Learn more about our highly skilled and friendly counselors at Thriveworks Counseling in West Lake Hills, TX.

Alyssa Lucas, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

** Alyssa is available for online sessions

Alyssa Lucas is a board certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She is also a Clinical Instructor of Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin, where she received her Masters of Science in Nursing. She earned a post-masters certificate as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner from the University of Cincinnati. Alyssa has experience in mental health in various settings, such as inpatient, community mental health, partial hospitalization programs and an intensive outpatient eating disorder program.

Alyssa works collaboratively with adults and older adults to facilitate the growth and healing process through medication management and various psychotherapy techniques integrated into visits. She utilizes a person-centered approach and believes in making sure people feel well informed about their diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Alicia’s medication management and psychotherapy specialties include:

• ADHD
• Anxiety Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder
• De-prescribing
• Depression
• Dual Diagnosis
• LGBTQ
• Obsessive Compulsive (OCD)
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Psychotic disorders
• PTSD
• Sleep issues
• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective disorder

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance.

Barbara Wood, LCSW, LCDC

** Barb is available for online sessions

Barb is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. She earned her Masters of Social Work from Texas State University in San Marcos.  She has also served in the Navy Reserves.  She uses a multi-modal approach to healing and she endorses a holistic path toward balance that includes meeting the client where they are with Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Strength Focused Therapy, and Positive Psychology.  She uses empathy to help people from diverse cultures work through life challenges with the goal of mind-body-spirit balance.

She works with individuals in all phases of addiction recovery, including dual diagnosis.  Her passion is helping individuals regain the confidence and trust that was lost due to a myriad of core issues that contribute to addiction.  She believes that addiction is a family system disease and she will help significant family members navigate and understand the nature of their loved one’s struggle.  Barb also works closely with the LGBTQ community, especially individuals and their partners struggling with gender identity challenges.  She also has extensive experience with grief and loss and difficult life transitions caused by cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.

Barb’s areas of expertise:

• Adults ages 18+
• Addiction
• LGBTQ (gender identity and their partners, gay, and lesbian)
• Grief and loss
• Relationship Issues
• Divorce
• Couples therapy
• Codependency
• Self-esteem
• Spiritual counseling
• Aging and end-of-life issues
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s support
• Geriatric issues
• Life adjustments and transitions

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Joan Clayton, Licensed Psychologist

Joan Clayton, Licensed Psychologist

** Joan is available for online sessions

Joan Clayton, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with individuals of all ages in outpatient and inpatient settings.  She received her PhD from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York and completed three years of a combined APA-accredited internship and fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Westchester Division.

Since moving to Texas, Dr. Clayton has been a staff psychologist with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in the Post-Traumatic Stress Program at the Temple VA and most recently in the Mental Health Outpatient Clinic at the Austin VA through June 2020.  She has been active with non-profit organizations promoting advocacy programs to support those with mental health challenges.

Dr. Clayton provides individual and couple’s psychological services addressing various problem areas including anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, and OCD.  In addition, she helps clients with specific issues such as anger, relationship difficulties, organizational and memory problems, chronic pain, sleep issues, weight control, and changes associated with life transitions and aging.  She recognizes and appreciates the diversity represented by her clients and is responsive to addressing concerns from the client’s unique experience and understanding.

Dr. Clayton utilizes a wide range of treatment modalities including cognitive behavioral (CBT), solution-focused, narrative, and compassion-focused therapies; coaching strategies; mindfulness; and principles based in humanistic and positive psychology.  She believes in the importance of establishing a supportive and non-judgmental therapeutic relationship with her clients and tailoring her approach to the concerns of each individual at each stage of their progress. She works collaboratively with clients to identify and reinforce successful coping skills; build self-confidence; and draw upon inner strengths and resiliency.  Clients are encouraged to replace troubling and self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behavior with a more positive, self-affirming perspective for personal growth and well-being.

Joan’s areas of interest include:

• ADHD
• Aging and Seniors
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Couple’s Counseling
• Depression
• Emotional Disturbance
• Grief/Loss
• Life Transitions
• Memory Problems
• Men’s Issues
• Mood Disorders
• OCD
• Organizational Issues
• Pain Management
• Personal Growth
• PTSD
• Relationship Issues
• Self-Esteem
• Sleep Issues
• Stress Management
• Thinking Disorders
• Veterans’ Issues
• Weight Management
• Women’s Issues

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Justin Scaffa, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

** Justin is available for online sessions

Justin Scaffa is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Reserve Army 66R.  He graduated from the University of Texas with a master’s degree in nursing and a portfolio in geriatrics.  Justin is available for online med management.

