treatment.

Dr. Freilich received her doctoral training at Georgia State University where she received extensive training in the assessment and treatment of many childhood disorders, Her residency at Crestwood Children's Hospital in Rochester, NY provided her with hands-on assessment and treatment of children and families.

Currently, Dr. Freilich has focused much of her attention to the treatment of Learning Differences, as well as to differential diagnosis of children with Bipolar, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Depression.
 
Michelle A.McClain, MS, LPA
Ms. McClain graduated Cum Laude from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory and obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Radford University, in Radford, Virginia.  Her specialized area of expertise is in the assessment and diagnosis of children’s learning difficulties.
She is a past Executive Board member and Treasurer of the N.C. Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, and
recipient of the 2008 Dr. Lucia Rooney Karnes Award for Excellence for service to this organization.  Additionally, she has been trained in the neurodevelopmental assessment of children and conducts comprehensive assessments of children focused on the identification
of children’s strengths, which
are then used to overcome identified learning, emotional, social and developmental weaknesses. Ms. McClain also developed and conducts an effective social skills training group, “FriendBuilders”, which is appropriate for children from ages 4 to 12. Adjustment issues such as divorce, grief, as well as ADHD, developmental disorders, depression and anxiety are also areas of expertise for Ms. McClain. She has received advanced training and supervision in conducting Forensic Evaluations of individuals and families, and also treats children and families during and after high-conflict divorces.  She is a member of the Catawba Valley Association of Counselors & Therapists, The North Carolina Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association.
 
Mrs. Dianne Sanford, MED, NCC, LPC
Mrs. Dianne Sanford is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has practiced counseling in Hickory, NC, since 1990. Prior to that, Mrs. Sanford has provided counseling services for twelve years in various environments, including foster homes, group homes, and day treatment programs for children, adolescents, and geriatric populations. She holds an
undergraduate degree from Kent State

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.

 
Mr. Ferguson is a Licensed Psychological Associate.  A local resident, he graduated salutatorian from West Caldwell High School in Lenoir, North Carolina in 2000 and attended Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and then a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. 
Mr. Ferguson’s experience includes working with adolescents with behavioral and legal issues as well as receiving supervised training in a diagnostic psychology clinic working with college students and children experiencing learning difficulties, attentional impairment, and other emotional/behavioral difficulties; a college counseling center specializing in the treatment of adjustment difficulties; and a community mental health agency specializing in the psychological assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families.  In addition, Mr. Ferguson has obtained post-graduate specialized training in forensic applications of psychology as well as play therapy and diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. 

Mr. Ferguson’s professional interests include comprehensive psychological assessment and differential diagnosis of various disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, Dyslexia, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and other emotional and behavioral disorders, as well as psychological treatment relevant to these disorders.  Mr. Ferguson’s clinical expertise includes treatment of anxiety, depression, and ADHD primarily in children and adolescents.  He is a member of Catawba Valley Area Counselors and Therapists (CVACT) and the North Carolina Psychological Association.


Dr. Phil Icard is a licensed psychologist specializing in pediatric neuropsychology and developmental disabilities.  As a child and adolescent neuropsychologist, Dr. Icard provides comprehensive assessment, consultation, and treatment for childhood conditions with neurological involvement.  Dr. Icard has experience working with both congenital and acquired disorders, including Autism Spectrum

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.




Debra Engelmann is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has practiced in Hickory, NC since 1995.  She has a Bachelors Degree from the State University of New York – Oneonta and a Masters degree in social work from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY.

Mrs. Engelmann has provided group, individual and family therapy to a very

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.



Solutions of Hickory Counseling Services Hickory NC



is owned & operated by
Michelle A. McClain, MS, LPA & Elyse F. Freilich, Ph.D., LP

 

Located in downtown Hickory, NC

326 2nd Ave NW
Hickory, NC 28601
Telephone: 828.328.4313
Fax: 828-328-4820


Email: info@solutionsofhky.com



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