Acton Road and Oakmont at Montclair Road Psychologists

Thomas C. Brecht, Ph.D.
Dr. Tom Brecht holds a double major in psychology and philosophy at the undergraduate level. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi, and completed his internship at Austin State Hospital in Austin, Texas. While on active duty in the Army, Dr. Brecht was director of the Alcoholism Treatment Center at Ft Polk, Louisiana, and later he was clinical director for the Mental Health Center in Camden, Arkansas. He has resided in the Birmingham area since 1980.

Dr. Brecht has been affiliated with APS for over 2 decades and conducts much of the psychological evaluations for the clinic. He is also involved in many of the clinic's groups and has a particular interest in DBT and Jungian sandtray therapy. His major hobby is four season gardening. Dr. Brecht also continues to pursue his life-long interest in philosophy.

Emily Whitt, Psy. D.
Dr. Emily Whitt is a licensed psychologist who works at the Eating Disorder Center of Alabama providing group, individual, and family therapy. She does psychological testing, individual therapy and family therapy with children and adolescents. She is an adjunct psychology professor at the University of Alabama. Dr. Whitt received her Bachelor in Psychology from Florida International University. She received her Master of Science and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. Whitt completed her clinical internship at Miami Children’s Hospital in the Department of Psychiatry and was a member of the eating disorder treatment team.

Acton Road Therapists

Tyana Doucette Alexander, LPC
Tyana Alexander is a Licensed Professional Counselor who primarily works with adults. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Southern University at New Orleans and completed her master’s degree from Loyola University at New Orleans in 2002. Tyana completed a post-masters training at the McFarland Institute Pastoral Counseling Center. Her experience includes working in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, and correctional institutions. She has worked with a variety of populations including depression, eating disorders, family concerns, grief and addiction. Tyana is a member of the Alabama Counseling Association. She joined Alabama Psychiatric Services in 2010.

Debra Brinson, LCSW
Debra Brinson is a Licensed Certified Social Worker whose primary focus and experience has been working with children, adolescents, and their families. She obtained both her bachelors degree and her master's degree in social work from the University of Alabama. She has worked with children and adolescents for the past 12 years and her experiences include day treatment, In-home, Juvenile court liaison, and outpatient services. She has worked with a diverse population including ADHD, Oppositional defiant, depression, Bipolar, Anxiety, etc. She joined Alabama Psychiatric Services in 2010.

Heidi Bullock, LCSW
Heidi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and has been with Alabama Psychiatric Services since 2010. She moved from Indianapolis, IN where she specialized in treating adults and youth with Borderline Personality Disorder. Heidi has primarily concentrated on Dialectical Behavioral Technique skill building and leading groups for dual diagnosed patients that also struggle with addictions. She attended the University of Southern Indiana 95' and Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis 06'. Heidi has experience working with youth in the foster care system, community based mental health, and inpatient psychiatric. Heidi is a member of NASW.

Nina Cadney, LCSW
Nina Cadney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her Master’s in Social Work from Howard University located in Washington, DC. Nina graduated Summa Cum Laude from her undergraduate and graduate programs. Nina has over 8 years experience providing clinical services to individuals with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, dual-diagnosis (substance abuse and mental illness), depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, dissociative identity disorder, and self-esteem issues. She has a wealth of experience in working with adults in an outpatient setting, as well as 2 years experience working in the foster care system. During her professional career, Nina has also provided clinical supervision to licensed professional counselors and social workers for over 4 years.

Drake Denton, LPC, NCC
Drake Denton is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor who has served a diverse variety of mental health populations for almost 14 years.  He holds an undergraduate degree from Samford Univ. and is an honors graduate with a Masters of Education from The Univ. of Montevallo.  Since joining APS in 2002, Mr Denton has worked or provided clinical assistance to almost every APS program in Birmingham.  He has worked in both the Adult and Child/Adolescent Outpatient Programs and spent many years at the Partial Hospitalization Program conducting groups for teens and adults.  He is now broadening his experience in the Adult Outpatient Program and will be leading the Men's Issues Group.

Jackie DeVine, LPC, NCC
Jackie DeVine is a Licensed Professional Counselor providing adult therapy with individuals, couples/marital and groups. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity, and University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Masters in Counseling in Couples and Family. She is experienced in the treatment of adult issues including depression and mood disorders, stress, anger management, anxiety, relationships and personality disorders. Jackie works from a strengths-based approach, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach skills designed to improve coping and quality of life. She has worked in Missouri and Alabama in outpatient counseling, community mental health, and inpatient psychiatric. Jackie is a member of ACA.

