Dr. Lucy Franklin Underwood now has offices in Atlanta, Georgia metroplex; Rome, Georgia; and Dallas, Texas metroplex. She is accepting clients in-office and via telehealth.
In 1993, Dr. Lucy Underwood completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Auburn University followed by completion of a Masters of Science in Counseling and Human Development at Troy University-Montgomery in 1996. In 2006, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Memphis. During the doctoral program Dr. Underwood completed an American Psychological Association (APA) approved pre-doctoral internship in Psychology at Mississippi State Hospital (MSH). Following residency at MSH, she returned to employment in 2005, at East Mississippi State Hospital (EMSH) in Meridian, MS, as the Director of Psychology for the R. P. White Nursing Facility, a 240-bed long-term nursing home facility. Additional clinical experience has included serving as the Director of Alternative Services for Parkwood Behavioral Health in Mississippi, where Dr. Underwood oversaw the delivery of services in a partial hospitalization program (PHP) for dual diagnosis; a chemical dependency intensive outpatient program (IOP); a school-based therapy program for at-risk youth; and a geriatric unit located within a medical-surgical hospital. In 2010, she relocated to McKinney, Texas, to join an addiction management company with both residential and outpatient treatment programs.
Dr. Lucy Underwood's experiences have ranged from clinical and program administration to individual/group/family therapy to psychological testing. Diagnoses that she has treated include sports performance (professional and amateur), chronic mental health issues (e.g., Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Eating Disorders, etc.), medical-psychiatric issues (e.g., Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, etc.), chemical dependency, chronic health issues (e.g., cancer, brain injury, infertility, etc.) and developmental disorders. Dr. Underwood has also had extensive experience in treating childhood and family disorders and working in outpatient mental health programs. Integrated into all of her clinical experiences has been a large element of formal teaching and training of nurses, social workers, CNA's, etc. in behavior management, psychological issues of various populations, and conflict resolution/management. One of the most exciting developments in the treatment of mental health is the use of Accelerated Resolutional Therapy (ART) and Eye Move Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She is a Certified EMDR Therapist. EMDR is a research supported therapeutic approach that was originally designed by Dr. Francine Shapiro to address issues of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We now know that EMDR can assist an individual in addressing a wide range of symptoms that have been responsible for holding an individual back from living the life he/she so desires.
In addition to being a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Dr. Underwood also holds credentials as a Certified ART Therapist; a Certified EMDR Therapist; a National Certified Counselor (NCC); an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS); and a Board Certified-Telemental Health Therapist (BC-TMH). She enjoys providing clinical supervision to students and those LPC therapists who are completing their hours for licensure. Dr. Underwood is a member of the Dallas Psychological Association, EMDR International, the Association for Applied Sports Psychology, and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Dr. Underwood's conceptualization of issues is based in Systems Theory, which suggests our cognitions and behaviors are largely influenced by the various layers of our environment in which a client was reared. It does not discount genetic issues. Her treatment application is grounded in Cognitive Behavior Therapy or what we commonly refer to as "talk therapy". Dr. Underwood frequently incorporates the use of EMDR in conjunction with traditional talk therapy. With that said, she believes it important to figure out what works best for the client. At times, Dr. Underwood utilizes other treatment modalities including experiential therapies such as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.
In her spare time Dr. Underwood enjoys flower and vegetable gardening, cooking, exercise, photography, and travel. Dr. Underwood has been collecting recipes from family in hopes of someday writing her own cookbook. She enjoys music, her kitty (Priscilla), three Basset Hounds (River, Lily, and Ruby), as well as her friends' dogs and horses. Dr. Underwood is active in First United Methodist Church of McKinney, the American Cancer Society, the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Association, and served on the advisory committee for the Women's Alliance of McKinney, a division of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Lucy Underwood Reaches
McKinney TXFrisco TXPlano TXProsper TXDallas TX