Zola Counseling

01/03/2026

We are so excited to welcome our clients to our new space for Zola Counseling! A year in the making and new construction. We have a larger lobby, 5 dedicated play rooms (instead of 3), and still offer our older kid/teen room. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes to make this move happen, especially our team, friends and families. Most importantly, thank you to our clients for trusting in our care to make this move possible.

10/24/2025

📢📢 Calling all caregivers, teachers, therapists - come one, come all! Join us for our upcoming *virtual* book study diving into Dr. Becky’s Good Inside.

📖 Therapist led virtual book study for 5 Mondays from 11-12:30pm
📖 $275 for 7.5 hours of connection with an optional group Q&A when the book study concludes [discounted to $250 if you pay in full up front]

✏️ Gain ideas & strategies that will help carry you through the holiday season and wrapping up the year and start 2026 feeling aligned with your parenting values. Sounds fun, right?

💻 Email ellenmcneill@zolacounseling.com to sign up!

09/12/2025

📣📣 Please join me in welcoming Jordyn Hare to our team! Jordyn is an Associate Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHCA), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and is working towards becoming a registered play therapist (RPT). Her previous clinical experience includes school-based child-centered play therapy, activity therapy, and parenting support. Jordyn also draws on her knowledge of child development from her experience as a teacher working in early-childhood education with ages 3 months-12 years of age.  Jordyn focuses on clinical concerns related to adverse experiences, anxiety, relational disruptions, perfectionism, identity, self-esteem, parenting support, and depression. When working with children ages 4-12, Jordyn utilizes Child-Centered Play Therapy and Child-Parent Relationship Training. As a former collegiate athlete, Jordyn also has special interest in supporting individuals 11-17 who are navigating stress, decision-making, perfectionism, and self-identity in relation to athletics. Jordyn utilizes Person-Centered Therapy and frequently incorporates expressive art modalities such as sand tray, bibliotherapy, and other expressive mediums. Jordyn’s goal is to promote safety and acceptance of the expression of emotion and facilitate opportunities for creative problem-solving and social learning. In her free time, Jordyn enjoys playing sand volleyball, attending sporting events, and painting. 

📝📝Advanced Training:
• Child-Centered Play Therapy at UNC-Charlotte
• Child Parent Relationship Therapy training at UNC-Charlotte

🎉🎉Jordyn has availability beginning the first week in October! She is able to file in network claims with Aetna, BCBS, and Cigna. Jordyn will soon be in network with Medcost.  Zola Counseling can courtesy file most out of network claims.  We also accept self-pay. Please use our contact us page to get scheduled at : zolacounseling.com/contact

01/17/2025

Come check one of our team members, Ellen McNeill, out at the Public Health Grand Rounds. This free event discusses the role that early childhood development plays in advancing public health.

09/05/2023

Please join me in welcoming Alexis Kressner, MS, LMFT to our team at Zola Counseling. Alexis has a double Master’s degree from East Carolina University in Human Development and Family Science as well as Marriage and Family Therapy. She is currently a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and in the process of becoming a Registered Play Therapist. Previous clinical settings include school based mental health services, providing mental health services within a medical setting, and previous private practice experience providing outpatient mental health services. Alexis currently works with clients ages 2-10 using Child-Centered Play Therapy and/or AutPlay skills. When working with ages 11-60, Alexis utilizes a Person-Centered therapeutic approach. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, Alexis places special importance on the whole family system and relationships within the family. She enjoys supporting clients with anxiety, depression, grief/loss, life adjustment concerns, neurodivergence, parenting support, relationship issues, stress reduction, and trauma. In her spare time, Alexis enjoys cooking, kayaking, and spending time with her husband and dogs.

Advanced Training:
-AutPlay Trained & Certified
-Trauma Informed Care through CCPT [Child-Centered Play Therapy]
-Advanced training with Neurodivergence [ADHD, Autism, OCD, Dyslexia, Sensory Processing]

Alexis can currently file in network with BCBS, CBHA, and Cigna. Alexis will soon be in network with United/Optum and Medcost. Zola Counseling can courtesy file most out of network claims on your behalf. We also accept self-pay.

Alexis has immediate availability. She can be reached at 704-750-0673 or email directly at Alexiskressner@zolacounseling.com to schedule a new client appointment.

05/26/2023

We are growing to meet the community’s need for another play therapist at Zola Counseling. Please spread the word that we are hiring!

06/23/2022

📸:

You’re parenting for the big picture, not just today’s hard moment.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🖤🤍

05/25/2022

All links are also listed on our page for quick access. We have heavy hearts and are holding space for each of you. ❤️

05/25/2022

Holding space for all scared and grieving parents, children, teachers, mental health workers and all those impacted by senseless violence.

Here are some combined resources about how to talk about tragic/traumatic events, school violence, and more with your children. As Fred Rogers once said “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping”

Rise VanFleet’s “How Parents can help children through traumatic events” :
https://iiaapt.org/how-parents-can-help-children-through-traumatic-events/

American School Counselor Association : https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Publications-Research/Publications/Free-ASCA-Resources/After-a-School-Shooting?fbclid=IwAR1JjEvE1bG_Qig9bOUpZV_xv2fLcn0wz4GeFCq1WOU7FbcKulOMGxYMsBc&fs=e&s=cl

PBS how to help kids with tragic events:
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/helping-children-with-tragic-events-in-the-news

National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to children about violence, tips for parents and teachers:
https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/school-violence-resources/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-parents-and-teachers

High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for inf...

04/21/2022

Team building with 3/4 of the Zola crew at . We missed you Becca. Special week getting together outside of the office and blowing out the birthday candles for 6 years of Zola Counseling today. 🥳🥳

10/05/2021

Join Rebecca Blanchard, MA, LCMHCA, NCC & Ellen McNeill, MA, LCMHCA, NCC from our team for the free event on Tuesday October 12, 2021 at 12pm. They will be joining Executive Director Kathy Rogers for the Mental Health Matters series focused on Coping with Back to School Anxiety.

To sign up- go to www.MHAcentralcarolinas.org

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08/09/2021

Please join me in welcoming Ellen McNeill, MA, LCMHCA, NCC to Zola Counseling! She is accepting new clients and has immediate after school availability starting 8/18. Ellen will soon be in network with BCBS & Medcost. ✨✨✨

Ellen works with clients birth through 12 years old. She is actively working towards earning her RPT (registered play therapist) credential. Ellen has advanced training in infant mental health. Additionally, Ellen utilizes Child-Centered Play Therapy with young child clients, Expressive Arts and Person-Centered Therapy with older children, and is trained in CPRT (child parent relationship therapy) to provide extensive parent support. Practice areas include: anxiety, depression, life adjustment concerns, developmental concerns, self-esteem, aggression, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and parent support. In her spare time, Ellen enjoys gardening, cooking, and yoga! 🪴🍽 🧘🏽‍♀️

She can be contacted directly at 704-389-0698 or ellenmcneill@zolacounseling.com

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