Willowbrooke Counseling Center Team

About our counselors and therapists

Our counselors and therapists are trained to work with individuals, families and groups in treating mental, behavioral, emotional and substance abuse problems and disorders. Our team also includes licensed clinical social workers, licensed master social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists and licensed associate marriage and family therapists.

Matt Bestic, MS, LPC

Matt Bestic is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than nine years of experience across multiple levels of care. He earned his master’s degree in counselor education from Augusta University in 2016 and primarily draws from dialectical behavior therapy, gestalt, shadow work and logotherapy. He works with clients of all ages, treating concerns such as PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD and borderline personality disorder. In addition to his work with adults, Matt uses play therapy, sand tray techniques and games to help children process and grow. A lifelong resident of metro Atlanta, he values personal growth and exploring diverse perspectives on the human experience.

Rachel Evans, MS, LPC, NCC

Rachel Evans is a licensed professional counselor and nationally certified counselor. She earned her bachelor’s in business administration and master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Mercer University. Rachel has experience in inpatient and private practice settings with issues including crisis management, mood disorders, anxiety, depression, self-harm, PTSD, grief and substance use.

She takes a strengths-based, person-centered approach and is trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Rachel is passionate about helping clients heal and believes therapy can transform lives.

John "Brian" Gibson, MA, LPC, CPCS, ICAADC, CCTP, MATS, ACS

Gibson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in psychology from the University of West Georgia through their Humanistic Psychology program. He is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Georgia and is also certified as an advanced alcohol and drug counselor and certified clinical trauma professional. Gibson has worked in counseling for 24 years and has experience doing this work at multiple levels of care, with various client ages and populations, and in various settings. His approach to counseling is based on humanistic psychology, developmental theory, neurobiology, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Gibson currently works providing telehealth therapy, working to provide a top-rate virtual experience to clients who are either unable to come to in person sessions or who may prefer telehealth sessions in their own home due to convenience or comfort.

Gibson also provides our journey substance use support group via telehealth as well, being able to build a virtual community for support for our clients who are working through a recovery process from substances.Gibson specializes in working with addiction treatment, but also has extensive experience working with adolescence, trauma, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, ADHD, psychotic disorders, and life changes. Gibson strives to help each client find their own goals and motivations and build treatment around these things, with the understanding that the client is the expert on themselves and the therapist simply a companion along the journey helping them reach their own personal goals, providing insight, support, and encouragement.

Patrick Henderson, MS, LPC

Henderson earned a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in criminal justice from Georgia State University. He enjoyed the field so much, he stayed another two years, earning his master’s in rehabilitation counseling. Henderson is a west Georgia native who grew up in Franklin. He has worked in a variety of mental health settings, including inpatient, CORE, intensive family intervention and private practice. His areas of focus are in the treatment of borderline personality disorders, attachment, and trauma. Since every therapist has their own personality, Henderson encourages potential patients to find the counselor who is right for them. He mostly works with adolescents and adults, and likes to use activities such as coloring, drawing and making paper planes to help people relax, focus and begin working on their goals.

Watch Henderson's video to learn more about his approach to counseling.

Álvaro (Horacio) Ordóñez, MS, LPC

Ordóñez earned a master’s in community counseling from Georgia State University. He has been a licensed professional counselor in Georgia for 22 years. His clinical experience includes addiction counseling, working with survivors of abuse and trauma, working with individuals struggling with depression and/or anxiety, familial and couple’s counseling, working with the LGTBQ community, assisting those struggling with grief/loss, anger and stress management. He enjoys working with both children and adults. Additionally, Ordóñez offers services in Spanish.

Barbara Patterson, MS, LCSW

Patterson holds a bachelor’s in philosophy and religion, with a minor in psychology. She worked as an activities coordinator for residents of a geriatric facility while completing her master’s in social work. Patterson has 36 years of experience working with individuals, families, couples and groups of various ages and backgrounds. Her goal is to create a safe, healing environment for the client to experience support, respect, and explore goals such as self-esteem and confidence. She also has experience with substance abuse counseling.

Victoria Reaves, LPC

Reaves has worked in the mental health field for over 30 years, both ing the private and public sectors, giving her the opportunity to serve people from many walks of life. She was trained to “meet clients where they are” and has been honored that those she has worked with trusted her to walk with them through their most personal and often troubled journeys. She began her career before “specialties” were common, and has enjoyed working with clients of all ages and needs until development of programs and supervision took her into a more administrative and mentoring role.

Now semi-retired, she has returned to a gentler pace which allows her to again focus her attention on supporting others as they struggle with the emotional difficulties of life. Now working from home through telehealth, she can be flexible with her schedule and even accommodate a few unconventional time requests. Reaves' experience has included working with individuals with many issues, from chronic mental illnesses to stress management/problem solving, including depression, anxiety, trauma, child and adolescent issues, family dysfunction, marriage issues, and gender identity issues. She looks forward to meeting and working with individuals, couples, and families who are searching for the opportunity for change.

Sherry Simpson, MA, LPC

Simpson provides a holistic, trauma-informed and person-centered approach. In 1993, she began her career working with individuals challenged by the consequences of childhood abuse and deprivation, which often result in complex PTSD; dissociative disorders; and other significant psychiatric disorders.Simpson earned a BS degree in Psychology with a sociology minor and an MA degree in Psychology with a professional counseling specialty. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Georgia since 2003. Over the years, she has provided the psychiatric consults in 16 metro Atlanta hospitals, served as a Clinical Director, and more. For the last 11 years, Simpson has exclusively focused on “best practices/outcomes” within a “routine outpatient therapy” level of care, helping individuals with a variety of personal issues including mood disorders; stress and anxiety conditions; panic disorder; PTSD; health psychology concerns; and dependency-related issues. She is available for Telehealth and in-office by appointment.

Will Spencer, MA, LPC

Spencer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from the University of West Georgia, after first being drawn there by the Humanistic Psychology program. Spencer has worked in addiction, college counseling, and private practice settings, and primarily enjoys working with young and emerging adults. Spencer’s approach to counseling is rooted in humanistic psychology, psychoanalysis, and cognitive behavioral therapies, and he aims to provide a therapy experience tailored to each client’s specific needs.

Spencer works to create a safe and relaxing environment for every client, and he seeks to empower each client as the expert on their own selves and the architect of their futures. While he does not limit his work to any particular diagnosis, Spencer finds he works particularly well with clients exhibiting symptoms of anxiety, depression, and high-functioning autism. His ultimate goal is to meet with each client where they are and to collaborate on a path forward.