Amy Flowers, Ed.S, LPC, RPT
Amy Flowers is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Community/Agency Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2002 and an Educational Specialist Degree in Counselor Education from UAB in 2004. Amy has worked with children, adolescents, and adults and has experience providing individual and group therapy to sexually abused children and adolescents. Other areas of interest include PTSD, emotional/physical abuse, depression, at-risk youth, foster care, self-injurious behavior, and working with children and adolescents who have been exposed to parental substance abuse. Amy has also provided clinical supervision to master’s level counselor interns in a community/agency setting and serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches.

Emily Edwards Holm, LPC, RPT
Emily is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist who specializes in the treatment of children, adolescents, and their families. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Exercise and Sport Sciences from Tulane University in 2005. She earned her master’s degree in Community Counseling with a specialization in Play Therapy from The University of Alabama in 2007. Emily is a published author on a study that examined children’s fears in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She has contributed to other research studies, mostly relating to children and adolescents.

Prior to starting at APS, Emily worked in inpatient and outpatient facilities providing individual, group, and family therapy to severely emotionally disturbed and abused children and adolescents, adults, children with Autism, and inmates in correctional facilities. Other areas of interest include Sports Counseling, Play Therapy, behavior modification, traumas, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Emily is a member of the Association of Play Therapy and has been with Alabama Psychiatric Services since 2011.

Lindsay Jones Ed.S, LPC, NCC
Lindsay is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor who specializes in the treatment of children, adolescents, and their families. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice and Women’s Studies from The University of Alabama. She earned her master’s degree in Community Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family Counseling from The University of Alabama, as well as an Educational Specialist Degree in Counselor Education from The University of Alabama. Lindsay has contributed to several research studies relating to fears, suicide, and bullying. Prior to beginning her career at APS, Lindsay worked in both inpatient and outpatient facilities providing individual, group, couples, and family therapy to emotionally disturbed and/or abused children, adolescents, adults, and inmates in correctional facilities. Other areas of interest include play therapy, trauma, family conflict, grief/bereavement, at-risk youth and teen issues, depression, bipolar disorder, adjustment, and anxiety disorders. Lindsay is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and Association of Play Therapy (APT) as well as their state affiliates.

Natalia Koulichova, LPC
Natalia Koulichova is a Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive cross-cultural education and experiences. She graduated from Beeson Divinity School with a Master of Theological Studies degree in 1995, and from the University of Montevallo with a Master of Education degree with concentration in Counseling and Guidance in 1998.

She also trained in the Clinical Pastoral Education program as well as in Pastoral Counseling program within the Baptist Health System. Services offered include individual, group and marital/family therapy. She maintains a flexible approach with the focus on depth-oriented psychotherapy. Her particular areas of interest include integration of spirituality in psychotherapy as well as creative use of art, poetry, metaphors and healing stories.

J. Leigh Miller, LPC
J. Leigh Miller is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 12 years of clinical experience. She has provided outpatient therapy with individuals, couples, families, and groups in the community mental health setting. She has also worked for managed care to provide crisis intervention services, auditing service, case management, and treatment authorization reviews. She is experienced treating both adults and adolescents with mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, dual diagnoses, relationship issues, and trauma. Other areas of clinical interest are anger mangament, stress management, adjustment disorders, and issues specific to the LGBT, Hispanic, and Deaf populations. Leigh graduated from the University of Alabama with her Bachelors in psychology and completed her Masters degree at the University of West Georgia. She has taken additional graduate courses in Counseling at Austin Peay State University and the University of Montevallo and is a member of the Alabama Counseling Association.

Laurita M. Miller, LCSW
Laurita M. Miller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-PIP), and is certified by the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW). She has over 16 years of experience in the treatment of adults with mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, personality disorders, marital and family problems and other relational problems. She received her Master of Social Work from Washington University, George Warren Brown School of Social Work in St. Louis, Missouri with a concentration in Mental Health and a specialization in Family Therapy. She has also been trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) through the EMDR Institute, and in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She is also an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service provider.

Elaine Rasco, LPC
Elaine Rasco is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has extensive experience in mental health, substance abuse and spiritual issues as a Chaplain and Pastoral Counselor. She holds a Master of Divinity Degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, as well as a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama. Her undergraduate degree is from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where she was an honors student, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She currently is an adult therapist at the Acton Road location where she sees patients for individual and couples/marital therapy. She also conducts the Women’s Self-Esteem Group and the Women’s Boundary Group which have been successful in addressing women’s issues by helping to build their self-esteem. Her therapeutic style is varied, using education, self-help, cognitive-behavioral, rational-emotive, as well as analytical psychotherapeutic approaches to assist the patient in discovering their strengths in order to build coping skills.

