Find the therapist that best suits your needs.
Our team:
Bethany McElyea, LPC
Bethany McElyea, LPC: Bethany McElyea is the Owner and Managing Director of Flourish Bainbridge LLC. Although she has only been a resident of Decatur County for a little over two years, she is certainly no stranger to the community. Bethany is the oldest daughter of Dr. Homer Breckenridge, III and Mrs. Ruth (Bridges) Breckenridge of nearby Donalsonville, Georgia.
Bethany earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wichita State University and received her master’s degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Valdosta State University. As a licensed professional counselor with the state of Georgia, Bethany has been providing mental health services to individuals and families since 2008. For more than fifteen years, Bethany has worked with individuals, couples and families within her community in a number of different capacities. She spent three years working with teens and adolescents in therapeutic foster care. During that time, she also worked as a substance abuse counselor, providing substance abuse education and counseling services. Bethany then spent six years in private practice, counseling individuals, couples and families with various mental health issues including PTSD, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse issues and life stressors. An opportunity to practice faith-based counseling at the Samaritan Counseling Center is what brought Bethany back to this area. For the past three years, she has worked closely with children and adults, couples and families, providing Christian counseling services to members of this community.
From a very young age, my grandmother referred to me as her “little diplomat.” I took great pride in that, even though I had no idea what she meant. It wasn’t until years later that I realized she was referring to my ability to “keep the peace” between the seven of us granddaughters. I guess she recognized my gift long before God revealed it to me. Being a peacemaker is something I still take great pride in, whether it’s facilitating a peaceful resolution between family members or guiding someone down the path toward inner peace in the midst of a storm. What I’ve learned over the last fifteen years as a counselor is that most clients just want someone to tell them that everything is going to be ok. My response always has been and always will be, that I don’t have the power to control their circumstances, but I can teach them how to be ok when everything isn’t. That’s the kind of peace that I’m passionate about… the kind of peace that I long to share with others through Flourish Bainbridge.
Claire Coe, LPC
Claire Culverson Coe, LPC: Claire earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Valdosta State University and received her master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling from Thomas University. Claire is a licensed professional counselor with the state of Georgia and has provided mental health services to individuals and families as a master’s level therapist for the past four years. Claire gained two years of group therapy experience while working for the Decatur County Board of Education. Claire also has experience providing faith-based counseling services for children and adults. During the three years she spent on staff at The Samaritan Counseling Center, Claire worked closely with individuals and families, addressing a number of mental health issues including anxiety, mood disorders, personality disorders, addictive behaviors and substance abuse. For the past year, Claire has focused her time and energy on providing comprehensive evidence-based treatment, support and recovery services for the communities of Lowndes, Tift & Cook County, through her employment at Legacy Behavioral Health. Claire is excited to join Flourish Bainbridge and looks forward to providing counseling services to the women of the community that raised her.
When I first began my career as a therapist four years ago, I began writing down compliments and characteristics clients noticed in me. This was a helpful motivator on the hard days or the days I may have questioned why God called me to be a mental health therapist in the first place. “You make me feel safe”, “You are welcoming”, “I feel no judgement when I talk to you”, & “You are relatable” are a few of the attributes I have saved in my phone, along with the date they were spoken to me by clients. A day that often resurfaces in my mind was a day I was struggling with my future & what God had planned for me. On that day, Bethany quickly reminded me, “God has given you the gift of counsel- I have no doubt that’s the gift God intends for you to use.” That is one of the many reasons I know I am where God has intended for me to be- at Flourish Bainbridge, in the town that is so close to my heart. My prayer is that I can continue to provide guidance and counsel to women of all ages whose common goal is to live a life of fulfillment and peace.