Our Treatment Center for Women–By Women

As owner and executive director of Willow Place, Dixie’s vision has been to reach clients struggling with mental health disorders from a holistic approach and to provide women’s specific treatment addressing core issues that relate to substance use, eating disorders, and other co-occurring disorders. Dixie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Business Management, a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology, and a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine specializing in Integrative Mental Health.  Dixie has also completed certification in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, Biofeedback, and Wellness Coaching as a part of the PhD curriculum.  Dixie is certified in EMDR therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a form of psychotherapy used to resolve the development of trauma-related disorders and uses Biofeedback as an complementary and alternative medicine practice for the treatment of mental health disorders. In addition, she is completing Certification in Biochemical and Nutritional Approaches to Mental Health and Addiction Recovery as well as the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Certification for Eating Disorder Specialists.  Dixie is passionate about reaching clients who do not respond to conventional modalities of therapy, primarily through the use of psychodrama, expressive therapy, and biofeedback, she has been able to access these clients to facilitate lasting change.  In addition to her work at Willow Place, Dixie is also the founder and Board President for a non-profit organization, The Seraph Fund.  In her spare time she loves spending time with her family and two kitties, hiking, being outdoors, and is a Zumba, Strong by Zumba, TRX, and PiYo instructor.

I am in love with experiencing life, and have lived it hard, fast, ugly, and beautiful, always with an interest in self-examination.  Thus, I have come to realize it is our inner struggles, what is learned, how we grow, become aware, and change that fascinates me.  I came to this profession via theatre work in Chicago, Boston, and New York City, growing passionate about reclaiming lives while teaching English and Drama in a violent inner city high school in Brooklyn for 7 years.  I am a graduate of Lenoir Rhyne University (2016) earning LCMHC/LCAS licenses and have previously worked in the field for 15 years in Asheville in crisis, outpatient, SAIOP, and as a Peer.  I love working with people and have been a therapist for three years at Family Preservation Services on the Community Support Team, assisting those with severe mental health disorders, trauma, and pre-contemplative substance use using clinical skills to enhance their sense of empowerment, as well as enrich their daily lives, and give them the hope to continue growing as valued individuals.  I am a member of NAADAC, The Dramatist Guild, and Sundance Collaborative, continuing to work on telling stories of transformation as a playwright and screenwriter.

Nicole works as the behind the scenes Executive Assistant from her home in Georgia. While her degree is a Bachelors of Science concentrating in Marine Biology, her journey in college began her work in the Recovery field in West Palm Beach Florida. Taking a part time job to pay her way through college, Nicole started her first job as a night tech at a local detox. There she was able to hone her skills as a Quality Assurance Manager, being taught every aspect of the administrative parts in Behavioral Health. As she was able to see the direct impact of a well maintained office to the future of the clients being served, her soul began to sing joy from the lives she was able to touch. This love for helping others is what continued her journey in Recovery instead of pursuing a job in her field.

From there she was able to assist opening another IOP in West Palm Beach leading her to her future job at Willow Place. In April of 2016, Nicole took the position as the office administrator in Willow Place’s West Palm Beach location. After working for Willow for 2 years, her journey involved her moving to her current home of Rome, Georgia. She was gladly able to take on the remote position of Executive Assistant, which she holds today.

Nicole’s expertise in Quality Assurance, Billing, and Office Administration has allowed Willow Place to thrive in new ways as she assists its leaders to be the best they can be. Playing the support role brings life to Nicole and Willow Place creating a symphony of amazing accomplishments. Her desire to serve and help other is what fuels her soul to work hard to make Willow Place the best facility it can be.

In Nicole’s spare time she is the mother of two children, animal mommy to 6 animals (dogs, cats, tortoises, and guinea pigs), serves at her church, and loves to paint.

My passion in life is supporting women on their path to finding their true authentic selves.  I have worked with women in substance abuse and co-occurring disorder for 3 years.  Growing up as an only child, I have always been fascinated in hearing others stories. I received my  B.S. in Psychology from Kean University in Union, New Jersey. In 2017, I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Carolina University in Asheville, North Carolina.

When you step into my office, you notice that it is a warm and inviting space.  I want my clients to feel as comfortable and safe as possible as they dive into how drugs and alcohol made their lives unmanageable. Clients will learn to have their basic needs met like eating and sleeping.  I encourage clients to check their options in every situation they find themselves in.  Clients are invited to discover who they are without addiction; what are their values, morals and interests?  I focus on integrating Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing into my sessions.  I feel honored to work with these women every day and be a part of their journeys.

