Counseling Services

Family Counseling Service		Phone: 205-752-2504 Toll Free: 1-866-916-2504
2020 Paul W. Bryant Drive Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401 Fax: 205-345-4842	Improving the quality of life!	office@counselingservice.org Office Directions



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Counseling Services

Tammy: "When I began counseling, I really didn’t like the person I had become. I always felt tired and wanted to be left alone. My family was frustrated that I wouldn’t spend any time with them. It took all the energy I had just to make it through a full day at work. When I came home, I would just crash. It seemed that no matter how much sleep I got, I was always exhausted. There were lots of times I couldn’t even get a good night’s sleep, but I wasn’t sure why. My counselor at FCS helped me examine what was going on in my life. She helped me identify the sources of worry that were stealing my concentration. I learned to take control of my thinking about myself and circumstances around me. Now I feel much more satisfied with my outlook on life and the way I handle situations."

Counseling Services Available

FCS Counselors

What Do I Need To Know About The Cost Of Counseling?

What Should I Expect In The First Session?

How Long Should I Expect Therapy To Last?

Notice of Privacy Practices

For an Appointment

Directions to Family Counseling Service

Counseling Services Available

Family

• Marriage/Couples • Elderly Issues

• Pre-marital • Team Building

• Divorce Adjustment

• Blended Family Issues • Crisis Management

Parenting

• Teens • Grieving Children

• Children • Childhood Fears

• Affects of Divorce • Sibling Issues

Individual

• Anxiety • Life Adjustment

• Depression • Stress Management

• Grief • Goal Setting

• Anger • Success Planning

FCS Counselors

Jeni Bowen, MS, ALC

Trevia Wilkerson, MS, ALC

Linda Shephard, MS, ALC

Jeni Bowen is an Associate Licensed Counselor at Family Counseling Service. She received a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama, and she holds a Master’s degree from Stetson University in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Jeni is experienced in treating individuals, couples, families and group systems. Her professional interests include working with issues relevant to identity development, infidelity, grief and loss, stress and anxiety, depression, parenting, and marital enrichment.

Believing in the importance of providing services within the community, Jeni finds much reward in supervising two intervention programs through Family Counseling Service regarding property offenses, such as shoplifting.

Jeni also enjoys working with elementary school-aged children through the use of play therapy techniques. It is her desire to help others reach their full potential relationally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Trevia Wilkerson is Associate License Counselor with Family Counseling Service. She is a mother of a seven year old. Her educational background includes Bachelor of Art degrees in Criminal Justice and in Psychology from the University of Alabama and a Masters in Psychology and Counseling from the University of West Alabama.

Her previous employment history includes working as an intake officer with Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Court, a psychological assistant with Partlow Mental Health, and an administrator of a juvenile facility.

As a counselor with Family Counseling Service, she conducts individual and family therapy sessions and supervises court referred counseling groups for divorcing parents and high-conflict co-parents. In addition, she supervises adolescent programs for the Tuscaloosa Board of Education and Tuscaloosa Juvenile Court.

Her most recent accomplishment with Family Counseling Service involves developing the Building Bridges curriculum for high conflict divorce cases. Marriage and adolescent counseling are her area of concentration.

Linda was born in Mobile, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

In 1994, she returned to Tuscaloosa and worked at Court Referral Services, Phoenix House, Hannah Home, and Lewis and Mitchell, LLC with a few small jobs tucked in for good measure. She has been working for Family Counseling Services for twelve (12) years.

She received her Master in Science at the University of West Alabama in the area of counseling and other similar studies contributed significantly to her education and continued to interest her today.

In April 2009, Linda received her license as an Associate Licensed Counselor from the State of Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling. Although focused in counseling, Linda coordinates the Domestic Violence Intervention and Anger Management Programs. Linda’s thought on being single is that you are more available to serve others.

What Do I Need To Know About the Cost Of Counseling?

Counseling sessions are $65. Fees may be lower upon a completed client application for a sliding scale based on verified household income.

What Should I Expect In The First Session?

You will need to arrive about 15 minutes early for your first appointment. You will be asked to fill out some paperwork and sign an agreement which outlines some of the terms of the counseling arrangement.

Each counseling session is planned to last one hour.

For marriage counseling, the therapist will usually see the couple together initially, then spend some time with each one individually either during the first session, or at the next appointment. This is to help ensure that the therapist has a thorough understanding of the problem you have identified from each perspective.

In cases of family counseling, the therapist will want to spend the first session with only the parent(s) to discuss the nature of the problem and gather some family data. It is best if children do not accompany parents to this first appointment to avoid having them think the parents are setting them up before they get to talk with the therapist themselves. From there, which family members to involve at various stages of therapy will be determined as therapy progresses.

Jill:

"I didn’t know what to do with my 14-year-old son. He had been getting in trouble at school and even skipping classes. He had withdrawn from the entire family since his father and I divorced. I was really worried about the friends he was with and the kinds of things he might be involved with. Our FCS counselor helped us begin to communicate with each other. The counselor also helped me understand the difference between normal adolescent behavior and problem behavior. Now, my son and I are able to talk more without feeling defensive. And I don’t overreact when we disagree. I can feel some of the old bonding we had when he was younger."

How Long Should I Expect Therapy To Last?

Most counselors see individuals, couples or families once a week for about six to eight sessions. As progress is maintained, you can expect your therapist to gradually lower the frequency of the appointments until your success in therapy can be maintained without regular follow up visits.

Overall, you can typically expect between eight and fifteen sessions. This may appear to be a large investment in time and money, but there are few things that will have the impact on your quality of life that a healthy marriage and a positive outlook on life can have.

Family Counseling Service Notice of Privacy Practices

For an Appointment...

Family Counseling Service is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time) Monday through Friday. Evening appointments are sometimes available. The office is located at 2020 Paul W. Bryant Drive in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

For appointment information, call 205-752-2504 or toll free 1-866-916-2504.

Directions to Family Counseling Service

From I-59/20

* Exit I-59/20 onto I-359 (Highway 69 N) at Exit 71-B

* Follow I-359 approximately 2 miles until you come to traffic lights in downtown Tuscaloosa

* At the second light, turn Right onto Bryant Drive

* Follow Bryant Drive 4 blocks to the corner of 21^st Avenue and Bryant Drive

* Family Counseling Service is on the corner to your Left

From Highway 82 W (from Montgomery)

* Upon entering Tuscaloosa, you will immediately see I-59/20 crossing HWY 82 in front of you

* Turn Left to enter I-59/20 traveling west

* Exit I-59/20 onto I-359 (Highway 69 N) at Exit 71-B

* Follow I-359 approximately 2 miles until you come to traffic lights in downtown Tuscaloosa

* At the second light, turn Right onto Bryant Drive

* Follow Bryant Drive 4 blocks to the corner of 21^st Avenue and Bryant Drive

* Family Counseling Service is on the corner to your Left

From Highway 82 E (from Columbus, Mississippi)

* Follow HWY 82 into Northport

* Turn Right onto Highway 69 S (At this intersection you will see Taco Bell, KFC, McDonalds, and K-Mart)

* Follow 69 S through Northport and across the river into Tuscaloosa (approximately 1.5 miles)

* After crossing the river you will see several traffic lights, starting with University Blvd.

* You will then pass 6^th Street, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and come to Bryant Drive

* Turn Left onto Bryant Drive

* Follow Bryant Drive 4 blocks to the corner of 21^st Avenue and Bryant Drive

* Family Counseling Service is on the corner to your Left