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 gender-specific treatment that addresses core issues which have led clients to substance dependence, 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 and completed certification in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, Biofeedback, and Wellness Coaching as a part of the PhD curriculum.  She is also working towards 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. In addition to specializing in Substance Abuse and Marriage/Family Counseling, Dixie is certified in EMDR therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a form of psychotherapy used to resolve the development of trauma-related disorders. Dixie also specializes in the use of Biofeedback as an complementary and alternative medicine practice for the treatment of mental health disorders. 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, and PiYo instructor.

Dr. Buie provides medication management for adults with all psychiatric conditions and has a particular interest in bipolar disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders. He is trained in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a treatment for depression. Dr. Buie attended the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill as an undergraduate on a Morehead Scholarship. He obtained his medical education at the University of the North Carolina — Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Columbia University training hospital in New York and a psychiatry residency at Cornell Medical College, also in New York. Dr. Buie is an adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is also the psychiatry course director at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Asheville campus as well as program director of the new Psychiatry Residency program at Mountain Areas Health Education Center (MAHEC). He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in recognition of his contributions in several areas of psychiatry. He is the past president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association. Dr. Buie is a founder and shareholder of The Pisgah Institute.

Dr. Walker is a licensed psychologist having earned a doctoral degree from the American School of Professional Psychology in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Prior to attaining a doctoral degree Dr. Walker earned a bachelor of arts in sociology and a masters of arts in substance abuse counseling from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

After completing her undergraduate program, Dr. Walker worked with organizations in the Detroit area focusing on combating human trafficking and childhood sexual trauma, as well as utilizing the harm reduction model of treatment for those with substance use disorders. After attaining a masters in counseling she went on to concentrate on victims of childhood sexual trauma utilizing outcomes from the ACES study as a foundation for her clinical work and research.  Dr. Walker conducted research on a variety of themes including patterns of disordered eating in the women of color, distress tolerance and risk taking among adolescents in urban environments and attachment styles of underage parents.

During her doctoral program Dr. Walker completed clinical rotations in diverse settings such as; a psychiatric hospital for the severely and persistently mentally ill, a community mental health center, and a Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Walker interned in NYC where she again focused her work on trauma and recovery with a population of youth involved in the criminal justice system and foster care.  There she honed her skills in utilizing trauma-focused evidence based practices.  Dr. Walker’s dissertation was an original case study where she created a holistic model for women of color that experienced childhood sexual assault.  The model has a foundation in trauma-focused practices with a heavy emphasis on feminist theory.  As opposed to many clinical models, her model did not solely focus on psychotherapy, rather she asserted that therapy is but one aspect of treatment.  Further that one aspect of psychotherapy must respect and include the physical, spiritual, financial, community, cultural, intellectual and environmental aspects of the client to facilitate true healing.

After moving to North Carolina, Dr. Walker worked in many direct service roles and leadership positions at organizations throughout the state.  As such she has transformed struggling agencies into strong organizations via solid foundations of researching, training and fully incorporating the most state of the art evidence practices based on structural needs assessments.  Her research has continued in published work studying the effects of nighttime awake staff versus the use of surveillance cameras in residential settings for youth.  Dr. Walker has a strong passion for utilizing practices supported in science while working as a part of a multidisciplinary team.  Dr. Walker truly believes every person has the right and capacity to heal.

Mrs. Mitchener is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who began working at Willow Place in 2016. Mrs. Mitchener attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for undergraduate and graduate education and prior to moving to Asheville worked at Duke University Medical Center in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit and as a Neurology Research Coordinator. Currently, Mrs. Mitchener enjoys working in multiple settings including The Neil Dobbins Center, Willow Place for Women and seeing patients at The Pisgah Institute and treats a variety of psychiatric issues including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, trauma, Bipolar Disorder, Substance Use Disorders, psychotic disorders and personality disorders. Mrs. Mitchener became a shareholder at The Pisgah Institute in 2018, serving in a leadership and practice management role. While not working, Mrs. Mitchener enjoys many of the great Asheville restaurants, yoga, hip hop and spending time with friends and family.