Erica Perez is an LCSW and LCAS-A with a heart for supporting women through their toughest and most meaningful times in their lives. A native from Charlotte, NC Erica has spent nine of the last eleven years living in Western NC and considers these mountains home. Erica’s career started in 2012 as a case manager/advocate at a small domestic violence/sexual assault dual agency in Boone, NC. Here is where Erica’s passion for working with women was solidified. This passion propelled her forward to complete her Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2013.

After graduating in 2015 as an MSW Erica began working in Asheville at an adolescent girls residential treatment center that specialized in Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Eating Disorders. From here Erica spent 3 years providing Intensive In-home therapy to high risk youth and their families which led her to pursuing her addiction specialist licensure. When Erica isn’t working she enjoys reading about healing trauma, treating addiction, self-care and spiritual growth. Erica has one child, her son who is the light of her life and keeps her grounded and excited to make a positive difference in the world. In addition to her heart for her son and therapy, you can always spark up a good conversation with her about the benefits of yoga and movement. Erica completed a 250-hour yoga teacher training program in 2019 and hopes to share her knowledge with anyone willing to listen. Erica values holistic treatment approaches incorporating the mind, body, spirit, and community through a variety of treatment approaches that are individualized with the upmost care and respect.

Katherine is a licensed mental health and addictions counselor who is passionate about helping women on their path to recovery. Originally from South Carolina, Katherine received her undergraduate degrees from Clemson University. While studying at Clemson, Katherine also discovered and developed her love for joyful movement and the outdoors through yoga, running and rock climbing.

After graduating from Clemson in 2015, Katherine completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training, taught yoga and volunteered at Crisis Text Line before returning to school at Appalachian State University. She graduated from Appalachian State with an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Graduate Certificate in Addictions Counseling. Katherine completed her clinical internship at a residential addictions treatment center working with adults and adolescents, during which she was able to begin integrating her knowledge of mindfulness and body-centered techniques into treatment and found her niche in facilitating women’s specific groups.

Since completing her Master’s degree and becoming a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist Associate, Katherine has been facilitating Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization programming for people on the path to recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Her practice of evidence-based treatment through a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy framework continues to integrate mindfulness and movement as tools of healing and growth, and takes a person-centered approach to helping people identify their authentic core values and take steps in their valued direction.

When Katherine isn’t working she can be found rock climbing, hiking, or biking around the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, reading, and spending time with her cats.

Juliette Khoshrozeh is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian who strives to empower others to trust and connect with their bodies while making peace with food.

Using a weight-inclusive, evidence-based approach, she works alongside clients, both individually and in group settings. Juliette aims to help others become in touch with their natural and intuitive state of being in order to make sustainable lifestyle changes and develop a fulfilling relationship with eating and health.

Originally from Southern California, Juliette completed her bachelor of science degree in Nutrition at San Diego State University, and completed her dietetic internship at Montana State University. In her free time, she enjoys eating charcuterie boards and spending time in nature with her dog.

Robin is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist at our Asheville facility, and also an Approved Supervisor for clinicians seeking certification through the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals™. She has over two decades of clinical experience working with women and their families in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Many of her clients have co-occurring anxiety and mood disorders, substance abuse, and disordered eating and body image issues. In the past, Robin served as Lead Program Therapist in the first eating disorders inpatient psychiatric treatment program in the state of NC. She has facilitated multi-family therapy groups and workshops and provided individual, couple’s, family and group therapy. Intuitive Eating, Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy–especially the mindfulness skills–form the foundation for her work. Robin models how humor and laughter are essential in the healing process and teaches clients to use non-judgmental, compassionate curiosity as their pathway to self-awareness and positive change. Licensed to practice in NC as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Robin is also a National Certified Counselor.

Robin holds an MA in Psychology from West Georgia College and a BA in Journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill. Before entering the helping profession, Robin was an advertising copywriter in Atlanta, GA. There she became alarmed about society’s obsession with female appearance and narrow definition of beauty and fitness, which is still harming the self-esteem and health of women and girls. She is a passionate activist for a medical and cultural shift to the Health At Every Size® paradigm. More holistic and inclusive, the HAES® approach recognizes that true health and well-being are multi-dimensional and include biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects. Robin empowers people of all sizes to make peace now with their bodies and with food, and get on with living a mindful, meaningful and skillful life.

Tai is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist. A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, she has spent over 16 years working with adolescent girls and women with a strong focus on trauma and identity development. Tai spent two summers in Africa doing art therapy with ex-child soldiers, as well as Sri Lanka doing crisis intervention work immediately after the Tsunami.  She is passionate about creating spaces that encourages others to brave their truth and be the alchemist of their own story.

