Meet the Counseling Staff

Clinical Staff

Dr. Lashia Bowers

Director of Counseling Services

 Lashia Bowers is a Licensed Professional Counselor and an Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, and raised in Winston-Salem, NC. She earned her B.A. in English Education from UNC-Greensboro. Upon completing undergrad, she became a high school teacher and later the English Department Chair. While she was teaching, she completed her Master's in Counseling at Prairie View A&M. Lashia has experience counseling adolescents, young adults, and families. She has worked within a school-based setting, a behavioral health agency, and in private practice. She completed her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership P-12 at Clemson University. Lashia is a scholar-practitioner that has presented at national and international conferences. Her research agenda includes emancipatory practices, Africana psychology, and African-centered education. She co-authored a research article in the Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Studies, and she also has a poem published in Root Work Journal. 

She approaches counseling with unconditional positive regard and mutual respect for all cultures. She utilizes an eclectic and research-based approach that values the intersectionality of everyone's identity in individual and group counseling, including African-centered theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness. Lashia enjoys traveling, cooking, poetry, and being in nature.

Dr. Yashica Holmes-Smith

Associate Director and Clinical Director

Dr. Yashica Holmes-Smith, also known as Dr. Y, is a Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (CDBT).  She has years of experience providing academic, career, and personal counseling and teaching psychology courses at 2-year, 4-year, and graduate institutions.  She has conducted research focused on personality, coping styles, psychosocial adjustment, and media use among adolescents and young adults.  Dr. Y’s special areas of interest in research and practice include women, gender, sexuality, relationships, and diversity (WGSRD). Her approach to counseling is client-centered and her primary interventions include Psycho-Education, CBT, DBT, Media Therapy, and Guided Self-Help.

Jamaya Binns

Jamaya is originally from Greenville, South Carolina, and comes from a big family with five brothers and one sister. She loves to travel, has over 70 plants, and loves to do crafts and puzzles. Jamaya is a recent graduate of Webster University with her master's In Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She graduated from Coastal in 2017 with a bachelor's in Psychology and Sociology with a concentration in Criminology. She has previous experience working in a hospital setting and some experience in law enforcement as a Victim's Advocate. Her approaches are Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Person-Centered Therapy.

Carly Nelson

 Carly Nelson is a Creative Arts Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in the state of South Carolina. Carly was born and raised on Long Island, NY where she completed her education. Carly holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Clinical Art Therapy from Long Island University, C.W. Post campus. While having a passion for making art, Carly always knew that she wanted to use her skills beyond being a professional artist. When she found the field of Creative Arts Therapy, Carly knew this would be her lifelong mission. It combines her love of all things creative, and her desire to help others help themselves Carly has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with a primary focus in cognitive disabilities and chronic mental illness. As a Creative Arts Therapist, Carly believes the use of creativity has a deeply emotional connection to ourselves and our psyche, making it an effective tool for therapy without always needing to say the words. Carly believes that art therapy is beneficial to all ages and provides a space for you to explore your capabilities, promoting self-esteem and personal success, making it an ideal fit for working with students at Coastal Carolina University. In her free time, Carly enjoys yoga, hiking, and traveling whenever possible.

Letitia Minor

Counselor and Intercultural Specialist

Letitia was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa and a former CCU track and field/cross country student-athlete. Letitia holds a M.Ed. in School Counseling from Campbell University in North Carolina, and was a school counselor in Horry County, South Carolina for 3 years, before joining the counseling team at CCU. Letitia graduated from CCU in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology. Letitia is also a Certified School Career Development Advisor and has a passion for student academic success and career development. As the Counselor and Intercultural Specialist, Letitia is committed to creating a space where authentic life experiences and genuine thoughts and feelings meet unconditional positive regard. She believes that the role of a counselor is to be a facilitator of change and she considers it a privilege to build relationships with students to enhance their personal, social, and emotional growth. Her approach to counseling is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and she enjoys helping students with emotional regulation skills, exercises, and strategies. In her free time, Letitia enjoys spending time with her husband and son, running, hiking, and watching Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and series.

Charlie Wilson, Jr.

Counselor

Mr. Wilson, holds licensure as Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) and State Education license as Professional School Counselor Pk-12th in the state of SC. He has multiple years of experience providing counseling and guidance services to students ranging in ages of Pre-K through College. Previous experience includes working within the SC Dept. of Corrections, clinical based school therapy, School Counselor (Guidance Counselor), Private Practice, Child & Family Therapist, & Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility Therapist. Mr. Wilson special areas of interest include relationships, self-esteem, race and aspects of racism. His approach to counseling is person-centered and solution focused. His primary interventions include Psycho-Education, CBT, DBT and Guided Self-Help.

