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Clinicians
Who We Are
Kira Mendoza
Licensed Professional Counselor
Clinical Director
Kira is a licensed therapist providing services to children, adolescents, and adults. She works primarily with children ages three and older and brings specialized training in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT). Through a developmentally appropriate, relationship-based approach, Kira supports children in expressing emotions, increasing self-awareness, and developing emotional regulation and confidence. Kira approaches therapy with a strong appreciation for the individuality of each client and recognizes that effective treatment must be tailored rather than prescriptive. Her clinical work is grounded in evidence-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based CBT, and Person-Centered Therapy, which she integrates thoughtfully based on client needs and treatment goals.
In addition to individual therapy, Kira works collaboratively with parents and caregivers to support emotional growth and behavioral stability beyond the therapy setting. She emphasizes practical, respectful strategies that strengthen family systems and promote consistency between sessions and home environments. Kira is bilingual in English and Spanish and is culturally responsive in her clinical practice. Her multicultural background informs a nuanced understanding of identity, family systems, and intergenerational experiences, which enhances her work with diverse individuals and families.
Kira holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Florida International University, a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Springfield College (Boston), and has completed advanced training in Play Therapy through Springfield College.
Megan
LMSW-CP
Coming soon ...
Psychologist
Rakeyta Real
Licensed School Psychologist
Rakeyta is a licensed school psychologist in both South Carolina and Georgia and holds her Licensed Psychoeducational Specialist (LPES) credential. She brings 11 years of experience supporting students’ academic, emotional, and behavioral development. She earned her Master’s and Specialist degrees in School Psychology from Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. Throughout her career, she has served in a wide range of educational settings across both states, working with children and young adults from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Her professional expertise includes conducting comprehensive psychological assessments in the areas of autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities, as well as providing consultation and evidence‑based recommendations to families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams. Rakeyta is committed to promoting the overall well‑being of students and strives to ensure that every child and family feels supported, understood, and empowered. She aims to equip her clients with the tools and confidence needed to navigate challenges and thrive both in and out of the classroom.
In her spare time, Rakeyta enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, watching true‑crime documentaries, trying new foods, reading, and listening to audiobooks.
Dr. Romano
Psychology Postdoctoral Resident
Dr. Romano works under the supervision of Dr. Bagnell. She is a clinical psychologist who works with clients who are coping with a variety of mental health and behavioral health concerns. She specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, challenging eating behaviors (e.g., binge eating, etc.), anxiety, depression, life transitions and stressors, grief/loss, sleep health, and chronic illness management. Her approach centers on providing empirically-supported treatments via Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapy frameworks (e.g., Dialectical Behavior Therapy [DBT], Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT], Mindfulness-Based Interventions [MBIs], in a personalized manner that accounts for each of her clients’ unique needs, life circumstances, cultural identities, and preferences. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient practices, academic medical schools/hospitals, eating disorder treatment centers, VAs, and family medicine practices.
She holds a B.A. in human development and family studies, as well as English, from the University of Connecticut, both a M.S. and an Ed.S. in mental health counseling from Florida State University, and a PhD from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology (a joint clinical psychology PhD program run by Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Norfolk State University). She also has extensive experience conducting neuropsychological assessments.
Lizette Charping
Licensed Psycho-Educational Specialist (LPES)
Lizette Charping is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) and Licensed Psycho-Educational Specialist (LPES) who is passionate about helping children, adolescents, and their families better understand their unique strengths and needs. She believes that comprehensive, evidence-based evaluations provide the foundation for meaningful interventions and improved outcomes across home, school, and community settings.
Lizette has extensive experience conducting psychoeducational, developmental, and diagnostic evaluations for children and adolescents. Her areas of expertise include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning differences, intellectual disabilities, behavioral concerns, and social-emotional functioning. She is committed to providing compassionate, family-centered evaluations that help guide treatment planning and educational decision-making. Lizette is certified as a School Psychologist in both South Carolina and Georgia and holds the National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential as well as licensure as a Licensed Psycho-Educational Specialist (LPES).
Originally from South Africa, Lizette values cultural responsiveness and enjoys working with children and families from diverse backgrounds. She plans to pursue doctoral training focused on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), family-centered therapeutic interventions, and helping families navigate the impact of developmental disabilities through a whole-family systems approach.
Outside of work, Lizette enjoys spending time with her daughters, being outdoors, and playing pickleball.
Tiara Watson
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Tiara Watson is a counseling psychologist who enjoys working with adults, particularly those navigating identity and values exploration, college, graduate school, careers, and other major life transitions. She is a clinical integrationist who combines modalities such as DBT, CBT, ACT, and humanistic orientations to help clients reach their goals and achieve effective therapeutic outcomes. Dr. Watson has experience providing therapy services to clients with a variety of presenting concerns, with a specific focus on trauma-informed therapy, holistic integrated care, depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.
Dr. Watson intentionally utilizes a person-centered and feminist-multicultural approach to therapy to cultivate an environment of positive regard, acceptance, authenticity, cultural humility, and empowerment. She provides therapy services through the lens of a strengths-based approach that places clients in the context of their lived experiences, identities, systems, and environments. This approach recognizes clients as whole beings who are constantly evolving and who possess the capacity to craft the lives they want for themselves.
Specializing in working with clients of Color and clients with multiple marginalized identities, Dr. Watson is dedicated to advocacy and community-based health equity efforts. She is also passionate about providing culturally relevant, accessible resources to marginalized communities. She embraces and embodies the scientist-practitioner-advocate model of counseling psychology and focuses on the reciprocal influences of practice and research. Her research endeavors and interests include liberation psychology, cultural humility, mental health disparities, cultural mistrust, and the sociocultural determinants of mental health.
“I strive to be genuine and personable in the therapy space, and I have often received feedback that my personality is one of my greatest therapeutic strengths. I am intentional about helping clients feel heard, understood, safe, valued, and empowered. I prioritize meeting clients where they are clinically while remaining adaptable and empathic. I look forward to meeting you and working with you!”
Administration
Dr. Bagnell
CEO
Sheryl
Practice Manager
Amanda
Admin Assistant