Dana Sheridan Smallwood, LCSW
Dana Sheridan is a master’s level therapist who attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham for undergraduate degree in Social Work, and received her Master in Social Work from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She specializes in family of origin issues. She has a strong background in acute/residential treatment with extensive experience in substance abuse and trauma-related issues. She has provided therapeutic interventions to children, adolescents and adults through individual, family and group therapy. Dana’s certifications include: Certified Practitioner of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Juvenile Sex Offender Counselor Certification (JSOCCP) and National Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (NBCCH).

Wesley Wilkes, LPC
Wes Wilkes is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in working with adults. Mr. Wilkes provides treatment, such as individual and group therapies, for a wide range of psychological issues, and uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help patients to address their specific problems. His specialized area of interests include: anger management, depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, self esteem issues, and social anxiety disorder. He obtained his Master’s of Science degree from Georgia State University, and has been in practice with Alabama Psychiatric Services, P.C. since July of 2002. He is an active member of the National Board for Certified Counselors, and is licensed in the state of Alabama.

Oakmont at Montclair Road Therapists

Lisa Prater Allison, M.Ed, NCC, LPC
Lisa Allison is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Birmingham Southern College and a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Montevallo. She often combines her creative arts experience with her knowledge of the counseling process and believes that artistic expression enhances healing. She currently provides group, individual, and family therapy to patients at the Eating Disorder Center of Alabama. Her groups include CBT, Body Image, and Psycho Education. Before joining the team at the EDCA, Lisa worked at Oasis Counseling for Women and Children. There she specialized in women’s issues and offered individual and group sessions on such topics as disordered eating, self harm, parenting, relationships, depression, grief, loss, stress, anxiety, anger, addictions, and trauma.

Caroline H. Baker, LPC, Ph.D
Caroline Baker is a Licensed Professional Counselor who primarily works with children and adolescents. She recieved her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology from The University of Mississippi, her Master of Education in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University and her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Birmingham Southern. Areas of concentration include depression, anxiety disorders, trauma, and family therapy. Treatment approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and behavior modification.

Connie Couch, M.Ed., LPC
Ms. Couch is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She holds Master’s of Education from the University of Montevallo in Community and Agency Counseling. She has gleaned a broad range of experience in the mental health and chemical dependency treatment fields. She has worked with adolescents and adults with mental health and substance use disorders, as well as people with criminal justice issues. Since the beginning of her graduate career she has been active in the Alabama Counseling Association (ALCA) and has held several leadership roles. Currently, she is the Secretary of ALCA and is a Past-President of the Alabama Association on Addiction and Offenders Counselors (ALAAOC), a division of the ALCA. She has also presented trainings and provided consultation to various groups of professionals regarding addiction and co-occurring issues.

Bret Hardenbrook, LPC
Bret Hardenbrook is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Alabama. His undergraduate degree is from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. He holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Bret has a background in Chemical Dependency counseling, and joined APS in 2004. He is active in the Recovery community.

Sharon E. Harper, M.Ed., NCC, LPC
Sharon Harper is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Auburn University. She completed a Master of Education degree in Counseling from the University of Montevallo. She is also a National Certified Counselor and a recognized Grief Counselor. She has provided counseling services in various settings including an outpatient substance abuse clinic, an employee assistance agency, an inpatient detox unit, and a hospital psychiatric unit. She has served as Clinical Director for an outpatient clinic, providing psychiatric, behavioral, and substance abuse services to homeless and other indigent patients. And before joining APS, was a Clinical Supervisor at a foster care agency serving therapeutic foster care children. She provides individual and marital counseling, along with group work and art therapy, to adult patients at the Oakmont location.

Anna Orcutt, LPC
Anna Orcutt is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. Anna has experience in treating adults and adolescents with depression, anxiety, and trauma, both individually and in groups. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Education in Counseling, both from the University of Montevallo. She is currently the adult therapist for the Birmingham Partial Hospitalization Program for Mental Health.

Deborah Watkins, MLAP
Deborah Watkins is a Master’s Level Addiction Professional, and an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor with experience in treating patients with Chemical Dependency Disorders. She is currently employed as a therapist at the Oakmont Building in the Intensive Outpatient Program. She received her Bachelor of Science and Master in Education from Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama. She obtained her Master’s Level Addiction Professional Certification through The Alabama Alcohol and Drug Association, and International Certification Reciprocity Consortium/ Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Inc. in 1999.