U Can Do It!® (LEAP)

The U Can Do It!^® Leadership Empowerment Achievement Program (LEAP) is presently being developed into an APP that can be used not only in school classrooms but in families, church, organizations such as Boys & Girls Club or individuals.

• LEAP (Leadership, Empowerment, Achievement Program) has completed two pilot programs for a one-year duration each, in a classroom setting at KIPP South Fulton Academy.
• In year one, LEAP trained 25 six-grade student participants and their parents. This included 28 hours of both student and parent classroom training, 4 two-hour workshops and 4 half-day outings.
•  In year 2 we were asked to include the entire 6^th grade class. This included 96 students and their parents and 84 hours of combined parent training for the 9 months.  We then held 4 half day trainings for the family and 4 outings which included a Masquerade Dance, Community Work Day, College Visit, Six Flags and to finish off with a Picnic graduation.

Adolescence is a pivotal stage of human development where sound guidance and meaningful learning opportunities are critical to the process of becoming productive members of society. This developmental period is often marked by decreased communication, infrequent affirmation by parents, and a general sense of feeling misunderstood. Empowerment training programs have been demonstrated to be beneficial for individuals who present with a range of emotional challenges, behavioral difficulties, and relational problems. Historically, work with this population has focused on developing interventions that target a limited set of predetermined behaviors without regard for the family system in which these behaviors occur. Parents of youth who have these difficulties may experience frustration in communication and have been shown to benefit from training programs that are implemented correctly and consistently.

The U Can Do It!^® Leadership Empowerment Achievement Program (LEAP) is designed to be a comprehensive behavioral approach to working with children and families to increase their self-efficacy and thus their capacity to utilize each other as a social support system and work together to overcome life’s challenges and obstacles. The project is an evidence-based program designed for use with children and the primary caregivers in their lives.

The U Can Do It!^® Leadership Empowerment Achievement Program will be facilitated by licensed psychologists who will coordinate the design, implementation, training, and evaluation of the program that will be carried out over the course of a 12-month period. One hour and a half, weekly sessions will take place at the school and may be co-facilitated by graduate level clinicians under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.

This program will develop your students through teaching them how to identify and communicate their needs and concerns, instead of acting out behaviorally in class. Parents will take on greater accountability for their child’s success as they learn to positively reinforce their children through encouragement, support, and structure. The goal of the program is for students and parents to feel more confident in their ability to navigate challenging situations, communicate more effectively, and identify strengths in themselves and one another. We believe that the U Can Do It!^® Leadership, Empowerment, & Achievement Program will specifically assist your students’ parents in feeling more supported, reduce disruptive classroom behavior, and increase your overall financial flexibility.

URWorthIt^®! is a non-profit organization that serves as a resource for helping young people achieve personal success by fortifying their sense of self-worth. URWorthIt!^® has contracted with A.T.L. Psychotherapy & Consulting Services, LLC, a group psychology practice in Southwest Atlanta, to provide evidence based programming to children and their families in an academic setting. We believe that all children have the ability to succeed, and it is our goal to empower them to use the skills and resources already in their selves and family systems to reach their goals. For this reason, we are confident that your school’s participation in this program will be mutually beneficial to the children, their parents, and school staff and administration.

Courtney Thomas, PhD

I am a licensed clinical psychologist, who has worked in the mental health field for over 12 years.  I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, with a graduate certificate in Clinical Child & Family Studies from Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL. I am a co-founder of A.T.L. Psychotherapy and Consulting Services, where I provide assessment, therapy, and professional consultation to individuals, families, and businesses in Southwest Atlanta, GA. I have led workshops and trainings on a number of different topics including, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries, working with aggressive children and adolescents from inner-city neighborhoods, and bereavement and depression among African-American males. My role as a therapist is not to be an expert on how you should live your life; rather I am an active participant in your personal journey of self-exploration. I feel that it is my responsibility to foster trust, empathy, and unconditional positive regard, while helping you identify your therapeutic goals and developing your ability to find health, happiness, and success.

Dr Gweneth Hayes, PhD

I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia, co-founder and partner of A.T.L. Psychotherapy and Consulting Services, LLC.   My experience includes offering a broad spectrum of psychological services to individuals, families, groups, and organizations.   I have a Master of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.   This is complimented with training at Spelman College and the University of Georgia in addition to a predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship at the Emory University School of Medicine.  My specialty and interests include, but are not limited to  mentoring youth regarding health career choices,  addressing the psychological aspects of  chronic Illnesses, community and domestic violence, effective parenting training, psychological assessment,  and stress management.

Kanika Bell, PhD

Dr. Kanika Bell is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the Atlanta area. She received her B.A. degree in psychology from Spelman College and her Masters and Doctoral degrees from Auburn University. Dr. Bell divides her professional time between all facets of clinical psychology including individual, couples and group therapy, clinical assessments and psychological evaluations, scholarly research, consulting, and teaching as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Bell’s research and clinical passion is helping children, adults and families communicate and live more effectively and specifically, transitioning members of underserved group from a place of surviving to a place of thriving. Dr. Bell has led workshops and trainings on myriad topics to diverse populations including stress relief in the workplace, coping with children with behavior disorders in the home, confronting issues of racial, gender, sexual-orientation and weight discrimination, HIV and AIDS counseling, healthy notions of womanhood, and the relationship between physical and mental health. Dr. Bell is a member of numerous professional and community associations and attends many yearly conferences, usually as a presenter and often including her students as co-authors.

Sarah McMurtry, PhD

Dr. Sarah McMurtry conferred her doctorate of philosophy in Counseling Psychology in 2013 at the University of Southern Mississippi.  Her passion is working with families and youth  to improve coping and relational interactions within their communities. Dr. McMurtry  completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Stephanie V. Blank Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University. Dr. McMurtry specializes in evidence-based interventions for parents, adolescents, and youth who have experienced sexual, physical,  and complex  trauma, neglect, and traumatic grief. She also works with adults, couples and adolescents with experiences of depression, anxiety,  and phase of life difficulties. She also works with families of children with pervasive developmental delay and autism spectrum disorders.

Sarah Hightower, LPC

Sarah is an Associate Professional Counselor with a Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling from Clark Atlanta University. Sarah’s passion is working with pregnant and postpartum women to help them cultivate a healthy sense of identity as new mothers and establish emotional balance. She also enjoys working with mothers of young children by guiding them on the path to enhancing wellness, utilizing stress management and mindfulness skills, and cultivating joy to live a meaningful life. As a mother of two, Sarah knows firsthand the multiple roles of work and family commitments mothers must integrate while also managing to take care of themselves. Sarah believes that creating a warm and nurturing environment is vital in establishing client relationships based on trust. She uses a collaborative approach in identifying her client’s strengths to help inspire growth, healing, self-awareness, and change