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.

After graduating from Michigan State University in 2013 with my Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, I completed my Dietetic Internship at D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY where I completed two and half years of clinical supervised practice. I graduated from D’Youville College in 2015 with a Master of Science in Dietetics after designing and conducting a research study, “Dietary Supplement use Amongst College Athletes and Their Sources of Information.” After grad school, I worked in many roles as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist including working as a clinical dietitian with oncology, long-term acute care patients, and a renal dietitian.  After moving to Detroit, I was offered the opportunity to create and expand the Outpatient Nutrition Program for Henry Ford Health System.  Apart from the clinical experience that I have, I also worked throughout the Metro-Detroit region providing grocery store tours and teaching nutrition and cooking classes.  After working in the healthcare field for almost 9 years, I realized that my interest in nutrition was fueled by my passion for helping others to build healthy relationships with food and their bodies. My nutrition therapy practice is shaped by the HAES model, Intuitive Eating, and Motivational Interviewing. Eating disorder and substance abuse clients hold a special place in my heart and my goal is to support them in loving themselves through nourishing their bodies.

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.

From a young age, I had a strong inner knowing that I wanted to work toward a compassionate understanding of the human condition. By pursuing art therapy and counseling, I have found great meaning in exploring the language of psyche, the human condition, and our innate inner wisdom. I completed my Master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling in 2015 at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, NM. While in grad school, I developed a strong interest in trauma and grief work and completed a 120-hour certificate program in Trauma, Grief and Renewal. More recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete a 14 –month training at The Asheville Center for Contemplative Psychotherapy.

I focus on creating a safe, accepting and non-judgmental atmosphere where clients can move through the therapeutic process at their own pace. I have training in Art Therapy, Sand Play, Emotional Freedom Technique, Dream Tending, Archetypal Psychology and Mindfulness-Based Interventions. I combine traditional talk therapy with art-based approaches, mindfulness, and somatic awareness to help my clients create meaning out of challenging life events, interrupt negative, automatic thoughts, and develop a sense of empowerment in daily living.

It has been an honor to work in this field. I have experience working with chronic and terminal illness, trauma, grief, intimacy issues, co-dependency, depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD, and with people affected by international and civil conflict.

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.

Kathy has a BA from UNC-Asheville and an MA from UT-Knoxville. She teaches writing as a tool of recovery and transformation, and facilitates a spirituality group that explores and applies unifying principles to recovery. Godfrey knows her primary value to women in transition is to remind them of their innate value and ability to feel joy.

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.

In 2015, I decided to try a new way of life without the use of drugs. I began my journey at Willow Place as a client and after having a year and a half clean, I became a house manager.  Seeing my passion for working with women seeking recovery, I accepted the position as admissions coordinator. I love what I do and I see that my experience allows me to relate to our clients and affords me the opportunity to support families who are travelling the same journey my parents did with me.  I can only keep what I have by giving it away.

In December of 2017 with 30 days sober, I moved to Asheville to attend Willow Place for Women and continue receiving treatment for my addictions. In July, I graduated from the program and found myself living a functioning and fulfilled life in ways I never imagined possible. A few months later I accepted a position as a house manager, an opportunity I had been praying would happen for me. Today, I get to share my experience, strength, and hope with women on a daily basis who are in the exact spot I once was. Nothing gives me greater joy than helping women through one day at a time and showing them a better way of life is possible, and worth it.

Willow Place gave me a foundation to build my life upon. I didn’t know what it means to love and be loved, and I learned that here. It is one of the many gifts of recovery that I get to give back what was given to me through this program. I am so grateful for this opportunity to work with those who showed me the way towards healing and trust. I have some of the most amazing women in my life today. I hope to help other women realize what it means to listen to your heart and find your own path to freedom.