About Our Counselors

Amanda@NacogdochesCounselingServices.Com

Thank you for reading about our counselors! If you have found this page, you have gathered the courage and strength to ask for help. The process can be a bit overwhelming, but you have done the hardest part: Making the decision to get help!

If you are feeling maxed out, anxious, and like you can’t keep all the balls in the air, then you have come to the right place. You might be here due to family stress, work or school stress, or maybe grief and loss. Regardless, it might sometimes feel too heavy to carry. Even if you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you feel “off,” counseling can help you make sense of it all. Getting help is the first step toward feeling like you can manage again (or for the first time).

We will work together to help you improve your skills and abilities to cope with the day-to-day issues that leave you feeling distressed or even impaired. I will also work with you to process and find meaning in the big things you drag around with you from your past. Both the “now” and the “then” issues are important in the process of healing. I am highly interactive and directive, so you do not have to worry about what to do in counseling. I have that part! You just need to show up and get ready for change. Counseling is one thing that should not add to the list of things you are already trying to manage.

I use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), narrative therapy (NT), and EMDR in my work with you. CBT and NT means that I help you find the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are causing roadblocks or pain, while also working to identify the overarching problematic stories or narratives that guide your life. We work to find healthier, healing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as well as create new life stories to give you freedom from your past.

I also specialize in treating trauma and am trained in EMDR, which is a special framework to help change the way you think and feel now resulting from things from your past.

My clients describe me as warm, humorous, engaged, and accepting. I am excited about helping you heal. I choose this work because I want you to experience more than just bearing life. Having persevered through challenges in my own life, including loss, anxiety, and medical challenges, I want to help you increase the quality of your life and experience a better sense of fulfillment.

I am the owner of Nacogdoches Counseling Services and I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor and obtained a supervisory designation as well. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Memphis, my master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from University of Memphis, and my doctoral degree from Adams State University. I am originally from Memphis, TN, but I have lived in many places. I moved to Texas in 2016 with my family, when I chose to make Texas our home.

Peyton@NacogdochesCounselingServices.com

Welcome to a place where hope can be found.

We need more hope these days, don’t we? Maybe you’re exhausted from work or a parent-child conflict. Perhaps you have no idea what else to do because you have been stuck in the same distressing mood or relationship habits for years. It could be that your wound is fresh, and you don’t know how to find the emotional first aid that you desperately need. It may be a dark moment in life when you have lost hope after carrying pain from your past for far too long. And sometimes (I’m raising my hand with you, men) it’s hard to ask for help or even know what help to ask for. One thing is for sure, we all need help and hope at some point in our lives.

That’s where I come in.

My passion is helping people to thrive in life. So many of us merely survive day to day. I truly believe that you have the potential to realize a healthier and more satisfying life for yourself! In our counseling sessions, you will receive individualized support to explore your present concerns and your past, to create healthy and realistic goals, and to begin learning and practicing a new way of thinking, feeling, and doing. It may sound like a gimmick or I’m selling snake oil, but there is no secret to how we will do this together.

I use a mix of well-researched techniques from cognitive behavioral, narrative, and Adlerian therapies tailored for each client. The work we will do together is experiential and existential. “Wait a minute… what does that mean?”  Simply put, it means that I will respect your unique personal experience. I will listen to you and take you seriously. I will help you gain insight into why you think, feel, and do things the way that you do. I believe that with better understanding of yourself, together we will discover new and healthier ways of living to practice. That’s how transformation happens. That’s how hope for change can be found.

If you’re still reading, then something must have struck a chord and resonated within you. I am happy to offer you a free 20-30 minute consultation to discuss what your needs are and to provide you with more information for you to feel as comfortable and confident as possible in making your counseling choice.

I’ve been where you are. Through my own experience of finding the courage to go to counseling after years of anxiety, depression, growing as a parent, and grief of loss, I found the hope I needed to thrive and not just survive. It would be an absolute honor to connect with you and help you on your own journey toward hope and the life you want for yourself, your relationship, or for your child and family.

My professional counseling experience is preceded by 15 years of work as a mentor, educator, and volunteer service coordinator for communities and schools in central and east Texas. I assisted individuals of all ages, from children to seniors, through both joyful milestones and difficult life transitions. I have experience working with school-aged children with Individualized Educational Plans and 504 Plans in the public school setting.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in Youth Education and Administration from East Texas Baptist University in 2008 and a master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2021. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, supervised by Dr. Amanda Pruit, LPC-S.

Hannah@NacogdochesCounselingServices.com

When life feels overwhelming, we need to feel seen, heard, and cared for more than ever. If you find that you lack support in your personal life from family, friends, or even work, and you feel like you need more guidance, then I am a good fit for you. I specialize in couples, families, and those struggling with relational issues.

I understand feeling lost and not knowing where to turn. As someone who found resilience in my struggles, I know just how difficult it is to navigate these feelings alone. If you are currently in the “counselor hunting” stage, I have been in your shoes and I know it is daunting. It can feel intimidating to try to find the right fit and it’s not always easy to trust someone you don’t know yet. However, I want you to know that feeling better is possible and you do not have to suffer alone anymore. You have already made the first step in the right direction just by looking for options. I am here to help, and I am excited to get to know you and help you along your journey.

When working with me, you can expect comfort, safety, and a serene environment where there is freedom to be yourself. You will find understanding and acceptance in your courage to share yourself with me. My goal is to provide a space where you feel welcome and heard, while you learn tools to guide you in the direction of your goals. I strive to build a strong therapeutic relationship with you where you can share what you need to heal and change.

I use a person-centered approach to counseling, meaning you and I will work collaboratively to find a method that works best for you and your needs. I understand that everyone’s story is different and not everyone benefits from the same approach. You and I will work together to find what best fits your needs.

My clients describe me as warm, comforting, encouraging, and loyal. I am here to help you heal and grow in your journey. Life can be a struggle sometimes and we all need someone we can lean on for support. Sometimes that can be a loved one and other times we need a counselor. I would love to be that support for you.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, supervised by Dr. Amanda Pruit, LPC-S.