Counseling Plus LLC

Counseling Plus is a mental health services provider founded by Jennifer Miller in 2012. Jennifer’s passion for the helping profession led her to strike her own path into private practice after several agency and public forum placements. It is Counseling Plus’s mission to enable you to become the best version of yourself with self-acceptance, resiliency, and accountability. Jennifer Miller MA, MPHIL, LPC-S, NBCC In addition to the general forms of therapy I do that are listed on this site, I also use many techniques that are considered "out of the box." I feel that you deserve to benefit from any technique or intervention that I can provide for you or teach you, even if they are not frequently used by many therapists. Through my wide variety of experiences in the counseling profession, working with veterans, first responders and their families; I have been able to determine which of these strategies are the most effective in particular situations. I am most interested in helping you become the best version of yourself. My specialties include Critical incident processing, trauma counseling, first responders' occupational stressors, internal family systems trauma, as well as several different trauma processing modalities. It's my goal to help you readjust to coming home and taking the boots off, creating balance, and empowering individuals to maximize their functioning until they are thriving. I also use an animal assisted approach with my co-counsel Sarge that enhances the therapeutic outcome. I served in the US Army for ten years and spent a rather long deployment in Iraq. I am also a parent, so I am familiar with struggle of balance parents endure while also trying to maintain a career, healthy family life and strong interpersonal relationships. Krista L. Gibson, MA, LPC-A As a clinician, I have a strong desire to assist individuals in taking steps toward their mental wellness. I am a fierce advocate for marginalized populations, and their access to safe mental health services, particularly members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I desire for all people to realize their value and worth. I am committed to accepting individuals as they are, providing empathy and understanding as I encourage clients toward change, health, and wellness. Using a variety of techniques, I strive to provide services that benefit my clients’ particular needs. I aim to honor and respect all individuals, valuing dignity and autonomy. I strive to advocate for and mitigate barriers to mental health services for all individuals. I completed my practicum and internship responsibilities at Counseling Plus in Lexington, SC. I have worked with individuals with anxiety, depression, adjustment issues, PTSD, as well as those struggling with low self-esteem, confidence, and executive functioning issues. At Counseling Plus, I gained experience working with first responders and the traumas they face. I have experience with crisis intervention after a critical incident, as well as group counseling experience for families dealing with addiction, psychoeducation groups, as well as support groups. Prior to earning my degree in counseling, I taught both elementary and middle school for 15 years, in both general education and special education settings. Most recently, I was a support services teacher for high-functioning 8th grade students on the autism spectrum. I have experience working with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities, in both the resource and co-taught settings. James L. Smyrl, Ph.D Life Coach My name is James L. Smyrl, Ph.D. Over the past 30 years, I have dedicated my life coaching men, women and teens to achieve their life goals. I serve at Prison Fellowship as a Senior Program Manager and as a volunteer Chaplain with Richland County Sheriff’s Department in the Victim Services Division. The officers in this division were recently featured on the Netflix documentary, “Missing: Dead or Alive.” Watching the documentary reveals the intense level of stress officers experience. I also serve as President of Bikers Against Trafficking, SC. BATSC is an organization that seeks to serve the emotional and physical needs of human trafficking survivors. Scout is a PAALS trained facility dog and an integral part of my work coaching people through relationship challenges, addiction, grief, and anxiety. Scout and I coach men, women, and teenagers to discover their life purpose and develop a plan to live out that purpose. We are blessed to make a difference in the lives of so many people. Scout and I began our service journey together at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ). As a Clinical Chaplain, we provided spiritual care, and life coaching to at-risk youth. The experience Scout and I gained at SCDJJ is now applied to the many people we serve in churches, community, and law enforcement. I daily witness the life-changing impact Scout makes in men, women, and teens. Dr. Smyrl offers coaching in the following specialized areas: • Self-Esteem Building • Anxiety Management • Stress Management • Addiction Recovery • Grief Endurance • Anger Management • Blended Family Dynamics • Thought Management • Life Purpose Planning