Cleveland Counselors

Video Sessions available for Tennessee residents-request when setting appointment.

Machelle Johnson, M.A, LPC/MHSP

Machelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Mental Health Clinician in the state of Tennessee. She works in areas of depression, anxiety, co-dependency, grief, substance abuse, trauma, abuse and other life controlling issues.
Machelle received her Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. She serves as the co-director of Celebrate Recovery, a Christ centered 12-step recovery program. Machelle uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help change one’s thought processes, along with an eclectic approach of other evidence-based models to best help clients. She also implements a Biblical approach, which can play a role in the healing process. She has the desire to help others find hope and joy. “People Start To Heal The Moment They Are Heard.”–quote by Cheryl Richardson

Office Hours:

Cleveland Office: Monday 9AM to 5PM; Wednesday 9AM to 4PM

Chattanooga Office: Tuesday 9AM to 5PM; Thursday 9AM to 5PM

Insurance Accepted

Optum Behavioral Health which includes United Health Care, Magellan, Methodist Healthcare EAP, Care Bridge EAP, Health One, Alliant Healthcare, ACI EAP, Tricare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and ENI. Please call our office for more information.

Non-Insurance Fee Scale

Machelle offers a sliding scale fee option of $75-$120 per session, based on family household income. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Leslie Kay MS., LPC-MHSP

Leslie is a licensed professional counselor and mental health service provider in the state of Tennessee. She received her Bachelor of Science in Addiction Counseling from Grand Canyon University in 2010 and her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern Adventist University in 2014. Leslie has enjoyed practicing in a variety of clinical settings, including community mental health, correctional rehabilitation, inpatient addiction recovery, university student support services, and most recently in telehealth counseling. She has experience helping clients with stress and anxiety, depression, motivational and quality-of-life concerns, attachment wounds, relationship issues, self-esteem and self-confidence, spiritual abuse, developmental/stage-of-life concerns, spiritual/meaning-of-life concerns, identity development and addiction recovery. 

Her integrated approach to counseling is strengths-based, trauma informed and highly individualized, and includes elements of motivational enhancement, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic and attachment theories. She is currently enrolled in a graduate certificate program in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity at Landmark College.

Office Hours:

Dayton Office: Monday 9AM to 4PM

Cleveland Office: Wednesday and Thursday 10AM to 5PM

Insurance Accepted

Copay match available until credentialing complete.

Non-Insurance Fee Scale

Leslie offers a sliding scale fee option of $75-$120 per session, based on family household income. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Kellie Lauzon MS., LPC-MHSP

Kellie Lauzon graduated from Grand Canyon University where she received her Master’s in Professional Counseling with an Emphasis in Trauma. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor. Kellie is passionate about creating a safe place for anyone to enter and find freedom, peace, and joy. Embracing a gentle and understanding approach, she is here to create a safe space to guide individuals on a journey of self-discovery and healing by freely express themselves. 

Kellie is passionate about CBT and DBT-informed therapy. She is working towards specialization in other types of therapies over the next few years.

Kellie works with multiple types of individuals and issues including: LGBTQ+, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, lack of confidence, relationships, boundaries, communication, family issues, PTSD, trauma, life transitions, stress management, mood disorders, grief and loss, anger management, work-related adjustments, substance abuse and addiction, academic stress/struggles, communication skills, chronic illness, and interpersonal difficulties. Kellie has a special interest in those seeking holistic care on a mental, physical, and social level. Kellie looks forward to meeting you where you are in life and helping you find your way. She is dedicated to providing individual counseling sessions for those 12 years old and up. 

Kellie’s goal is to foster an atmosphere of comfort and trust, ensuring individuals feel heard and supported every step of the way.

If this interests you, let’s embark together on a path towards self-understanding and positive change.

Office Hours:

Chattanooga Office: Mondays and Fridays from 9AM to 5PM.

Cleveland Office: Tuesday and Thursday from 9AM to 4PM.

Telehealth: Monday-Friday 9AM to 5PM

Kellie is also open to conversation about seeing clients at other times if her listed business hours are not convenient.

Insurance Accepted

Pending credentialing date: Aetna, Ambetter, BCBS, Cigna, First Health, United Healthcare, Optum

Non-Insurance Fee Scale

Kellie offers a sliding scale fee option of $75-$120 per session, based on family household income. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Candice Milligan, NCC, LPC

Candice Milligan is an LPC and National Certified Counselor (NCC). She is married and has two adult children. Candice has a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling from Capella University, has over 5 years in counseling and over 10 years of experience in helping finding solutions for families. Candice works with children and young adults ages 5-25 with anxiety, anger, self-esteem, divorce, depression, and behavioral issues. Candice believes that young children and adolescents experience many of the same emotions as adults do. However, Children have a hard time communicating and expressing their feelings due to not understanding how or why they feel the way they do. Therapeutic play is where each child has a voice and has a safe place to express themselves. Candice is passionate about using therapeutic play as a vehicle in which each child is encouraged to explore and work through the hard times.  Candice’s greatest reward as a therapist is seeing clients navigate life events through language and a development level they can understand. She believes children say through behavior what they can’t express with their mouth.

