BeginningNow Counseling

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Debra Tatum, MA, LCMHC

NC Board of LCMHC License #6444

Cell phone 828-260-5518

email: debtatum2000@yahoo.com

Professional Disclosure Statement

    I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a member in good standing of the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors since 2006. I am currently living and working in the central North Carolina region, but I also offer therapy via telephone calls or Zoom meetings to all areas.

    My academic background includes five years of accredited social work training (four years undergraduate and one year post graduate at UNC Charlotte,one year post graduate at LaTrobe University, plus a Master's Degree in Counseling and Human Services from LaTrobe University. I am a Level II certified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) practitioner.

    I completed two year-long specialized training programs for therapists planning to work with clients who have issues of unresolved trauma. I have trained under Dan Hughes PhD, Joanne May PhD, and John Bergman MA-RDT. I also attend, as required by the NC Board of LCMHC, at least 20 to 25 hours of continuing education training every year. I have chosen to attend trainings presented by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, the internationally recognized expert on the impact of trauma, as well as yearly training conferences of such organizations as the National Adolescent Perpetration Network, and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Between June 2013 and May 2014, I attended the year long training facilitated by Cardinal Innovations and presented by Joanne Schladale, MS, LMFT, for the topic of Best Practices for Addressing Sexual Harm by Youth. I am listed in the NC Juvenile Justice Service Directory, as a therapist who works with boys and young men ages 12 to 21 who have displayed harmful sexual behavior related to issues such as child pornography.

     I have attended extensive conference/workshops related to the treatment of individuals who have demonstrated harmful sexual behavior. I have worked with attorneys who represent clients who are facing charges related to harmful sexual behavior, providing forensic evaluations for the court process, and also providing ongoing mental health treatment for those clients.   

     My experience includes 20 years of working with children who demonstrate very challenging behaviors associated with post traumatic stress disorder, reactive attachment disorder, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, attentional disorders, and problem sexual behaviors. My family-based approach also includes therapy and support for parents and siblings and other members of the child's family.  

     The services I offer include consultation, individual and group therapy, family therapy, parenting education and support for families, and education and support for adoptive and foster parents and agencies.   

     Therapy modalities that I use may include, but are not limited to, the following

  • EMDR
  • Trauma Outcome Process therapy
  • Creative expressive art
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Social skills coaching
  • Parenting education   

    The length of sessions for all services varies from one hour to one and a half hours, depending on need of the individual client. I accept cash and checks as payment. I provide itemized statements for clients to give to their health insurance provider or to use for tax purposes. I do not contract with any health insurance companies. My fee for all services is $50 per hour, with a sliding scale for families who are having financial difficulties.