My name is Jennifer Harelson and I graduated from Louisiana State University and became licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2004. I have experience working in psychiatric hospitals, behavioral intervention programs and on school and college campuses. I love working with children and young adults, helping them and their families to manage and understand some of the difficult disabilities they may be striving to overcome. I use play therapy as an important therapeutic tool for young children, as they are often able to engage and process their emotions and situations in a more beneficial way through play. Many behavioral and emotional issues are related to depression and anxiety, as well as many problems people have functioning daily. Working together on ways to decrease these symptoms, such as clients providing better self care skills, building strong coping skills and having improved perspectives is essential to a healthier well being. My role as your therapist is that through the supportive and close therapeutic relationship, you will gain insight and motivation to work toward change. I am currently licensed in NC, GA and am a Certified Telehealth Practitioner in Florida. I am only able to see clients virtually in FL and NC.

I became involved with Animal Assisted Therapy and completed the evaluation process with Pet Partners in 2016 to have my therapy dog, Chewbacca, registered. I received my certification as a Certified Human Animal Intervention Specialist through Oakland University in 2014 and am so excited to be able to incorporate a therapy animal into my sessions. A therapy dog can help create a more comfortable environment for clients to open up and talk about the problems they may be having, as well as provide physical comfort and affection that I as a clinician cannot. Chewbacca was born in March of 2013 and is a Great Pyrenees/Blue Heeler or Cattle dog mix. He is about 65 lbs and is a soft mass of cottony fur. He loves people and has a very sweet and fun disposition. Chewbacca has adapted to his role as a therapy dog wonderfully and has brought comfort to patients in long and short-term care.

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