Dr. Katerini Katimertzi

Mental Health Practitioner

Dr. Katerini Katimertzi, has had a passion for Psychology and the human psyche from a young age. Born and raised in Greece, she moved to the United States in 2000. While residing in Hamilton, NJ she finished high school early and pursued her Associates Degree from Mercer County Community College with aspirations of obtaining her Bachelors in Psychology. In 2008 she completed her BA at Rutgers University and began working in the field of mental health serving the severely mentally ill at an emergency capacity program. Dr. Katimertzi’s aspirations of gaining more knowledge in the field led her to Florida at an APA Accredited University in Miami FL; Albizu University. There she dedicated her time to obtain a Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology, followed by her doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She graduated with honors in 2018, with a focus in Child Development. Her desire to further expand her knowledge in human development led her to the Institute for Child and Family Health where she became certified as a Healthy Steps Specialist for children ages 0-3. Coming from a bilingual and multicultural background, Dr. Katimertzi offers unconditional positive regard to all her clients and focuses on the gift of presence through patience and grounding.

Dr. Katimertzi has a passion for Alternative and Holistic treatments. She completed her dissertation in Alternative treatments such as Yoga, Meditation, Acupuncture and The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping for adults with depression and anxiety. She has developed a passion for Mind, Body, & Soul healing that has led her in an extensive self-guided research path on the topics of Shamanism, Ayurveda, Psychedelic Psychology, Energy Psychology, Somatic Psychology, Neuroplasticity, Quantum Physics, as well as Nature therapy, over the past six years. Dr. Katimertzi has developed her skills in various deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, sound healing, lymphatic drainage, and various somatic body work techniques in order to remove stored trauma from the body and assist in wholistic healing.

Kaitlyn Ingram

Counselor

Kaitlyn is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in the state of South Carolina. She is a native of Syracuse, NY, and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at West Virginia University, in Morgantown, WV. Kaitlyn went on to receive a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Her approach to counseling is eclectic and person-centered, rooted in a strong foundation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and focused on understanding and connecting early childhood experiences. She has always had a passion for helping others to become the best, most authentic versions of themselves and she approaches her clients with unconditional positive regard which harbors a warm and welcoming environment for change. Kaitlyn believes that all people are resilient and strives to help others redefine their purpose, uncover their true identity, and restore meaning to their lives. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys running, painting, cheering on the West Virginia Mountaineers, and spending time with her two pugs.

Brooke Page

Case Manager

Brooke Page is a Social Work Graduate student at Northern Kentucky University and has a bachelors of Liberal Arts from Xavier University. She is from Cincinnati, Ohio and just moved to Conway less than a year ago. Brooke comes to Coastal Carolina with copious experience as a Rape Crisis Hotline Advocate where she mans a 24 hour crisis hotline for sexual assault survivors in Horry and Georgetown Counties. Brooke also has over 4 years of experience as a Student Success Mentor for ages ranging from elementary school to the college level. For 5 years she was a Conservation Educator and Community Outreach Advocate at the Newport Aquarium in Northern Kentucky where she brought reptiles, penguins, and sharks to educational venues in the tristate area to educate children and adults about why saving aquatic life is so crucial to local environments. Brooke was also an elementary school student teacher for 3 years. Overall Brooke has a total of 7 years experience as an educator.

She has student-centered values that are guided by empowerment, trauma-informed care, diverse constructivism, and sociologically conscious viewpoints. In her free time, Brooke likes to play with her two dogs and her cat. Another important aspect of Brooke’s history is that, when she was 12 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare Genetic Disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which impairs her joints and muscles. Brooke has gained much insight from personal experience into disability accommodations, IEPs, 504s, and transitioning needs to the college environment.

Front Office Staff

Claudia Johnson

Administrative Assistant

Claudia Johnson was born in Long Island, NY, where she began her career path at LIEOC in Nursing. Claudia began to lean towards Leadership, Supervision, Customer Service, and Finance, where her focus was on servicing others. She moved to South Carolina in hopes of continuing to serve the needs of others and lead by example. She continued working in Finance and received on-going training in Leadership and Customer Service.

Claudia is the renowned author of the book Esteem Yourself Higher, which was written to inspire self-motivation. She also published a 30-day push journal, Elevation of Esteem, three other journals I'm Positioned, "I Get to do", Baby journal and two notebooks. In addition, she is a certified Book Publisher, Business Consultant, Executive Assistant, Life Coach, Mental Health First Aid, DEI and Podcaster(CLRS). Claudia received her BA in Theology and Religious Studies and is currently pursuing her Doctoral degree in Biblical Psychology at HBI. She also stands as CEO of Ladies of Virtuality which is a non-profit organization that gives women the tools to empower their mind, body, and soul.

Margarita Basabe-Cintron

Administrative Specialist

Margarita, or Margie as she prefers to be called, was born in NYC and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She started her working career as a bank teller and accounting clerk.  Margie has an Associate’s degree in business. 

Margie comes to Counseling Services with over 25 years of experience as an administrative assistant/secretary in various industries which include finance, healthcare, and law. She has also worked in healthcare as a nursing assistant in med/surg and behavioral health, and as a Home Health Aid.

After one too many NY winters, Margie moved to South Carolina for warmer weather and enjoys the friendly southern hospitality the state offers.