Meet Our Staff

Susan Bechert, MSW, LICSW

Susan is passionate about supporting those who are coping with relationship issues, life transitions, depression, anxiety, grief, mood disorders, trauma, and other mental health concerns. Susan understands that therapy is most successful when there is mutual respect and trust between the therapist and client. She has successfully worked with children, teens and adults from diverse sexual orientations, ethnicities, cultures, and religious backgrounds.

Susan provides a warm, safe space in which clients can feel supported and accepted throughout the process of growth and change. While she ultimately holds clients accountable for the change they seek, she sees herself as both a provider of information and a secure base from which clients can explore new ways of moving through the world. She enjoys incorporating a lighthearted and straightforward approach to help clients feel both motivated and comfortable to produce change. Susan focuses on the strengths of each client and their relationships to help produce lasting change in their lives.

Susan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Alabama and earned her Master of Social Work from Walden University. Susan’s prior clinical experience includes providing psychotherapy for children, teens, adults and families in a private practice setting in Huntsville, Alabama. Susan opened Lake Guntersville Counseling in 2022 to fulfill her dream of increasing the availability of mental health care in her community.

Leslie Wright, LICSW

Leslie enjoys working with individuals and families as well as children and adolescents. She collaborates with clients to identify their strengths and the areas where they wish to grow or change. Leslie provides a safe and supportive environment for clients to process their emotions and be seen, heard, and validated. Leslie is warm, compassionate, and nonjudgmental, as she fully recognizes that every client has a different background and deals with a unique set of challenges. Ultimately, she strives to empower and challenge clients to create meaningful change and live wholehearted lives.

Leslie’s clinical interests include family of origin issues, depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and a variety of other psychological issues. She enjoys utilizing her multi-faceted background, including EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in her work with clients.

Leslie earned her Master of Social Work from The University of Alabama and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Athens State University. Leslie’s prior clinical experience includes providing psychotherapy, counseling, and leadership for over 20 years in a non-profit agency in Marshall County. Leslie has extensive training and experience in working with individuals who have experienced trauma or abuse.

In addition to her clinical background, Leslie is a board member of the Alabama Network for Children's Advocacy Centers, and currently serves as president. She has been associated with the board since 1988 has served as president, vice-president, and treasurer. Leslie has also served on the board for the American Red Cross of Marshall County and has provided Quality Assurance reviews for the Marshall County Department of Human Resources.

Erica Martin, MSW, LMSW

Erica enjoys working with individuals of all ages to help them identify their strengths and build healthy coping skills. Erica works with clients who are facing difficult life transitions, past or current trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, and other challenges. Through empathy, openness, and laughter, Erica provides a safe, welcoming environment where those who enter can feel comfortable. She offers services to individuals from all walks of life and appreciates diverse backgrounds, personalities, and beliefs. Erica is passionate about working in and serving her community, and believes counseling services are an important part of the overall health of individuals, families, and the community as a whole.

Erica is a graduate of Auburn University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, and earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Kentucky.

Erica has lived in Marshall County most of her life and has over 10 years’ experience in the human services/social work field. Her experiences include community mental health, adult protective services, foster care services, and working as a Qualified Developmental Disabilities Professional. Erica has served or currently serves on several non-profit boards within Marshall County and enjoys giving back to the community in a variety of volunteer service areas.

Rachel H. Morris, MSW, LMSW

Rachel enjoys working with individuals of all ages. She uses a trauma-informed strengths perspective to help clients cope with chronic health needs, end of life care, grief, major life transitions, depression, trauma, anxiety, and a variety of other mental health needs. She works with people of all sexual orientations, religious backgrounds, and cultures.

Rachel strives to create a safe, judgement-free zone that allows the client to explore their feelings and life experiences, and enjoys incorporating lighthearted humor and joy into sessions. She seeks to meet all clients where they are in their life journey.

Rachel is a 2006 graduate of the University of Alabama with a Masters in Social Work, and a 2005 graduate of Auburn University with a BA in social work. She has worked as an LMSW in both Marshall County and Birmingham, AL for over fifteen years.

Rachel has lived in Marshall County for eight years and is active in her local Episcopal church. She has been on the advisory board for social workers at Fresenius Kidney Care and served as a job coach for special needs young adults with Project Search. She is currently working to complete her LICSW licensure.

Amanda Kay Butler, LPC, NCC

Amanda offers an integrative approach to therapy, combining a variety of therapeutic models to meet each client’s individual needs. Amanda often utilizes aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, internal family systems, solution-focused based therapy, and play therapy techniques.

At the core of her therapeutic practices, Amanda believes that the quality of the client/therapist relationship is the most important factor for achieving positive change. A non-judgmental, warm, and accepting relationship in a safe environment allows clients to process their experiences, struggles, and emotions while working towards reaching their treatment goals.

Amanda’s clinical experience includes working as a child therapist and forensic interviewer at a local non-profit agency, where she worked with clients who experienced severe trauma. Following her time with the agency, Amanda entered private practice to work with children, teens, and adults with a variety of mental health issues. Amanda’s experience includes working with trauma (sexual abuse, physical abuse, maltreatment, and neglect), depression, anxiety, ADHD, loss, and life transitions.

Amanda strives to offer a place of safety and understanding for clients to process their emotions. It is her goal to join clients on their journey toward improved mental health and help them move forward in the healing process.

Amanda graduated from Athens State University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Health Fitness. Amanda earned a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Alabama in 2020. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC).