Meet T

L.E.A.F. Therapy Services Therapy Team

Executive Director/Owner

Dr. A.J. Ramirez, Ed.D;LPC;CPCS

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor in the state of Georgia. I graduated from Valdosta State University with a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Doctor of Education and from the University of North Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and History. I am a National Certified Counselor and I have been working in mental health since 2007. I am not a traditional psychotherapist as I take on a very holistic approach to life and life's problems. While others may deem individuals with mental or emotional health issues as "sick" I find people to be "challenged" at different moments of life. I work with my clients to get through their problems and issues. I join with you in exploring alternative solutions. My desire is to work with people who want help. I believe therapy is an art which should be voluntary.

Please Call to schedule a Teletherapy session with one of our therapists. (229) 834-0003

Therapist

Mr. Dillon Jones, M.S.;MFT

Hello, my name is Dillon Jones, and I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Valdosta State University and am under directed and clinical supervision with Dr. Ramirez.

As a therapist, I believe in my clients and know they are doing the best they can in their current situation. I understand that no one is perfect and we are always in a state of change with the hopes of self-improvement. I strive to create a safe therapeutic environment where clients are free to express their thoughts and emotions without fear of judgement. My ultimate goal in our therapy sessions is to help empower my clients so they are confident in taking any future problems and resolving them in their own way outside of therapy.

Therapist

Ms. Jessica Millican, M.S. LMFT

Hello! My name is Jessica Millican and I am an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I earned my graduate degree from Valdosta State University’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program after previously earning my undergraduate degree in Sociology and

Anthropology from VSU.

I utilize a variety of therapeutic modalities including individual, couple, family, and group therapy. I have been facilitating interpersonal process therapy groups since 2020 and I currently

facilitate L.E.A.F. Therapy Services’ LQBTQ+ Group, Queer Talk! I have provided services to client’s struggling with a diverse array of issues, specifically those related to LGBTQ+ issues or substance abuse.

I work with my clients by implementing collaborative, client-centered interventions. In the therapy room, I tend to focus on language and stories. My goal is to help clients to feel more empowered in their lives, build upon their strengths, and create change in their relationship to their problems. I am also passionate about intentionally engaging topics of diversity and inclusion in my work.

Professional Interests: LGBTQIA+ Issues, Substance Abuse, Mindfulness-based Interventions, Narrative Therapy, Family Systems, Anger, Anxiety.I'm a paragraph. Click once to begin entering your own content. You can change my font, size, line height, color and more by highlighting part of me and selecting the options from the toolbar.

Therapist

Ms. Kay Cavender, M.Ed.;APC

My name is Kay Cavender and I have a Master of Education in Counselor Education with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling emphasis from Valdosta State University and am under directed and clinical supervision with Dr. Ramirez. In my undergraduate studies, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a double minor in Philosophy and Women & Gender Studies at Valdosta State University.

I am passionate about improving mental health within our community and value client empowerment and advocacy. When working with clients, I utilize a collaborative and person-centered approach. Sessions are catered to client's needs and are structured for the client to have an unbiased, safe, and productive opportunity to process experiences. With prior experience in college counseling and community mental health settings, I have worked with a variety of presenting concerns from depression and anxiety to crisis intervention.

As a member of the L.E.A.F. Therapy Services Team, my commitment to clients is to foster a nurturing and caring environment in an effort to enhance overall quality of life.

Therapist

Ms. Katelyn Noles, M.S.;MFT

Hi! My name is Katelyn Noles. I am a graduate of the Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Program at Valdosta State University, where I provided therapy to individuals, couples, and families of all ages at FamilyWorks Clinic and Lighthouse Children's Advocacy Center. I also hold a Bachelor's in Biology from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). I am currently working on obtaining associate Georgia state licensure for MFT and I am under directed and clinical supervision with Dr. Ramirez.

As a therapist, I use collaboration and curiosity to fuel the therapeutic process. I believe the client is the master of their own context, so I approach sessions with curiosity and a willingness to learn how they view their world. As a therapist, I believe clients are the main characters of their own stories, meaning that they are the experts of their own lives. Because of this belief, I think clients have the tools they need to navigate through their story but can become stuck within cycles and patterns in their life. Sometimes we need someone else to peer into our lives and walk with us to help untangle the knots of our relationships and problems so that we can walk confidently into the future.

I look forward to working with you and or your family at L.E.A.F. Therapy Services.

Therapist

Ms. Chyna Doughty, M.S.;MFT

Hi, my name is Chyna Doughty and I earned my Bachelor degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from East Carolina University and a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from Valdosta State University. I am under directed and clinical supervision with Dr. Ramirez at L.E.A.F. Therapy Services LLC.

Although my title is MFT, I work with individuals and groups as well.

As a therapist, I view clients as stuck rather than sick. I believe that everyone has the ability to learn to navigate any situation, they just need other ways to think about their dilemma. I am also a strong believer in the ideas which suggest all behaviors make sense in context, and all behavior is communication. Rather than blaming individuals, or judging them for the predicament they are in, I believe it is my primary duty to understand them and learn to think the way they do. A problem cannot be resolved if there is no understanding of why it may have happened in the first place.

I look forward to working with you and or your family at L.E.A.F. Therapy Services