Brooke Farrell, Ph.D.
Founder & Director
Brooke has worked as a therapist with individuals, groups & families for more than 18 years. Throughout the last 10 years, she has created a program of services devoted to supporting teens and their parents in transitioning from a therapeutic program to home, or a post-treatment setting. Her programs also provide longer-term care for teens and their parents who benefit from continued support after the initial transition phase. Brooke’s education in Mental Health Counseling (M.S.) and a Ph.D. in Child & Family Studies, both from the University of Tennessee, created the foundation from which her clinical expertise has continued to grow.
In the therapeutic process her approach integrates attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, Polyvagal Theory, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and experiential family therapy. With experience in a variety of therapeutic settings—outpatient, wilderness, and residential—Brooke is able to meet parents & families at their current level of functioning, and help them move forward on a path towards improved individual and relational well-being. She believes that with the proper support, individuals & families have the capacity to become more resilient and connected.
Brooke runs Unify Families transition program, Teen & Parent Coaching services, and family intensives. She specializes in working with parents who are raising children with emotion-regulation and developmental disorders. Originally from western NC, Brooke returned to the mountains she loves in 2007. She resides with her family in Asheville and Miami (where her husband works as an Educational Consultant, www.mosesfarrell.com). She and Shawn are active parents of twin daughters, two dogs, and at least one cat at any given time.
Britt Patterson, M.A.
Family & Teen Coach
Beginning in the mental health field as a direct care worker in families' homes, for the last 10 years Britt has expanded her therapeutic knowledge by working in clinical research, therapeutic wilderness, and residential settings. During this time she completed an MA in Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, where she incorporated mindfulness techniques and the psychology of grief and loss into her approach.
Britt brings a solid therapeutic foundation in working with children & parents to UNIFY FAMILIES. In a previous position as Family Resource Specialist with Aspen Education Group, Britt supported parents with children in wilderness treatment with transitions to continuing care programs and returning home. Most recently Britt was a Program Supervisor/Director at Talisman Academy, a therapeutic boarding school for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders where she oversaw direct care staff, created student curriculum & led therapeutic groups, and provided case management for students and families.
From her work in therapeutic programs as well as with the Autism Society of North Carolina, Britt is experienced in working with a range of conditions including ADHD, executive functioning issues, autism spectrum, mood disorders, grief and loss, and family dysfunction. Believing strongly in meeting the client and family where they are, Britt incorporates compassion, creativity, and a strong therapeutic skill set into her work with children & families.
A North Carolina native, Britt has resided in Asheville since 2008. She is a registered yoga teacher and also enjoys time with her dog, camping, hiking, drawing, and painting.
Becca Hart
Certified Teen Coach
While living & going to school in Detroit, Michigan to study the Middle East, Becca started her own grass roots after-school program for children and neighborhood families to meet some of the needs she saw in her community. She never looked back and has been working in direct care with children & adolescents for more than 10 years, and with Unified families since 2015.
Her work experiences include working in public middle schools as a life skills coach, an integrative medical hospital setting, & with adjudicated youth. She spent more than 5 years working with adolescents in wilderness therapy where she mastered incorporating experiential education, mindfulness and choice theory into her work. She spent her last year in wilderness providing crisis management support and training for direct care staff. She is certified in CPI crisis intervention and considers it an honor to be able to hold space with others in vulnerable moments or seasons of life.
Becca focuses on creative ways to help others develop self-worth and believe in their own inherent value. She also believes that boundaries and structure can ultimately lead to freedom, and enjoys walking with others through how to embrace surrender. Most recently coming from a position as a Transition Coach for parents bringing their children home from wilderness treatment, Becca brings her understanding of parents challenges as well their children's during transitions.
Originally from Michigan, Becca loves the access North Carolina provides her with the beach, mountains, and the city. She splits her time between Charlotte and Black Mountain with her husband and their dog. She enjoys teaching kids to garden at an Urban Garden, DIY projects and finding new cafe's to read in.
Colin Walsh
Teen Coach
Colin has spent over 15 years working with adolescents in a variety of therapeutic programs and settings. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Fine Art, he taught art to teens in the UK prison system while also running a local youth group. While he was in England, he owned a small cafe and spent time traveling internationally, much of it on his bike.
When he moved back to the United States he spent six years working for a wilderness therapy program in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY. His career in wilderness therapy has encompassed many roles including: Field Instructor, Field Team Management, Family Program Coordinator, and Clinical Support Specialist. Colin and his wife moved their family (now three boys) to the Big Island of Hawaii where he worked in a Horticultural Therapy program as Family Program Coordinator. Colin has also worked as a primary therapist in an adult addiction rehabilitation facility and helped launch a therapeutic boarding school for boys with substance abuse and mental health struggles. During the last three years he has worked on the clinical team of a long-running wilderness therapy program in North Carolina, in a unique mentoring position.
Colin is excited to work as a coach with Unify Families because it provides the opportunity to help teens transition the skills they have learned at a residential program to the home environment. He believes in an authentic and non-judgmental approach that encourages open communication and trust.
Matt Brown
Teen Coach
Matt has spent most of his adult life working with youth, young adults, and families in a variety of settings. After receiving a B.S. in Family Psychology he worked in a short term residential care facility as a direct care staff until deciding to attend graduate school. He earned an M.A. in Theological Studies and has been heavily involved in youth groups, young adult groups, and community outreach throughout his education and beyond. In the last 11 years he has focused on experiential education as a means of holding space and giving support for others to learn by experimentation.
Matt spent nearly two years as a field instructor with a western North Carolina based wilderness therapy program and two additional years as a family transition leader for families that have finished that same program. His passion is to support families as they adjust to life after treatment, and help families discover how to utilize the communication tools they have learned within their family’s dynamic.
Matt is enthusiastic in his work as an adolescent transition coach with Unify Families. His focus is to meet people where they are, to help them see the growth that has happened and also recognize what work still needs to be done while providing support in that process. He resides in Richmond, Virginia where he enjoys rock climbing, playing music, and exploring great coffee shops.