Ridge Creek School
Dahlonega, GA

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Ridge Creek School
Introduces New
Director Of Counseling

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you and provide some insight and information regarding my background and experience. Please contact me directly at any time to answer questions you may have. I am the new Director of Counseling for Ridge Creek School. In this position, I will supervise and support the staff of five counselors and four interns in their work with our students. I am replacing Cheryl Tatangelo who in no longer with the school.

I come to Ridge Creek with over 30 years experience in mental health. I hold a Doctor of Psychology from Baylor University in Waco, TX, a Master of Science in Community Agency Counseling from The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Georgia, Athens, GA. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Georgia.

I worked in private practice for the past 16 years where I focused on children, teens, and their families. In particular, I worked with a large number of children in the foster care system as well as later age adoptees. As a result, I garnered a reputation for being an expert on issues related to Reactive Attachment Disorder and other issues related to child neglect, abuse, and abandonment. I also specialized in assessing and treating children with ADHD, helping them and their families develop effective adaptations to cope with the challenges of living with that disorder. Additionally, I have extensive training and experience in working with victims of trauma, including EMDR and Prolonged Exposure Therapy.

As a therapeutic boarding school, Ridge Creek School offers an intense all-around therapeutic program featuring college preparatory academics along with individual and group therapy that teach students life skills to help them not just survive but thrive. Our academic program is recognized and certified by regional accrediting agencies and provides as closely as possible the curriculum and activities provided by a traditional boarding school including a wide variety of sports.

Our clinical program is comprehensive and intensive, utilizing Masters level therapists to address the emotional, behavioral and addiction needs of the students and their families. The structured individual and group therapy as well as adherence to a strong 12 Step program teaches at risk, defiant teenagers how to deal with behavioral and situational issues. However, more importantly, our program helps at risk teens develop insightful thinking and the skills needed to carry them throughout life.

In addition, we are a training site for interns from a variety of programs, including doctoral Clinical Psychology students and masters Counseling students as well as Recreational Therapy students.

I am very excited to be a part of the Ridge Creek team and am committed to providing excellent services to our students. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about our program.

Ridge Creek School is a co-educational, college prep, therapeutic boarding school with "a wilderness twist." Students participate in a college preparatory academic curriculum during the week and experiential education and outdoor leadership activities each weekend. In addition, students take part in weekly individual and group therapy, three times a week with Master's level therapists and counselors.

To learn more about Ridge Creek School, please visit their web site at www.ridgecreekschool.com.