Debby L. Lazarine, LCSW, RPT

Hello! My name is Debby Lazarine, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist. I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Dalton State College in May 2014 and a Master’s degree in Social Work in December 2016 from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, TN. During that time, I interned and worked at Area Agency on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association gaining knowledge of dementia. I facilitated support groups for early-stage dementia; provided care consultations for families and people first diagnosed with dementia; and become a community educator for first responders, community organization groups such as Rotary Clubs, Churches, Lions Clubs, etc. and health care professionals. Before relocating to South Georgia in 2018, I worked for Amedisys Hospice in Dalton, Georgia where I gained knowledge of the death and dying process working with families in preparation for the parting of their loved ones. I completed Georgia’s required hours to become a LCSW in September 2020 while working with the adolescents at Donalsonville Hospital Behavioral Health Unit. There, I gained first-hand knowledge of acute mental health crisis needs. I took additional college courses, extensive workshops, and clinical oversight offered by Brighter Tomorrow Consulting in Griffin, Georgia to become a Registered Play Therapist. In October 2020, I opened a private practice and began working with children, adolescents, and adults to overcome depression, anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, PTSD, and anxiety. I utilize a wide range of therapeutic modalities such as CBT, DBT, Play Therapy, Restorative Storytelling, Solution-Focused, etc. to fit each individual. My love for the geriatric population propelled me to offer psychotherapy in local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Being a native of Blue Ridge, it is an honor to have the opportunity to return with my family back to the mountains and continue providing mental health services to a community that has never been far from my heart.