Sara, originally from Dallas, Texas, has lived in Central Arkansas since 2016. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in psychology from Florida College in Tampa, Florida before completing her Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Arkansas. Sara’s passion and focus in counseling is grief and loss. She is an active member of the Association of Death Education and Counseling, and is a firm believer that grief is a common experience that binds us together in life. She is also Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement. Sara has worked with a wide array of populations from geriatric, college students, couples, homeless, and loss. Sara is an active member of her church here in Conway and enjoys performing on stage, time with her family, watching baseball, and vacationing at Disney World. Sara and her husband are also the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl and two Scottish Terriers. Sara is available to see clients during the week, including some evenings.

Christen earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Science in Community Counseling from the University of Central Arkansas.  Since being licensed in 2010, she has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in the clinic, school, and client home environments, and she enjoyed supporting other mental health providers while in a clinical supervisor role.

Christen enjoys providing a nurturing and encouraging space in which each individual can utilize their strengths and passions in combination with evidence-based tools and interventions to pursue their goals, and she views counseling as an opportunity to partner with God in the work He is already faithfully completing in each person.  Christen has experience working with a wide variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges, difficulty adjusting to life changes, loss and the grieving process, communication difficulties, self-esteem or self-view concerns, difficulty managing stress, and trauma responses.  Christen also loves to work with individuals of any age who have the strength of being highly introverted or highly sensitive but who would like to work through maladaptive expressions of introversion/ sensitivity, improve communication, or build a self-care regimen that honors their personality and promotes balance. She recently became a Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner with a focus on the impact of nutrition on mental health as well.

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Christen enjoys nature, exercise, creative pursuits, reading, and her family. 

Melissa Bell is an experienced Nurse Practitioner, who is dually certified in Family Practice and Psychiatry. She has 9 years of Advanced Practice experience in Urgent Care, Geriatrics, and Primary Care. She is certified to see all ages, but has a soft spot for adolescents and young adults.

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Melissa's preferred practice style is creating an individualized treatment plan for each patient. She achieves this by obtaining a thorough understanding of her patient's medical and psychiatric history, and then uses that information to work with them to develop a unique treatment plan together. She believes that medical, mental, and spiritual needs influence each other. Therefore, she strives to address each of these needs in her practice through things like addressing vitamin deficiency and hormone imbalance or by using leading edge treatments like Spravato® for treatment-resistant depression. Because of her attention to detail, new patients can expect 50-60 minutes for initial appointments and 20-30 minutes for follow-up appointments.

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Melissa is a transplant from Georgia, but has been living in Central Arkansas for the past couple of years. In her spare time, she enjoys running, hiking, traveling, and cheering for the GA Bulldogs with her husband and two teenagers.

Kelsey Sandefur is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Arkansas, as well as a National Board-Certified Counselor. Kelsey received her Bachelors’ Degree in Psychology and Counseling from Central Baptist College in Conway, AR and her Master of Arts Degree in Counseling from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. With significant trauma training and certifications, including Cognitive Processing Therapy and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Kelsey is equipped to assist clients in processing through their trauma and meet their full potential in life.

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Kelsey’s laid-back demeanor creates an atmosphere for her clients to come as they are, as Kelsey understands beginning the counseling journey can be a nerve-racking experience. With plans to pursue her doctorate in the near future in Child and Adolescent Development, Kelsey specializes in working with children, teens, and young adults.

Michael is originally from Paragould, Arkansas. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in both Psychology and Music at Ouachita Baptist University in 2009, and moved to Conway to earn a masters and PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas. Michael worked for 7 years in a community mental health setting where he gained experience working with adults of all ages who were learning to manage symptoms ranging from mild depression and worry to more severe symptoms of depression, trauma, panic, and even psychosis. Michael highly values learning and enjoys bringing current research findings and knowledge into the therapy process, such as his training in Cognitive Processing Therapy for treating trauma. Michael's strong emphasis on evidence-based treatment has led him to place a high priority on forming a strong therapeutic relationship with his clients as this is arguably one of the strongest predictors of therapeutic success. When he is not working or studying, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys cooking, dabbles in gardening, and loves when he can spare some time for his lifelong hobby of gaming.

Katelynn earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and Educational Specialist degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Harding University. She has worked with children and adults in a variety of settings, including acute inpatient, intensive outpatient/partial hospitalization programs, and traditional outpatient clinics. Katelynn loves helping clients rewrite the stories they are telling themselves about their experiences in order to develop a greater sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. She enjoys working with adolescents and young adults and is particularly interested in working with those who have experienced religious and spiritual trauma. Katelynn is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) , and Brainspotting (BSP) to provide specialized help for those struggling with trauma effects. When she's not helping clients, Katelynn is a proud cat mom and enjoys a good cup of coffee, good conversation, and a good time outside.

Jason earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Lyon College in 2001 and his Master’s in Community Counseling at the University of Central Arkansas in 2004.

Since being licensed Jason has worked with a variety of clients in several different settings, including inpatient facilities, private practice, and most recently, the University of Central Arkansas Counseling Center where he worked with young adults.

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Now in full-time private practice, Jason enjoys working with individuals who want to improve their time management skills and problem solving abilities, helping athletes, and those who are working towards improving their relationships.  He utilizes Cognitive-Behavioral and Solution-Focused approaches and draws upon his experience as a college athlete when working with his clients.  Believing strongly in an individual’s ability to find his/her own answers, he provides an environment for clients to safely explore their thoughts and feelings as they move towards their ideal selves.

 

In his free time, Jason enjoys golfing, fishing, hunting, and family time with his wife and three children.