WE CAN’T WAIT TO MEET YOU!
Our Clinicians
Danielle Fox
LMFT – Practice Owner & President
“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines upon things, they are transformed”.
Danielle is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine in 2014 with a Master of Science in Family Therapy. In 2010, she graduated with a Master of Science in Human Services/Public Service Leadership from Capella University and from Mercer University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Danielle founded Southern Bridge Inc. Counseling and Family Therapy in 2016 with what she describes as “her purpose”. Danielle’s dream for Southern Bridge Inc. is to create a bridge between hopelessness and healing with the community where she grew up.
Danielle uses a client-focused, multifaceted, and systemic approach based on the unique needs of each client. She currently works with adults, children, and adolescents, individually and/or as a unit. She is experienced in supporting her patients in change using an existential design focused on difficulties that arise from depression, anxiety, spirituality, diversity, complex trauma, and life stage changes. She specializes in working with couples who struggle with intimacy, connection, and relationship difficulties through techniques shown by research to be effective and sees emotional connection and communication as the basis for identifying and alleviating relationship problems.
Danielle believes that each human being has the potential to lessen the severity and heal from the pain of emotional wounds. She works alongside her clients to increase each person’s chance to pursue transformation through therapy. She stands by her promise to support her clients through their unique journey by facilitating awareness guidance, transparency, direction and encouragement.
Jean Hatt
LPC – Clinical Director & COO
“Every day is a new beginning. We can take a deep breath, smile, and start again.”
Jean Geherin Hatt partners with adults, adolescents, children, and couples to help them find their best life. Through supporting her clients, they develop and utilize effective techniques for managing and decreasing their personal stressors, overcoming their personal obstacles, and bringing hope back into their lives. Because her life has been blessed by these techniques, she desires to share them with you.
Jean uses clinically tested and evidence-based interventions to accomplish this, including techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma Focused CBT. She earned her Master’s in Professional Counseling from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State before moving to Georgia (she may not have been born in the South, but she got here just as quickly as she could!). Additionally, she is a National Board-Certified Counselor. Jean believes that when we are honest with ourselves and willing to open our minds to explore new life strategies, changes will occur that lead us down a better path to happiness and hope.
She is passionate about working with people who make the brave choice to explore their options in therapy and find a way to heal. Knowing that a successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that are thrown at him or her, Jean looks forward to supporting you with building this foundation for yourself, whether you are challenged by grief, trauma, domestic abuse, depression, anxiety, anger, marriage and family issues, mood fluctuations, behavior difficulties, low self-esteem, accidents or natural disasters, life changes, or other life-disturbing symptoms or events.
When not in the office, Jean loves spending time with her husband and daughter, exploring and hiking mountains.
Aylesha Gurley
MS, LAMFT
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” -Maya Angelou
Aylesha is a double graduate from Valdosta State University, with a Bachelors in Psychology in 2015 and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2017. She considers herself to be a lifelong learner, and feels our individual experiences and the people we interact with shape our life journey. She believes in the language of play, and is always in search of ways to make the difficult conversations more manageable. When it comes to therapy style, Aylesha likes to meet her clients where they are at in their journey. With that knowledge, she is able to help clients understand where they are and where they would like to go moving forward.
Aylesha may work more with children and adolescents, but she enjoys the wide range of clientele she has come across over the last few years. Ultimately, she appreciates the experiences had in the therapy room and knows that each person brings something new and unique to the therapeutic journey. So, there is no pressure on expectations in the room, because Aylesha wants the experience to be your own. With that foundation in the room, she will work alongside her clients by identifying problems and solutions; ultimately allowing her clients to create their own change.
Anita Trone
LAMFT
Anita graduated from Mercer University with a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has experience in providing services to individuals, couples, and families. After serving twenty years in the Army, Anita understands firsthand the many challenges that are faced in our daily lives.
Anita enjoys serving by helping others to navigate through difficult situations and process those difficulties in a healthy manner. She strives to create a safe space so that others feel brave enough to share their most vulnerable experiences. Anita does not take her position for granted and is grateful for every opportunity that someone trusts her to hold space for them to express their most pressing matters. Her areas of interest include anxiety, depression, adjustment issues, trauma, sleep issues, self-esteem, stress, establishing healthy boundaries, grief and loss, parenting, and couple and family communication.
Because we are all in different spaces and have different needs on this healing journey, Anita favors an eclectic approach utilizing techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Parent Child Interaction Therapy to assist in reaching the desired change.
Sarah Payne
LAMFT
Sarah is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, GA. She then earned a Master of Science in Family Therapy from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA. Sarah has been in the mental health field more than ten years and has vast and varied experience working with a variety of populations and settings in the community, including those who struggle with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, family conflict, and trauma.
She has worked for the Department of Juvenile Justice, non-profit organizations, private hospitals, and private practice. Sarah has extensive work in crisis stabilization treating personality disorders, suicidality, and self-harm. She works with children (ages 4 and up), adults, families, and groups. Sarah utilizes evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy integrated with Narrative Therapy. She is also trained in Play Therapy techniques which she utilizes with little ones.
