Courtney Frierson is an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) who understands the mind-body connection, especially concerning anxiety, depression, loss/grief, and sexuality and gender expression issues.
She primarily works with adults in individual therapy and relationship therapy.
Courtney is open minded, works from a non-judgmental stance and works effectively with a diverse client population. She is competent working with people in polyamorous or kinky relationship dynamics. She has extensive experience working with gender non-conforming and transgender people. She works equally well with atheist or agnostic folks, and those from traditional religious backgrounds. Courtney believes in generational trauma and collective racial trauma, and she strives to continue to educate herself on ways she can decolonize therapy.
Courtney first worked in the social work field at Youth Home, a teen residential facility in Little Rock, AR. She then worked in North Carolina in outpatient family therapy at Haywood County Psychological. When she returned to Little Rock, she worked at the Arkansas State Hospital Forensic Unit, leading psychotherapy groups, individual sessions to teach forensic competency, and she taught yoga to the patients.
Trainings
Courtney, who is a native Arkansan, earned her Master’s Degree of Social Work from University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia where she studied Political Science and Women’s Studies. Courtney is a graduate of the Black Mountain Yoga program (Asheville, NC), with certification as a yoga therapist and a yoga teacher.
Her foundation for therapy is the evidence-based practice of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which aims to help clients gain psychological flexibility and take action to live out their personal values. She works from a strengths perspective to custom tailor each therapy encounter to meet the needs of the client. She teaches mindfulness techniques, guided imagery meditation, and breathing practices to facilitate the therapy process. She also uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Ego States (“parts work”) to facilitate healing from trauma.
Sex Therapy
Courtney is a certified Sex Therapist with the Sexual Health Alliance. She is a member of AASECT. She is currently seeing clients working on gender, sex and sexuality related issues.
Basic EMDR: October 2018
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which is a trauma focused therapy using bilateral stimulation (watching a light bar or holding alternately vibrating devices) to process stressful events.
ACT II: August 2016
Courtney has been extensively trained by Matt Boone, LCSW and practiced ACT skills in a peer group with him and other clinicians for three years (2016-2019). She also trained with a founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dr. Stephen Hayes for ACT level II.
Yoga Therapist & Yoga Teacher: May 2012
Courtney is certified both as a Yoga Therapist and Yoga Teacher (RYT-200). She no longer uses yoga poses in sessions, but borrows from the ancient tradition to incorporate mindfulness and breathing techniques in therapy. She no longer teaches in studio but occasionally hosts pop up classes. Watch the Facebook Page or the Events page of the website for upcoming events.
Relationship Therapy
Courtney has completed Gottman Level 1 Training. This is an evidence-based model for working with romantic partners. She has also completed level 1 training in PACT with Dr. Stan Tatkin in 2021. This is the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy, which helps people in relationships understand how their own and their partner’s attachment styles & trauma histories impact the current relationship.
SandTray Therapy: February 2016
Courtney is trained in sand tray therapy, which is using miniatures placed in the sand tray to tell a story of an event, feeling state or concept.
Telehealth: April 2015
Courtney completed certification with Renewed Vision Counseling for technology assisted psychotherapy, such as having a video therapy session. She is only able to conduct video sessions with clients in Arkansas, as that is the only state in which she holds a professional license.