MS, LCMHC, NCC, BCC
Derry O'Kane
Derry O'Kane
Owner, Executive Director
I've spent the last 20 years offering therapeutic intervention and clinical support to adolescents and their families. My commitment to making a lasting, poignant impact on the entire family system drives the programming and team approach at Elevate. Having worked with families in crisis for the majority of my career, I believe that the ability to initiate change comes from within, but the magic of sustained change must be inspired by a committed and well supported family system. As Owner & Founder, I strive to build clinically sophisticated programming that highlights intra-family relationships as the prominent agents of change.
My clinical style is strengths-focused, dynamic and direct. I draw from attachment theory and utilize tools and concepts from Internal Family Systems, Psycho-Dynamic Theory, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and various Trauma-Informed Modalities. I help clients recognize blind spots and subconscious patterns that tamper with their true potential.
MS, LCMHC, NCC, BCC
Masters, Mental Health Counseling
National Certified Counselor
Board Certified Coach
Focus:
Adolescents age 10-17
Parents of adolescents
Program Design & Business Development
Clinical Specialties: Attachment Trauma,
Adoptive Families, Mood Disorders
In 2004, a year after graduating from college, Derry became a guide for a therapeutic program in North Georgia. A year later, she was invited to join a new program in the Adirondack Mountains of Northern New York State. After several years of working as a guide, Admissions Counselor and eventually, Admissions Director, Derry moved to the Pacific Northwest to seek broader professional and academic experiences.
Derry graduated with her Masters in Mental Health Counseling from Western Washington University in 2011. In 2013 after earning her license in Bellingham, WA, Derry travelled back home to the Southeast and joined an amazing team at a therapeutic program outside of Asheville, NC.
After 6 years supporting youth and their families move through crisis and toward joy, Derry felt determined to bridge the gap between the dynamic growth that can happen in a therapeutic program and the ultimate training ground, home. Derry believes that families deserve the opportunity to thrive at home together and this passion evoked the beginning of Elevate Family in late 2019.
Derry is proud of the growing services and the evolution of the inspiring & collaborative team at Elevate. As a licensed therapist and board certified coach, she draws from attachment theory, family systems theory, DBT, Internal Family Systems and Motivational Interviewing. Essentially, Derry uses any approach focused on helping individuals recognize unique strengths as they chart a meaningful course for their life.
When she’s not helping families all over the country grow & thrive together, she is adventuring with her family in the mountains of Western North Carolina or traveling out west in search of bigger mountains to mountain bike and snowboard down.
BIO
Derry grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee and was lucky enough to have a family culture that valued outdoor adventures. After completing an Outward Bound Course in the Rocky Mountains at age 17, she committed herself to building a career that would help others tap into their deepest potential. During her undergraduate studies at The University of Georgia, Derry created her own program of study, merging Environmental Studies and Human Behavior.