Professional Practice Building

Camille D. Grier, MS, NCC, LPC, CPCS

Camille D. Grier has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia with over 13 years of experience working as a professional counselor and life coach. Ms. Grier has been in private practice since 2009. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Georgia State University in 2001. Ms. Grier received a graduate degree in community counseling from Mercer University in 2005. She is a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Professional Counseling Supervisor, EAP certified provider, and Military Certified Family STARR provider. Ms. Grier has provided Certified Professional Counseling Supervision training for licensed professionals seeking certification. She has presented trainings in the workplace, schools, and community organizations.

Ms. Grier has worked with clients with a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, and severe and persistent mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, major depression with psychosis). She also has helped many people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. She is an interactive, solution-focused therapist. Her therapeutic approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. Ms. Grier integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. She believes it takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps toward change. With compassion and understanding, she works with each individual to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing.

Jeff Hughes, EdS, LPC, CPCS

Jeff Hughes has more than 20 years of experience in counseling and supervision in a variety of settings, including college counseling centers, community mental health, in-patient addictions, and private practice. In 2016, he started Peak Solutions, LLC, to provide professional development training for clinicians, clinical supervision for licensure, and consultation to the helping professions. Mr. Hughes received his bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Oklahoma. After 20 years in the profession, he changed career paths and attended graduate school at the University of West Georgia. There he obtained a master’s in community counseling and an education specialist in counseling with a specialization in clinical supervision. He pursued doctoral studies in counselor education and supervision at Ohio University, focusing on clinical supervision, marriage and family, and multicultural issues in counseling.

Mr. Hughes is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor in Georgia. He is an educational provider to the Licensed Professional Counselor Association of Georgia. Mr. Hughes has presented at conferences on the local, state, regional, and national levels. He enjoys interacting with attendees during trainings. He believes we can all learn from our interactions with others in our profession and encourages discussion to add to the richness of the presentations.

Sandra V. Phillips, MS, NCC, CADCII, ICADC, SAP, LPC, CPCS, CEO

Sandra V. Phillips started her private practice, Transformation Behavioral Health, LLC, in 2014 in Augusta, Georgia. Ms. Phillips provides counseling services to a multicultural and diverse population. Ms. Phillips received her BA degree in psychology from the University of West Georgia, where she fell in love with humanistic psychology. She later earned both an MEd and MS in counseling and psychology from Troy University. Ms. Phillips is a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II, International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional, and Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor. She is honored to be a Star Behavioral Health Provider, who renders counseling services to active military members, veterans, and their families.

Ms. Phillips enjoys working with both youth and adults. The belief that everything begins with a thought has defined her therapy approach with emphasis being placed on transforming by the renewing of the mind. Ms. Phillips offers faith-based counseling upon request. She provides individual, couples, group, and family counseling on a variety of issues, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, substance abuse, and PTSD. She is an experienced presenter who enjoys interacting with attendees during trainings. She is an educational provider to the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia. She has presented in schools, community organizations, and corporate offices. She truly believes everyone can share in the learning and teaching process.

LaVerne Hanes Collins, PhD, NCC, MAC, ACS, BCC, DCC, LPC

LaVerne Collins began her role as program director for the NBCC Foundation in March 2017. For more than 20 years as an NCC, Dr. Collins has been a trainer, consultant, author, textbook contributor, and speaker throughout the United States, South America, and Africa. She served as the national clinical training coordinator for Chestnut Health System’s GAIN Coordinating Center; executive director of Lydia’s Place Pittsburgh (serving female offenders); grants manager of Richmond Behavioral Health Authority; and clinical supervisor of women’s substance use programs in Pennsylvania and Virginia. She is known for her Atlanta-based private practice, New Seasons Counseling, Coaching and Consulting, and she is recognized as an advocate for underserved and marginalized populations nationally and internationally. Prior to joining the NBCCF staff, Dr. Collins was a master trainer of Mental Health Facilitators for NBCC-I and 2015 NBCCF professional development awardee. Dr. Collins completed a dual bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University in management and communications, her Master of Science in education in community counseling from Duquesne University, and doctoral studies in Christian counseling from South Florida Theological Seminary.