His experience includes work in hospital psychiatric emergency, inpatient and intensive outpatient drug rehabilitation and detoxification programs, group homes for patients with intellectual disability, and tele-psychiatry.  He also works as a US Army Reserves as Clinic Officer in Charge and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

Justin works with adolescents, adults, and retirees.  He also has extensive experience working with veterans and PTSD.  He is a regular presenter at the Texas Nurse Practitioner Conference where he speaks about mental health and substance use.

Justin’s medication management specialties include:

• Dementia
• Deprescribing
• Depression
• Dual Diagnosis
• Impulse Control disorders
• Medication Management
• Mood disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive (OCD)
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Psychotic disorders
• Sleep issues

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance in West Lake Hills.

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance in Georgetown.

Lori Wright, Psychologist

** Lori is available for online sessions

Dr. Wright is a Licensed Counseling Psychologist and completed a 2 year postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the Neurodevelopment Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. She earned her Masters of Community Counseling from Georgia State University in Atlanta and her PhD from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.  She completed an APA-accredited internship at the VA in Tuskegee Alabama where she worked on the chronic pain, PTSD, and psychiatric units and ran a group for survivors of sexual abuse.  She taught assessment and counseling skills at St Edward’s University in their Master’s Counseling Program.

Before coming to Thriveworks, she was working in a post-acute brain injury rehabilitation program in Dripping Springs, Texas for 14 years.  She specializes in clinical neuropsychology for children, adults, and seniors and has done assessment and counseling – individual and group. She sees clients individually or with their family. She brings a compassionate, yet scientifically-based, approach to the assessment and treatment of intellectual, academic, sports, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. She specializes in traumatic brain injury, stroke, post-concussion care, ADHD, PTSD, and cognitive learning disorders.

She counsels people who are going through life transitions, struggling with anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns or recovering from illness or injury. Her goal is to create a safe place for clients to work on changing thoughts and behaviors that are unwanted. Collaboration is integral in determining what is causing emotional pain and how to move towards healing and strength.

She works with people as they learn to live with illness and injury. As the healing begins, a person can feel sad about changes in their lives and angry about what they have lost. Therapy provides a safe place to grieve while learning to hold on to hope. Whether you or your child is struggling with your mood/behavior, a traumatic event, educational challenges, sports goals, or a health condition, she can provide the guidance to make the changes necessary to improve your life.

Children 5 +, Adolescents, Adults, and Seniors

Issues:

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Asperger's Syndrome
• Behavioral Issues
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality
• Depression
• Emotional Disturbance
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Life Coaching
• Narcissistic Personality
• Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)
• Oppositional Defiance
• Parenting
• Peer Relationships
• Performance Sports or Test Issues
• Relationship Issues
• Self Esteem
• Suicidal Ideation
• Testing and Evaluation

Mental Health:

• Dissociative Disorders
• PTSD
• Elderly Persons Disorders
• Impulse Control Disorders
• Mood Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• Thinking Disorders
• Comorbidity

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Sara Manisco Chapo, LCSW

** Sara is available for online sessions

Sara Manisco Chapo, LCSW-TX, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specialized in trauma and family therapy. Her work and interests include Systemic Family Therapy, intergenerational trauma and attachment issues, social constructionism, and psychological research. She is rostered in Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which is a trauma-based dyadic treatment for parents and young (0-6 years old) children, focusing on restoring normal developmental functioning in the wake of trauma (including domestic/interpersonal violence, substance abuse, and/or armed conflict). She has significant experience working with individuals and families experiencing a variety of difficulties, including managing life stressors and relational issues. She practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for adolescents, and Motivational Interviewing. These therapy tools allow her to have an eclectic approach that is solution-focused; helping clients to recognize personal strengths, find motivation for change, and identify the specific steps to reach the desired goals.

Sara’s specialties include:

• Attachment and Parenting issues
• Stress management/ Adjustment issues
• Mood disorders, Anxiety and Depression
• ADHD
• OCD
• Couples therapy
• Family therapy
• Trauma

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance.

