Our Team

The mission

Our mission is to help individuals,couples, and families reach healthy goals through changing unhealthy core beliefs, coping skills, addressing trauma, and communication skills.

Flourish Counseling LLC located in Fort Wayne, Indiana is here to help you cope with problems and find the positive change you are seeking.

We are licensed mental health counselors with more than 60 years of combined experience in our field.

We believe that the therapeutic relationship is one of the great tools for successful therapy . Each therapist is committed to ensuring that your needs are met so we can travel with you you on your journey.

Julie Light-Rodgers, Ma, LMHC

I am a licensed mental health counselor. I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Coaching from Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. While at Gardner-Webb University, I was a Division I collegiate scholarship golfer. I had the privilege of being on the first Woman’s Golf team for the university. I then obtained a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. I incorporate different therapeutic techniques and interventions to support you on a journey of improving your mental wellness. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Mindfulness. My desire is to walk along side of you on your road to healing.

I have had the privilege of working in many settings over my nearly 20 year career. I was a Clinical Director for a nonprofit organization called Whitington Homes & Services where I worked with teenage mothers and their children. I was also a therapist at Park Center and St. Joseph Behavioral Health where I offered services for addictions, adults, children, and families. I then began working in private practice at Phoenix Associates. I worked in the sexually maladaptive youth programs. However, I also worked with adults, children, and families dealing with trauma and other life issues. I moved to Gerard and Coslow Associates and continued private practice work until founding Flourish Counseling, LLC with Jennifer Thomas.

Flourish Counseling, LLC was born out of the desire to provide excellent services to clients with an uniquely individual approach. At Flourish, each client is able to choose the therapist that best fits their needs. There are no “middle men” so access to a therapist is direct and personal. Each therapist has autonomy, so that the service is in line with what each client needs.

Welcome, I look forward to hearing from you!

Contact me for an appointment:
260-627-9794

Jennifer Thomas, MS, LMHC

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I enjoy coming along side of others; helping them discover their own wisdom and developing new ways of being and relating that transform. While we can’t change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life. I provide a safe place to reflect, heal and create a different future. I appreciate the uniqueness of each person and their story

I incorporate different therapeutic techniques and interventions to support you on a journey of improving your mental wellness. I’m trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I’m certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). As well as spent two years training in Gestalt therapy. I graduated from the University of Saint Francis and have worked in the Fort Wayne community since 2002. I’ve work with a range of situations and challenges including anxiety, depression, victims of abuse and life transitions.

Personally, I played basketball at University of Saint Francis and continue to enjoy sports as part of my life today. I believe that it has taught my many lessons that I can use in everyday life. I am also a foundling member of Flourish Counseling, LLC and happy to be providing a healthy place for clients to work towards their goals.

Contact me for an appointment:
(260) 226-6414

Kim Chen, MSW, LCSW

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly 30 years of experience in the field. I obtained my Bachelors of Social Work from the University of Saint Francis and Masters of Social work from the University of Toledo then secured my clinical license. I’ve worked with a broad range of issues and populations during my career and am grateful for the opportunity to walk with you through your healing journey. I believe in the necessity of meeting clients where they are; assessing clients as part of their larger, dynamic systems; and treating the whole person. I’m passionate about women’s issues, serving individuals on the Autism Spectrum, and supporting clients with histories of trauma. In addition to working as a therapist, I also work as a Behavior Consultant with individuals who have intellectual disabilities in the Medicaid Waiver system and am a Certified Autism Specialist.

In session, I utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Practice, and other modalities. My practice is also Polyvagal informed, trauma focused, and somatically informed. I pride myself on being culturally sensitive, person-centered, and strength based as well as being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

Personally, I’ve been married to my exact opposite since 1998 and we have two children. Our daughter shares some of my professional interests with her degrees in psychology, sociology, and criminal justice from the University of Evansville. Our son is following in my husband’s footsteps by pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering at Ohio Northern University. My family loves to travel, SCUBA dive, downhill ski, and play poker together.

Please visit my website for additional information and to request an appointment.

https://kim-chen.clientsecure.me

Contact me for an appointment:
(260) 341-0023

Charlotte Elliott, MSW, LCSW

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I received a Bachelors Degree from IU-Purdue Fort Wayne in 1999 and a Masters Degree in Social Work in 2000 from IU Indianapolis. I obtained my license in Clinical Social Work in 2003.

I have a wide variety of experience in mental health, including inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, Employee Assistance and Student Assistance Counseling, and in private practice since 2003. I also have experience working with sexual assault victims at the Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau .

I believe that no matter what a person is going through in life, there is always hope for healing and growth. I enjoy helping my clients find healing in life’s painful experiences. I use a client centered approach working with high school through mature adults who have experienced grief and loss, assault, abuse, life transitions, job and school stress, depression and anxiety, relationship issues, self- esteem issues, and many others. I also offer a Christian approach if that is preferred.

I have been married for 32years and am a dog mom to a 4 year. old black and white Shichon . I love traveling, reading, movies and hanging out with my husband and friends. I attend The Chapel and am a member of the American Academy of Christian Counselors.

For 8 years I worked as a part time hospital social worker, working with seriously ill patients and their families in life and death situations. I supported them as they made the difficult decision to remove life support as well as walked beside them as many would recover. I know first hand from my own experience how stressful having a loved one with a serious illness can be as well as being a caregiver for them as they recover.I enjoy coming alongside my clients to support them when life is overwhelming and unpredictable, no matter their situation or story.

I also work with college age adults as they navigate their newfound freedom and the joys and stresses that comes with this time in their life. I enjoy helping them as they learn to blossom into their own unique selves as well as when they get involved in a serious relationship. It is important to have guidance as they navigate their new relationships and the issues that may arise during this time in their life. Premarital counseling is also offered for this age group. I am also a Certified Reproductive Grief and Loss Specialist

Contact me for an appointment:
(260) 204-1440

Heather Hannan, M. Ed., LMFT

I earned my Master’s Degree from Indiana University and am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I have worked in community mental health and with homeless veterans for almost 10 years as a case manager, therapist, and have held various leadership positions. I have a diverse history working with individuals, groups, families, homeless veterans, and those early in their mental health career. I have a strong belief in each person’s ability to grow and heal through the use of their strengths and skills. I I use a combination of empathic listener, cheerleader, humorist, and “real talk” help people in making small, cumulative changes on a path to a more fulfilling life and meaningful connections. I have a background in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Hypnosis, individual, family, and couples counseling; helping people who have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking, psychosis, difficulty with transitions, and relationship issues

Contact me for an appointment:
(260) 673-5507

Abi Harris, MS, LMHC

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I obtained my Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Kennesaw State University in Georgia, where I am from originally. I then got a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I am TF-CBT certified and also trained in EMDR.

My passion is working with a wide range of populations starting with children 8 years old through adulthood. I specialize in treating trauma, grief, PTSD, complicated grief and work with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and various behavioral problems for children.

Over the years I have had experience working with juveniles on probation, foster families affiliated with DCS, and have done some addictions work during my internship. My experience has given me great insight to the unique needs of every individual I have worked with. No person is the same, and I see those differences reflected into how we experience our diagnoses. We all experience life differently, and we need those differences reflected in our sessions as well.

Outside of counseling I have three beautiful children who are my world. Together we love to travel, hike, and explore everything we can and try to always find the beauty in the things yet to be discovered. We live in a society that is geared towards a fast-passed lifestyle, and we often forget to stop and smell the flowers. It is only when we slow down, that we are able to see how precious life can be

Contact me for an appointment:
(260) 247-8226