Office Hours:

Monday and Wednesday 3PM to 6PM

Insurance Accepted:

Alliant, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Care, Health One, Optum, United Healthcare, UMR

Non-Insurance Fee Scale:

Candice offers a sliding scale fee option based on household income that ranges from $75 to $120 per session. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Adrianna Sifford M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, NC

Adrianna is a licensed professional counselor with a M.Ed in Mental Health Counseling. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Arkansas State University. She has worked in several settings throughout her career: college counseling centers, in home counseling, on a psychiatric unit and is now transitioning to private practice. She has a passion for children, teenagers and families. She has extensive experience in depression, anxiety, psychosis and post-partum issues. She views her role as a counselor is to walk along side people as they heal and navigate life. Adrianna is a Christian who asks Christ to guide her words in every session; but welcomes any belief system a client brings with them. She is uses a variety of different therapeutic techniques to match client needs including mindfulness, play therapy, DBT and solution focused therapy.

She has been married to her husband Jackson for five years and together they have a two year old son. The have settled down in Cleveland after being raised in Arkansas.  In her free time you can find her tending to her backyard chickens and playing in her flowerbeds.

Office Hours:
Cleveland: Monday and Tuesday 3PM – 5PM

Insurance Accepted:
BCBS, AETNA, Amerigroup, CIGNA, Methodist Healthcare EAP, Care Bridge EAP and ACI EAP

Non-Insurance Fee Scale:

Adrianna offers a sliding scale fee option based on household income that ranges from $75 to $120 per session. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

For more information about Adrianna and her counseling services, please refer to her profile on Psychologytoday.com, or call our administrative office during regular business hours.

Samuel An – MA

I recently received my Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from a CACREP accredited program at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, TN and currently pursuing licensure. In addition, I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.

I have a wide range of experience with clients of all age groups with different backgrounds and diversity, all walks of life. Most of my experience comes from counseling those struggling with addiction, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. I’m passionate about helping clients and giving them a safe place to process their struggles in life. I like to utilize Person-centered therapy using Theological counseling (God-centered counseling). 

Office Hours:
Cleveland: Monday 9AM to 4PM

Chattanooga: Friday 8AM to 4PM

Non-Insurance Fee Scale:

Samuel offers a sliding scale fee option based on household income that ranges from $50 to $80 per session. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Claude J Bowden – DMin, MacMHC

Do you feel misunderstood? I have personally experienced and overcome addiction, marital failure, spiritual uncertainty, and feelings of hopelessness. I understand the fear and anxiety that come with seeing no way out, like you are alone in your despair. My goal is to guide the individual, couple, or family to function effectively. Together we can take steps to achieve what you once believed to be impossible.

I have a doctor’s degree in ministry and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. I use a foundation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with my clients, infused with tools from other evidence based practices. For those clients who have been disillusioned by religious organizations and are seeking healing, I also offer spiritual direction.

I am passionate about helping others reach their desired goals. The journey can be hard and frightening, but it is not hopeless. I find immense joy in helping my clients attain contentment, wellness, and peace.

Office Hours:
Cleveland Office: Monday and Tuesday 10AM to 5PM
Dayton Office: Wednesday and Thursday 10AM to 5PM

Non-Insurance Scale Fee:

Dr. Bowden offers a sliding scale fee of $50-$80 per session with an additional $15 for intake sessions.

Dr. Bill Effler-M.A.

Dr. Bill Effler (he is commonly called, “Dr. E.”), a native Californian, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California and both graduate and doctoral degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary.  While living in California he served four churches in a variety of capacities including that of Senior Pastor. In other professional venues he has been a business consultant, an intake counselor in a residential treatment facility, a case counselor in a group practice, and served as a board member of the Southeastern Tennessee Alzheimer’s Association. Since moving to Tennessee in 2000, he has been on the faculty in the School of Theology and Ministry at Lee University, in Cleveland, Tennessee while also serving as a ‘Strengths Vocational Advisor’ in the university’s Center for Calling and Career.

Bill says, “At my core, I passionately believe God can completely transform persons that have been blindsided by chronic and debilitating lifestyle choices”. One clinical colleague of Bill’s said, “Bill is a psychological and spiritual searchlight for persons who to want to honestly pursue unexplored areas of pain and disappointment.” Bill commonly sees clients in the areas of pre-marital and couple counseling, addiction, grief, anxiety, and same sex attraction issues. One counseling goal of Bill’s is to help people recognize that there is a huge difference between “living life” and living the
“abundant life” that Jesus promises. When Bill is not speaking, counseling or consulting Bill can predictably be found at his computer writing, in the kitchen cooking, outside gardening, lost in a used bookstore or, in search of a new day hike to enjoy with his wife of over 40 years, Kristen.