Michael Schwartz, MD

*** Michael is available for online sessions

Dr. Schwartz is board certified in Psychiatry and is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.  Formerly Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Humanities in Medicine at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, he is presently an Adjunct Professor at the medical school. He has published and co-published numerous books and papers on topics relevant to both psychiatry and to the humanities in medicine. His latest work - a co-edited volume on "Disordered Temporalities," to be published in 4/20 in the journal "Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences," covers clinical and biological issues relevant to numerous psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and substance abuse.   See more information by following these links:

• https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-018-9564-0
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-020-09665-3

Dr. Schwartz is also a member of the National Advisory Council of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.  In 2021, he will be co-hosting a global meeting on recovering from psychiatric disorders in Marseilles, France co-sponsored by Aix-Marseille University and the International Network of Philosophy and Psychiatry (INPP).

His specialties include:

• ADHD
• Addiction
• Alcohol abuse
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Couples and Marital Relationships
• Trauma and PTSD
• Dementia
• Deprescribing
• Depression
• Dual Diagnosis
• Eating disorders
• Gender Identity
• Hoarding
• Impulse Control disorders
• LGBTQ issues
• Medication Management
• Mood disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive (OCD)
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Problematic sexual behavior/porn
• Psychotic disorders
• Self Esteem
• Sexual abuse
• Sexual dysfunctions
• Sleep issues
• Substance Abuse

Click here to find out more about his work and research.

Click here to view an interview with Dr. Schwartz.

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Rachel Mattis, LPC

** Rachel is available for online sessions

Rachel Rochman is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Central Florida. She works with individuals, couples, and adolescents.

Rachel has worked for many years with adolescents who are experiencing depression, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, opposition/defiance, and family issues. She places emphasis on incorporating the family into most adolescent therapies. The family will work on skill building in the areas of communication, conflict resolution, setting and following home expectations and responsibilities, among others.

Rachel also enjoys working with young adults in college or making challenging transitions in their lives, as well as with adults and couples in the areas of adjustment, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, life transitions, and overall wellness.

Rachel uses a person-centered and solution-focused approach with her clients. She utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to help narrow in on your strengths and motivations for change. She then incorporates your individual skills, interests, and preferences into the work you do together.

Rachel’s specialties include:

• Couples & Family Counseling
• Anger management
• Adolescent misconduct
• Adolescent problems with sexuality
• Depression & Anxiety
• Mood disorders
• Abandonment
• Trauma / PTSD
• Divorce / Life transitions
• Physical/sexual/emotional abuse
• Personal growth
• Substance abuse

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance.

Stephanie Arsenault, LPC

** Stephanie is available for online sessions

Stephanie Arsenault has many years of experience working with children, teenagers and their families. She can help your family work through difficult life events such as divorce and issues of custody. She can help your child find relief from the depression and anxiety that makes them feel left out and feel “different.” She can help your family cope and manage the challenges of ADD/ADHD, ODD, autism, and attachment disorder. The link between neuroscience and behavioral disorders is of particular interest in her practice.

Stephanie coaches families to help them build the skills needed (and relied upon) when a child is in crisis. She believes the family is a system in which all members benefit when the experiences of both the child and the people who are important in their lives are understood.

With her help, families learn how to support and relate with each other in the best manner possible for the highest potential outcome.

Stephanie’s approach to therapy combines strength- and client-centered approaches. She utilizes play therapy with younger clients, which helps them to communicate even if they are unable to use words to explain their experiences. She applies frameworks such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems and narrative therapy to help her clients set goals and work through the blockages that keep them from success.

Psychological testing is often beneficial to therapy outcome. Stephanie works closely together with Dr. Maria Pasqualetti, a licensed psychologist in our office, on the appropriate testing for your child.

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance.

Andrea Greebon, LPC, BCB

** Andrea is available for online sessions

Andrea Greebon is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board-Certified Biofeedback Therapist. She has 10 years of experience working with individual adults. She has a Masters of Science in Counseling from University of North Texas in Denton.

Andrea invites you to start seeing yourself in a new light. She believes you already have the answers you need within yourself, and she is honored by the opportunity to help you find those answers. She believes her job is to help you find your strength and resilience so you can become the person you want to be.

Andrea's specialties include:

• Anxiety, Stress and Worry
• Panic/Panic Attacks
• Phobias
• Depression
• Grief
• Life Transitions
• Career Counseling
• Workplace Issues
• Parenting
• Self-Care
• Life Coaching

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance.

