Counseling Center Expands

Written By: Linda Kirkman, The Counseling Center | Issue: Winter 2025

Marie Elise Griffin, Linda Kirkman, Michael Greene, and Tracy Stribling Franklin

The Counseling Center is pleased to announce the expansion of access to behavioral health services for the Highlands Cashiers Plateau.

We’ve expanded service offerings with the addition of Marie Elise Griffin, (LCSWA) who is a child and family therapist. and both Tracy Franklin (LMHC) and Michael Greene, (LCSW) are now trained in EDMR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which is a widely used therapy for dealing with anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, addictions, grief and loss.

The Counseling Center also now has offices in Highlands and Cashiers.

The Counseling Center will offer groups, workshops and seminars throughout the year in Highlands and Cashiers.

The first offering will be a Grief Group in Highlands with an anticipated start date in February. The group will be a series of closed sessions to a limited number of participants and will focus on exploring the dynamics of loss, grief, self-care and healing, in a safe and supportive space. The groups will be held on Sunday afternoons. The exact start date and time will be determined based on availability of interested participants. These Grief groups will be offered at no charge.

Meet Our Therapists:

Tracy Stribling Franklin (LMCH) enjoys working with teens and adults and is trained in EMDR and specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, helping clients improve communication and reduce anxiety, sadness and loneliness through altered thinking patterns.

Michael Greene (LCSW) is focused on supporting individuals and families through psychotherapy and behavioral health integration in primary care settings. He uses a variety of modalities including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, analytic therapy, and EMDR. Michael is also bilingual.

Marie Elise Williams (LCSWA) utilizes evidence-based treatments with a trauma-informed approach. She works with both children and adults. Her style is relational and individualized. She is dedicated to making people feel welcomed and appreciated.

The Counseling Center has office locations in Highlands and Cashiers and offers individual counseling for children, teens and adults, couples and family therapy all regardless of financial ability as fees are based on a sliding scale fee.

If you’d like to find out more about the upcoming workshops and seminars, including the Grief Group or any of our other services, contact the Counseling Center at [email protected] or call (864) 481-0598.

This free resource is available to you and the people you love – 988 Suicide and Crisis Line: Available 24 hours. Languages: English and Spanish, call or text: 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.