Quinten Oppong
LAMFT
I am a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who works with families, couples, individuals, children and adolescents. I am a double graduate of Mercer University and I graduated with my undergraduate degree in Sociology and then went on to pursue my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Currently, I am working towards full licensure in order to be fully licensed as an MFT.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” – Albert Eistein
I am an Italian – Ghanaian Immigrant and understands what it means to face uncertainty. At the age of 6 I immigrated here from West Africa and had to deal with all of life’s curveballs: parental divorce, adjusting to new culture, struggling, etc. However, I learned what it means to be resilient. Resilience takes vulnerability. Resilience takes courage; daring to face life’s problems and emotions head on and believing you will make it out on the other side. I understand what it is like to face life’s pressures and questions: what if I fail, and what if I will never be good enough? Feelings of failure, being trapped, suffering silently and everyone expecting you to be strong. If this is where you are, I understand and I am here to help.
Through several therapeutic tools I help
Adults discover new ways of dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, abandonment, grief, anger, and various other mental health issues. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I help individuals identify the negative thought patterns that create negative emotions which lead to unhealthy ways of coping. Through Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, I help individuals dealing with suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm learn to manage their emotions and find alternatives to expressing their pain.
With Couples, I use Emotion Focused Couples Therapy to help them identify the places in their relationship where they feel alone, disconnected, and discontented. I assist them in learning to communicate in healthy and loving ways, and reversing negative cyclical patterns that keeps them stuck in the same issues.
With Children, I help identify root causes of their emotions, and I use Trauma Focused Behavioral Therapy to help them process the traumatic events that they have experienced and are afraid to share.
And finally with Families, I use Eco systemic Structural Family Therapy to empower parents by giving them the tools to reconnect with their children that are emotionally disconnected and establishing effective parenting skills to manage behavior.
Ultimately, regardless of who you are or your background. No matter how damaged you or your family may feel. My desire is that you feel and know that there is hope. As long as there is breath in your lungs there is hope. There is hope for a better future regardless of your past experiences or what your present looks like.
Violina Keller
LAMFT
Violina Keller is a marriage and family therapist under supervision in Georgia. She completed her undergraduate studies at Middle Georgia State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. Violina then graduated from Valdosta State University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program in 2017 and has been practicing in Georgia since. She is committed to serving her community and values the support and resources available at Southern Bridge.
Professionally, Violina specializes in working with a diverse range of clients, including couples, children, adolescents, anxiety, depression, adjustment and transitions, grief, and co-parenting challenges. She utilizes evidence-based approaches such as CBT strategies, strengths-focused, and solution-focused techniques in her therapy sessions. Her therapeutic style is client-centered and empathetic, creating a safe space for clients to explore their thoughts and emotions. She places a strong emphasis on promoting mindfulness, accountability, and personal growth in her clients, fostering resilience and positive change.
Recognizing the importance of life transitions, Violina offers guidance and support to navigate these challenges with resilience. She also collaborates with co-parents to foster cooperative dynamics for the well-being of children.
Violina was born in Bulgaria but grew up in Macon, GA. She enjoys cooking and spending quality time with her family, especially her daughter. Violina is dedicated to her role as a therapist, finding fulfillment in witnessing clients’ growth and transformation. She believes in the power of therapy to promote healing and positive change in individuals and families.
Laijun English
LPC
Laijun English is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Fort Valley State University. Prior to her graduate career she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Minor in Women’s Studies. Laijun chose to be a therapist after having a loved one who struggled with mental health which propelled her into the field. As a therapist Laijun believes that it is important to walk in your purpose and she does that daily. Her main goal is to be able to help clients reach their fullest potential and eventually graduate from therapy.
Laijun is a counselor that provides treatment for all teens and adults but truly has a knack for teen girls and women’s issues. She understands the importance of a client being able to find a counselor that they can connect with in more ways than one. Her formal training is in CBT, but she does have an eclectic style and approach when it comes to therapy because every client’s needs are different.
Lastly, Laijun is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She has always been around a melting pot of people and welcomes all. She understands both city and southern living. She places value in both spaces and feels like they have contributed to who she is both in life and as a therapist. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dog Max.
Tykeria Cowart
Master’s Level Therapist
Tykeria Cowart is a dedicated Master’s Level Therapist under supervision, currently pursuing licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. She completed her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Thomas University, following her earlier academic achievements which include a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Georgia College and State University. Prior to embarking on her journey in mental health counseling, Tykeria spent five years teaching, which has provided her with a unique perspective and a solid foundation for her therapeutic practice.
Tykeria specializes in working with a diverse clientele, utilizing a variety of therapeutic modalities including CBT, DBT, and mindfulness techniques. Her approach is client-centered and empathetic, aiming to create a safe and supportive environment where clients can explore their thoughts and emotions. She believes in the importance of fostering resilience, accountability, and personal growth, and is committed to helping her clients achieve positive change and improved well-being.
Growing up in Warner Robins, GA, Tykeria has a deep understanding of the community she serves. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality moments with her husband and children, reading, and engaging in family activities. Tykeria is passionate about her role as a therapist and finds great fulfillment in witnessing her clients’ progress and transformation.
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