When Solutions of Hickory, PA, opened as a private psychological practice nearly ten years ago, its primary focus was on helping children. Since then, the practice has expanded to include services for all age groups, from infants to the elderly. But one thing has never changed: an overriding commitment to providing thorough, compassionate and confidential psychological services to the community.

“Over the past several years, we hired new staff members with different areas of specialty,” says Michelle McClain, MS, LPA, a founding partner of the practice. A masters-level clinical psychologist, McClain works with clients and also serves as the practice’s business manager. “This allowed us to evolve into a more comprehensive psychological practice that can address the needs of the entire community.”

Comprised of two licensed professional counselors and four psychologists, including McClain and co-founder Elyse Freilich, Ph.D., LP, Solutions of Hickory credits its seasoned staff for the practice’s ability to offer a wide range of services. “Our therapists have expertise across the age span, with different issues, and with different methods of treatment,” McClain says. This includes specializations in working with individuals, families, or couples. “They each bring a phenomenal depth of experience to our team,” McClain adds.

The Heart of the Practice
While Solutions of Hickory’s services are diverse, what remains consistent is the practice’s approach to treatment. “The foundation of our practice is what we call differential diagnostic assessment,” explains McClain. “When an individual child, adolescent or adult is experiencing difficulty, whether it’s struggling at school, struggling at work, mental health symptoms, or family difficulties, we evaluate him or her to determine the appropriate diagnosis. Our belief is that once you have a clear definition of the issue, you’re better equipped to treat it. That’s always been the philosophy of our practice.”
“By serving all ages, we have significantly broadened our evaluation capacity,” adds Freilich, a Ph.D.-level psychologist who serves as clinical director and senior psychologist at the practice. “We are able to offer more adult-oriented assessments, such as pre-surgical evaluations, bariatric surgery evaluations, immigration evaluations, adult learning disability evaluations and adoption home-study evaluations.

“We also have the capacity to reach outside the office,” Freilich adds. “We can go into the home to work with families, and we go into schools to observe children in the classroom or to help parents advocate for their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).”

With so many experienced staff members on hand, evaluations are a team approach. “We all try to see the person being evaluated,” McClain explains. “We gather the data together and meet as a team, which means there are four psychologists and sometimes one or two counselors putting our heads together to review each situation. We put a lot of time into our assessments.”

It’s also something that sets them apart. “We have been told by physicians, school personnel, and clients that our evaluations are really comprehensive and very helpful,” says McClain. “Not every psychologist does psychological evaluations; some only provide therapy. We believe in evaluation as the beginning of the whole process.”

The Whole Process
At Solutions of Hickory, “the whole process” actually begins with a prospective client’s very first phone call. Front office staff is carefully trained to identify a person’s concerns and help match them with the therapist best suited to their needs. “One of the most important aspects of what we do is making a strong connection between the client and the therapist, and it’s very important that the connection is made early on,” says McClain.

For those who may be hesitant to make an appointment, Solutions of Hickory offers a ten minute phone consultation prior to their first visit. “This allows new clients to explain their situation and get some initial feedback,” McClain explains. “It can help them feel more comfortable when they come in for their first face-to-face meeting, because they’ve already made that connection. And when they do come in, they nearly always find that their appointment is not as overwhelming as they thought it would be.”

That in-person meeting is an important part of the process from the moment a client steps through the front door. This past June, the practice moved into a renovated historic building located at 326 2nd Avenue NW in Downtown Hickory. Its waiting area, filled with comfortable couches and pleasing colors, resembles a family living room more than a clinical office. Compared to its former location, which was in a medical building, the new location provides an increased level of comfort to patients. “It feels like it could be someone’s home,” McClain explains. “We’ve received lots of positive feedback that the environment makes it a whole lot easier for clients to feel comfortable and get past those initial feelings of anxiety.”

Experienced Collaboration
It’s not just the approach that sets Solutions of Hickory apart; it’s also the skill level and dedication of its clinical staff. Both counselors have more than 20 years of experience and are highly regarded among their peers. Anne Hendrix, MA, NCC, LPC, has perhaps been the most unique addition to the practice; she utilizes her German Shepherd, Schaefer, for pet therapy – making Solutions of Hickory the only practice in the area to offer that service. She is also one of the only counselors in the area with a comprehensive specialization in eating disorders.

Hendrix’s skills are complemented by fellow counselor Dianne Sanford, MED, NCC, LPC. One of Sanford’s unique specialties is helping individuals and families deal with the grief associated with divorce or a death in the family. “She provides play therapy to younger children to help them manage their feelings about the death of a loved one,” says McClain. “She’s also very good with behavioral disorders.”

McClain and Freilich are joined by two other clinical psychologists to round out the practice. They include Darris Ferguson, MA, LPA, a masters-level psychologist who works primarily with children and adolescents. “He’s got tons of enthusiasm,” McClain says. “He has been a great addition to our practice because he’s a male therapist. Sometimes for little boys and male adolescents, it’s very important to have that male connection. We recognized that and sought out a male therapist who would be able to see kids with those needs.”

The most recent addition is Alexander County native Phil Icard, Ph.D., CRC, who joined the practice this month. With a background in neuropsychology and developmental disabilities, Icard most recently spent two years fulfilling a post-doctoral appointment at the renowned Center for the Study of Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His specialization in neuropsychology signals yet another expansion for Solutions of Hickory – making it the only practice in the area to offer neuropsychology services for both children and adults.

Through this skilled team of dedicated practitioners, Solutions of Hickory provides diligent, confidential and experienced therapy services for its clients.