Sandra V. Phillips, MS, NCC, CADCII, ICADC, SAP, LPC, CPCS, CEO

Sandra V. Phillips started her private practice, Transformation Behavioral Health, LLC, in 2014 in Augusta, Georgia. Ms. Phillips provides counseling services to a multicultural and diverse population. Ms. Phillips received her BA degree in psychology from the University of West Georgia, where she fell in love with humanistic psychology. She later earned both an MEd and MS in counseling and psychology from Troy University. Ms. Phillips is a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II, International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional, and Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor. She is honored to be a Star Behavioral Health Provider, who renders counseling services to active military members, veterans, and their families.

Ms. Phillips enjoys working with both youth and adults. The belief that everything begins with a thought has defined her therapy approach with emphasis being placed on transforming by the renewing of the mind. Ms. Phillips offers faith-based counseling upon request. She provides individual, couples, group, and family counseling on a variety of issues, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, substance abuse, and PTSD. She is an experienced presenter who enjoys interacting with attendees during trainings. She is an educational provider to the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia. She has presented in schools, community organizations, and corporate offices. She truly believes everyone can share in the learning and teaching process.

Hope Cheeks, MS

Hope Cheeks is President of Cheeks Consulting Group, a company that provides human resources development consultancy and training to organizations throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. Ms. Cheeks’ expertise is the maximization of human and organizational performance through a systems approach to learning and evaluation.

Ms. Cheeks graduated from Syracuse University with a BS in communications and marketing and from Georgia State University with an MS in human resources development.

Ms. Cheeks has over 30 years of experience in human capital development with extensive experience in the corporate and nonprofit arenas. She has served as Associate Director of Training for Synovus Financial Corp, and she also served as Vice President of Education and Development for an Atlanta-based start-up retail chain, Dekor, Inc., where she built the education and development program from the ground up. As the Project Director for Morehouse School of Medicine, Ms. Cheeks was responsible for all facets of training and evaluation for specified programs, and she successfully wrote and received funding for over $1,400,000 in federal grants. She has directed multiple grant programs, including a federal grant program for high-risk youth funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a state-level pediatric AIDS project, and a pregnancy prevention program funded by the March of Dimes.

Bernadette L. Harris, MBA, MS, CFE

Bernadette Harris is known for taking complex subjects like taxes and accounting and making them easy to understand and fun. She is a tax and forensic accountant, bestselling author, and highly sought after keynote speaker committed to “Keeping Small Business in Business.” As president of By The Book Accounting, she has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs across the country start, run, and grow thriving business ventures.

Ms. Harris, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), earned a BS in accounting from the nation’s oldest HBCU (Historically Black College or University), Cheyney University in Pennsylvania, and later earned her MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and an MS in fraud and forensics from Carlow University.

She has conducted workshops for the U.S. Small Business Administration and created several workshop series of her own. She has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, and other nationally known media outlets, speaking on entrepreneurship and fraud prevention. Follow her @TrustBernadette on all social media platforms.

Susan Fee, MEd, NCC

Susan Fee is a board certified counselor (NCC), author, and professional speaker living in Seattle. She has been a successful independent clinician in two private practices, starting her business from the ground up. Before becoming a licensed counselor, she had a career in radio journalism and freelance writing. Her work has appeared in national publications like The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Real Simple magazine. In 2016, she delivered a TEDx Talk titled, Take the Enemy Out of Frenemy.

Ms. Fee is a member of the American Counseling Association, is trained in Red Cross Disaster Mental Health relief, and is a volunteer narrator for Washington Talking Books for the Blind. Learn more by visiting SusanFee.com.