Our counseling staff is highly qualified to serve your needs and guide you when making assessments or referrals. Each staff member is licensed in the fields of counseling, family therapy, and/or psychology, and they have all gained years of experience working in a wide variety of clinical settings.
Counselors
Tandrea J. Carter, Ph.D.
Director, Counseling for Faculty and Staff
Email: cartertj@appstate.edu
Phone: (828) 262-4951
Tandrea Carter joined Counseling for Faculty and Staff in 2010. Tandrea is a licensed psychologist who earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Health Psychology from the University of Miami. She completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University where she majored in history. She completed her internship with the Atlanta VA Medical Center and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Emory University where her training focused on trauma, serious mental illness, and substance abuse.
Tandrea has previous experience working in a variety of human services arenas including foster care and adoptions, criminal justice, and medical settings. She maintains an active research interest in public health issues, with a primary focus on HIV prevention and support.
Tandrea values the opportunity to support the Appalachian State University community through the support of individual employees and direct support to programs, departments, and overarching university initiatives. She employs a collaborative approach to counseling, anchoring her work in a respect for individual worth and autonomy, and a belief in human capacity for growth and change.
Terri Chester
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Email: chestertd@appstate.edu
Phone: (828) 262-6061
Terri Chester is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in NC. She is an Appalachian State graduate, with more than 30 years of counseling experience. During that time, she has worked as a counselor in multiple educational settings such as public school, community college, university - as well as in community settings such as mental health, private practice and wilderness therapy.
Terri describes her methods as strength-based, concentrating on building upon existing strengths and discovering new resources. Her therapeutic approach is client-centered, collaborative, and growth-oriented. Her primary areas of expertise are in the areas of anxiety/depression/anger management, grief and loss, processing past and recent trauma, coping with challenging life events, and developmental life transitions such as relationship issues, career changes, work/life balance, deaths, divorces, blended families, “adulting” and other quality of life issues.
Terri welcomes and enjoys working with clients that represent a wide range of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and cultural influences. She believes that humans have endless capacity for change and positive growth - and that most situations can be improved through a combination of self-reflection and increased self-awareness, information, self-care, and supportive collaboration.
Matthew Cooper
Licensed Professional Counselor
Email: cooperml5@appstate.edu
Phone: (828) 262-4951
Matt is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has been practicing in the High Country since 2008. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University in 2003. Matt also received his Master's Degree in Community Counseling with an emphasis in Expressive Arts from Appalachian.
Matt's counseling approach is grounded in non-judgment, mindfulness, and self-discipline. In his sessions, he addresses goals and challenges in the process of exploring ways to become a stronger, happier, and healthier person. His motivation is to empower people to work toward what they want out of life.
Julie R. Neal
Licensed Psychological Associate
Email: nealjr1@appstate.edu
Phone: (828) 262-4951
Julie R. Neal is a Licensed Psychological Associate and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Julie completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Appalachian State University and has been practicing in Boone since 1991.
Julie has worked in the local community mental health system, in private practice and evaluating children in the public school system. In her work at Counseling for Faculty and Staff, she offers counseling for adults, teens and children and works both with individuals and families/couples.
She is a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and offers parenting classes for univeristy staff, family members and the general public. These five-week classes are typically offered twice a year, in the spring semester and fall semester, with a follow-up ongoing support group for parents who have completed the course.