our therapists
Ashley D. Barnes, Ph.D
Dr. Barnes is a licensed psychologist and has been practicing since 2007.She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M University, as well as her M.S. in Educational Psychology and her B.S. in Psychology. She completed her internship at the University of Tennessee Counseling Center in Knoxville and her postdoc at Baylor University Counseling Center. Dr. Barnes worked in university counseling centers before starting in private practice in 2008 and she opened Great Oaks Counseling Center in Round Rock in 2013. She opened the second location of her practice in Rockport in 2020.
Dr. Barnes specializes in individual therapy with adults, and the treatment of a variety of diagnoses including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, sexual orientation issues, grief, life transitions, and body image concerns. Dr. Barnes also has extensive experience working with active duty soldiers and dependents addressing concerns including PTSD, deployment and reintegration issues.
Dr. Barnes also has expertise in providing psychological testing including pre-surgical screenings for candidates for bariatric surgery and patients pursuing neurostimulator trials. Dr. Barnes also utilizes testing and assessment to shed light on psychological diagnoses and aid in appropriate treatment planning. Her approach to psychotherapy is a blend of interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral theories, and places special emphasis on the strength and quality of the relationship between the therapist and client.
Brooke Hersh, Ph.D
Dr. Hersh is a licensed psychologist and has been practicing since 2009.She earned her B.A. in Psychology and her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin where she received supervised training in various therapy modalities with children, adolescents and families. Dr. Hersh has also conducted clinical research in the areas of childhood depression and child assessment and co-authored publications on the topics of childhood depression, self-harming behavior, and assessment feedback with children. She completed her predoctoral internship at a community mental health clinic in White Plains, NY, where she received specialized training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Following internship, she completed a competitive two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the child outpatient psychiatry clinic of New York-Presbyterian Hospital where she conducted psychological assessment and therapy with youth experiencing a broad range of challenges, led social skills groups and groups for children of divorce, and co-facilitated their Adolescent DBT program.
Dr. Hersh evaluates and works with children and adolescents experiencing a range of social and emotional challenges from mild life adjustment difficulties to serious anxiety and depressive disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, and major depression. In addition, Dr. Hersh has expertise in family therapy and group therapy. With a background in school-based work, Dr. Hersh also provides school and parent consultation services for children experiencing attention, mood, and behavioral difficulties. In the coming year, she will be launching a children of divorce group and a group for youth with anxiety and mood disorders.
Dr. Hersh’s approach to psychotherapy integrates interpersonal and cognitive behavioral theories with attention to dynamics within the family system. She uses creative, developmentally appropriate strategies for engaging her young clients and helping them to harness their own innate strengths and resources.
Amy Melling, Ph.D
Dr. Melling is a licensed psychologist.She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Utah and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of San Diego’s Counseling Center. Dr. Melling has experience working in university counseling centers, hospital and community mental health centers. She has been in private practice since 2015.
Dr. Melling enjoys walking alongside people through challenging times of change and transition. She works with adolescents and adults who are struggling with relationships, family changes, identity, grief/loss, school, work challenges and career indecision, self-esteem, and making decisions about the future. She specializes in adjustment to college, launching into adulthood, and post-partum adjustment and works with individuals who are suffering from anxiety and depression.Dr. Melling’s approach to therapy involves a blend of cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and existential approaches. She also incorporates family of origin experiences and relationships that have had a significant impact. She focuses on creating a calm, supportive, and accepting environment which fosters growth. She helps people understand patterns in their lives, make adjustments to have balance and congruence with their values, and learn healthy ways to cope with stress. Her goal is to help her clients feel confident in who they are and empower them to use their strengths to overcome obstacles they are facing.
In addition to individual therapy, Dr. Melling also offers ADD/ADHD coaching to help clients learn strategies to improve their organizational skills, memory, concentration, and work towards long-term goals. She has worked within counseling and disability services at universities and has attended Dr. Barkley’s training. She also provides psychological testing for pre-surgical screenings for candidates for bariatric surgery and spinal-cord stimulator trials.
Paloma Ocampo, Ph.D
Dr. Ocampo is a licensed psychologist.She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Georgia and completed her pre-doctoral internship in an integrated behavioral health setting in Springfield, Missouri, working with ruraland underserved patients and as a member of a multidisciplinary integrative primary care team. Shethen completed her postdoc at a community mental health agency serving southwest Missouri, where she received extensive training in conducting psychological evaluations.
Dr. Ocampo has worked with all ages across the lifespan and currently specializes in individual therapy with adults experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, life transitions, self-esteem issues, and grief/loss. She also has experience working with college students and is LGBTQ+ affirming.
Dr. Ocampo’s approach to psychotherapy is a blend of cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused theories along with mindfulness approaches. She provides a safe and welcoming space for people of all backgrounds to promote trust in the therapeutic relationship. Her goal is to help individuals rediscover their strengths and develop effective coping strategies in order to work through life’s challenges.
Daniel DeBrule, Ph.D
Dr. DeBrule has been active as a licensed private practice Psychologist since 2009.He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as an M.A. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. DeBrule was born in Boone, NC, and attended UNC Chapel Hill for 2 years before graduating Summa Cum Laude with honors from UNC-Charlotte, where he worked with Lawrence Calhoun and Richard Tedeschi on Posttraumatic Growth research. He served as a Psychologist in the VA system for a total of 11 years, as a Health Behavior Coordinator & Whole Health Lead at the Houston VAMC and as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator Telework for the New Orleans VAMC (SLVHCS).
Dr. DeBrule specializes in men’s mental health as an individual psychotherapist. He also has significant experience in providing psychological assessments and as a group therapy facilitator. His expertise is in the areas of anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, suicidality, health psychology, and professional issues/thriving. Dr. DeBrule tends to work with men who range from college and graduate students, to professionals in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, to older adults.
Dr. DeBrule has a background in the STEM field, as a teacher/professor, an athlete, and a creative (music and writing), thus tends to really enjoy working with clients who share passions and interests in these areas. He has also served a large number of clients who hail from various global cultural backgrounds, as learning about and enjoying various cultural offerings is a personal interest. Dr. DeBrule tends to also work often with professionals in the legal, medical, STEM, business, and technology sectors. His approach tends to involve both aspects of evidence based treatment (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) and depth therapy (Humanistic & Existential approaches), and may also offer coaching for professional issues and health goals.
NOTICE
TSBEP's guidelines on telepsychology include Board rule 465.7 requiring licensees who provide psychological services through the internet or other remote or electronic means to provide written notification of their license number and instructions on how to verify the status of a license when obtaining informed consent which can be verified using this link.
Additionally, Board rule 469.2 requires licensees providing psychological services through the internet to display an image of the Board’s complaint notice in a prominent and easily accessible location on the licensee’s website. The instructions about filing a complaint can be found here.