Office Hours:

Monday and Wednesday 9AM to 2PM

Non-Insurance Fee Scale:
Bill offers a sliding scale fee option based on household income that ranges from $50 to $80 per session. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Jackie Stanley – M.A.

Jackie received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University. She is a resident counselor at The Transformation Center and is working toward Tennessee licensure.

Jackie is passionate about helping people of all ages navigate the ups and downs of life. She is also passionate about family. She has a large, blended family of 8 children and 4 grandchildren. She is no stranger to suffering and loss and has many years of experience working cross-culturally in north Africa and among immigrants and refugee communities in the United States.

Jackie’s focus areas include trauma counseling, anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-esteem, grief, and recovery. Jackie is trained in EMDR and uses an eclectic therapeutic approach including Christian/biblical counseling, CBT, Family Systems, and DBT-informed therapy. She is continuing to seek training in areas of trauma intervention and play therapy.

Office Hours:

Chattanooga Office: Fridays 9AM to 4PM

Cleveland Office: Tuesdays 9AM to 4PM and Wednesdays 10AM to 6PM

Dayton Office: Mondays 9AM to 3PM

Non-Insurance Fee Scale:
Jackie offers a sliding scale fee option based on household income that ranges from $50 to $80 per session. There is an initial intake session fee of $15.

Belinda Thornton, M.S.

Belinda is a national certified counselor currently practicing as a pre-licensed counselor pursuing Tennessee state licensure. With an M.S. in clinical mental health counseling from Southern Adventist University and a prior B.S. degree in occupational therapy, Belinda provides a rich counseling approach that combines her counseling training with years of experience as a bilingual (Spanish and English) healthcare professional. Belinda values practical, individually meaningful, culturally informed, and empowering counseling practice.

Belinda views every person as precious and of great value. She strives to partner with each client to facilitate healing and growth corresponding with the individual’s priorities and needs. Although she serves both male and female clients with diverse needs and diagnoses, Belinda is especially sensitive to the needs of women, minority groups, and trauma survivors. Other areas Belinda works with include: anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, life transitions, relationship issues, self-esteem, communication, boundaries, stress, loss, grief, and other clinical mental health needs throughout the young adult to senior adult age spectrum. Belinda serves a limited number of middle-school through high-school aged clients.

Belinda has completed trauma interventions training and is certified in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) through the Medical University of South Carolina. She is a trained Prepare Enrich pre-marital and marriage counseling curriculum facilitator. Valuing lifelong learning, Belinda continues to pursue education in trauma treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), strengths-based therapy, and attachment theory. Yet, being an integrative therapist, she combines beneficial components of different theories and techniques that best serve each individual client. In her own lifestyle, Belinda prioritizes wellness that includes spirituality from a biblical perspective, and other holistic domains that she is willing to incorporate into counseling sessions, when a client is interested and the context is appropriate.

Office Hours:

Chattanooga Office: Tuesday from 10AM to 6PM and Fridays from 9AM to 3PM

Cleveland Office: Wednesday and Thursday from 9AM to 4PM

Non Insurance Fee Scale:

Belinda offers a sliding scale fee of $50-80 with an additional $15 fee for intake sessions.

Sarah Varnes – M.S.

Sarah recently received her Master’s of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and is currently pursuing licensure. In addition, Sarah received her undergraduate degree in psychology. Sarah has a wide range of experience with clients of different ages and diversity . Having a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Sarah is trained to look at a client in relation to their context. This contextual and systemic way of thinking, often times includes the client’s family system. Sarah has experience in working with individuals, children (ages 6 and up), couples (married, unmarried, and premarital), families and LGBTQ clients. Sarah is passionate about sitting with clients and giving them a safe space to process their narratives. She enjoys working with issues including, but not limited childhood trauma, divorce, grief/loss, life transitions, anxiety/depression, low self-esteem, and parenting. She has a facilitator certification for Prepare/Enrich, an assessment tool for both married and unmarried couples who want to better understand and improve their relationship. Sarah has also completed training in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), a style of therapy designed to help children and their parents process through a child’s traumatic experience. Sarah utilizes Play Therapy with her younger clients. Sarah’s primary therapeutic influence is Narrative Therapy. This style of therapy focuses on the client’s current story and how healing can rewrite the future narrative.

Appointment Availability:

Chattanooga Office: Thursday 9AM to 5PM

Cleveland Office: Tuesday and Friday 9AM to 5PM

Non-Insurance Scale Fee:

Sarah offers a sliding scale fee of $50-$80 per session with an additional $15 for intake sessions. Sarah is also willing to discuss copay matching.