Krystal is a trained conscious healer utilizing the art of acupuncture and herbal medicine to facilitate wellness and vitality. Her mission is to offer women and children a compassionate and loving healing space by supporting them through all their life cycles.

Krystal provides an intuitive and grounded approach to Classical Chinese Medicine.  With each person she creates an individualized treatment plan while offering a safe sanctuary allowing the innate wisdom of the body to emerge.  Krystal strives to empower women in restoring their own natural state of radiance and resilience.

Krystal devoted four years to a rigorous academic graduate program at Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts that has provided her with a solid set of medical skills along with a Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine.  Krystal has a private practice in Asheville, NC as well as a community clinic for women. She also offers group acupuncture and sound healing for women in recovering at Willow Place.

In addition to being a licensed acupuncturist, Krystal is a trained midwife’s assistant, Reiki Master and certified teacher of Kundalini and prenatal yoga. She studied with world renowned midwife Ina May Gaskin at The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee; and with Tej Kaur Khalsa and Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa in Southern California. These experiences have given Krystal a diverse and unique array of healing modalities to assist each person on their own authentic journey towards optimal health.

Marykate joined the Willow Place team in the fall of 2019 as our Admissions and Outreach Coordinator.  Originally from Philadelphia, she graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Mass Communication/ Advertising and a minor in Organizational Leadership. She has worked for companies such as QVC, Verizon, The Walt Disney Company, Office Depot Corporate HQ, and consulted within pharma and technology industries.

Now at Willow Place, Marykate is thriving bringing her past work experience and pairing it with her true calling to help women struggling with mental health, substance abuse, or eating disorders.  Her goal is to help Willow Place grow to be able to serve twice as many women.

When not at work, Marykate can be found hanging out with her three-and-half legged pitbull named Gus.

Since 2016, as Administrative Assistant, Annette Krukowski has compassionately welcomed clients and loved ones to Willow Place. Annette has proven to be indispensable in managing the office, maintaining records, and facilitating communication for therapists, clients, and families.  Her compassionate presence and diverse experience serves Willow Place well.

Annette brings decades of related experience to Willow Place. Annette’s passion for helping others began with her service in a medical unit in Europe. As time went on,  she grew her organization and communication skills in management roles at Fortune 500 retail companies in Detroit.  Annette’s career path led her to customer service in the medical field for many years, gaining valuable experience with the complexities of record keeping and insurance. Annette’s family roots in Asheville go back many generations, and in 2007 she returned to the mountains of her childhood vacations to be with family.

Marcie works from home in Florida as a Billing Specialist while watching her baby girl. Although starting as just the Billing Specialist, she quickly and gladly took on more responsibility as the creator of our monthly newsletters and coordinator of all alumni events. While this job is unrelated to her B.A. in Technical & Design Theatre from Palm Beach Atlantic University, it fulfills her desire to create beauty and help people on a daily basis. Her detail orientated nature allows her to take extra care with all of the client’s billing records which allows for better understanding in an often confusing area.

Completely unfamiliar with the world of rehab, she has strived to learn all that she can so that she can best assist the clients and understand where they are coming from. To her, Willow Place for Women is a special place she feels privileged to work for. The company’s desire to help women in a holistic and complete way is compelling and encouraging. She is also learning a lot about what it looks like when the owners and upper management truly care about their employees; their overall welfare and sense of community amongst all co-workers.

Marcie is also a mother of two young children, an adoring wife, a faithful servant at her church and owner of her very own small creative business crafting home goods that make a house feel like home.

Haley was born and raised in Franklin NC, growing up she never imagined she would struggle with drugs and alcohol. Haley moved to Asheville in 2016 in search of a new beginning, a life free from active addiction. She was a resident at the Women’s First Step Farm in Candler for a year before moving on to an Oxford House in West Asheville. From there Haley started her journey to give back what was so freely given to her– support in learning how to live life without alcohol or drugs. Helping other women is crucial in her personal recovery and a career path she plans on pursuing. At Willow Place, Haley gets to be a part of beautiful transformations in Women’s lives. She says for her that is a dream come true. 

Sarah Comerford has joined the Willow Place team as a Behavioral Technician/Case Manager. Sarah graduated from Kean University, in New Jersey, with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. Through her own personal and life experiences, Sarah moved to Asheville in August of 2019, to pursue a Graduate degree in Clinical Psychology at Lenoir Rhyne University. Sarah’s life mission is to help women live their lives as their most authentic selves, to love themselves whole, and to find their self worth.