Kelly Bozard | Counselor
Kelly is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). She enjoys working with individuals who are feeling “stuck” and unable to live life as their best self. She also has a strong interest in helping couples who find themselves in a negative pattern of interaction and cannot seem to break their cycle. Kelly focuses her practice on couples, adult individuals, and older teens. She offers counseling in a variety of need areas such as anxiety and depression, stress management, life adjustment, grief, women’s needs, family issues, couples counseling (EFT), abuse, and trauma. Some clients appreciate that she is willing to approach the process of therapy from a biblical worldview.
Kelly received a master’s in counseling from Liberty University in 2012. Before receiving her degree and starting her own private practice, she completed a one-year internship with the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center and a six-month internship with Safe Homes Rape Crisis Coalition.
While Kelly is competent in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), her therapy style is strongly influenced by two attachment-based models in which she is continuously pursuing additional training and supervision. These include Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and more recently, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). In 2017 Kelly reached full certification in EFT. This means that she has expertise in this model of therapy and is recognized by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). Kelly is currently in the process of reaching a similar status with AEDP, a model that pairs well with EFT but focuses more on the individual. To learn more about these models please visit https://aedpinstitute.org/about-aedp/ and www.iceeft.com/index.php/about-us/what-is-eft.
Kelly is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. She and her husband have lived in Spartanburg since 2009 and have three children. She enjoys cooking, cycling, and being involved in the local community. Kelly’s Christian faith is very important to her; she is an active member of Grace Church Spartanburg.
“It was a great pleasure to supervise Kelly Bozard in her graduate-level internship at SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition. Kelly is an extremely bright young woman, who demonstrates excellent theoretical knowledge as well as outstanding clinical skills. She has a warm therapeutic presence while being careful to set appropriate professional boundaries with her clients. Kelly effectively uses treatment plans to assist clients in reaching their therapy goals within a brief period of time. I would not hesitate to refer clients to her practice.”
Kristin Faulkner | Therapist
Kristin Faulkner is a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Clinical Practice (LISW-CP) who has been in practice as a therapist since 2003 when she received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina. Kristin has practiced therapy in a variety of settings including Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center in School-Based Services, SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition, and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union. Since earning her LISW-CP title in December of 2011, Kristin has also engaged in private therapy practice at North Main Counseling in Greenville, SC.
Kristin prefers the title of “therapist” as she believes her role to be that of helping her clients to heal. She primarily focuses her practice on serving families and children age three through adolescence. Kristin specializes in providing therapy to children (and their families) who have experienced traumatic events, especially abuse or neglect, as well as those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and need help building improved skills for anger management and/ or communication. She uses methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and different types of play therapy techniques. Kristin does not accept any form of insurance but does bill the Adoption Medical Subsidy directly using DSS Form 30129 for services provided to children who have been adopted through SCDSS. Kristin joyfully provides services to these children and their families.
Kristin has received extensive training in the treatment of child abuse, child and adolescent mental health, and play therapy. She has more specifically completed training for Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She is also on the roster for professionals having completed Project BEST, a statewide collaborative seeking to increase the provision of evidence-supported mental health treatments (specifically TF-CBT) to children who have experienced traumatic events. For more information on TF-CBT and Project BEST please visit http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/projectbest.
Kristin resides in the Spartanburg area with her husband and four children and attends a local PCA church. Kristin provides therapy from a Christian perspective, as her faith is central in her life. She enjoys serving the area in which she has lived and practiced for over 16 years.
Mitch Dawes, LPCA
Mitch is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA). He obtained his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in May 2021. In addition to state licensing, he has met the requirements for National Certified Counselor as required by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). He had also completed an externship training course in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.
Mitch has counseled diverse populations on various mental health issues working at the University of South Carolina Upstate counseling services and the Carolina Center for Behavioral Health during his clinical internships. He also works part-time as a therapist at Middle Tyger Community Center.
He is passionate about helping clients struggling with issues related to self, self-identity, and relational distress. These issues typically manifest themselves in symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and relational conflict. It is his goal to partner with his clients to create an environment in which they feel safe, accepted, unjudged, and free to explore themselves and what they are experiencing.
His theoretical orientation blends aspects of multiple theoretical approaches. He believes people have the capacity for self-awareness and growth, that people are innately relational and find meaning within relationships, and that emotions drive our thoughts and our thoughts drive our behaviors. Emotions are the product of our ‘experiences’ and produce in us feelings of anxiety, fear, or comfort and security.
Mitch has worked with adolescents ranging in age from 8 to 18 years, young adults, and middle-aged adults. He enjoys working with people from a wide array of beliefs, values, and ethnic backgrounds. His Christian faith is an important part of his personal life, and he is an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. Clients who share a biblical worldview may appreciate that his seminary coursework and training as well as his background in working with youth inform his ability to discuss matters of faith and spirituality as a part of the therapy process if they so desire.
Mitch has been married to his wife Amy since 1992 and they have two adult children. In his spare time, he enjoys working and recreating outdoors as well as cycling to stay fit.