Ask Andrea:

[learn_more caption="Why did I choose to specialize in biofeedback?"]I chose to specialize in biofeedback because, in addition to enjoying the insight and healing that can come from traditional talk therapy, I like things that can be measured. Biofeedback provides concrete information to both therapist and client so we know what is working and what is not. I like that, and a lot of my clients appreciate that, too. Many people I work with cope with a variety of health concerns, and biofeedback can help people gain control over their physical symptoms. Biofeedback also can increase people’s awareness of the mind/body connection. I believe when this connection is strengthened, clients have more opportunity for change, growth, and healing. Biofeedback is non-invasive. And last, but certainly not least, clients can take what they learn in the therapy office and transfer that knowledge to everyday life, which can lead to restored balance and better health.[/learn_more]
[learn_more caption="How would I describe my personal style?"]I would describe my personal style as collaborative. I prefer to focus on what you want to accomplish through the therapy process -- not on my agenda or what I think you should do. (“Shoulds” are so dangerous.) I tend to think of myself as pretty laid-back and informal. That said, however, I also am always keeping the end goal in mind (e.g., why you came to therapy in the first place). I’m naturally curious about people and tend to view myself, at times, as more of a detective than anything else. I am patient. And last, but not least, I consider myself to have a pretty good sense of humor, and I like to bring that into my work when appropriate. Humor can illuminate ideas or beliefs people hold that are erroneous. More than that, however, is that laughter can be immensely therapeutic.[/learn_more]
[learn_more caption="What types of client do I love to work with and/or work well with me?"]I enjoy working with clients who are motivated to understand themselves and who are willing to make changes in their lives if they think it is going to be helpful to them to do so. I enjoy clients who are curious. And I like working with clients who are willing to take responsibility for their “stuff,” whatever it may be -- people who are willing to work with reality rather than fight against it. [/learn_more]
[learn_more caption="What inspires me?"]I’m inspired by a lot of things. I’m often inspired by my clients. Many have been through incredibly difficult experiences, and yet they have survived and even thrived as adults. The courage and conviction of others inspire me to do what I can to make the world a better place, to make a dent in some small way in what, at times, can seem a very fearful and angry place. Acts of kindness move me and inspire me to spread kindness as much as I can. And music inspires me in that it reminds me that we are not alone in our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. And music often just makes me happy.[/learn_more]
[learn_more caption="Why did I choose to work in this office?"]I chose to work in this office because I wanted to be part of a team that was dedicated to helping people reach their goals. I wanted to work with people who are passionate about what they do for a living and people with a variety of experience and specialties so I could keep learning. I believe in being a lifelong learner and in having a “growth” mindset. And I wanted to work in an office where the management and staff are committed to doing what works. For example, if a policy does not work, change it![/learn_more]

Jennifer Heggem, MA, LPC

** Jennifer is available for online sessions

Jennifer Heggem is a Licensed Professional Counselor who received her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Bethel University and her undergraduate degree in Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family from Northwestern College, both located in St. Paul, MN. Her passion in life is to help individuals succeed and live the best lives possible.
Jennifer has spent several years working in organizations with individuals, couples, and families experiencing depression, anxiety, crisis situations, relational problems, life transitions, self-harm, substance abuse issues, and suicidal thoughts. Jennifer also previously worked as an educator for 10 years, working with children with behavioral issues, as well as learning disabilities, ranging from ages five to seventeen. Additionally, Jennifer has worked with several agencies counseling individuals who have experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Jennifer is also a provider for the New Ways for Families program, which is a structured parenting skills method intended to reduce the impact of conflict on the children in potentially high-conflict divorce and separation cases. It can be used whenever a parent or the court believes one parent needs restricted parenting time (supervised, no contact, limited time), at the start of a case or any time a parent requests it, including after the divorce. Jennifer’s approach is oriented towards Cognitive-Behavioral, Attachment, Family Systems, Solution-Focused, and Intimacy/Relational theories.

Jennifer’s specialties:

• Children ages 6-17, College-Aged Students, Adults, Couples and Families
• Anxiety/Depression/Mood disorders
• Stress Management
• Dating/Couples/Family Relationship Issues
• Divorce/New Ways for Families provider
• Women’s Issues
• Personal Growth
• Self-Esteem
• Grief and Loss
• Life Transitions

Click here to find out if this provider takes your insurance.